Rotating holographic toy

US6592423B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• S. R. Mickelberg Company, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Brendan Boyle · Palo Alto, US
• Jeff Grant · Menlo Park, US
• Alex Coriano · Mountain View, US
• Adam Skaates · San Francisco, US
• Peter Finn · Fremont, US
• Jacob Olefsky · Palo Alto, US
• Chris Countryman · Menlo Park, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 25, 2002
• Grant date: Jul 15, 2003
• Expiry date: Sep 25, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A63H33/22
• WIPO field: Furniture, games
• WIPO sector: Other fields

Abstract

A toy for producing a three dimensional aesthetically pleasing illuminated image. The toy includes a handle, a light source, a rotary drive mechanism, and a plate-like member having an outer surface at least a portion of which is a holographic diffraction surface. The plate-like member is arranged to be rotated about a longitudinal axis so that light received by the holographic diffraction surface produces an aesthetically pleasing illuminated three-dimensional image. The plate-like member can be mounted so that it moves along the axis with respect to the handle as it is rotated and can include a transparent sphere containing a three dimensional object, e.g., a cartoon character, therein.