Portable puppet theater

Abstract

A portable puppet theater includes a pair of side walls and a front wall having a central opening which faces the audience, a plurality of inner walls defining one or more sceneries and a curtain, a cover element, which covers the side and front walls. The side and front walls are substantially vertical and hinged together to form a foldable structure which is adapted to alternate from a collapsed configuration with the walls in mutually overlapping relationship, and an upstanding configuration with the walls at right angles and substantially vertical, and vice versa. The cover element is in the form of a lid, with a flat central portion and upwardly folded edges to receive the inner walls and the foldable structure in the collapsed configuration. The cover element can be turned upside down with the folded edges facing downwards and contacting the side and front walls in the upstanding configuration.

1 . A portable puppet theater ( 1 ) comprising a pair of side walls ( 2 ) and a front wall ( 3 ) having a central opening ( 4 ) which is designed to face an audience, a plurality of inner walls ( 5 ) defining one or more sceneries ( 5 A) and a curtain ( 5 B), a cover element ( 6 ) adapted to cover said side walls ( 2 ) and said front wall ( 3 ), said side walls ( 2 ) and said front wall ( 3 ) being substantially vertical and hinged together to form a foldable structure ( 7 ) which is adapted to alternate from a collapsed configuration with said walls ( 2 ,  3 ) in mutually overlapping relationship and an upstanding configuration with said walls ( 2 ,  3 ) at right angles and substantially vertical, and vice versa, said cover element ( 6 ) being in the form of lid, with a flat central portion ( 13 ) and upwardly folded edges ( 14 ) to receive therein said inner walls ( 5 ) and said foldable structure ( 7 ) in the collapsed configuration, said cover element ( 6 ) being adapted to be turned upside down with said folded edges ( 14 ) facing downwards and contacting said side walls ( 2 ) and said front wall ( 3 ) in an upright configuration, said flat central portion ( 13 ) of said cover element ( 6 ) having a plurality of slits ( 15 ) to allow said inner walls ( 5 ) to be removably introduced from the top to positions facing said central opening ( 4 ). 
     
     
         2 . The theater as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said slits ( 15 ) are substantially parallel, a series of said rear slits ( 15 A) being designed to receive the sceneries ( 5 A), a front slit ( 15 B) of said cover element ( 6 ) being designed to receive the curtain ( 5 B). 
     
     
         3 . The theater as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said slits ( 15 ) extend to a length (l 1 ) that is slightly greater than the width (l 2 ) of said inner walls ( 5 ) to facilitate introduction thereof from the top into the corresponding slits ( 15 ). 
     
     
         4 . The theater as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said inner walls ( 5 ) have appendages ( 18 ) at a top edge thereof, which extend beyond the ends of said slits ( 15 ) to rest on said flat central portion ( 13 ) and hold said inner walls ( 5 ) that have been introduced into said slits ( 15 ) in a hanging state. 
     
     
         5 . The theater as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the slits ( 15 A) of said series designed to receive the sceneries ( 5 A) are suitably spaced apart from the slit ( 15 B) designed to receive the curtain ( 5 B) to facilitate the introduction of said one or more puppets ( 19 ). 
     
     
         6 . The theater as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said front wall ( 3 ) and said side walls ( 2 ) of said foldable structure ( 7 ) are formed from a unitary panel ( 8 ) of a sheet material, such as cardboard, plasticized paper or a plastic laminate, which is suitably die-cut and formed with fold lines ( 9 ) to define adjacent mutually hinged partial panels that can be folded upon themselves. 
     
     
         7 . The theater as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein said partial panels ( 10 ) are at least four in number a first pair of adjacent panels ( 10 A) defining together said front wall ( 3 ) and a second pair of end panels ( 10 B) defining said pair of side walls ( 2 ). 
     
     
         8 . The theater as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein said partial panels ( 10 ) have corresponding upwardly extending tabs ( 16 ) adapted to fit into corresponding slots ( 17 ) formed in said flat central portion ( 13 ) of said cover element ( 6 ) to stabilize said foldable structure ( 7 ) with its side walls ( 2 ) and front wall ( 3 ) in an upstanding configuration. 
     
     
         9 . The theater as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said first pair of partial panels ( 10 A) defining said front wall ( 3 ) is formed with reinforcement means to keep said first pair of partial panels ( 10 A) coplanar in an upstanding configuration. 
     
     
         10 . The theater as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said reinforcing means comprise a strip of a sheet material with ends adapted to fit into buckles or pockets formed on each of said partial panels ( 10 A). 
     
     
         11 . The theater as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said one or more puppets ( 19 ) are substantially L-shaped figures with an elongate body ( 20 ) having a strip ( 21 ) of flexible material extending therefrom, with one end ( 21 ′) adapted to fit into longitudinal slots ( 22 ) to hold said strip ( 21 ) in a position perpendicular to said elongate body ( 20 ) and to retain the puppet ( 19 ) or hold it in an upright configuration. 
     
     
         12 . The theater as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said puppets are printed on a 2D or 3D sheet medium. 
     
     
         13 . The theater as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising an outer container consisting of a base box ( 23 ) adapted to accommodate therein said cover element ( 6 ) which in turn stores said folding structure ( 7 ) in the collapsed state, said inner walls ( 5 ) and said puppets ( 19 ), and an upper box ( 24 ) which can be closed on said base box ( 23 ) for orderly transport of the theater ( 1 ) with no risk of loss or damage of its essential components.