EP0797470B1 - Puzzles - Google Patents

Puzzles Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0797470B1
EP0797470B1 EP95942257A EP95942257A EP0797470B1 EP 0797470 B1 EP0797470 B1 EP 0797470B1 EP 95942257 A EP95942257 A EP 95942257A EP 95942257 A EP95942257 A EP 95942257A EP 0797470 B1 EP0797470 B1 EP 0797470B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
puzzle
pieces
straight
segments
interior
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP95942257A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0797470A1 (fr
Inventor
Yves Libeskind
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of EP0797470A1 publication Critical patent/EP0797470A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0797470B1 publication Critical patent/EP0797470B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F9/00—Games not otherwise provided for
    • A63F9/06—Patience; Other games for self-amusement
    • A63F9/10—Two-dimensional jig-saw puzzles

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the field of patience games known as puzzles, term usually used to designate a set of pieces which, correctly assembled, reconstitute an image, previously fixed on a support, the whole then being cut out.
  • This image which represents any subject, is generally the reproduction of a painting, drawing, or photograph.
  • the present invention essentially relates to puzzles cut by a set of lines in two directions belonging to the puzzle plane and approximately orthogonal, and the parts of which are arranged in such a way that each part occupies a defined position at the intersection of a row and a column.
  • the cut lines have a slightly irregular character, pronounced of the style of cutting of puzzles made manually, but a perfectly regular cutting of the pieces is also possible.
  • the present invention relates to puzzles whose pieces are not simply juxtaposed, but are connected by a set of male and female elements, two to two complementary, belonging to the sides of these different pieces, and ensuring the solidarity of each part of the puzzle with the whole in the plane of the puzzle, without any other means being necessary for this purpose, the assembly and disassembly of these parts being then only possible in a direction not belonging to the puzzle plane.
  • two adjacent rooms are connected by a male element belonging to one side of one of the parts and a female element belonging to one side of the other room, these complementary elements, generally in the form rounded, ensuring the solidarity of these two parts.
  • two pieces adjacent are connected by several male elements and several female elements, two by two complementary.
  • Certain pieces of the puzzle constitute the border of the puzzle, certain sides of these pieces forming the perimeter of the puzzle. This perimeter is most often of form rectangular, only shape allowing both the faithful representation of an image itself rectangular and easy framing once the puzzle is assembled, but can also be of any other form.
  • the other pieces, called interior constitute the interior part of the puzzle.
  • such a rectangular puzzle is composed of (m x n) pieces, i.e. (2 x (m + n) - 4) exterior parts, each including a right side, with the exception of four of these parts located at the corners, each comprising two adjacent straight sides, and ((m - 2) x (n - 2)) pieces interior, with no right side.
  • US Patent No. 5,022,655 has proposed to include in the cutting of the puzzle one or more rectangles, or more generally a or several polygons, so as to add parts having a right side on either side of the borders of these rectangles, or polygons, as well as new corner pieces having two straight sides.
  • This solution effectively results in making the assembly of the puzzle significantly more difficult, the pieces constituting the border of the puzzle no longer being distinguished by their shape, these interior pieces.
  • the main objective of the present invention is to make the assembly of the puzzle actually more difficult and, therefore, more interesting, while preserving the essential characteristics of a puzzle, as defined above. To this end, it offers an innovative solution, more effective and more satisfactory than those proposed to date.
  • the puzzle cut lines include straight segments, in variable number and length, and such as the inner pieces of the puzzle each have, for all of these interior parts or, failing this, for only a part of these, however representing more than half of them, at least one right side, these straight segments being arranged in such a way that they do not form, within the perimeter of the puzzle, no closed polygonal lines, i.e. no polygons or polygonal lines connecting two separate points on the perimeter of the puzzle.
  • each of the four sides of a part can only be in contact with one side of a single other part.
  • all of the interior pieces of the puzzle have, either, for a part of them, one and only one right side, or, for the rest of these parts, two adjacent straight sides forming an angle.
  • all of the interior pieces of the puzzle each have one and only one right side.
  • certain sides of the external parts of the puzzle are straight.
  • the only pieces of the puzzle having at least one right side are interior parts.
  • the arrangement of the straight segments has a regular character, resulting from the repetition of one or more patterns.
  • all or part of the straight segments are put in value, either directly, these segments being underlined by a line which is an integral part of the image, or indirectly, these segments making it possible to delimit the contours of parts of the image of different colors.
  • a first result of the present invention is to make it really more difficult assembling a puzzle and less effective, even ineffective, the method usually followed, consisting in starting by assembling the border of the puzzle, generally simple step which allows to delimit the contours of the puzzle, and to continue the assembly by progressing inward.
  • the construction of the border of the puzzle may not take place until late, and even last, in the assembly process.
  • the invention shows that it is possible to create a puzzle comprising a large proportion, as large as desirable, of interior parts each having at least one right side in relation to the total number of parts interior. This proportion can thus represent all of these parts, the presence of parts traditional interiors without straight sides are not necessary at all.
  • Another important result of the present invention is to preserve, whatever the mode of selected achievement, the essential characteristics of a puzzle, as defined above, in particular, the solidarity of each part of the puzzle with the whole in the plane of the puzzle, the assembly and disassembly of the parts then being possible only in one direction not belonging to the puzzle plane.
  • the arrangement of the straight segments, which belong to the cutting lines of the puzzle is such that these segments do not form, at inside the perimeter of the puzzle, no closed polygonal lines, i.e. no polygons, nor no polygonal line connecting two distinct points of the perimeter of the puzzle.
  • each part of the puzzle to be united with the whole in the plane of the puzzle, at means, as has been specified, of a set of male and female elements, two by two complementary, belonging to the sides of the different parts, each part being thus connected to at least one other piece of the puzzle.
  • This is achieved without the need to use a any other means, such as, for example, double joining pieces.
  • each piece of the puzzle occupies a defined position at the intersection of a row and a column, each of its four sides cannot thus be directly in contact with only one side of only one other part, which excludes, in particular, parts double join.
  • a final result of the present invention is to propose an original cutting style allowing the creation of new and varied models, and thus contributing to the renewal of the art of the puzzle.
  • the number of straight segments, which belong to the cutting lines of the puzzle is variable, and the arrangement of these straight segments is free, provided however do not form any closed polygonal line or connecting two distinct points on the perimeter of the puzzle.
  • These segments are of variable length, those of rather small length ensuring better cohesion of the puzzle structure. They can be isolated or linked together, forming angles and so broken lines.
  • the arrangement of the different straight segments presents, in its form the more general, an irregular character. This arrangement, where any reference as to the arrangement of different pieces are missing, makes it possible to make a particularly difficult puzzle to assemble.
  • the arrangement of the different straight segments may, on the contrary, be regular, resulting from the repetition of one or more patterns.
  • the structure of the puzzle is then relatively balanced and consistent, which can be an advantage.
  • Such a provision may also be considered an additional decorative element, since the cutting lines are visible.
  • the straight segments, in whole or in part, can also be highlighted, either directly, these segments being underlined by a line which is an integral part of the image, ie indirectly, these segments making it possible to delimit the contours of parts of the image of colors different.
  • the implementation of the present invention requires no modification of the process industrial production of puzzles and does not present its own difficulty, whatever the chosen manufacturing technique. It only requires the creation of a cutting model in accordance with the characteristics of the invention and, in the case of conventional manufacture, the use a suitable cutting shape.
  • the present invention in its various embodiments, is applicable to puzzles of all types having at least the requested characteristics, whatever the dimensions of the puzzle, the number and size of its pieces, the manufacturing material used (cardboard, wood, plastic, or any suitable material) and the thickness of that material. It applies to puzzles whose perimeter is rectangular, or any other shape. It applies to puzzles comprising all different parts, or comprising parts of size and shape strictly identical. It applies to two-sided puzzles, the image can be identical or different on both sides of the puzzle, as well as puzzles made up of several layers, opaque or partly transparent, cut identically or differently. It applies puzzles that represent a completely flat or slightly raised image, and puzzles including certain hollowed-out interior parts.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Toys (AREA)
EP95942257A 1994-12-14 1995-12-13 Puzzles Expired - Lifetime EP0797470B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR9415073A FR2728177A1 (fr) 1994-12-14 1994-12-14 Puzzles
FR9415073 1994-12-14
PCT/FR1995/001659 WO1996018443A1 (fr) 1994-12-14 1995-12-13 Puzzles

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0797470A1 EP0797470A1 (fr) 1997-10-01
EP0797470B1 true EP0797470B1 (fr) 1999-08-25

Family

ID=9469810

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP95942257A Expired - Lifetime EP0797470B1 (fr) 1994-12-14 1995-12-13 Puzzles

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0797470B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
JP (1) JPH10511017A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE69511721T2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2728177A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
WO (1) WO1996018443A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20230277922A1 (en) * 2022-03-04 2023-09-07 Mark Zadvinskis No-flip jigsaw puzzle

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2953380A (en) * 1957-09-19 1960-09-20 Johann F Hassenbach Map puzzle
US5022655A (en) * 1989-08-16 1991-06-11 Meyer Karen E Jigsaw puzzle and technique
US5149570A (en) * 1990-09-21 1992-09-22 Merrie Cain Peel-off puzzle
US5230508A (en) * 1992-01-13 1993-07-27 Tabler Charles P Jigsaw puzzle

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69511721T2 (de) 2000-03-16
DE69511721D1 (en) 1999-09-30
WO1996018443A1 (fr) 1996-06-20
FR2728177A1 (fr) 1996-06-21
JPH10511017A (ja) 1998-10-27
EP0797470A1 (fr) 1997-10-01
FR2728177B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1997-03-07

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