THEATER WITH SEPARATE VIEWING BOOTHS

• US 3,668,810 A
• Filed: 07/17/1970
• Issued: 06/13/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Earl F. Bankston
• Original Assignee: Earl F. Bankston
• Inventors: Bankston, Earl F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Murtagh, John E.
• Application Number:
  US05/055,661
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 52/6,7,8 117/124
• US Class Current: 52/6
• CPC Class Codes: A63J 25/00 Equipment specially adapted for cinemas cinematographic projection means G03B
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 3/30 Constructional features of auditoriums

Abstract

Theater construction with a series of separate viewing booths arranged in one or more rows with the rows curving about the screen area and the individual booths being directed toward the screen for a clear viewing thereof by the occupants. Each booth is provided with an observation window which, in size, so relates to the screen as to approximately mask at least three edges of the screen and present an impression of viewing a scene occurring immediately occuring outside the window. The areas around both the screen and the window are painted a flat black to enhance the impression of viewing a scene rather than a projection on a screen.

Claims

1. In a theater, an enclosed building, an audience area defined in said building, and a rectangular screen spaced forwardly thereof, said audience area comprising a plurality of individual viewing booths, said building including interior side walls provided between and defining said booths, each booth including occupant seating means and an interior forward wall having a rectangular viewing window for an exposure of the screen therethrough, said viewing window being of a size and orientation relative to said screen so as to approximately mask the top, bottom and one side of the periphery of the screen whereby a visual effect of a screen projected scene occurring immediately forward of the window is achieved, the screen being provided with a surrounding area colored black, said screen being positioned within said building with the space between the audience area and the screen being enclosed by the building walls and roof which walls and roof have the interior surfaces thereof blackened to avoid visual distraction about the screen and between the audience area and the screen.

2. The construction of claim 1 including a second row of booths overlying said first row of booths and generally co-extensive therewith, one of said rows including an enlarged general viewing area.

3. The construction of claim 2 wherein each booth is in general alignment with the screen and has the side walls separating it from the adjoining booths diverging forwardly toward the associated viewing window and the screen forward thereof so as to ensure complete visibility of the screen by the booth occupants.

4. In a theater, an enclosed building including an audience area and a forwardly located screen, said audience area comprising a plurality of individual viewing booths, said booths being arranged in at least one row, said building including interior side walls provided between and defining said booths, said row being generally arcuate with each of the booths therein in general alignment with the screen, a forward wall along said booths, each of said booths including an enlarged viewing window through said forward wall for a viewing of the screen therethrough by a booth occupant, the building between the forward wall and the screen, being provided with an interior colored black to avoid any visual distraction between the audience area and the screen.

5. The construction of claim 4 wherein the side walls each booth are forwardly diverging side walls for enabling an exposure of the entire screen to the booth occupants.

6. The construction of claim 5 wherein a second row of similarly formed booths is provided in superimposed relation on the first row of booths, the second row of booths being of substantially equal length with the first row of booths, and access means to the booths in each row, said access means comprising an elongated building hallway extending along and behind each row of booths.

7. The construction of claim 6 wherein the viewing window in each booth includes upper and lower edges so orientated as to, along the line of sight of a booth occupant, generally align with the upper and lower edges of the screen.