BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a jigsaw puzzle, and more particularly to a foldable jigsaw piece and a foldable jigsaw frame assembly that are capable of folding.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional jigsaw puzzles, including three-dimensional (3D) jigsaw puzzles and plane jigsaw puzzles, are greatly mature products. Besides drawings, configurations and difficulty of basic characteristics determining whether jigsaw puzzles are attractive to consumers, various strange jigsaw puzzles become new focuses. However, configurations of conventional jigsaw pieces greatly limit designing jigsaw puzzles.
Conventional jigsaw pieces include 3D jigsaw pieces and plane jigsaw pieces. A conventional 3D jigsaw piece may fold at a single rotational direction for a specific angle. Generally, a folding angle of the conventional 3D jigsaw piece is not larger than 90 degrees. Because a 3D jigsaw piece is assembled into a predetermined configuration, the folding angle thereof is constant. The folding structure of the jigsaw piece is only used for a single-sided 3D jigsaw puzzle with a predetermined configuration and therefore limits design variation of jigsaw puzzles.
Conventional jigsaw frames are used to hold and decorate jigsaw puzzles and at most demonstrate the obverse and reverse sides of jigsaw puzzles. Showing the reverse side of a jigsaw puzzle needs to disassemble, detach, flip over and re-assemble the jigsaw puzzles to the jigsaw frame, which disadvantages use and demonstration of jigsaw puzzles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The main objective of the invention is to retrieve the defective conventional technologies and provide a foldable jigsaw piece that is capable of folding and reversely folding and a foldable jigsaw frame assembly being capable of demonstrating both obverse and reverse sides of a jigsaw puzzle is provided based on the foldable jigsaw piece.
The present invention achieves the aforementioned objective through the following technologies.
A foldable jigsaw piece in accordance with the present invention comprises: a first piecing member, a second piecing member and a connecting member that is longitudinal, wherein the first piecing member and second piecing member are connected to each other through the connecting member; each of the first and second piecing members is capable of pivoting relative to the other for an angle from 0 to 180 degrees to fold the foldable jigsaw piece into an obversely or reversely folded configuration; and each of the first and second piecing members has edges and at least one of the edges has a protruding or notched Ω-shaped engaging member for connection with another jigsaw piece. The present invention is capable of folding into the obverse or reverse configuration so that designing three-dimensional jigsaw puzzles is more limitless. The present invention allows obverse and reverse illustrations or configurations so improves development of three-dimensional jigsaw puzzles. Various three-dimensional jigsaw puzzles may be designed for high market competitiveness.
A foldable jigsaw frame assembly based on the aforementioned foldable jigsaw piece comprises at least two jigsaw frames and adjacent jigsaw frames are connected through a frame boundary that is assembled from multiple foldable jigsaw pieces; each jigsaw frame is capable of pivoting relative to an adjacent jigsaw frame for an angle from 0 to 180 degrees to fold the jigsaw frame assembly into an obversely or reversely folded configuration; and each jigsaw frame has an inside annular edge and multiple protruding or notched Ω-shaped engaging members formed on or defined in the inside annular edge for connection with jigsaw pieces. Such jigsaw frame assembly allows to embed multiple jigsaws therein simultaneously, may show both obverse and reverse illustrations of the jigsaws and may be folded for storage and carrying. The foldable jigsaw frame assembly may comprise at least three the jigsaw frames and is capable of folding into a Z-shaped folded configuration for compact volume.
The connecting member of each foldable jigsaw piece is a column and has two opposite side edges connected respectively to and corresponding to the first and second piecing members and each side edge has a narrowed neck formed thereon and connected to a corresponding one of the first and second piecing members.
Each of the first and second piecing members of each foldable jigsaw piece has an obverse surface, a reverse surface and two inclined surfaces; and the inclined surfaces are formed respectively on the obverse and reverse surfaces and are defined adjacent to one side edge of the connecting member.
A thickness of the connecting member is smaller than a thickness of each of the first and second piecing members of each foldable jigsaw piece; and when the first and second piecing members pivot for 180 degrees and fold the foldable jigsaw piece, the connecting member at least partially presses against and supports one inclined surface of each of the first and second piecing members.
The foldable jigsaw piece of the present invention may be used in both plane and three-dimensional jigsaw puzzles so improves designing jigsaw puzzles and increases market competitiveness. The foldable jigsaw frame assembly demonstrates multiple jigsaws in one of or both the obverse and reverse surfaces and is foldable for storage and carrying.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a foldable jigsaw piece in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a top view of the foldable jigsaw piece in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an operational perspective view of the foldable jigsaw piece in FIG. 1 that is folded;
FIG. 4 is a side view of the foldable jigsaw piece in FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is an operational side view of the foldable jigsaw piece in FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view of the foldable jigsaw piece according section A in FIG. 4;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged side view of the foldable jigsaw piece according section B in FIG. 5;
FIG. 8 is a series of continuously operational perspective views of the foldable jigsaw in FIG. 1;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the foldable jigsaw in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the foldable jigsaw in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the foldable jigsaw in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 12 is a partially exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of a foldable jigsaw frame assembly in accordance with the present invention assembled with jigsaws to form a jigsaw puzzle;
FIG. 13 is a top view of a frame boundary of the foldable jigsaw frame assembly in FIG. 12;
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the frame boundary of the foldable jigsaw frame assembly in FIG. 13;
FIG. 15 is a side view of the frame boundary of the foldable jigsaw frame assembly in FIG. 13;
FIG. 16 is an operational view of a second embodiment of a foldable jigsaw frame in accordance with the present invention assembled with jigsaws to form another jigsaw puzzle;
FIG. 17 is a top view of the second embodiment of the jigsaw puzzle folding completely;
FIG. 18 is a side view of the folded jigsaw puzzle in FIG. 17; and
FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the folded jigsaw puzzle in FIG. 17.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The following descriptions are accompanied with the aforementioned attached drawings to explain the present invention.
With reference to FIG. 1, a foldable jigsaw piece 1 comprises a first piecing member 11 and a second piecing member 12. The first piecing member 11 and second piecing member 12 are connected to each other through a connecting member 13 that is longitudinal. The connecting member 13 may be a column. The first piecing member 11 and second piecing member 12 are capable of pivoting along the connecting member 13 to fold and change the foldable jigsaw piece 1 into a folded configuration. The folded configuration of the foldable jigsaw piece 1 is shown in FIG. 3. With further reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, each of the first and second piecing members 11, 12 is capable of pivoting relative to the other for an angle from 0 to 180 degrees. With further reference to FIG. 8, the first and second piecing members 11, 12 are capable of pivoting obversely or reversely to fold the foldable jigsaw piece 1 into an obversely or reversely folded configuration.
Enlarged and detailed structures of the first and second piecing members 11, 12 and connecting member 13 are shown in FIG. 6, the connecting member 13 has two opposite side edges connected respectively to and corresponding to the first and second piecing members 11, 12. Each side edge has a narrowed neck 14 formed thereon and connected to a corresponding one of the first and second piecing members 11, 12. Each of the first and second piecing members 11, 12 has an obverse surface, a reverse surface and two inclined surfaces 111. The inclined surfaces 111 are formed respectively on the obverse and reverse surfaces and are defined adjacent to one side edge of the connecting member 13. Furthermore, a thickness of the connecting member 13 is smaller than a thickness of each of the first and second piecing members 11, 12. Such structural design allows one of the first and second piecing members 11, 12 to pivot relative to the other clockwise or counterclockwise for 180 degrees to fold the jigsaw piece 1 into the obversely or reversely folded configuration. For example, the second piecing member 12 pivots to stack over and parallel the second piecing member 11. When the first and second piecing members 11, 12 pivot for 180 degrees and fold the foldable jigsaw piece 1, the connecting member 13 at least partially presses against and supports one inclined surface of each of the first and second piecing members 11, 12, as shown in FIG. 7. At this time the connecting member 13 controls and holds the first and second piecing members 11, 12 so that the first and second piecing members 11, 12 in the folded configuration are aligned with each other without relative movement, as shown in FIG. 3.
As shown in FIG. 1, each of the first and second piecing members 11, 12 of the foldable jigsaw piece 1 of the first embodiment has two opposite edges and an outer side. The edges are defined adjacent to the connecting member 13. One of the edges is straight and the other edge has a notched Ω-shaped engaging member defined in the edge for connection with another foldable jigsaw piece 1 or conventional jigsaw piece. The outer side is defined between the edges and opposite to the connecting member 13 and has a protruding Ω-shaped engaging member formed on the outer side for connection with another foldable jigsaw piece 1 or conventional jigsaw piece.
The present invention may modify the foldable jigsaw piece 1 to have different Ω-shaped engaging member arrangement. With further reference to FIG. 9, a second embodiment of the foldable jigsaw piece 2 has two notched Ω-shaped engaging member defined respectively in the edges of each of the first and second piecing members 11, 12. A protruding Ω-shaped engaging member is formed on the outer side of each of the first and second piecing members 11, 12. With further reference to FIG. 10, a third embodiment of the foldable jigsaw piece 3 has two protruding Ω-shaped engaging member formed respectively on the edges of each of the first and second piecing members 11, 12. A notched Ω-shaped engaging members is formed on the outer side of each of the first and second piecing members 11, 12. With further reference to FIG. 11, a fourth embodiment of the foldable jigsaw piece 4 has one edge of each of the first and second piecing members 11, 12 being straight. The other edge has a protruding Ω-shaped engaging member formed on the edge. A notched Ω-shaped engaging member is defined in the outer side.
With further reference to FIG. 12, a first embodiment of a jigsaw frame assembly in accordance with the present invention is formed based on the aforementioned foldable jigsaw piece and has three jigsaw frames 51, 52, 53 connected through the connecting members 13. The jigsaw frame 53 on the right side is illustrated partially. Each jigsaw frame 51, 52, 53 is capable of pivoting clockwise or counterclockwise relative to an adjacent jigsaw frame 51, 52, 53 along the connecting members 13 for an angle from 0 to 180 degrees to fold the jigsaw frame assembly into an obversely or reversely folded configuration. Each jigsaw frame 51, 52, 53 has an inside annular edge and multiple protruding or notched Ω-shaped engaging members formed on or defined in the inside annular edge to respectively engage multiple protruding or notched Ω-shaped engaging members on an outer edge of each jigsaw 61, 62, 63. The way to piece up a jigsaw puzzle may be piecing a jigsaw 51 then assembling the complete jigsaw 51 into the jigsaw frame 51. Alternatively, the jigsaw 63 and jigsaw frame 53 are pieced simultaneously. A complete jigsaw puzzle is shown as the combination of the jigsaw frame 52 and jigsaw 62 on the intermediate section in FIG. 12.
With further reference to FIG. 13, a frame boundary connected between adjacent jigsaw frames 51, 52, 53 is assembled from the aforementioned foldable jigsaw pieces 1, 2, 3, 4 that are connected and arranged in a column. Each foldable jigsaw piece 1, 2, 3, 4 has the connecting member 13, the first piecing member 11 and the second piecing member 12. According to the descriptions of the foldable jigsaw piece 1 in FIG. 1, each of the first and second piecing members 11, 12 is capable of pivoting relative to the other for an angle from 0 to 180 degrees for the obversely or reversely folded configuration, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15.
With further reference to FIG. 16, a second embodiment of the foldable jigsaw frame assembly in accordance with the present invention has five jigsaw frames 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 that are assembled and embedded respectively with the jigsaws 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 to form a jigsaw puzzle. Three adjacent jigsaw frames 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 are pivoting relative to one another into Z-shaped folded configuration so that the jigsaw puzzle is changed into a compact folded configuration, as shown in FIGS. 17 to 19. The jigsaw puzzle may demonstrate drawings on both obverse and reverse surfaces, may be folded to facilitate storage and carrying and is structurally unique and attractive.
Patent Application
20110024982
