AU633602B2

AU633602B2 - Magnetic puzzle

Info

Publication number: AU633602B2
Application number: AU60141/90A
Authority: AU
Inventors: George Kerr
Original assignee: B & G Productions Pty Ltd
Current assignee: B & G Productions Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1989-08-04
Filing date: 1990-08-03
Publication date: 1993-02-04
Anticipated expiration: 2010-08-03
Also published as: AU6014190A

Description

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AUSTRALIA

63360 2 Patent Act COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

Class Int. Class Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: Related Art: 0 1 Name(s) of Applicant(s): B G PRODUCTIONS PTY. LTD.

Address of Applicant(s): C/O Kerr Lithographics Broome Road, Flowerdale 3717 KINGLAKE WEST VIC 3757 Our Address for service is: PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys 367 Collins Street MELBOURNE, Australia 3000 Complete Specification for the invention entitled: MAGNETIC PUZZLE The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to applicant(s): 1 0804N -la- Magnetic Puzzle This invention relates to puzzle having pieces with a magnetic attraction to a board. More specifically, the invention relates to a jigsaw puzzle and a convenient holder for arrangement of a jigsaw puzzle and it will be convenient i to describe the invention in terms of a jigsaw puzzle although a broader application will of course be appreciated.

Jigsaw puzzles generally comprise of a picture mounted onto cardboard which has been cut into a plurality of interlocking pieces. The aim of the puzzle is to reassemble the pieces to form the original picture.

A disadvantage of known jigsaw puzzles is that they must be assembled on a stable flat surface, such as a table.

They cannot be moved or are extremely inconvenient to move whilst the puzzle is being reassembled which, in the case of puzzles having a very large number of pieces, may be for a very long period of time.

Jigsaw puzzles are of course a common source of relaxation and are most often constructed when people have a few spaie moments. Such spare moments arise during holiday periods or times of relaxation around the house where there is a convenient flat stable surface available. There are other times however when an individual may have few spare °moments such as while travelling or laying in bed where a flat stable surface is generally not available.

o j 0 Temporary flat surfaces may be provided particularly for bedridden people, however the puzzle may become disturbed when the temporary surface is removed. For similar reasons, temporary surfaces that may be provided in such places as S. motor cars, aeroplanes or trains, may easily be disturbed particularly by the motion of the vehicle. This makes it

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u i_ -2inconvenient and far less of a pleasure to construct a jigsaw puzzle and as a general rule jigsaw puzzles cannot be done is such places.

Even in areas where a solid flat surface is provided, once a puzzle has been started, it is difficult to transport it to a different place as this generally causes dissruption of the pieces. The surface must be maintained level while moving which is often difficult to achieve. It would be convenient if a puzzle were known where that puzzle is transportable and not subject to dissruption upon minor movement of the stable surface.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a puzzle which overcomes or at least alleviates one or more of the problems associated with the prier art.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a puzzle, comprising a plurality of planar pieces, each piece having an obverse face and a reverse face, said obverse face bearing a portion of a picture where, in use, each of said pieces may be arranged so each portion together forms a composite S pict'ire; and a holder, said holder having at least two planar 25 support surfaces wherein, the respective material from which 0 at least one of said support surfaces are formed being such that said pieces are magnetically attracted to atleast one of said surface, said surfaces both being of a size suitable for the formation of said composite picture thereon.

0: aThe holder may be constructed of any suitable material, but preferable is made of stiff cardboard or plastic. In one particularly preferred form of the invention, the holder is formed of two leaves, the support :35 surfaces being formed individually on a respective one of these leaves, where each of the leaves are hingedly connected together and foldable between an open position in which both of said surfaces are exposed and a closed position wherein said two surfaces are in an opposed relation to each other.

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-3- In another form of the invention, the holder includes three leaves, two of the support surfaces each being formed on a respective one of these leaves, the third leaf having a representation of the composite picture printed thereon, each leaf lying in an adjacent arrangement forming two outer and one inner leaf and hingedly connected to its respective neighbor and foldable between an open position in which both support surfaces and representation are exposed, and a closed position wherein each outer leaf is folded inward such that each respective support surface and representation are no longer exposed.

It is most preferred that the pieces of the invention are interlocking and of a different shape. For example, the pieces may include a plurality of male and female interlocking members, that is a plurality of projections and recesses. When the pieces are interlocked in a predetermined manner the obverse face of each piece together form a composite picture. If each piece is of a different shape, there may only be one way of assembling the composite picture.

The pieces themselves may also be constructed of any suitable material. Preferably, the material used is ~relatively stiff and made of suitable sheet material such as cardboard or plastic. Most preferably stiff cardboard is used.

i It is most preferred that in order to establish a magnetic attraction between the support surfaces, the reverse face of the pieces is constructed of a magnetic sheet S"material. The support surfaces may be constructed of a metallic sheet material causing a magnetic attraction with S.the obverse face of the pieces. It is of course possible S that the magnetic sheet be applied to the support surface.

The magnetic attraction between the pieces and each of the S support surfaces is generally fairly weak to allow for ease of manouvability of each piece, but is

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4735N -4of sufficient strength to allow stability when subjected to some movement.

SGenerally, during construction the magnetic sheet material is applied to the reverse side of the pieces prior to the pieces being cut.

The unique adaptation of the invention allows for convenient utlization of a jigsaw puzzle when slight movement of the support surfaces is anticipated or indeed if the jigsaw puzzle is likely to be moved from one location to another. The holder of the invention allows for this transportable ability of the puzzle. In one particular form the holder consists of two leaves having a support surface associated with each leaf. Each leaf may be constructed of a planar plastic or stiff cardboard sheet and a metallic support surface may be glued to that sheet forming a backing. The two such leaves are hingedly connected to each other so that when the puzzle is desired to be used the holder may simply be opened like a book exposing both metallic support surfaces.

By this arrangment, one of the support surfaces may be Sused to arrange the pieces in a jumbled arrangement. The .41.25 support surface should of course be of a suitable size to allow for some degree of spacing between each of the jumbled asortment of pieces. The other support surface may be used to arrange the pieces to form the composite picture.

in l In another suitable arrangement, the holder may include a third interleavable leaf containing a representation of the composite picture. This leaf may be of the same or similar size to each of the other two leaves. In a preferred form, each of the three leaves are adjacently connected such that there are two outer leaves and an inner o leaf and foldable such that the two outer leaves may fold inward so that the puzzle may be folded to a compact unit the size of a single leaf.

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In use, the holder is open and each of the two support surfaces and the representation of the picture are exposed.

This allows for an operator to view the completed picture along with the jumbled and partly assembled jigsaw puzzle at the same time.

The hinges themselves may be of any suitable construction, for example they may comprise a line of weakness or a flexible web within a sheet of stiff cardboard. With this arrangement, the puzzle may conveniently be closed and stored and the magnetic attraction should prevent the pieces from moving so that when the puzzle is required to be used again, the pieces should not have moved. The operator may therefore use the puzzle at different locations and store the puzzle away in a convenient manner for reuse at a later date. The folding nature of the leaves, provides some cover for the pieces when not in use.

The present invention will be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood however that the following description is illustrative only and should not be taken in any way as a restriction on the generality of the invention as described above.

2 In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a puzzle according the present invention.

t Figure 2 is a side view of the puzzle of figure i.

ejao o °.30 In more detail, the drawing illustrates a jigsaw puzzle comprising a plurality of interlocking pieces (2) and a holder Figure 1 of the drawings illustrates the holder having three leaves and each of these leaves being hingedly connected at hinges and (10) and arranged in an adjacent manner such that leaves and

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4735N -6may be considered outside leaves and leaf a central I leaf. Hinges and (10) comprise a line of weakness connecting leaves and respectively.

of leaves and have attached a metallic support surface (11) and (12) respectively. The metallic !support surface may be glued to the leaf of the holder and be of a suitable size to arrange jumbled pieces. The other support surface is of a suitable size to assemble the composite picture. In the arrangment shown in figure 1, the pieces are in a jumbled array on support surface (11) and are in a partly assembled form on support surface A printed representation (13) of the composite picture is pictured on leaf This composite picttre may conveniently be referred to during arrangment of the pieces.

The puzzle may be folded into a compact form when not is use. To fold the puzzle, outside leaves and are folded inward to cover leaf such that each of the leaves lie in a face to face relationship with each other. The puzzle may then be easily transported, or stored elsewhere S without disruption to the partially completed puzzle. The leaves provide cover for the partially completed puzzle.

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j Another preferred form of the invention, merely i, Scontains leaves and A printed representation may be included separately from the puzzle or printed on the reverse side of either of leaves and In this arrangement, :0 :"30 the puzzle may simply close like a book when not in use.

4Q It should be understood that the foregoing description ~is merely illustrative of the invention and the scope should o not be limited thereto. Any modification or amendment 35 without departing from the ambit of the invention should also be considered in the scope thereof.

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Claims

2. A puzzle, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said holder is formed of at least two leaves, said support surfaces each being formed on a respective one of these leaves, said leaves being hingedly connected together and foldable between an open position, in which both of said support surfaces are exposed and a closed position wherein said both support surfaces are in an opposed relation to each other.
3. A puzzle, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said holder includes three leaves, two of said support surfaces each being formed on a respective one of these leaves, the third leaf having a representation of said composite picture printed thereon, each leaf lying in an adjacent arrangment forming two outer and one inner leaf, and hingedly connected to its respective neighbor and foldable between an open position in which each support surface and representation are exposed, and a closed position wherein each outer leaf is 3* folded inward such that each respective support surface and o representation are not exposed.
4. A puzzle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein each of said support surfaces are a planar metallic sheet and said reverse face of said pieces is of amagnetic sheet material. WDP 4735N A puzzle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the puzzle is the form of a jigsaw puzzle having interlocking pieces where in use one of said support surfaces is used to arrange the pieces randomly, and the other of said support surfaces is used to connect the pieces to form said composite picture.
6. A puzzle, as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 where in use the puzzle is readily transportable.
7. A puzzle, as claimed in claim 1, substantially as A hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the drawings. DATED: 31 July, 1990 PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK Attorneys for: B G PRODUCTIONS PTY. LTD. ti i ti r WDP 4735N I 4735N