Patent Application
20060097448
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a jigsaw puzzle, and more particularly to a jigsaw puzzle that includes a frame for the image featured on the puzzle surface, said frame being incorporated into the puzzle itself, and even more particularly to a jigsaw puzzle kit that includes the jigsaw puzzle and frame, along with glue and an application sponge for gluing the puzzle and frame together, as well as mounting hooks for mounting the assembled and glued puzzle to a wall or other vertical surface.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Jigsaw puzzles and the like have long been known in the prior art. Various attempts have been made to further enhance the enjoyment of the traditional jigsaw puzzle. For example, jigsaw puzzles may be provided with drawing surfaces thereon, as is described in U.S. Patent App. No. 20030181251 which was filed by Morioka and published on Sep. 25, 2003 for “Jigsaw puzzle with drawing surface,” which comprises polyfoam based puzzle pieces each having a drawing surface, a casing with a cover lid pivoted at one end of the casing for opening and closing a space within the casing, said space behind wide enough to hold the puzzle pieces whether assembled or disassembled, and a puzzle frame unit for holding the puzzle pieces assembled therein. In a related application, U.S. Patent App. No. 20030067114 which was filed by Morioka and published on Apr. 10, 2003 for “Jigsaw puzzle with drawing surface” discloses a jigsaw puzzle including puzzle pieces that each having a drawing surface wherein the puzzle pieces are held within a casing, which has a cover lid pivoted at one end of the casing for opening and closing a space within the casing.
Jigsaw puzzles have been used as the focus of a game, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,234, which issued to Jones on Feb. 27, 2001 for “Method for playing a puzzle game,” and which discloses a method of playing a puzzle game wherein outer puzzle pieces are placed inside a puzzle frame, and players may spin a spinner to randomly define how many inner puzzle pieces that player may take to complete an inner region of a puzzle.
The traditional rectangular shape of the jigsaw puzzle has also been fallen by the wayside. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,481, which issued to Graham on Feb. 24, 1998 for “Educational puzzle toy set” discloses an educational toy puzzle set having separate interconnecting puzzle pieces each shaped as the silhouette or outline of an animal, plant, or toy with one side including a word description or name of the animal or plant, which can be used as a play item independent of puzzle usage, and an interlocking puzzle border comprised of border pieces, which when assembled, secure and hold together the assembled puzzle pieces.
For those that desire to create jigsaw puzzles out of photographs or other pictures, U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,928, which issued to Lariviere, Jr., et al. on Feb. 2, 1999 for “Photographs and other graphic materials custom cut into interlocking puzzle shapes to construct a collage-puzzle” discloses a novel method of manufacturing collage puzzle pieces using a template having a plurality of channels in the form of line perforations so as to define a plurality of puzzle pieces patterns, the channels being interrupted at selected locations so that at least one portion of each puzzle piece pattern is connected to at least one adjacent puzzle piece pattern.
Support elements have been provided for jigsaw puzzles, as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,124, which issued to Lawrence on Oct. 13, 1998 for “Display puzzle” discloses a display puzzle comprising a support and a plurality of puzzle elements, the support and the elements having mutually-interchangeable, releasable attachment members such that the elements are attachable to the support in at least on predetermined display arrangement for support thereby, wherein the support is so formed and each puzzle element has an edge portion so formed that, when each element is attached to the support, the edge portion is spaced from the support and can be pressed manually against the support to pivot the respective element relative to the support to release it therefrom.
Additional features such as storage means or organizing trays have also been developed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,547, which issued to Rannelli on Jul. 29, 1997 for “Portable puzzle storage board” discloses a portable puzzle storage board providing an assembly surface for jigsaw type puzzles and a simple mechanism for securing the puzzle pieces in place with a flexible cover which may be easily engaged and disengaged with the retainer frame of the puzzle storage board. Another such example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,220, which issued to Leavy on Jul. 26, 1994 for “Jigsaw puzzle piece organizer” discloses a jigsaw puzzle piece organizer wherein a plurality of trays are provided for holding a plurality of groups of puzzle pieces according to the color and configuration of the puzzle pieces.
Furthermore, developments have been made to the frames and/or borders of the traditional jigsaw puzzle. For example, U.S. Patent App. No. 20010052670 which was published in the name of Clerc, et al. on Dec. 20, 2001 for a “Figural puzzle” discloses a puzzle comprising plurality of figural puzzle pieces surrounded by a border. Each one of the plurality of puzzle pieces is the silhouette of a shape found in a particular class of objects. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,118, which issued to Gottesman on Apr. 29, 1997 for “Puzzle work station and storage case incorporating special adjustable frame” discloses a combination puzzle work station, puzzle carrying case and adjustable puzzle picture frame kit including selected sizes of interlocking frame sections providing; first, a bordered puzzle workstation and, then, a puzzle picture frame. In yet another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,839, which issued to Ayotte on Jan. 2, 1990 for “Adjustable frame for puzzles” discloses an adjustable frame for jig-saw puzzles defining the exterior parameters of the puzzle, wherein each side of the frame is made up of two or more members connected to each other by clamps that allow linear sliding of the members so as to make the frame independently adjustable as to length and width. A base member is connected to the bottom of the frame to provide a puzzle work surface.
As shall be appreciated, the prior art fails to specifically address either the problem or the solution arrived upon by applicant.
Against the foregoing background, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved jigsaw puzzle kit including a puzzle and a frame therefor, wherein the frame is incorporated with the puzzle itself.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a jigsaw puzzle kit including glue and an application sponge for gluing the completed puzzle together.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a jigsaw puzzle kit that includes mounting panels and hooks for attachment to the back of the completed and glued puzzle and frame.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a jigsaw puzzle kit that further includes wall mounting hooks complementary to the mounting panels and hooks for mounting the completed and glued puzzle and frame to a wall or similar vertical surface.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a jigsaw puzzle kit that is more challenging to complete inasmuch as the border pieces are replaced by the frame, which does not provide a user with the same visual clues to the completion of the puzzle.
To the accomplishments of the foregoing objects and advantages, the present invention, in brief summary, comprises an improved jigsaw puzzle kit comprising a plurality of puzzle pieces each piece having a portion of a puzzle image imprinted thereon, a frame for the image imprinted on said puzzle pieces, said frame being incorporated with the puzzle itself, glue and a sponge applicator therefore for gluing the completed puzzle and frame together, and mounting means for hanging the completed and glued puzzle and frame to a wall or similar surface. In another embodiment, a three-dimensional frame having a shape or design similar to that of a frame used to mount a print, painting or other artwork is also contemplated, wherein the three-dimensional frame includes means by which the completed and glued puzzle may be attached thereto so as to create a complete work of art, including frame.
The foregoing and still other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the detailed explanation of the preferred embodiments of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring to the drawings and, in particular, to
Also provided is a frame 26 which borders the puzzle image 16, which frame 26 is incorporated as part of the puzzle 10 itself. Depending on the size of the puzzle 10, the frame 26 may formed as a single unit. However, in the preferred embodiment, the frame 26 comprises a plurality of edge pieces 28 and corner pieces 30, each of which includes interlocking elements 20 which correspond to the interlocking elements 20 on adjacent puzzle pieces 12. The frame 26 serves several functions. First, it provides a means by which the puzzle image 16 may be framed and displayed, as if it was actually placed in a physical frame. In such a function, the edge and corner pieces 28, 30 may be made of the same thickness as the puzzle pieces 12, or may be made thicker and with a cross-sectional shape that mimics the cross-sectional shape of an actual frame for a painting or other artwork. The width of the frame 26 may be adjusted so that it presents an aesthetically pleasing framework for the puzzle image 16.
Second, the frame 26 serves to increase the difficulty of assembling the puzzle 10, since an individual no longer has the traditional edge pieces which are easy to identify and assemble so as to provide an outline of the entire puzzle image 16. Since the frame 26 includes the interlocking elements 20, the puzzle pieces 12 that would normally be edge pieces are now indistinguishable from the remaining puzzle pieces.
Also provided with the puzzle 10 is a mounting kit 32 comprising an adhesive 34 and an applicator 36 therefor, as well as wall mounting means 38. In the preferred embodiment, the adhesive 34 comprises liquid glue 40 and the applicator 36 a sponge 42. The liquid glue 40 is applied to the back surface 18 of the assembled puzzle 10 using the sponge 42 and allowed to dry. Once dry, the individual puzzle pieces 12 of the assembled puzzle 10 are secured to each other, allowing the assembled puzzle 10 to be manipulated and moved without the puzzle 10 coming apart.
Also in the preferred embodiment, the wall mounting means 38 comprises at least one mounting loop unit 44, which may be attached to the back surface 18 of the assembled and glued puzzle 10 using the glue 40 or other adhesive means, and at least one corresponding wall hook 46 which may similarly be attached to the wall by means of an adhesive, or other means, such as a nail or screw. Depending upon the size of the puzzle 10, two wall mounting means 38 may be desired so as to provide additional stability and support to the assembled puzzle 10.
Having thus described the invention with particular reference to the preferred forms thereof, it will be obvious that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. For example, the frame 26 does not necessarily need to be manufactured or formed out of the same material as the puzzle pieces 12, which would necessarily limit the shape and design of the frame 26. For example, the frame 26 may be formed or manufactured out of practically any material, including plastic, wood or metal, and include elaborate carvings or other design details which would normally be found on a picture frame. Such a three-dimensional frame 48 could be manufactured using vacuum forming or an injection molding process, which results in a solid unit. Here too, the three-dimensional frame 48 may be manufactured as a single unit, or with a plurality of edge and corner pieces 28, 30. As illustrated in
