Patent Application
20220395746
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates to a puzzle system including a flexible plate with an embedded stiffener structure and flexible puzzle pieces. The flexible plate includes cavities of arbitrary shapes. The flexible puzzle pieces are also of arbitrary shapes and are removably insertable into the cavities.
Conventional children's puzzles are made of wood and paper; which are not food safe and difficult to clean/sanitize (wooden puzzles are not water-friendly). Moreover, during the COVID pandemic, many schools did not allow students to play with puzzles to minimize the spread of viruses due to the fact that these wooden puzzles are difficult to clean. Therefore, there is a need for an educational puzzle made of a flexible material that is safe for children of all ages, as well as support individuals with special needs.
Silicone is one example of such material. The longevity of silicone and its resistance towards pressure and temperature makes it an ideal material which can withstand continuous stresses and pressures for a far longer period than rubber and without corroding or cracking in the process. Less contamination, long term financial savings and an all-around more hygienic structure all contribute to the advantages of using silicone.
However, silicone maybe too flexible and, by itself, does not provide the structural support necessary for the flexible plate to function properly. A stiffener structure has been embedded in the flexible plate to partially resist the flexing of the flexible plate.
Conventional puzzles on the market have surfaces that are 2-dimensional (flat) and only support visual learners. The present invention provides both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional features to support both visual and kinesthetic learners. For instance, embossing and debossing provide 3-dimensional depth, which allows for an intricate look and feel to support learning through touch and sight.
The present invention is designed to support a combination of skills at the same time. 3-d and embossed/debossed features of the present invention help children explore new textures through sensory play. Children refine their fine motor and hand-eye coordination skills as they manipulate puzzle pieces to put the puzzle together. They develop the small muscles in their hand that allow them to grasp and move puzzle pieces with precision.
The ability to observe, recognize, and use visual information about forms, shapes, figures, and objects makes up our visual motor abilities. Visual motor skills include a coordination of visual information that is perceived and processed with motor skills, including fine motor, gross motor, and sensory motor. Children need practice with arranging and rearranging objects to help them build spatial awareness. The present invention allows children experiment with position (such as rotating, sliding, flipping). With practice and experience, they develop the ability to mentally manipulate the pieces. Persevering to solve challenging puzzles lend itself to better memory retention as well as a sense of accomplishment and pride in oneself. The present invention fosters foundational skills and learning in young children. Examples: kids may learn their alphabet, numbers, shapes, colors.
The present invention also fosters advanced skills for older kids. Examples: STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math)—focused puzzles such as periodic tables, body systems, planets, solar system, etc. The present invention also provides textured (embossed and debossed designs, graphics, texts) components to support multisensory learning. Textured and colorful puzzle pieces arouse interest, rivet attention, and make it possible to discover different textures and sights. Children with sensory processing disorder are able to explore different textures on the puzzle pieces and puzzle tray.
The present invention provides play therapy with meaningful sensory to encourage exploratory learning for children with autism. Kids and individuals with oral aversion issues can receive oral stimulation and input using textured puzzle pieces as teethers. The present invention includes an embossed Braille System on the flexible plate and/or the flexible puzzle pieces in which raised dots represent the letters and numbers to support touch reading and writing for the blind. The flexible plate and/or the flexible puzzle pieces maybe made of silicone and designed to have a matte finish to allow for wipeable/erasable writing surface when used with appropriate wet-erase markers and/or other appropriate water-soluble writing/drawing utensils. Tracings can be added to the surface of the flexible plate and/or the flexible puzzle pieces to refine pre-writing skills, and builds the foundation for drawing and writing letters and words.
Conventional puzzles in the market are not made for outdoor use and most cannot be used with water. The present invention can be made waterproof. It is also safe for outdoor play and use because silicone is highly resistant to oxygen, ozone, UV light, aging, weather, and extreme temperatures. It works in temperatures that range from −67° F. to +400° F., and intermittent to ±450° F.
Conventional puzzles in the market are not made to grow with the child. The present invention can be used from birth and beyond (infant, toddler, and kids). Flexible puzzle pieces made of food grade silicone can be used as baby teethers. For babies, the texture helps with sensory (learning through texture.) For toddlers, the present invention provides for fine motor, visual-motor, and spatial skills. It further fosters foundational skills such as print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, fluency, colors, numbers, alphabet, shapes, animals, other objects, etc. For kids, it provides educational features to be used for STEM Education. The flexible puzzle pieces maybe made from food-grade silicone for safe oral use. They can also include different textured surfaces (having many different protrusions) and can be used as baby teethers to soothe babies' gums. They can provide pain relief during teething, and oral stimulation (tongue, mouth, gums).
The 3-dimensional and textured features of the present invention support sensory integration therapy that aims to help kids with sensory processing issues (which some people may refer to as “sensory integration disorder”) by exposing them to sensory stimulation in a structured, repetitive way. The theory behind it is that over time, the brain will adapt and allow kids to process and react to sensations more efficiently.
The present invention may also have a lip which functions as a perimeter boundary to contain puzzle pieces and prevent the falling of puzzle pieces. It can also be made from Food Grade Silicone and Food Grade Interior Stainless Steel Frame(s)/Beam(s). The food-grade silicone may have a Shore A durometer of between about 45 and about 85. Silicone is free of harmful/toxic chemicals. It can be BPA Free, PVC Free, Lead Free, Cadmium Free, Mercury Free, Phthalate Free. Moreover, Silicone is heat and water resistant. Silicone has inherent microbial effect. Unlike conventional puzzles, the present invention is durable and is easy to clean and sanitize (this is extremely important to limit the spread of virus and bacteria). The flexible puzzle pieces are removably insertable into the cavities. They may further include peg handles.
In one aspect, a puzzle system is disclosed, wherein the system comprises a flexible plate comprising a plurality of cavities disposed on at least one side of the flexible plate, wherein the plurality of cavities have one or more arbitrary cavity shapes, a stiffener structure embedded inside the flexible plate, wherein the stiffener structure is operable to partially resist the flexing of the flexible plate, and a plurality of flexible puzzle pieces, wherein the plurality of flexible puzzle pieces have one or more arbitrary piece shapes, wherein a thickness of the plurality of flexible puzzle pieces is equal to or greater than a depth of the plurality of cavities, wherein at least one of the one or more arbitrary piece shapes substantially matches a shape of at least one of the one or more arbitrary cavity shapes, and wherein at least one of the plurality of flexible puzzle pieces is removably insertable in at least one of the plurality of cavities.
Preferably, a shape of the flexible plate is an arbitrary shape.
Preferably, the arbitrary shape is one of a square shape, a rectangular shape, a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a flower shape, a vehicle shape, a heart shape, a house shape, an animal shape, and a country shape.
Preferably, the flexible plate comprises a lip around a perimeter of the flexible plate operative to maintain the plurality of flexible puzzle pieces within the flexible plate.
Preferably, the flexible plate comprises at least one of an embossing, a debossing, and an imprint.
Preferably, the at least one of an embossing, a debossing, and an imprint comprises at least one of a text and an image.
Preferably, the at least one of a text and an image comprises at least one of letters of alphabet, foreign language special characters, numbers, geometric shapes, pictures of persons, pictures of animals, colors, and Braille system.
Preferably, the cavity shapes comprise at least one of shapes of letters of alphabet, shapes of foreign language special characters, shapes of numbers, geometric shapes, shapes of persons, and shapes of animals.
Preferably, the flexible plate comprises silicone.
Preferably, at least one of the plurality of flexible puzzle pieces comprises at least one of an embossing, a debossing, and an imprint.
Preferably, the at least one of an embossing, a debossing, and an imprint comprises at least one of a text and an image.
Preferably, the at least one of a text and an image comprises at least one of letters of alphabet, foreign language special characters, numbers, geometric shapes, pictures of persons, pictures of animals, colors, and Braille system.
Preferably, the piece shapes comprise at least one of shapes of letters of alphabet, shapes of foreign language special characters, shapes of numbers, geometric shapes, shapes of persons, and shapes of animals.
Preferably, the plurality of flexible puzzle pieces comprises silicone.
Preferably, a shape of the flexible plate is a rectangular shape and wherein the stiffener structure comprises wire disposed at least along one of at least one of a portion and an entirety of a perimeter of the flexible plate, at least one diagonal axis of the rectangular shape, at least one horizontal axis of the rectangular shape, and at least one vertical axis of the rectangular shape.
Preferably, the wire comprises stainless steel.
In another aspect, a plurality of flexible puzzle pieces for use with a flexible plate are disclosed, wherein the flexible plate comprises a plurality of cavities disposed on at least one side of the flexible plate, wherein the plurality of cavities have one or more arbitrary cavity shapes, wherein the plurality of flexible puzzle pieces have one or more arbitrary piece shapes, wherein a thickness of the plurality of flexible puzzle pieces is equal to or greater than a depth of the plurality of cavities, wherein at least one of the one or more arbitrary piece shapes substantially matches a shape of at least one of the one or more arbitrary cavity shapes, and wherein at least one of the plurality of flexible puzzle pieces is removably insertable in at least one of the plurality of cavities.
Preferably, at least one of the plurality of flexible puzzle pieces comprises at least one of an embossing, a debossing, and an imprint.
Preferably, the piece shapes comprise at least one of shapes of letters of alphabet, shapes of foreign language special characters, shapes of numbers, geometric shapes, shapes of persons, and shapes of animals.
In another aspect, a method of engaging a child is disclosed, wherein the method comprises providing a flexible plate comprising a plurality of cavities disposed on at least one side of the flexible plate, wherein the plurality of cavities have one or more arbitrary cavity shapes, providing a stiffener structure embedded inside the flexible plate, wherein the stiffener structure is operable to partially resist the flexing of the flexible plate, and providing a plurality of flexible puzzle pieces, wherein the plurality of flexible puzzle pieces have one or more arbitrary piece shapes, wherein a thickness of the plurality of flexible puzzle pieces is equal to or greater than a depth of the plurality of cavities, wherein at least one of the one or more arbitrary piece shapes substantially matches a shape of at least one of the one or more arbitrary cavity shapes, and wherein at least one of the plurality of flexible puzzle pieces is removably insertable in at least one of the plurality of cavities.
The flexible plate 102 comprises a plurality of cavities (not shown) such as those depicted in
The thickness of the plurality of flexible puzzle pieces 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, and 122 is equal to or greater than a depth of the plurality of cavities. Moreover, at least one of the one or more arbitrary piece shapes of the flexible puzzle pieces 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, and 122 substantially matches a shape of at least one of the one or more arbitrary cavity shapes of the plurality of cavities of the flexible plate 102. Furthermore, at least one of the plurality of flexible puzzle pieces 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, and 122 is removably insertable in at least one of the plurality of cavities. In a preferred embodiment, the thickness of the plurality of flexible puzzle pieces 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, and 122 is equal to the depth of the plurality of cavities but each of the flexible puzzle pieces 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, and 122 have a handle (peg) to allow the child to insert and extract the flexible puzzle piece into and out of the cavities.
The shape of the flexible plate 102 is arbitrary. In this preferred embodiment, the flexible plate 102 has a rectangular shape, however, other shapes are also contemplated. For instance, the flexible plate 102 can have the shapes of a square shape, a rectangular shape, a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a flower shape, a vehicle shape, a heart shape, a house shape, an animal shape, or a country shape. In a preferred embodiment, the flexible plate 102 comprises a lip (not shown) such as that depicted in
The flexible plate 102 can have at least one of an embossing, a debossing, and an imprint which may be a text, an image, or a combination of text and image. As such, the embossings, debossings, and texts can be letters of alphabet, foreign language special characters, numbers, geometric shapes, pictures of persons, pictures of animals, colors, the Braille system, or a combination thereof.
In this preferred embodiment, the flexible plate 102 includes a plurality of embossings 124, 126, 128, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, 140, and 142. These embossings 124, 126, 128, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, 140, and 142 are the English letters that make of the words for zero, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine to correspond to the shape of the cavities and the flexible puzzle pieces 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, and 122. In an alternative embodiment, the plurality of embossings 124, 126, 128, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, 140, and 142 are debossings. In yet another embodiment, the plurality of embossings 124, 126, 128, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, 140, and 142 are the Chinese characters that make up the words for zero, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine to correspond to the shape of the cavities and the flexible puzzle pieces 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, and 122.
In particular flexible puzzle piece 304 has no embossed feature promoting the notion of the number 0. The flexible puzzle piece 306 has a triangular feature 324 embossed on top of its surface representing the notion of the number 1. Similarly, the flexible puzzle piece 308 has two heart shaped features 326 embossed on its surface representing the notion of the number 2. The flexible puzzle piece 310 has three cross shaped features 328 embossed on its surface representing the notion of the number 3. The flexible puzzle piece 312 has four square shaped features 330 embossed on its surface representing the notion of the number 4. The flexible puzzle piece 314 has five flower shaped features 332 embossed on its surface representing the notion of the number 5. The flexible puzzle piece 316 has six star shaped features 334 embossed on its surface representing the notion of the number 6. The flexible puzzle piece 318 has seven diamond shaped features 336 embossed on its surface representing the notion of the number 7. The flexible puzzle piece 320 has eight half-circle shaped features 338 embossed on its surface representing the notion of the number 8. And the flexible puzzle piece 322 has nine circle shaped features 340 embossed on its surface representing the notion of the number 9.
For instance, the flexible puzzle piece 408, representing the number 2, has embossing features 430 and the flexible puzzle piece 412, representing the number 4 has debossing features 428. Moreover, in this preferred embodiment, the thickness of the flexible puzzle pieces 404, 406, 408, 410, 412, 414, 416, 418, 420, and 422 is equal to the depth of the cavities of the flexible plate 402. As such, each of the flexible puzzle pieces has a handle (peg) to allow the child to insert and extract the flexible puzzle piece into and out of the cavities. For instance, the flexible puzzle piece 412, representing the number 4 has a peg 426 and the flexible puzzle piece 422, representing the number 9, has a peg 424.
For instance, the flexible puzzle piece 514, representing the letter F, has embossing features 564, the flexible puzzle piece 528, representing the letter M, has embossing features 566, the flexible puzzle piece 542, representing the letter T, has embossing features 568, and the flexible puzzle piece 554, representing the letter Z, has embossing features 570. The flexible puzzle pieces 514, 528, 542, and 554 are removably insertable into the cavities 562, 560, 558, and 556, respectively.
For instance,
The foregoing explanations, descriptions, illustrations, examples, and discussions have been set forth to assist the reader with understanding this invention and further to demonstrate the utility and novelty of it and are by no means restrictive of the scope of the invention. It is the following claims, including all equivalents, which are intended to define the scope of this invention.
