DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] Turn now to the drawings and, initially, to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 which generally illustrate the important elements of the present invention. Although the invention will be described with reference to the embodiments to be described and shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present invention can be embodied in many alternate forms or embodiments. In addition, any suitable size, shape or type of elements or materials could be used.

[0028] In one manner of description, as depicted in FIG. 1, the invention relates to a system for producing a pictorial rendering 20, for example, of a concept (FIG. 2) using only components 22, 24, 26 obtained from a printed title 28 of the concept as designated in the vernacular language. In this instance, the printed title 28 of the concept is the English word “cup”. Indeed, throughout this disclosure, English has been chosen to be the vernacular language for ease of explanation, but the invention has application to any written language.

[0029] FIG. 2 illustrates a first surface 30 on which the entire printed title 28 designating the concept to be depicted in the pictorial rendering is displayed. The first surface 30 may be on a sheet of paper or on a sheet of vinyl, for example, or on any other suitable surface. The only requirement is that the printed title be capable of being viewed by an observer. As seen in FIG. 2, the entire printed title 28 is comprised of a plurality of individual distinctly contoured components, namely the components 22, 24, and 26 mentioned earlier. The component 22 is a uniquely and distinctively shaped letter “c”. The component 24 is a uniquely and distinctively shaped letter “u”. The component 26 is a uniquely and distinctively shaped letter “p”.

[0030] In a general sense, the individual distinctly contoured components include, variously, numbers or letters or symbols of the alphabet of the vernacular language. Typical of such symbols, but not limiting of them, are the keys of a computer keyboard.

[0031] Returning to FIG. 1, a second surface 32 is depicted distant, or distinct, from the first surface 30 onto which is applied a representation of each of the individual distinctly contoured components 22, 24, 26 in a new relatively positioned relationship different from that provided on the first surface 30 such that, taken together, the repositioned contoured components result in the pictorial rendering 20 of the concept designated by the printed title 28, namely a cup. More specifically, component 22 forms the major body of the cup while component 24 forms the upper rim of the cup and component 26 forms the handle of the cup and completes a side wall of the cup. As with the first surface 30, the second surface 32 may be on a sheet of paper or on a sheet of vinyl, for example, or on any other suitable surface.

[0032] Turn now to FIG. 3 for the showing of a third surface 34 on which are provided selectively removable representations 22a, 24a, 26a, respectively, of each of the individual distinctly contoured components 22, 24, 26 which comprise the entire printed title 28 for application to the second surface 32 such that the repositioned contoured components result in a pictorial rendering 20 of the concept designated by the printed title. As more clearly illustrated in FIG. 3A, the third surface 34 includes an underlying support layer 36 and an overlying layer 38 in contiguous contact with the support layer. As with the first and second surfaces, the third surface 34 may be on a sheet of paper or on a sheet of vinyl, for example, or on any other suitable surface.

[0033] The overlying layer 38 is adhesively-backed, that is, has an adhesive layer 40 intermediate itself and the underlying layer 36. Of importance, however, is the fact that the adhesive layer must be more strongly bonded to the overlying layer 38 than to the underlying layer 36. As seen both in FIGS. 3 and 3A, the overlying layer 38 may be scored, as at 42, to outline each of the representations of the individual distinctly contoured components to enable their removal from the support layer. By reason of the fact that the adhesive layer 40 is more strongly bonded to the overlying layer 38 than to the underlying layer 36, the removable representations 22a, 24a, 26a can be easily removed from the support layer 36 and reapplied to the representations 22a, 22b, 22c on the second surface 32 to produce the pictorial rendering 20. It may also be possible to provide each of the distinctly contoured components in such a manner that scoring is not necessary.

[0034] In the instance of the pictorial rendering 20, being a cup, the concept is a concrete object. However, for purposes of the invention, the concept need not be restricted to a concrete object but may be an abstract notion. Take, for instance, a pictorial rendering 44 as seen in FIG. 1. In this instance, an entire printed title 46 designating the concept to be depicted in the pictorial rendering 44 is displayed on the first surface 30 and is comprised of a plurality of individual distinctly contoured components 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, and 60.

[0035] In FIG. 3 is illustrated, once again, the third surface 34 on which are provided selectively removable representations 48a, 50a, 52a, 54a, 56a, 58a, and 60a, respectively, of each of the individual distinctly contoured components 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, and 60 which comprise the entire printed title 46 for application to the second surface 32 such that the repositioned contoured components result in a pictorial rendering 44 of the concept designated by the printed title. In this instance, it must be explained that a person named Deborah is considered by someone to have angelic qualities and, therefore, it is proper to depict that person as an angel. As with the pictorial rendering 20, the representations 48a, 50a, 52a, 54a, 56a, 58a, and 60a of each of the individual distinctly contoured components 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, and 60 are now applied to the second surface 32 in a new relatively positioned relationship different from that provided on the first surface 30 such that, taken together, the repositioned contoured components result in the pictorial rendering 44 of the concept designated by the printed title 46, namely, an angel.

[0036] In another instance of a concrete object, an entire printed title 62 designating the concept to be depleted in a pictorial rendering 64 is displayed on the first surface 30 and is comprised of a plurality of individual distinctly contoured components 66, 68, 70, 72, 74. In FIG. 3 is illustrated, once again, the third surface 34 on which are provided selectively removable representations 66a, 68a, 70a, 72a, 74a, respectively, of each of the individual distinctly contoured components 66, 68, 70, 72, and 74 which comprise the entire printed title 62 for application to the second surface 32 such that the repositioned contoured components result in the pictorial rendering 64 of the concept designated by the printed title. As with the pictorial renderings 20 and 44, the representations 66a, 68a, 70a, 72a, and 74a of each of the individual distinctly contoured components 66, 68, 70, 72, and 74 are now applied to the second surface 32 in a new relatively positioned relationship different from that provided on the first surface 30 such that, taken together, the repositioned contoured components result in the pictorial rendering 64 of the concept designated by the printed title 62, namely, a stork.

[0037] In still another instance of a concrete object, an entire printed title 76 designating the concept to be depicted in a pictorial rendering 78 is displayed on the first surface 30 and is comprised of a plurality of individual distinctly contoured components 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 94, 96, and 98. In FIG. 3 is illustrated, once again, the third surface 34 on which are provided selectively removable representations 80a, 82a, 84a, 86a, 88a, 90a, 92a, 94a, 96a, and 98a, respectively, of each of the individual distinctly contoured components 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 94, 96, and 98 which comprise the entire printed title 76 for application to the second surface 32 such that the repositioned contoured components result in the pictorial rendering 78 of the concept designated by the printed title 76. As with the pictorial renderings 20, 44, and 64, the representations 80a, 82a, 84a, 86a, 88a, 90a, 92a, 94a, and 96a of each of the individual distinctly contoured components 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 94, 96, and 98 are now applied to the second surface 32 in a new relatively positioned relationship different from that provided on the first surface 30 such that, taken together, the repositioned contoured components result in the pictorial rendering 78 of the concept designated by the printed title 62, namely, a helicopter.

[0038] It will be appreciated that the invention can be employed in many different venues, too many to be satisfactorily mentioned in this disclosure. However, one form of particular interest may be a kit 100 as illustrated in FIG. 4. The kit 100 may include, by way of example but not intended to be limiting of the invention, an instruction manual 102 for describing the creative process involved in producing the pictorial rendering of a concept with components obtained from a printed title of the concept as designated in the vernacular language. Another desirable item for the kit 100 would be a supply 104 of sheets having the nature of the first surface 30 illustrated in FIG. 2 providing a plurality of printed titles of objects as designated in the vernacular language. Still a further desirable item for the kit 100 would be a supply 106 of sheets having the nature of the second surface 32 for receiving the individual distinctly contoured components. For this purpose, the surface 32 may be completely blank or may have lightened outlines of the pictorial rendering to aid young or uninitiated users. Yet a further desirable item for the kit 100 would be a supply 108 of sheets having the nature of the third surface 34 on which would be provided selectively removable representations of each of the individual distinctly contoured components which comprise the entire printed title for application to the second surface such that the repositioned contoured components would result in a pictorial rendering of the concept designated by the printed title.

[0039] While preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various other modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as described in the specification and defined in the appended claims. For example, the invention may take the form of a company logo using the company's name, or an appealing framed drawing for display, or a game employing the technique described requiring multiple players to produce a pictorial rendering from a given title of a concept, the winner being the person who finishes first.