COLLAPSIBLE VIRTUAL REALITY VIEWER ASSEMBLY

• US 20180002059A1
• Filed: 08/11/2017
• Published: 01/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hallmark Cards Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hallmark Cards Incorporated
• Inventors: PAVLU, JR., ROBERT R., WALLEN, THOMAS A., SCHIMKE, SCOTT A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,329,047 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/0209 the tubular body having a curved or partially curved cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/3628 collapsed along median lines of two opposite sides of the rectangular tubular body
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4204 Inspection openings or windows
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4229 in the form of a detachable panel
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4233 Cards, coupons, labels or the like formed separately from the container or lid
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4266 Folding lines, score lines, crease lines
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/015 involving arrangement aiming to get less bulky devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0152 involving arrangement aiming to get lighter or better balanced devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0169 Supporting or connecting means other than the external walls
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/20 Collapsible housings G02B23/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0179 Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/37 Collapsible stereoscopes

Abstract

The present invention relates to a collapsible virtual reality viewer. Aspects of the viewer include a body portion and a viewing portion, each having a plurality of panels abutting fold lines. The viewer may be folded along the fold lines to move from an expanded configuration to a collapsed configuration when it is not being used. In one aspect, the viewer includes a detachable panel that is removeably coupled to the viewer along a plurality of perforations. Promotional material may be printed on or attached to the detachable panel. In another embodiment, the body portion and the viewing portion are each formed of a unitary construction in which the panels of each portion are die cut from a single piece of material and folded along fold lines to form the body and viewing portions, which are then secured together at one or more locations.

Claims

1. A collapsible virtual reality viewer comprising:

a body portion, the body portion comprising;

a first body wall;

a second body wall opposite the first body wall;

a first side wall joining the first body wall and the second body wall; and

a second side wall opposite the first side wall and joining the first body wall and the second body wall; and

a viewing portion coupled to the body portion, the viewing portion comprising;

an outer viewing panel having one or more viewing apertures for permitting viewing a virtual reality display device when received in the viewer,

an inner viewing panel having a display aperture for permitting viewing a virtual reality display device when received in the viewer,

a back panel, the back panel and the inner viewing panel forming a slot, and

an intermediate viewing panel that spaces apart the outer viewing panel and the slot,

wherein the collapsible virtual reality viewer includes a plurality of fold lines and is configured to fold between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration,

wherein, when in the expanded configuration, the slot is configured to hold a virtual reality display device.

2. The collapsible virtual reality viewer of claim 1, wherein the back panel of the viewing portion is permanently secured to the body portion via one or more hinging panels.

3. The collapsible virtual reality viewer of claim 2, wherein the first body wall comprises a first body panel, and wherein the one or more hinging panels abut the first body panel along a fold line.

4. The collapsible virtual reality viewer of claim 3, wherein the one or more hinging panels comprise one or more fold lines configured to fold as the back panel moves from a position perpendicular to the first body panel when in the expanded configuration to a position parallel to the first body panel when in the collapsed configuration.

5. The collapsible virtual reality viewer of claim 1, wherein the first side wall comprises a first side panel and a second side panel and wherein the second side wall comprises a third side panel and a fourth side panel.

6. The collapsible virtual reality viewer of claim 5, wherein the plurality of fold lines includes a first fold line between the first side panel and the second side panel and a second fold line between the third side panel and the fourth side panel.

7. The collapsible virtual reality viewer of claim 5, wherein a first angle between the first side panel and the second side panel and a second angle between the third side panel and the fourth side panel are each less than 180 degrees when the collapsible virtual reality viewer is in the expanded configuration.

8. The collapsible virtual reality viewer of claim 1, wherein the second body wall comprises a second body panel abutting the first side wall and a third body panel abutting the second side wall.

9. The collapsible virtual reality viewer of claim 8, wherein the viewing portion further comprises a bottom panel abutting the outer viewing panel, the bottom panel being secured to the second body panel and the third body panel.

10. The collapsible virtual reality viewer of claim 9, wherein the bottom panel is parallel to the intermediate viewing panel when the collapsible virtual reality viewer is in the expanded configuration.

11. The collapsible virtual reality viewer of claim 1, wherein the viewing portion further comprises a plurality of reinforcement panels secured to the outer viewing panel, each reinforcement panel having one or more viewing apertures positioned to align with the one or more viewing apertures of the outer viewing panel.

12. The collapsible virtual reality viewer of claim 1, wherein the outer viewing panel, the inner viewing panel, and the back panel are parallel to each other when the collapsible virtual reality viewer is in the expanded configuration.

13. The collapsible virtual reality viewer of claim 1, wherein the inner viewing panel and the back panel are coupled together via a connecting panel, the connecting panel forming a bottom portion of the slot configured to hold the virtual reality display device when the collapsible virtual reality viewer is in the expanded configuration.

14. The collapsible virtual reality viewer of claim 1, wherein the back panel includes an aperture therein and whereby the aperture aligns with a camera of a smartphone when a smartphone is received in the slot to permit the virtual reality viewer to also be an augmented reality viewer.

16. The collapsible virtual reality viewer of claim 14, wherein the detachable portion includes promotional material attached to or printed on the detachable panel.

17. The collapsible virtual reality viewer of claim 14, wherein the body portion is coupled to the viewing portion via one or more hinging panels, at least one hinging panel being adjacent the first body wall at a fold line on a side of the first body wall that is opposite the plurality of perforations.

15. A collapsible virtual reality viewer, the collapsible virtual reality viewer comprising:

a body portion, the body portion comprising;

a first body wall;

a second body wall opposite the first body wall;

a first side wall joining the first body wall and the second body wall; and

a second side wall opposite the first side wall and joining the first body wall and the second body wall; and

a viewing portion coupled to the body portion, the viewing portion comprising;

an outer viewing panel having one or more viewing apertures for permitting viewing a virtual reality display device when positioned in the viewer,

an inner viewing panel having a display aperture for permitting viewing a virtual reality display device when positioned in the viewer,

a back panel, the back panel and the inner viewing panel forming a slot, and

an intermediate viewing panel that spaces apart the outer viewing panel and the slot; and

a detachable portion comprising a detachable panel removeably coupled to the first body wall along a plurality of perforations,

wherein the collapsible virtual reality viewer includes a plurality of fold lines and is configured to fold between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration,

wherein, when in the expanded configuration, the slot is configured to hold a virtual reality display device in the viewer.

18. A collapsible virtual reality viewer assembly comprising:

a body portion formed from a first piece of material, the body portion comprising;

a first body panel;

a second body panel;

a third body panel;

one or more first side panels positioned between the first body panel and the second body panel, wherein the one or more first side panels and the first body panel abut along a first fold line and the one or more first side panels and the second body panel abut along a second fold line; and

one or more second side panels positioned between the first body panel and the third body panel, wherein the one or more second side panels and the third body panel abut along a third fold line and the one or more second side panels and the first body panel abut along a fourth fold line; and

a viewing portion formed from a second piece of material, the viewing portion comprising;

an outer viewing panel having one or more viewing apertures for permitting the viewing of a virtual reality display device when positioned in the viewer,

an intermediate viewing panel adjacent the outer viewing panel, wherein the intermediate viewing panel and the outer viewing panel abut along a fifth fold line,

an inner viewing panel having a display aperture for permitting the viewing of a virtual reality display device when positioned in the viewer,

a back panel, wherein the intermediate viewing panel abuts one of the inner viewing panel and the back panel along a sixth fold line, and

wherein the viewing portion and the body portion are configured to fold along the fold lines and be secured together to form the collapsible virtual reality viewer assembly, and

wherein panels of the body portion are die cut from the first piece of material and the panels of the viewing portion are die cut from the second piece of material.

19. The collapsible virtual reality viewer assembly of claim 18, wherein the first piece of material and the second piece of material each comprise cardstock and wherein the back panel includes an aperture therein to allow for the virtual reality viewer to be used as an augmented reality viewer.

20. The collapsible virtual reality viewer assembly of claim 18, wherein the viewing portion further comprises a plurality of reinforcement panels adjacent the outer viewing panel along a plurality of fold lines, and wherein each reinforcement panel has one or more viewing apertures with a shape and size corresponding to the one or more viewing apertures of the outer viewing panel.