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[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 09/975,345 filed Oct. 10, 2001, now abandoned.
[0002] This invention relates to a jigsaw puzzle and more particularly to a jigsaw puzzle with a blank drawing surface where the purchaser may draw pictures, characters, messages and abstract images and, puzzle pieces using a polyfoam sheet as the base.
[0003] There are several different types of jigsaw puzzles on the market. One of the most popular types of jigsaw puzzles includes a large number of small irregularly cut pieces that are to be fitted together to form a picture. The whole picture is printed on individual ones of the pieces with the conventional printing technique. For the purchaser of the jigsaw puzzle, it is fun assembling the jumbled jigsaw pieces into a complete picture. Other types of the jigsaw puzzles are printed with a monotonous pattern, a single color, or a graded color to make the puzzles more difficult to put together. Those types of puzzles are produced in large quantity on the commercial basis and are not therefore individualized for the needs of particular persons. There is also the custom jigsaw puzzle using the customer's photo.
[0004] One of personalized jigsaw puzzles is suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,220 “JIGSAW MESSAGE PADS.” This prior patent shows a blank puzzle surface of plain white or other color paper, or a paper bearing unobtrusive decorative elements, for writing a message like a greeting card. However, the prior jigsaw puzzle has only a simple writing surface for writing messages, so that the purchaser may not draw a picture or a combined message and picture or a complicated picture. These prior art popular jigsaw puzzles mostly use chipboards as a base.
[0005] These chipboard-based puzzles have individual wide grooves formed at the junctions of the jigsaw pieces. These grooves are formed by the die-cut machine, because the force of the guillotine in the machine compacts every edge of every piece, causing a slope from the level at the center of the piece to the mashed level at the edge. In addition, this production process produces considerable rubbish of paper particles effected by cutting the chipboard.
[0006] Although many users of the usual puzzles may want to display the finished product of their efforts in assembling the puzzles, the appearance of these grooves between the pieces can be quite disturbing to the eye, because they interrupt the continuity of the image on the surface. They look like dark lines on the picture, and these lines are even more emphatic on lighter and brighter images. This spoils the picture.
[0007] In addition, if the user wants to draw a picture or write a message on an assembled blank puzzle surface, these grooves interfere with the action. The drawing instrument can get caught in or interrupted by the groove, ruining the stoke and so diminishing the quality of the image. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved jigsaw puzzle that addresses the above and other issues.
[0008] It is an object of the invention to provide an improved writing jigsaw puzzle using a polyfoam sheet as the base.
[0009] According to the invention, the use of the polyfoam sheet as base eliminates or minimizes the depth of the groove, solving the above problems. The polyfoam sheet has a proper degree of flexibility as material so that, when the polyfoam sheet is cut into a number of small pieces of puzzles by die-cutting, the polyfoam sheet exhibits rebound action upon completion of die-cutting process to minimize or eliminate grooves to be formed between the neighbor ones of the puzzle pieces. The whole assembly of the small puzzle pieces of the polyfoam sheet material looks like a unit with no or less grooves between the individual puzzle pieces (that is, no appearance of dark lines), making it very easy for the purchaser of the jigsaw puzzle to draw a picture, do calligraphy or make an abstract image on a puzzle surface.
[0010] Moreover, using the polyfoam sheet sharply reduces the weight, making it easy to handle and more economical to mail. It also eliminates the rubbish of chipboard crumbs produced by the conventional method of die-cutting chipboard.
[0011] When a print of an image or a blank piece of paper is mounted on a polyfoam sheet and die-cut into small pieces to make a jigsaw puzzle, the assembled puzzle will warp, because a polyfoam sheet is a resilient material. This invention provides a frame unit, fitted around the entire assembled puzzle.
[0012] This fitted polyfoam frame is adhered to a backing sheet, so it constrains the assembled polyfoam jigsaw puzzle surface to lie flat, thus keeping the overall shape of the puzzle secure, and it also eliminates the possibility that the assembled puzzle will warp.
[0013] The above and further objects and novel features of the present invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
[0014]
[0015]
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[0020]
[0021]
[0022]
[0023] Referring to
[0024] The polyfoam sheet material of the jigsaw puzzle is covered with select high-quality drawing paper, which is produced by a paper mill specifically for expressing images, such as water-color paper, cotton bristol drawing paper, charcoal papers, rice paper, canvas textured paper, or various other kinds of papers suitable for various drawing tools. The purchaser of the jigsaw puzzle may use their favorite drawing tools, such as colored pencils, crayons, pastel, felt makers, pen and ink, airbrush, watercolor and brushes, airbrush, oil and acrylic paint, and so on.
[0025] The high-quality drawing paper surface
[0026] The jigsaw puzzle of small sizes (like the size of CD plastic casings) according to the present invention can be given as a gift, used as a novelty or promotional piece for an individual or a company, or other possible applications. It can be used by anyone who has an idea or image to be communicated, or just for the fun of it. In addition, because of its small size and relatively fewer pieces, it can be appropriate for children, as educational material as well as to encourage their artistic sense while they have fun making and exchanging picture jigsaw puzzles that they created.
[0027] On the other hand, the jigsaw puzzle of large sizes with larger numbers of puzzle pieces can be used by professional artists or amateurs. These could be for fun or for more serious expressions of their images. This benefit could serve as a new art medium for them.
[0028] Returning to
[0029] This clear plastic casing
[0030] The jigsaw puzzle of the present invention is presented as a whole, with the assembled puzzle pieces exactly fitted into a matching polyfoam frame
[0031] On completion of the drawing, the puzzle pieces
[0032] Thus, all operations in regard to the jigsaw puzzle of the present invention can be performed without removing the puzzle pieces
[0033] The manufacture of the jigsaw puzzle according to the present invention is as follows: Special fine art drawing paper or other mediums are applied to the surface of the polyfoam sheet. The polyfoam frame
[0034] The assembled puzzle pieces
[0035]
[0036]
[0037] The following is an explanation of how to make the puzzle pieces
[0038] Referring
[0039] Referring
[0040] Referring
[0041] Referring
[0042] Through the use of the polyfoam sheet cut into the puzzle pieces, this invention amazingly reduces the depth of the grooves, thanks to its rebound property, which improves the appearance of the images on the surface of the puzzle, since the lines formed by deep grooves interrupt the images. Eliminating these grooves also makes it much easier to write, draw or paint images on the surface of the assembled blank jigsaw puzzle. A further advantage is the elimination of the rubbish of paper particles generated in ordinary chipboard puzzle production. Moreover, this method reduces the weight of the puzzle.
[0043] Although several embodiments have been described, they are merely exemplary of the present invention and not to be construed as limiting, the present invention being defined solely by the appended claims.