Patent Abstract:
An impression medium for preserving handprints and footprints for reproduction. Preferably, the device is used for infants. Still further, preferably, the preserved handprints and footprints allow for reproduction onto personalized keepsakes, such as birth announcements, birth certificates, mugs, t-shirts, and candy wrappers.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    The present application is claiming the benefit of the Jan. 13, 2003 filing date of provisional Patent Application No. 60/439,815, entitled “KIT AND METHOD FOR MAKING AND SUBMITTING INFANT FOOT PRINTS TO SERVICE COMPANY FOR REPRODUCTION ONTO BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS AND RELATED GIFTS”. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention relates generally to arts and crafts and, more specifically, to an impression medium for preserving handprints and footprints for reproduction.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Birth announcements and related gifts have long been used by parents to announce the birth of a child. Currently, one desiring to employ the service of an announcement printing company is generally limited to providing the infant&#39;s birth information and occasionally a photograph for reproduction onto announcements.  
           [0004]    Alternatively, parents may purchase kits that provide a keepsake certificate and paint or ink for making an imprint on the certificate. However, these kits do not allow for multiple announcements that can be mailed or otherwise easily shared with family and friends. Furthermore, these kits typically do not provide printed birth information, thus requiring the user to hand-write the infant birth information onto the certificate.  
           [0005]    Therefore a need existed for an impression medium for preserving handprints and footprints for reproduction onto personalized keepsakes. Preferably, the device is used for infants. Still further, preferably, the preserved handprints and footprints allow for convenient reproduction of the handprints and footprints along with printed birth information onto a set of birth announcements or gifts such as, but not limited to, keepsake birth certificates, mugs, t-shirts, and candy wrappers.  
         BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
         [0006]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an impression medium for preserving at least a portion of at least one of a handprint and footprint for reproduction onto birth announcements and related gifts is disclosed. The impression medium comprises, in combination, an imprint film, a printing medium coated onto a bottom surface of the imprint film, a printing surface proximate the bottom surface of the imprint film, and a substantially rigid backer dimensioned to be placed proximate a bottom surface of the printing surface.  
           [0007]    In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention a method for preserving handprints and footprints for reproduction is disclosed comprising the steps of providing an impression medium for preserving at least a portion of at least one of a handprint and a footprint, recording at least one of a handprint and a footprint onto the impression medium, and copying at least one of the handprint and the footprint from the impression medium onto a personalized keepsake.  
           [0008]    The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more particular description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a top view of a keepsake birth certificate prior to receiving an imprint of a handprint or a footprint.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the keepsake birth certificate of FIG. 1 being placed between an imprint film and a backer of a first embodiment of an impression medium.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is a top view of a hand being pressed onto the first embodiment of the impression medium. Also shown is an imprint protector sheet that must be removed prior to pressing the hand onto the impression medium.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is a top view of a printing surface.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a foot being pressed onto a second embodiment of the impression medium.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a printing surface being removed from between an imprint film and a backer of the second embodiment of the impression medium after an imprint of a footprint has been recorded onto the printing surface.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 7 is front view of a footprint recorded onto the printing surface shown in FIG. 6.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a bottom surface of a hand coated with a chemically reactive solution.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the hand coated with a chemically reactive solution of FIG. 8 being pressed onto a sheet of chemically reactive paper.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a handprint of the hand of FIG. 9 recorded onto the chemically reactive paper.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a foot being pressed onto an inkpad.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a bottom surface of the foot shown in FIG. 11 coated with ink.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the coated foot of FIG. 12 being removed after a footprint has been recorded onto paper card stock.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 14 is a top view of footprints copied onto a personalized birth announcement. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0023]    The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of illustrated embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals and symbols represent like elements.  
         [0024]    The inventor has created an impression medium, referred to generically as impression medium  10 , that allows for the convenient recording of at least a portion of a footprint  31  (shown in FIGS. 6, 7,  13  and  14 ) or handprint  30  (shown in FIG. 10) for reproduction onto personalized keepsakes.  
         [0025]    Referring now to FIGS.  2 - 3 , the preferred embodiment of the impression medium, referred to as impression medium  10   a,  is shown. The main components of the impression medium  10   a  include an imprint film  14  (shown in FIGS. 2, 3,  5  and  6 ), a printing medium  16  (shown in FIGS. 6 and 7) coated onto a bottom surface of the imprint film  14  (shown in FIGS. 2, 3,  5  and  6 ), a printing surface  19  (shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and  7 ) proximate the bottom surface of the imprint film  14 , and a substantially rigid backer  22  (shown in FIGS. 2 and 6) dimensioned to be placed proximate a bottom surface of the printing surface  19 . While it is preferred that the substantially rigid backer  22  be comprised of cardboard, it should be understood that substantial benefit may be derived from using plastic or any other substantially rigid material.  
         [0026]    While, in the preferred embodiment, the impression medium  10   a  is substantially rectangular, as shown for example in FIGS. 2, 3,  5 , and  6 , it should be understood that it is within the spirit and scope of this invention to provide an alternatively shaped impression medium, as desired for particular uses.  
         [0027]    An alternative embodiment of the impression medium  10   a,  referred to as impression medium  10   b,  is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Impression medium  10   b  is essentially the same as impression medium  10   a,  except that the size of the imprint film  14  in impression medium  10   b  is greater. Both impression medium  10   a  and impression medium  10   b  have a frame  11  (shown in FIGS. 2, 3,  5  and  6 ) coupled about the imprint film  14 . Preferably, a first edge  13  (shown in FIG. 2) of the frame  11  is pivotally coupled to a corresponding first edge  23  (shown in FIG. 2) of the backer  22  so as to allow the backer  22  to be folded so as to be proximate the printing surface  19 , although it should be clear that substantial benefit could be derived from an alternative embodiment of the present invention in which the backer  22  is coupled along another edge to the frame  11  or in which the backer  22  is completely separate from the frame  11 .  
         [0028]    Referring now to FIGS.  2 - 3 , impression medium  10   a  comprises a frame  11  that defines at least three windows  12  dimensioned to expose at least a portion of the imprint film  14 . Preferably, the exposed portions of the imprint film  14  are sized to fit a hand  32  (shown in FIG. 3) or a foot  34  (shown in FIG. 5).  
         [0029]    Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, the frame  11  of impression medium  10   b  defines one window  12  dimensioned to expose a greater portion of the imprint film  14 .  
         [0030]    While FIGS. 3 and 5 depict an entire hand  32  and an entire foot  34 , respectively, being pressed onto the imprint film  14 , it should be clearly understood that substantial benefit may be derived from using a finger, a toe, a palm, a heel or any other portion of a hand  32  or foot  34 . It should also be understood that although an infant hand  32  or infant foot  34  is preferred, substantial benefit may also be derived from using the hand  32  or foot  34  of a child or even an adult.  
         [0031]    Referring now to FIGS.  3 - 4 , it is preferred that the impression medium  10   a  have an imprint protector sheet  24  (shown in FIG. 3) dimensioned to be placed between the bottom surface of the imprint film  14  (shown in FIG. 3) and a top surface  21  (shown in FIG. 4) of the printing surface  19  (shown in FIG. 4). The imprint protector sheet  24  prevents any handprints  30  or footprints  31  from being made inadvertently while handling the impression medium  10   a.    
         [0032]    Prior to recording the handprint  30  or footprint  31 , the imprint protector sheet  24  should be removed (shown in FIG. 3). A printing surface  19  should then be placed between the imprint film  14  and the backer  22 . It is preferred that the printing surface  19  be either an imprint sheet  25  (shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and  7 ), card stock  26  (shown in FIG. 13), or artist board (not shown). It should be clearly understood, however, that substantial benefit may also be derived from using paper or any other medium capable of recording a handprint  30  or footprint  31 .  
         [0033]    By pressing the hand  32  (shown in FIG. 3) or foot  34  (shown in FIG. 5) onto the imprint film  14 , the printing medium  16  (preferably ink) is transferred onto the printing surface  19  in the shape of a handprint  30  or footprint  31 . This handprint  30  and footprint  31  may then be copied onto a birth announcement  29  (shown in FIG. 14), a card, a mug, a shirt, a candy wrapper, or any other form of a personalized keepsake.  
         [0034]    Alternatively, a user may insert a pre-printed keepsake birth certificate  27  (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) between the imprint film  14  and the backer  22  of the impression medium. After pressing a hand  32  (shown in FIG. 3) or a foot  34  (shown in FIG. 5) onto the imprint film  14 , the printing medium  16  will be transferred directly onto the keepsake birth certificate  27 .  
         [0035]    Although it is preferred that ink  17  (shown in FIG. 11) be the printing medium  16  used to record the handprint  30  or footprint  31  and that a type of paper product be the printing surface  19 , it should be understood that substantial benefit may be derived from an alternative embodiment of the impression medium  10 . For example, referring to FIGS.  8 - 10 , a bottom surface  33  (shown in FIG. 8) of a hand  32  (shown in FIGS.  8 - 9  (or alternatively a foot, not shown) can be first coated with a chemically reactive solution  18 . The coated hand  32  (or foot) can then be pressed onto chemically reactive paper  28  (shown in FIGS.  9 - 10 ). Finally, FIG. 10 shows the resulting handprint  30  that appears on the chemically reactive paper  28 .  
         [0036]    Referring now to FIGS.  11 - 13 , an alternative method for preserving handprints and footprints is shown. A footprint  31  (or handprint) may also be recorded by first pressing a bottom surface  35  (shown in FIG. 12) of a foot  34  (or a hand) onto an inkpad  36  (shown in FIG. 11). The bottom surface  35  of the foot  34  (or hand) will then be coated with ink  17  (shown in FIG. 12). The foot  34  (or hand) is then pressed onto a printing surface  19  (shown in FIG. 13), such as cardstock  26  or artist board (not shown). FIG. 13 shows the resulting footprint  31  that appears on the cardstock  26 . The footprint  31  (or handprint) can then be copied, such as by photocopy or some other standard copying means, onto a birth announcement  29  (shown in FIG. 14) or some other personalized keepsake. If desired, the printing surface  19  may be sent by, for example, a parent or a guardian, to a manufacturer of various items as described above, who will place the handprint  30  or footprint  31  onto the items manufactured by the manufacturer for distribution to those people designated by the parent.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1