TOY SYSTEM FOR SENDING AND READING SECRET MESSAGES
A toy system for sending and reading hidden secret messages including a toy dart or arrow launcher using a dart/arrow with a surface for preprinted or written messages, a pen if the message is to be written, and a decoder structure. In one embodiment, the dart surface includes a red and white camouflage pattern and the message is in light blue ink. A red filter placed over an opening in the dart launcher is used for reading messages from the outer surfaces of the darts before the darts are launched. A separate decoder may be provided to an intended recipient of secret messages. Other embodiments to read messages use a red flashlight, or invisible ink to write a message and ultraviolet light to decode, or heat sensitive ink to write a message and a heat-generating structure, including a recipient's hand, to read the message.
This application claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or 120 from U.S. Provisional Applications No. 61/863,524, filed, Aug. 8, 2013, entitled “TOY SYSTEM FOR SENDING AND READING SECRET MESSAGES” and No. 61/881,253, filed, Sep. 23, 2013, entitled “TOY SYSTEM FOR SENDING AND READING SECRET MESSAGES” which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a toy system for sending and receiving secret messages, and, more particularly, to a toy system for sending and reading secret messages hidden on a projectile where the system includes a toy launch apparatus, the projectile where the projectile has a surface on which a preprinted message may be placed or on which a message may be written, and a decoding or reading structure. The system may use a “camouflage” arrangement, such as a random red/white pattern over a message in light blue ink, disappearing or invisible ink, or any other suitable means for hiding the message from anyone but an intended recipient who has a reading structure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe use of secret messages has been known for decades, if not longer, for both amusement and espionage purposes. Secret messages are often written using disappearing or invisible inks that may be viewed after applying a chemical, heat or water; or with camouflage colors, that is, printing or writing a message in one color that blends into a another background pattern of other colors, such as using light blue ink on a busy red/white background so as to obscure the message, but where the message may be easily read when viewed through a red filter.
A number of patents have been found using secret messages for amusement including patents in the toy field. By way of example, Meyer and Luecke patented an “Amusement Device For Transmitting Messages,” in 1983, U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,871, which purports to disclose a device for transmitting secret messages. The toy includes a “core” in the form of chewing gum where the core/gum has a message imprinted on its surface in a way that does not affect its subsequent use as chewing gum. A sheet coated with a pressure sensitive transfer substance is wrapped around the core/gum such that a message can be imprinted on the core by applying pressure on the exterior of the transfer sheet. The pressure causes the transfer of a portion of the transfer substance to the core member. In 1988, Kimura received U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,462, issued for a “Heat Activated Indicia On Textiles,” that purports to disclose a woven fabric textile in the form of a washcloth having indicia in the form of a hidden message or symbol imprinted on its surface. The indicia are not visible to the eye under normal ambient temperatures. However, when the washcloth is subjected to temperatures above 108 degrees F., such as when immersed in warm bath water, the hidden indicia appears to the user. The ink used is known as being “thermochromatic.”
U.S. Pat No. 4,796,921, issued in 1989 to Neiman for a device entitled “Hidden Printing,” purports to disclose a translucent sheet of paper of any color. A hidden message is applied to the sheet by ink, which has the same color as the sheet. However, the hidden message is not visible until the sheet is positioned between an observer and a light source. When this occurs, light rays flow through all portions of the sheet except the portions to which the ink is located and the hidden message can be observed. In 1993, a Berry U.S. Pat. No. 5,223,958, entitled “Heat Activated Amusement Device Employing Microencapsulated Thermochromic Liquid Crystal.” The patent discloses a heat-activated film having first and second surfaces where a message is printed on the second surface. A thermochromic material is placed adjacent the second surface and a substrate having the same color as the printed message is placed adjacent the thermochromic material so as to hide the message. The message is made apparent when stimulated by the transfer of thermal energy from a person's body or a heated object to reveal, by color differentiation, the hidden message. A patent issue to Tamanini, in 1994, U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,695, entitled “Method of Coding Gifts,” purports to include a set of stickers each with a specific “camouflaged” symbol where the stickers are attached to gifts. A decoder filter card is given to each child identifying the specific symbol and indicating that all gifts with that symbol belong to that child. Clue cards are used to allow the child to locate the identifying symbol cards and the child uses the decoder filter to uncover the symbols on the stickers. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,656, the use of light blue ink covered by a pattern of red and yellow to obscure the light blue ink is called “mezzotint.”
U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,656, issued to Michaels in 1995 for a “Toy Picnic Set Having Latent Image Placemat,” purports to include a placemat having a translucent upper surface supporting a red/yellow obscuring design over an image and a plate formed of a transparent red material. Placing the plate upon the placemat overlying the latent image filters out the obscuring design and reveals the latent image. The same year, U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,201, issued to Friedel for a “Doll And Method Of Operation,” purporting to disclose a doll having a cavity in the torso covered by a door. A user tears a sheet from a note pad, writes a “secret” upon the sheet with disappearing ink, inserts the sheet into a pocket and lays the pocket upon a shelf in the cavity. The door is locked for a predetermined time to allow the ink to disappear. A child may then be told that the doll has received the secret because upon opening the door, the child finds that the message is gone. In 2002, a Jackson U.S. Pat. No. 6,354,631, for a “Toy For Producing A Concealed Message And Revealing A Received Concealed Message,” purports to disclose a toy box having message paper with a busy reddish pattern, the box having a viewing portion formed by a red translucent sheet under which the message paper is read.
These patents and devices are of some interest, however, they do not disclose or illustrate the use of a hidden message with a clever toy item having good play value.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn accordance with the present invention, an advantageous method and apparatus are provided in the form of a system including a toy launch apparatus that is designed to discharge a foam projectile having a surface upon which a secret message may be placed, such as by preprinting of the message on the surface or by handwriting a message. In a game one player may use the launch apparatus or launcher to send the projectile a considerable distance to an allied player and the secret message may be used to coordinate strategy. Or, allied players may each have a launcher to enable secret messages to be sent back and forth over extended distances without a need for electronics or battery operated devices or the use of loud speech that may be heard by an adversary. Another advantage is that the toy system may be played with typical soft foam darts and a user may have ordinary darts and one or more message carrying darts which he/she may easily switch between when a secret message is intended without drawing attention of an “enemy” player. The system is robust, compact, simple, easy to use and inexpensive, and yet has great play value.
The toy system facilitates sending and reading hidden secret messages with at least one dart with a surface for a preprinted or written message, a pen if the message is to be written, and a decoder structure. The dart surface may include camouflage pattern with the message applied for example in light blue ink. A red filter may be placed over an opening in the dart launcher allowing the sender to review his/her message before discharge of the dart, with the red filter also used in the decoder structure so that the recipient likewise may read the message after the dart is discharged and retrieved.
Briefly summarized, the invention relates to a toy system for sending and reading a secret message including a toy launch apparatus for discharging a projectile, a projectile dischargeable by the toy launch apparatus, the projectile having a surface for carrying a secret message, and structure separated from the toy launch apparatus for reading the secret message carried by the projectile.
The invention also relates to a method for sending and reading secret messages including the steps of acquiring a toy launch apparatus capable of discharging a projectile, acquiring a projectile capable of being dischargeable by the toy launch apparatus, placing a secret message on an outer surface of the projectile, and acquiring an apparatus separated from the toy launch apparatus for reading the secret message placed on the projectile. Other embodiments use a red flashlight to read the message, or invisible ink to write a message and ultraviolet light to read the message, or heat sensitive ink to write a message and a heat-generating structure, including a recipient's hand, to read the message, or ink that is hydrochromatic in that the ink is invisible in ordinary light but is readable when wetted by water, or inks that are chemical responsive.
For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the invention, the accompanying drawings and detailed description illustrate preferred embodiments thereof, from which the invention, its structures, its construction and operation, its processes, and many related advantages may be readily understood and appreciated.
The following description is provided to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the described embodiments set forth in the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention. Various modifications, equivalents, variations, and alternatives, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Any and all such modifications, variations, equivalents, and alternatives are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Referring now to
Each dart includes an outer surface 34 for receiving and carrying a hidden message 36 so as to keep the message secret, such as the messages “U go right” and “retreat.” The message is hidden and “secret” because it is “camouflaged” in a fashion as explained in detail below. An opening 38 in the side of the barrel portion 14 of the gun is located to partially expose the darts 30, 32 and to enable a user holding the gun to view and read the secret messages when the opening 38 is covered with a suitable filter 40 as also discussed in detail below, so that a message sender may review his/her message before discharge of the dart. A message read apparatus or “decoder” as shown in
The hidden messages may be preprinted on the darts or the system may include a pen 42,
It is noted that the toy system needs no pen if the messages on the darts are preprinted. In the alternative, the shape of the toy gun may be different as the examples shown in
Another part of the toy system for sending and reading hidden or secret messages may be a message reading apparatus or decoder structure 50,
Referring now to
In the alternative, other suitable camouflage patterns and other suitable colors, besides red and white, may be used. For example, a swirl design, cloud type lines or multiple dots may work sufficiently well for purposes here. And instead of a filter tube, a pair of glasses having red lenses may be used as a decoder structure.
The filter material 40,
The toy systems for sending and reading secret messages may take many forms as mentioned above. Referring now to
A somewhat different toy system embodiment for sending and reading secret messages is illustrated in
Still another toy system embodiment for sending and reading secret messages is illustrated in
A more exotic toy system embodiment, shown in
Another toy system embodiment is illustrated in
Yet another alternative toy system embodiment for sending and reading secret messages may include the use of ultraviolet or black light to read a message written with “invisible ink.” Referring now to
The pen 244 is shown in
Still another toy system embodiment for sending and reading secret messages may include a launcher, darts and perhaps a pen, but the ink, whether preprinted on the darts or written by the pen, may be “thermochromatic.” Thermochromatic ink is invisible to the eye in ordinary light but becomes apparent when heat is applied to a dart 260 (or other projectile) carrying the message as shown in
Referring to
In operation of the various toy system embodiments described above, a sender uses a dart or other flying projectile with a preprinted message, or the sender writes a message on the surface of a dart or other projectile, and loads the projectile into the toy gun or other launcher. The message is readable in the toy gun through a reading structure, such as the filter 40,
It is noted that packages of camouflaged projectiles by themselves and packages of projectiles plus a decoder may be marketed separately and apart from a launcher. The separate availability enables a user with an existing launcher to use the projectiles having hidden messages, or the projectiles or projectiles plus decoder may be sold as replacement pieces.
The present invention also includes a method 300,
The toy system disclosed in detail above has great play value, is fun to use and easy to operate, and is safe, even for young children, and yet the toy launch apparatus and other structures involved have a robust, but simple construction, that may be produced and assembled at a reasonable cost.
From the foregoing, it can be seen that there has been provided features for a toy system for sending and reading secret messages and of the method for forming the system. While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects. Therefore, the aim is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. The matters set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings are offered by way of illustrations only and not as limitations. The actual scope of the invention is to be defined by the subsequent claims when viewed in their proper perspective based on the prior art.
Claims
1. A toy system for sending and reading a secret message comprising:
- a toy projectile, said toy projectile being a foam projectile having an elongated cylindrical shape formed of foam and including an outer surface; and
- a camouflaged pattern on the outer surface.
2. The toy system of claim 1, including:
- a message reading structure for viewing a camouflaged message on the cylindrical outer surface of the foam projectile.
3. The toy system of claim 2, including:
- a toy launch apparatus for discharging the foam projectile; and
- a message reading apparatus separate from the toy launch apparatus with said message reading structure to enable a camouflaged message on the foam projectile surface to be viewed.
4. The toy system of claim 3, wherein:
- the camouflaged pattern includes mottled red and white pattern; and
- a message in the mottled red and white pattern is colored light blue.
5. The toy system of claim 4, including:
- a second message reading structure connected to the toy launch apparatus.
6. The toy system of claim 5, including:
- a pen for placing the light blue secret message on the foam projectile.
7. A toy system for sending and reading a secret message comprising:
- a toy launch apparatus for discharging a projectile;
- a projectile dischargeable by the toy launch apparatus, the projectile having an outer surface; and
- a secret message placed on the outer surface.
8. The toy system of claim 7, wherein:
- the secret message is preprinted on the outer surface of the projectile.
9. The toy system of claim 7, wherein:
- the outer surface of the projectile is a mottled red and white pattern; and
- the secret message is colored light blue.
10. The toy system of claim 7, including:
- a first reading structure mounted to the toy launch apparatus to enable viewing of the secret message carried by the projectile.
11. The toy system of claim 7, including:
- a second reading structure separate from the toy launch apparatus for viewing the secret message carried by the projectile.
12. The toy system of claim 7, including:
- a pen for placing the secret message on the outer surface of the projectile.
13. The toy system of claim 11, wherein:
- the second reading structure separate from the toy launch apparatus for viewing the secret message is a decoder having a filter.
14. The toy system of claim 11, wherein:
- the second reading structure separate from the toy launch apparatus for viewing the secret message is a light source.
15. The toy system of claim 11, wherein:
- the second reading structure separate from the toy launch apparatus for viewing the secret message is a heat source.
16. The toy system of claim 11, wherein:
- the second reading structure separate from the toy launch apparatus for viewing the secret message is a liquid.
17. The toy system of claim 7, including:
- a first reading structure mounted to the toy launch apparatus to enable viewing of the secret message carried by the projectile after the projectile is loaded in the toy launch apparatus;
- a second reading structure separate from the toy launch apparatus for viewing the secret message carried by the projectile;
- the projectile dischargeable from the toy launch apparatus is a foam dart;
- the surface of the foam dart is a mottled red and white pattern; and
- the secret message is light blue in color.
18. A method for forming a toy system of sending and reading secret messages comprising the steps of:
- placing a camouflaged pattern on an outer surface of a cylindrically shaped foam dart to enable a secret message to be hidden on the outer surface; and
- arranging the foam dart to have a central opening and to be dischargeable from a toy launch apparatus.
19. The method of claim 18, including the step of;
- forming an apparatus for reading the secret message with a filter material, the apparatus for reading being separate from the toy launch apparatus.
20. The method of claim 19, including the step of:
- providing a pen to print the secret message on the outer surface of the foam dart.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 29, 2014
Publication Date: Feb 12, 2015
Inventor: Katherine Fakonas (Chestnut Hill, MA)
Application Number: 14/446,135
International Classification: A63H 33/22 (20060101);