Amusement devices: games – Puzzles – Take-aparts and put-togethers
Patent
1997-04-24
1998-10-13
Wong, Steven B.
Amusement devices: games
Puzzles
Take-aparts and put-togethers
A63F 910
Patent
active
058201246
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a display puzzle.
The assembly of picture puzzles is a well known and popular leisure activity and, in general, involves the interengagement of a plurality of small picture elements to complete a given picture. Once finished, the picture is normally broken up fairly quickly and returned to a box for storage. In between construction periods, the pieces are thus "idle", and do not provide any entertainment, not even, for example, as part of the decor of a house.
In order to make use of a completed puzzle, particularly if the picture created is very attractive, it is known to glue the assembled pieces to a backing board so that the picture can be hung on a wall and enjoyed as a decoration. This has the disadvantage, of course, that the play aspect of the puzzle is lost as the pieces can no longer be taken apart for reassembly.
Various display devices are also known in which pieces are releasably attachable to a support so that a picture or like display can be built up and then used as a decorative item but in which the pieces are readily removable so that the, or a different, assembly can subsequently be made. Examples of such devices are disclosed in GB-A-2211103, U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,984, U.S. Pat. No. 3,242,594 and DE-A-1810916.
The object of the present invention is to provide an alternative form of display puzzle which, once completed, can be used as a decoration but which can readily be broken down into its constituent parts when required for play. In particular, the present invention seeks to provide such a puzzle in which pieces are readily removable from a support even when they are closely juxtaposed on the support and cannot readily be gripped manually for their removal.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a display puzzle comprising a support and a plurality of puzzle elements, the support and the elements having mutually-interengageable, releasable attachment means such that the elements are attachable to the support in at least one predetermined display arrangement for support thereby characterised in that the puzzle elements and the support are so formed that, when each element is assembled on the support in a display position, an edge portion of the element is spaced from the support and can be pressed manually against the support to pivot the remaining portion of the element away from the support to release the element therefrom.
The support of the display puzzle may be of any shape or size depending on the nature of the completed display, its size and shape, the size and shape of the puzzle elements and the nature of the attachment means. For example the support may comprise a frame engageable by a relatively small number of simple elements, such as are required in a puzzle for a young child. In preferred embodiments of the invention, however, the support comprises a backing sheet, preferably substantially rigid, against which the puzzle elements are located to build up a picture or display, which may, but need not necessarily, be flat. Images may be formed on the puzzle elements in any known way such as by printing, either directly onto the element or onto a layer to be attached thereto, and encapsulated with a transparent material protection.
The backing sheet and the puzzle elements may interengage in any convenient manner. For example, either the backing sheet or the elements may have a release adhesive on the face intended to contact the elements or the sheet respectively. Alternatively the surfaces of the backing sheet and the elements which are to come into mutual contact may be faced with the two parts of a multi-hook fastener, such as VELCRO (Registered TM). As a further alternative, the elements may be magnetically attracted to the backing sheet.
In preferred embodiments, the backing sheet and the elements have mutually snap-engageable attachment formations. These may be arranged and/or shaped so that each element can be located in only one position on the backing sheet or in a plurality of different positions. The snap-engageable element may
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