Object Canvas Art

Abstract

Object Canvas Art is a kit for assembling a mosaic work of art comprising colored objects to be placed upon color-coded markers on a plurality of template sub-image panels (a canvas), which also have aligning and matching markers to seamlessly join panels along edges to achieve a continuous overall mosaic image of any size.

Claims

1. A mosaic kit comprising: a plurality of objects having a variety of colors; and a template having a plurality of panels containing sub-image portions of a pre-printed pattern, which is coded with markers, each to receive a particular one of said colored objects, along with other markings denoting where and how to position panels in a desired arrangement to form a seamless mosaic artwork of any size.

2. The kit of claim 1 wherein said objects are spheroid in shape, with a height less than their diameter width, or having a planar base, such that the objects stay in place on a generally flat surface.

3. The kit of claim 1 wherein said objects vary in color.

4. The kit of claim 1 wherein said template panels are the same shape and size, plus have a white background surface.

5. The kit of claim 1 wherein each said template panel includes at least one panel-guiding character marking.

6. The kit of claim 1 wherein said template markers are circular in shape and match in size the outer perimeter of the spheroid objects in claim 2.

7. The kit of claim 1 wherein said template markers include an indicia referring to a specific color to match collectively the colors of objects in claim 3.

8. The kit of claim 1 wherein each said template panel includes fragment markers a portion of the size of the other template markers in claim 6 with color indicia consistent with those in claim 7, along at least one edge of a panel.

9. The kit of claim 1 wherein each said template panel includes at least two aligning markers, which are consistent with the fragment markers in claim 8, plus having a visual appearance differing from the fragment markers, to define where to place spheroid objects in claim 2 to overhang an edge of a panel.

10. The kit of claim 1 wherein said template panels, besides the first one, include at least two matching markers, each identical in shape and size to the markers in claim 6 and including a color indicia consistent with those in claim 7, along with a directional symbol that signifies which direction (left, right, up, down, or diagonal) a kit user, skilled or unskilled, is to slide a panel under a previous panel or panels nearly filled with objects until the matching markers align under the spheroid objects of claim 2 sitting atop corresponding aligning markers of claim 9 to align a panel of claim 4.

11. The kit of claim 1 wherein each said object has a weight such that when a user places a plurality of objects upon a template panel, the panel and objects generally stay in place while a kit user slides another panel, empty of objects, underneath a portion of the prior panel.

12. The kit of claim 1 wherein a plurality of template panels containing duplicate markers are resolved from an overall canvas template perspective when each duplicate, aligning marker of claim 9 to matching marker of claim 10 or fragment marker of claim 8 to corresponding marker of claim 6 on an adjoining panel, is covered with one object.

13. The kit of claim 1 wherein a plurality of template panels of claim 4, each having panel-guiding character markings consistent with claim 5. circular markers of claim 6 with a color indicia consistent with those in claim 7, plus the fragment markers, aligning markers, and matching markers consistent with claims 8, 9, and 10, respectively, collectively comprise a complete image template employed by a kit user with a plurality of colored objects consistent with claims 2, 3, and 11, respectively, to assemble a continuous mosaic artwork of any size.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the accompanying drawings and detailed description of the preferred embodiment.

[0017] FIG. 1A illustrates a completed object mosaic art on top of a plurality of template panels.

[0018] FIGS. 2A and 2B compare a portion of an object canvas art in offset format to one in a pixel format, respectively.

[0019] FIG. 3A illustrates a plurality of template panels that, combined, constitute an entire template (i.e., canvas) a user follows to complete a mosaic art. This example is a four-panel canvas with the first and second panels laid out to begin and the third and fourth panels stacked as if they came out of a package.

[0020] FIGS. 4A and 4B depict the front and back of the last template panel, respectively, with a legend on the back to explain which objects to place on top of each color code.

[0021] FIG. 5A shows a nearly completed first template panel on the left covered with a plurality of objects alongside a new second template panel on the right with no objects.

[0022] FIGS. 5B, 5C, and 5D are enlarged successive views of a rectangular-shaped subsection of FIG. 5A, illustrating how a new panel slides under a first panel, resulting in a seamless joint in FIG. 5D.

[0023] FIG. 5E is a cross-sectional view from the right side of FIG. 5B along the line 5E-5E.

[0024] FIG. 5F is a cross-sectional view from the bottom of FIG. 5D along the line 5F-5F.

[0025] FIG. 6A illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention in the process of being completed.

[0026] FIG. 7A is a nearly completed object mosaic art on top of a corresponding plurality of template panels.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0027] FIG. 1A is an embodiment of the invention as a completed mosaic artwork composed of patterned objects 11 through 16 located on template panels 2 through 5 to form an image of a waving child 1. A mosaic art sits on top of four template panels 2, 3, 4, and 5. One of the panel-guiding characters 6 on panel 2 remains visible, though the others are hidden either by objects or the other panels. Canvas markers, described below in relation to FIG. 3A, are covered entirely to illustrate the clean, continuous nature of the completed artwork.

[0028] Objects 11 through 16 throughout the drawings are in patterns that represent different colors and illustrate the intended look of the artwork in the absence of color in this document. The few hash marks on each object depict their three-dimensionality. Object 11 is covered with a horizontal striped pattern and represents the color green. Object 12 is solid black and symbolizes dark brown. Object 13 is white with black dots and indicates yellow. Object 14 is a black object with white dots and denotes red. Object 15 is of a dark tweed pattern and represents blue. Object 16 is of a checkerboard pattern and symbolizes orange. The drawings have these corresponding colors to match objects to template markers, as detailed in the description of FIG. 3A below. Objects 13a, 13b, and 13c correspond to an offset placement approach described in relation to FIG. 2A below.

[0029] FIGS. 2A and 2B compare and contrast the use of an offset approach of staggering objects from one line to the next over a traditional pixel format of aligning objects in uniform rows and columns. FIG. 2A demonstrates an offset format of placing object 13c snugly equidistant between objects 13a and 13b in the line below them. Each line of objects in FIG. 2A is offset horizontally in this fashion to the line immediately above it. In contrast, FIG. 2B shows how object 13e is placed directly below object 13d in a pixel format. The offset approach in FIG. 2A is more condensed, leaving less white space between objects, thereby providing a higher-resolution picture than the pixel format in FIG. 2B. The preferred embodiment of the invention is an offset approach, though an embodiment may use a pixel method or any other placement of objects. FIG. 2A includes objects 12 through 15 to illustrate a subset of FIG. 1A used as an offset example.

[0030] FIG. 3A is an example of four template panels, 2 through 5, that make up an entire canvas of an object canvas art. In this example, the embodiment has a mosaic design cast as a pattern of regular markers 30, which are markers that have only color indicators and are the same size and shape as the actual objects. The preferred embodiment of the invention contains at least one panel-guiding character 6 on each canvas panel to facilitate determining which and how panels connect to each other to encompass an entire mosaic art. The optional panel-guiding characters 6 grow in importance to a kit user in proportion to the number of panels for a given canvas. Each template also includes aligning markers 50 and matching markers 60 used to align canvas panels seamlessly. The illustration of that process is detailed further below in the description of FIGS. 5A, 5B, 50, and 5D.

[0031] In the waving child example, the preferred embodiment employs four separate 8.5-by 11-inch white template panels 2, 3, 4, and 5 to replicate a mosaic art's actual size. Standard-sized copier paper works fine in this case. However, template panels may be of any size, smaller or larger, and made of any material, such as but not limited to wood, tile, or fabric (not shown). White panels are preferred over other colors to provide a backdrop to a mosaic artwork. The white frames the outside of a pattern if it does not fill the panels, as in this example, and fills the space between objects. Some people completely ignore the edges of the overlapping white panels when viewing a finished object canvas art with the naked eye. The invention may use any color or pattern for the panels.

[0032] Regular markers 30 may be of any shape and size, and markers may match corresponding objects such that when placed, the objects cover entirely and obscure the markers from view when a mosaic artwork is complete. Markers could be circles, squares, hexagons, stars, or any other shape. Markers may also match the shape of food, such as but not limited to beans or broccoli. The preferred embodiment contains uniform markers across template panels, though the invention may use a multiplicity of marker shapes and sizes in one mosaic artwork. Each marker may contain any color or pattern code. The example in FIG. 3A includes six color-coded markers: G 31 for green, DB 32 for dark brown, Y 33 for yellow, R 34 for red, BI 35 for blue, and O 36 for orange. As described in FIG. 2A, an offset approach is the preferred marker placement for the invention. This preference does not preclude the use of pixel format or any other placement method for the invention.

[0033] The panel-guiding characters 6 inscribed on panels of the embodiment help users in positioning panels in the appropriate order and relative position, which is helpful in direct proportion to a canvas's complexity. A canvas can be a mosaic of any size that can fit on a planar or nearly planar surface, from the size of a dining room table to a gymnasium floor or larger. The size of a canvas is not limited by the size of a game board like other inventions but only by the number of panels and objects the manufacturer can produce. These panel-guiding characters 6 can be numbers, letters, or any other symbol. Each panel-guiding character 6 is located along an edge and/or near a corner of a panel to show where adjacent panels should join. The characters do not have to be immediately across from each other on adjoining panels, though they can be if a design permits. They should be near enough so users know which panel sections to join. A panel has one or more panel-guiding characters, depending on how many panels are to join it. Preferably, all panel-guiding characters are arranged along edges such that objects obscure them once a kit user completes a mosaic art but may be positioned anywhere along the edges. Nearly planar surface means the invention could also work on a football field that slopes slightly from the middle for drainage, on material such as carpet with individual fibers that can move, or on many other substantially, but not perfectly, flat surfaces.

[0034] A fragment marker 40 is the same shape as regular markers but is a fragment in size of regular markers due to being cut off on purpose during production. Fragment markers are located along the edges of a panel that is to join with another panel.

[0035] An aligning marker 50 is a fragment marker 40 distinguished in any way from other fragment markers, in this example, by dashed lines. At least two aligning markers 50 are along each edge of a canvas panel that is to join with a new panel. These partial markers allow objects placed on them to overhang the edge of a panel, described in more detail in FIG. 5A below. Two to three aligning markers are optimal per edge, but the invention may include any number from one to all fragment markers. The purpose of aligning markers 50 is to indicate where a corresponding matching marker 60 should rest when a panel is in its final position.

[0036] A matching marker 60 on panel 3 is a full-sized equivalent to its corresponding aligning marker 50 on panel 2 and is distinguished from regular markers by dashed lines, though the invention may use any means to make them look different. The preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the example further enhances matching markers with optional directional indicators that tell users how to slide a new panel under a previous one: left matching marker 60, up matching marker 70, or diagonal matching marker 80. Alternatively, a matching marker may point right, down, or diagonally in any other direction. Directional indicators may be of any shape that points in the required direction. Diagonal indicators are helpful when joining a new panel with two or more previous ones. An equal number of matching markers 60 are opposite aligning markers 50 along an adjoining edge. From an overall canvas perspective, matching markers 60 and aligning markers 50 are duplicates where each pair receives one object. The invention may use any other markings than those used here to distinguish between regular markers 30, fragment markers 40, aligning markers 50, and matching markers 60, 70 and 80. Panel-guiding characters 6a and 6b and matching markers 62 and 63 correspond to the aligning process described in relation to FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D below.

[0037] FIGS. 4A and 4B are the front and back of the final canvas panel 5a and 5b, respectively. The back of the last canvas panel 5b contains a legend to explain to a kit user what colored objects are associated with each color-coded marker for proper placement on markers on canvas panels. A legend includes each color object's indicator 91 through 96 opposite its corresponding marker 31 through 36. Preferably, objects are in alphabetic order based on color name but may be in any order or formation on a panel. Object indicator 91 is covered with a horizontal striped pattern and represents the color green. Object indicator 92 is solid black and symbolizes dark brown. Object indicator 93 is white with black dots and indicates yellow. Object indicator 94 is a black object with white dots and denotes red. Object indicator 95 is of a dark tweed pattern and represents blue. Object indicator 96 is of a checkerboard pattern and symbolizes orange. Object legend indicators exclude the hash marks of objects 11 through 16 of FIG. 1A since they are two-dimensional pictures that represent colors on a legend.

[0038] FIG. 5A illustrates how aligning marker 56, matching objects 22, 23, and 26, and matching markers 62, 63, and 66 are employed to align template panels 2 and 3 seamlessly. A kit user has nearly filled the first panel 2 with objects 11 through 16 placed over and obscuring corresponding markers of that panel. A user picked and positioned the second panel 3 to join with the first panel 2 based on panel-guiding characters 6a and 6b. A user also placed matching objects 22 (dark brown) and 23 (yellow) over and obscured their corresponding aligning markers, which now overhang the edge of panel 2. Matching object 26 (orange), resting on the playing surface below panel 3, is the next piece to place over aligning marker 56 (orange) on panel 2.

[0039] Panel 3 contains matching markers 62, 63, and 66. Panel 2 includes two matching objects 22 and 23, and one aligning marker 56. Matching markers 62 (dark brown) and 63 (yellow) are immediately opposite their corresponding matching objects 22 and 23 of panel 2, respectively. An extra matching set that can ensure alignment across the long sides of the panels is signified by orange aligning marker 66, matching marker 56, and matching object 26. All three matching markers, 62, 63, and 66, include an optional left directional indicator.

[0040] The invention may employ any number of fragment markers along any edge of a panel as aligning markers, and their corresponding matching markers would be inscribed on adjoining panels. Also note that the center circles on matching objects 22, 23, and 26 are included only to distinguish them from other objects in this illustration. In an actual rendition of the invention, they would look identical to their corresponding objects 12, 13, and 16, respectively.

[0041] Next, a kit user would slide new panel 3 under a nearly completed panel 2 until all its matching markers align directly under the matching objects of panel 2. FIGS. 5B, 5C, and 5D illustrate how this process aligns a portion of panels 2 and 3 for a snug fit of all objects. Applying this alignment process to all panels and covering all markers with a plurality of colored objects results in a seamless, continuous presentation of mosaic art.

[0042] FIG. 5B is an enlarged view of the boxed area in FIG. 5A when panels 2 and 3 are first placed adjacent to one another. Matching objects 22 and 23 sit on top of and entirely obscure their aligning markers and overhang the edge of panel 2. A kit user has placed panel 3 to the right of panel 2 such that matching markers 62 and 63 lay immediately opposite (i.e., laterally adjacent) their corresponding matching objects 22 and 23. Objects 11 and 13f correspond to the cross-section view in relation to FIG. 5E.

[0043] FIG. 5C shows the second panel 3 after it has been slid further left from the position in FIG. 5B. The edge of the second panel 3 is partially under matching objects 22 and 23 that overhang the first panel 2. Further sliding occurs until the color codes of matching markers 62 and 63 touch and extend beneath the corresponding matching objects 22 and 23.

[0044] FIG. 5D shows the completed action where matching objects 22 and 23 completely cover matching markers of panel 3 from FIG. 5C (now hidden), and panels 2 and 3 align in a snug, continuous fashion. FIG. 5D also displays a remaining yellow fragment marker 43 from the first panel 2 partially overlapping with yellow marker 33 on the second panel 3. Markers 33 and 43 are ready to receive a corresponding individual object (not shown). As illustrated, only a few aligning markers, matching objects, and matching markers are necessary to join panels accurately. Alternatively, a kit user may align panels by matching aligning markers on one panel with related matching markers of the next panel before placing objects on either panel. However, the panels tend to shift during play without the weight of the objects. Objects 11 and 13f correspond to the cross-section view in relation to FIG. 5F.

[0045] FIG. 5E is an enlarged cross-section view from the right side of FIG. 5B through the line 5E-5E. Matching objects 22 and 23 are closer than the other objects, such as but not limited to objects 11 and 13f, on the first panel (hidden). This view shows a light line below the objects, signifying the second panel 3 on a flat surface in front and obscuring the first panel.

[0046] FIG. 5F is an enlarged cross-section view from the bottom of FIG. 5D along the line 5F-5F. Object 13f rests atop the first panel 2. Matching object 23 partially overlaps panel 2 and hangs over the second panel 3 after a user slid panel 3 under panel 2 to align the panels, as described above.

[0047] FIG. 6A is an embodiment of the present invention shown further in the progress of completion than in FIG. 5A. In this case, a kit user has nearly filled the first three template panels 2 through 4 with objects 11 through 16 and is ready to add a final fourth panel 5 to finish the mosaic. The steps are similar to those detailed in relation to FIGS. 5A, 5B, 50, and 5D, except, in the case of FIG. 6A, a fourth panel 5 must simultaneously match two panels, the second 3 and third 4. A user has started a first step of the process to add panel 5 by placing two blue matching objects 25 and one orange 26 on top of aligning markers (not shown since all are covered) along the bottom of the second panel 3. A user is in the middle of preparing the third panel 4 with one dark brown 22 and a first blue 25 matching objects in place. Next, a user will position a final blue matching object 25, below the right side of the canvas, over blue aligning marker 55 on panel 4. Last, a user will simultaneously move the fourth panel 5 diagonally up and left, as indicated by the matching marker flags, under the second 3 and third 4 panels until matching objects 22, 25, and 26 overlap entirely their corresponding diagonal matching markers 82 (dark brown), 85 (blue), and 86 (orange). The preferred embodiment example of the invention in FIG. 6A demonstrates how wedge-shaped directional indicators point toward corresponding matching objects to instruct a kit user in an appropriate panel movement for the best alignment. The invention may employ any shaped indicator or any other method or means of indicating a direction on a matching marker.

[0048] FIG. 7A shows how the invention appears just prior to completion, as shown in FIG. 1A. FIG. 7A illustrates how the invention looks after a user aligns all template panels 2 through 5, according to the steps above, and places most objects 11 through 16 on the canvas. It shows the few remaining blue markers 35 a kit user will use to finish the artwork.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

[0049] 1: completed invention, full mosaic art of a waving child on a canvas of template panels, 2: first template panel, 3: second template panel, 4: third template panel, 5, 5a (front side), 5b (back side): fourth template panel, 6, 6a, 6b: panel-guiding character, 11: green object represented by horizontal striped pattern with black hash marks, 12: dark brown object represented by solid black with white hash marks, 13, 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, 13e, 13f: yellow object represented by white with black dots pattern with black hash marks, 14: red object represented by black with white dots pattern with white hash marks, 15: blue object represented by dark tweed pattern with white hash marks, 16: orange object represented by checkerboard pattern with black hash marks, 22 (dark brown), 23 (yellow), 25 (blue), 26 (orange): matching object that can or does overlap an edge of a completed panel (with the same pattern as like-colored objects 12, 13, 15 and 16 but with doughnut hole in the middle), 30, 31 (G for green), 32 (DB for dark brown), 33 (Y for yellow), 34 (R for red), 35 (Bl for blue), 36 (O for orange): regular canvas marker, 40, 43 (yellow): fragment marker with color code, 50, 55 (blue), 56 (orange): aligning marker with color code, 60, 62 (dark brown), 63 (yellow), 66 (orange): left directional matching marker with color code and flag pointing left, 70: upward directional matching marker with color code and flag pointing up, 80, 82 (dark brown), 85 (blue), 86 (orange): diagonal directional matching marker with a color code and flag pointing at about a forty-five-degree angle upward and to the left (where the 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 marker series employ color codes identical to the 30 series), 91: green object legend indicator represented by horizontal striped pattern, 92: dark brown object legend indicator represented by solid black, 93: yellow object legend indicator represented by white with black dots pattern, 94: red object legend indicator represented by black with white dots pattern, 95: blue object legend indicator represented by dark tweed pattern, 96: orange object legend indicator represented by checkerboard pattern.