Multidisplay globe with overlays

• US 6,068,486 A
• Filed: 12/24/1998
• Issued: 05/30/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Marjorie Frank, Morissa Geller
• Original Assignee: Marjorie Frank, Morissa Geller
• Inventors: Frank, Marjorie, Geller, Morissa
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fernstrom, Kurt
• Application Number:
  US09/221,085
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 434/134, 434/135, 434/137, 434/147, 434/287, 434/288, 434/130, 273/157 A
• US Class Current: 434/135
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 27/08 Globes celestial globes G09B27/06

Abstract

A multidisplay globe comprising a globular body including a globe spherical surface representing the earth, support means for mounting the globular body, and spherical film overlays removably mounted over the globe spherical surface for displaying selected features related to the earth. Each film overlay is preferably in two units comprising the northern and southern hemispheres of the earth. The spherical film overlays include one, two or more transparent film overlays each of which has a spherical surface one of which is removably mounted over the spherical earth surface and in turn each further film overlay is further removably mounted one over the other. The selected features related to the earth spherical surface are imprinted on the spherical surfaces of each of the film overlays. The film overlays are transparent, flexible, stretchable, and biasable so that one film overlay can be mounted over another film over and when each film overlay is removed from the mounted position it will return to the original flexible configuration and can be folded and stored in a small space. Selected rigid overlays can optionally be used. Flexible and opaque overlays of the planets of the solar system including the moon of the earth can optionally be provided for mounting onto a blank globular body.

Claims

1. A multidisplay globe, comprising,

a globular body including a globe spherical surface,

support means for mounting said globular body,

spherical overlay means removably mounted over said globe spherical surface for displaying selected features related to said globular body,

said spherical overlay means including a plurality of transparent flexible biasable film overlays each being removably successively mountable over the other in a successive mounted position and each having an unmounted position with a memory to reacquire a spherical configuration when again placed in said successive mounted position, wherein each of said plurality of transparent flexible biasable film overlays comprises two removably connected hemisphere portions, each said biasable film overlay having a biased overlay position of being fit snugly over another film overlay and an unbiased unmounted position removed from said another film overlay,

said globular body representing the earth and each of said plurality of transparent flexible biasable film overlays comprising said two hemisphere portions, wherein said selected features relate to the earth,

said two hemisphere portions representing the north and south hemispheres of the earth and having a circular common juncture that is coextensive with the representation of the equator of the earth, and

a connecting mechanism removably gripping said two hemisphere portions along said circular common juncture.

2. The multidisplay globe according to claim 1, wherein said connecting mechanism includes a plurality of snap-on connectors.

3. The multidisplay globe according to claim 1, further including means for aligning said north and south hemispheres mounted as an overlay over said globe spherical surface.

4. The multidisplay globe according to claim 3, wherein said means for aligning being a compass rose comprising compass rose half-portions on each of said hemisphere portions at said equator.

5. The multidisplay globe according to claim 4, wherein each of said transparent flexible biasable film overlay is a transparent flexible biasable plastic material.

6. The multidisplay globe according to claim 5, wherein said flexible biasable plastic material is polyethylene.

7. The multidisplay globe according to claim 5, wherein said transparent flexible biasable plastic material is Surlyn.

8. The multidisplay globe according to claim 5, wherein said transparent flexible biasable plastic material defines a film overlay in a range of 3 to 5 millimeters in thickness.

9. The multidisplay globe according to claim 1, wherein said selected features relating to the earth include selected geopolitical divisions of the earth.

10. The multidisplay globe according to claim 1, wherein said selected features relating to the earth include selected historical developments.

11. The multidisplay globe according to claim 1, wherein said selected features relating to the earth include selected biological features including fauna, flora and marine life.

12. The multidisplay globe according to claim 1, wherein said selected features related to the earth include climatic conditions past and present.

13. The multidisplay globe according to claim 1, wherein said globular body includes metallic means for holding a movable magnetized marker against said spherical earth surface.

14. The multidisplay globe according to claim 1, wherein said globe spherical surface is a blank globe spherical surface.

15. The multidisplay globe according to claim 5, wherein said transparent flexible biasable material includes a write-on/wipe-off surface.

16. The multidisplay globe according to claim 1, wherein said selected features relating to the earth include selected major land formations.