Amusement devices: games – Puzzles – Folding and relatively movable strips and disks
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-10
2003-02-25
Wong, Steven (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Puzzles
Folding and relatively movable strips and disks
Reexamination Certificate
active
06523826
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to folding puzzles, and more specifically, to folding puzzles comprising decoding lenses and encoded images. The folding puzzles are capable of being folded in a variety of ways to generate assembled decoded images from combination decoding lens lens/encoded image portions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Folding picture puzzles are well known in the entertainment, amusement and toy industry. There is always a demand for new, more challenging puzzles with enhanced aesthetic appeal to provide users with more entertainment.
Folding picture puzzles generally form an assembled image from a group of image portions distributed on a sheet. By folding the paper along a series of predetermined fold-lines, distributed image portions form a desired assembled image. By employing a variety of predetermined folding patterns and different image portions, a variety of assembled images can be formed.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,327,875 and 2,327,876 to H. Edborg, U.S. Pat. No. 2,655,382 to C. Belsky, U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,355 to S. Finkin, U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,380 to N. Polsky, U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,520 to Matos, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,759,328 and 5,833,789 both to Rosendale et al. are all directed to folding picture puzzles of a variety of constructions. The disclosures of these patents are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The Edborg patents depict two embodiments of a folding picture puzzle. The '876 patent covers a six-pointed star shaped puzzle having plural fold-lines and a single incision extending from the center to the outer periphery of the star. The puzzle comprises a single two-sided sheet of paper having image portions distributed on upper and lower surfaces. By folding the papers in a variety of ways, different assembled images are formed. The '875 patent covers a square shaped puzzle having plural fold-lines and four incisions. Each incision extends from the outer periphery of the paper toward the interior of the paper. Although the construction between the two embodiments is different, they operate in essentially the same manner.
The '382 patent to Belsky discloses a folding picture puzzle comprising a single sheet having a variety of fold-lines thereon, so that when the paper is folded along those lines, a particular assembled image is formed. The folded paper toy assumes a rectangular form when folded.
The Finkin patent is directed to an educational folding picture puzzle comprising a single sheet having defined portions, the portions being a central planar portion and a plurality of arm members extending from the edges of the central planar portion. Again, by folding this paper along any of a variety of creases, a variety of assembled images are formed.
The '380 patent to Polsky discloses a folding picture puzzle comprising a single two-sided sheet of paper having a patchwork of partial picture images printed on at least one side, the paper being divided into at least sixteen equal uniform squares by a combination of eight incisions and plural creases or fold-lines. The incisions extend from the outer periphery of the square inward. By folding along the incisions or creases, a variety of complete individual images can be formed. Depending on the way the patchwork of picture images is printed on the surface of the puzzle, this type of puzzle can form eight to about thirty-two assembled images.
The '520 patent to Matos discloses a unique fold-through puzzle known as the RIKIGAMI™ puzzle comprising one or more sheets having a plurality of image portions printed on at least one side of the sheet. The puzzle has a centrally located aperture through which the surrounding peripheral image bearing portions are adapted to pass. As the puzzle is folded toward the central aperture, assembled images are formed. Depending on the shape of the sheet, the number of sheets and the particular fold pattern selected, this type of puzzle can form four to about thirty-six or more assembled images.
The '328 and '789 patents to Rosendale et al. disclose another fold-through puzzle known as the FLAPPER™ puzzle which comprises four sheets that are affixed to one another in paired overlapping arrangement. As with the other puzzles, the sheets bear image portions that form assembled images when they are brought together. This type of puzzle can only form four assembled images.
None of the known folding puzzles bear more than one image per puzzle section. Accordingly, the maximum number of image portions borne by any of the known puzzles is equal to the total number of puzzle sections that comprise the puzzle. It would be preferred to have a puzzle that has a greater number of image portions than it has of puzzle sections thereby increasing the number of assembled images that can be formed by the puzzle without increasing the number of puzzle sections the puzzle has. A puzzle of this preferred construction would have improved versatility and would provide more entertainment than known puzzles.
Lenticular image products are well known. These products comprise an overlying lenticular lens that decodes an underlying and attached lenticular image. By viewing the lenticular article in different positions, a viewer will see two or more different decoded lenticular images beneath the lenticular lens. Lenticular lenses affixed to respective substrates bearing respective lens-resolvable linear-patterned encoded images are commercially available. The lines from the patterned image must be in alignment with the lenticules of the lenticular lens in order to form a readily viewable resolved image. Known lenticular lens/patterned image-bearing substrate combinations have generally met this requirement by permanently affixing the substrate directly onto the back of the lenticular lens or by directly printing the patterned image onto the back of the lenticular lens.
Such substrates in combination with lenticular lenses are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,452 to Goggins, U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,313 to Steenblik et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,543,964 to Taylor et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,495 to Steenblik et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,335 to Fotland, U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,433 to Appledorn et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,565 to Alasia, U.S. Pat. No. 3,538,632 to Anderson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,119,195 to Braunhut, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
To date, lenticular, or decoding, lenses have not been incorporated into a folding puzzle. By incorporating combination decoding lens/encoded image portions into a folding picture puzzles, the number of assembled images that can be formed by the folded puzzle is significantly increased when compared to a similar puzzle not having these portions, and the versatility of the puzzle is improved. There is no teaching or suggestion in the art of the invention as described and claimed herein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a folding picture puzzle having many novel and entertainment enhancing aspects and features. One aspect of the invention provides a folding picture puzzle capable of continually folding in a first forward direction to form assembled images without having to unfold in a second reverse direction. In this embodiment, the invention provides a fold-through picture puzzle comprising a sheet having a defined length, width and shape comprising: an outer periphery; an edge defining an aperture in said base sheet, the aperture having a defined length, width, area and shape; and a foldable peripheral portion having a defined area completely surrounding said aperture and being operable to fold-through said aperture. The foldable peripheral portion bears one or more combination decoding lens/encoded image portions which forms an assembled decoded image when the puzzle is folded.
In some embodiments of the invention, the aperture is disposed approximately centrally in the sheet. In other embodiments, the length and width of the aperture are approximately equal and approximate one-fourth to three-fourths of the length or width of the sheet. T
Innovar L.L.C.
Matos Rick
Wong Steven
LandOfFree
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