Puzzle with lenticular images

Abstract

A puzzle comprises a plurality of puzzle pieces adapted to be assembled in a predetermined pattern on a puzzle tray to form a complete image. Each puzzle piece has a lenticular display providing first and second separately viewable lenticular images dependent upon a viewer's line of sight. The first lenticular image of each of the puzzle pieces forms a portion of the complete image. The second image of each of the puzzle pieces matches corresponding indicia provided on the puzzle tray. The puzzle tray and the puzzle pieces can be magnetic and the tray provided with a hanger or an easel to support the assembled puzzle in a display position.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation in part (CIP) of United States patent application Ser. No. 11/088,246 filed Mar. 24, 2005, and which claims priority on U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 60/555,679 and 60/590,926 filed on Mar. 24, 2004 and Jul. 26, 2004 respectively.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to educational games and, more particularly, to puzzles.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Over the years various educational puzzles have been developed for allowing young children to assimilate various concepts while playing.

Jigsaw puzzles for young children generally comprise a puzzle tray and a number of puzzle pieces adapted to be assembled on the puzzle tray in a predetermined pattern to form a complete image. Each puzzle piece typically carries a single image portion which appears the same irrespective from which angle the piece is viewed.

Lenticular image products are well known for visually displaying various optical images. By viewing the lenticular image product from different angles, different images can be perceived by the viewer.

It would be desirable to provide a new puzzle wherein such a lenticular display is provided on each puzzle piece for allowing the children to match a second image associated with the piece with corresponding indicia on the puzzle tray, thereby allowing the children to assimilate a predetermined concept while making the puzzle.

It would also be desirable to provide a new puzzle kit whereby the assembled puzzle pieces could be displayed on a variety of wall surfaces or supported in an upstanding displayed position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a new puzzle having a multi-function aspect.

It is also an aim of the present invention to provide a new puzzle having enhanced entertainment and educational aspects.

It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a new puzzle packaging arrangement.

Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided an educational lenticular puzzle comprising a puzzle substrate, a plurality of puzzle pieces adapted to be assembled in a predetermined pattern on said puzzle substrate to form a complete image, each of said puzzle pieces having a lenticular display providing first and second separately viewable lenticular images dependent upon a viewer's line of sight, wherein said first lenticular image of each of said puzzle pieces forms a portion of said complete image, and wherein said second image of each of said puzzle pieces matches a corresponding indicia provided on said puzzle substrate.

In accordance with another general aspect of the present invention, there is provided a puzzle comprising a number of puzzle pieces, each of said puzzle pieces bearing an image portion, wherein an assembled image is formed when the puzzle pieces are assembled in a puzzle-solving arrangement, and a puzzle substrate on which said puzzle pieces are placed in said puzzle-solving arrangement, wherein a lenticular image is provided on each of said puzzle pieces so that when a particular puzzle piece is viewed from a given angle, the viewer perceives an indicia corresponding to a location where said particular puzzle piece is to be placed on said puzzle substrate.

In accordance with a further general aspect of the present invention, there is provided a puzzle comprising a puzzle board and a plurality of puzzle pieces which when assembled in a predetermined pattern on said puzzle board forms an assembled image, and wherein each of said puzzle pieces has a lenticular image matching a corresponding symbol on said puzzle board.

In accordance with a still further general aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of making a lenticular puzzle comprising the steps of: providing a number of puzzle pieces, each puzzle piece having a lenticular display providing first and second lenticular images, said first lenticular image forming a portion of a complete image, providing a puzzle map having indicia thereon, and matching said second lenticular images of said puzzle pieces with corresponding indicia on said puzzle map.

In accordance with a still further general aspect of the present invention, there is provided a puzzle comprising a number of puzzle pieces adapted to be assembled in a puzzle-solving arrangement to form an image, and a puzzle substrate on which said puzzle pieces are placed in said puzzle-solving arrangement, said puzzle substrate being provided with an easel for holding the puzzle pieces at an angle to a support surface on which the puzzle substrate stands.

In accordance with a still further general aspect of the present invention, there is provided a puzzle packaging comprising a number of puzzle pieces pre-assembled and retained on an outer surface of a movie holding case such as to form a cover thereof, the puzzle forming an image representative of a movie contained in the movie holding case.

In accordance with a further general aspect of the present invention, there is provided a puzzle kit comprising a number of magnetic puzzle pieces adapted to be assembled in a puzzle-solving arrangement to form an image, and a magnetic puzzle board on which said magnetic puzzle pieces are adapted to be magnetically held in said puzzle-solving arrangement, said magnetic puzzle board being provided with at least one of a support for holding the puzzle pieces at an angle to a support surface on which the puzzle board stands and a hanger for hanging the board on wall surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Having thus generally described the nature of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, showing by way of illustration a preferred embodiment thereof, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an educational lenticular puzzle comprising a number of puzzle pieces assembled in a puzzle tray in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the puzzle tray,

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a puzzle map adapted to be fitted within the frame of the puzzle tray to provide a puzzle pieces location aid;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a puzzle packaging member carrying a puzzle map in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a back perspective view of a tray support for supporting the puzzle pieces at an angle on a support surface;

FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of a puzzle forming the cover or jacket of a DVD case;

FIG. 7 is a front view of a magnetic puzzle board hanging on a wall in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a back view of magnetic puzzle board with butterfly die cut for hanging;

FIG. 9 is a front view of the magnetic puzzle board on a desk, the board being shown in a partly upstanding folded position; and

FIG. 10 is a closed up view on the butterfly die cuts on the back of the magnetic puzzle board.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates an educational lenticular puzzle 10 comprising a plurality of puzzle pieces 12a, 12b, 12c . . . adapted to be assembled in a puzzle-solving arrangement on a puzzle tray 14. Unlike conventional jigsaw puzzle pieces, which bear a single printed image portion, each puzzle piece 12 is provided with a lenticular display providing first and second separately viewable lenticular images 16 and 18 dependent upon a viewer's line of sight. The lenticular display is of conventional construction and generally comprises an overlying lenticular lens that decodes an underlying lenticular image, as well known in the art. The first lenticular image 16 of each puzzle piece 12 forms a portion of a complete assembled image (a lion in the illustrated example). The second lenticular image 18 of each puzzle piece 12 is provided in the form indicia, which indicates the specific position of the puzzle piece 12 on the puzzle tray 14. The indicia could, for instance, take the form of a number (as in the illustrated example), a letter, a color, a geometrical shape or a planet. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list. One skilled in the art will understand that the indicia can relate to various other educational concepts.

As shown in FIG. 2, the puzzle tray 14 has a backing 20 defining a puzzle receiving area 22 circumscribed by a frame 24. The frame 24 is preferable in that it prevents the puzzle pieces 12a, 12b, and 12c . . . from sliding off the puzzle receiving area 22. However, the puzzle tray 14 could be frameless. The puzzle receiving area 22 is divided in a number of puzzle piece regions 26a, 26b, and 26c . . . . in the form of outlines 28 of respective puzzle pieces. The puzzle piece outlines 28 can be printed directly on the top surface of the backing 20 of the puzzle tray 14 or otherwise defined thereon, such as by embossing. Each puzzle piece region 26 has indicia 30 matching the second lenticular image 18 of a corresponding puzzle piece 12. In this way, one has simply to tilt a particular puzzle piece 12 to view the second lenticular image 18 on the puzzle piece 12 and then find the corresponding indicia or indication on the puzzle tray 14, as shown in FIG. 1. This allows young children to develop their associativity sense while making the puzzle. It also provides them with an assistance to locate where the puzzle pieces 12 are to be placed on the puzzle tray 14. Furthermore, when the puzzle is completed, the children can look at the puzzle from different angles to see the assembled image (i.e. the lion) or the completion of the educational concept of the puzzle (i.e. the numbers 1, 2, 3 . . . ). The second lenticular image 18 is preferably more than just a locating aid but also a teaching aid. In the illustrated example, each puzzle piece 12 carries a number, by placing the pieces 12a, 12b, 12c . . . at the proper locations on the tray 14, the numbers will appear in ascending order from right to left. The puzzle can thus be used to teach children how to count.

As shown in FIG. 3, the puzzle piece regions 26a, 26b, 26c . . . and the associated location indicia 30 could be printed on a separate puzzle map 32 adapted to be removably received within the frame 24. In this case, the top surface of the backing 20 could be provided in the form of a free-marking surface having no puzzle piece region and localization indicia. This would provide the puzzler with the choice of making the puzzle with a puzzle piece location aid or not. In this way, the level of difficulty can be changed according to the ability of the puzzler.

As shown in FIG. 4, the puzzle map 32 can conveniently be provided as a detachable part of the puzzle packaging. The puzzle 10 could be sold with the puzzle pieces 12a, 12b, 12c . . . assembled in the puzzle tray 14 and with the latter covered by a paperboard or a fiberboard-like packaging member 34 having a pair of opposed folding flaps 36a and 36b adapted to extend on the opposite face of the tray 14. As shown in FIG. 4, a score line 38 can be defined in the packaging member 34 to facilitate detachment of the puzzle map 32 from the packaging member 34 once the puzzle packaging has been opened.

Once the puzzle map 32 has been removed from the packaging member 34, it can be placed in the tray 14 for allowing the puzzler to match the second lenticular image 18 of each piece 12 with the corresponding indicia on the puzzle map 32.

As shown in FIG. 5, the fiberboard like packaging member 34 could be provided on a back side thereof with an easel 40 provided in the form of an integral tab 42 pivotable out of the back side of the packaging member 34. A locking tab 44 is also pivotable out of the back side of member 34 to maintain the tab 42 in its deployed position. Tabs 42 and 44 are pivotable about perpendicular axes. The locking tab 44 is engageable in a semi-circular recess defined in the proximal edge of tab 42. The puzzle pieces 12a, 12b, 12c . . . can be assembled directly on the front facing side 46 of member 34 and then displayed at an angle on a support surface by virtue of easel 40. In this case no additional puzzle tray is required, it is the packaging member 34 itself which as a frameless tray. The member 34 is typically not provided with any peripheral rim for retaining the puzzle pieces on the front face thereof. However, the matching indicia are still provided on its front face.

As shown in FIG. 6, the packaging member could also be provided in the form of a DVD (digital video disk) case 34′. The puzzle 12 would form the cover or jacket of the DVD movie housed in the case 34′ or otherwise be representative of the content of the disk housed in the case. This would be a value added product for children's movies. It is understood that the same concept could be applied to CD cases and video cases for cassette tapes.

The DVD case is of conventional construction and generally comprises a lid 50 and a base 52 pivotally connected thereto by a live hinge 54. A standard disk mounting structure 56 is provided on an inner surface of the base 52 and comprises a central hub 58 for receiving the disk hole and on which the disk can be mounted by pushing the disk onto the hub 58. The puzzle pieces 12a, 12b, 12c . . . are pre-assembled onto the flat outer surface of the lid 50 and are suitably attached thereto, such as with the shrink wrap commonly used to envelope disk cases. The puzzle can be shrink wrapped or slide into the plastic wrapping that the traditional cover is placed into. The person skilled in the art will understand that the manner by which the puzzle pieces are releasably retained in an assembled configuration on the case is immaterial to the present invention.

Also, the puzzle pieces 12a, 12b and 12c could be made of a magnetic material to magnetically adhere to the case 34′. The puzzle pieces could be removed from the case and then applied onto a magnetic surface, such as the electrical appliance found in kitchens.

FIGS. 7 to 10 show a puzzle kit 100 including a magnetic puzzle board 114 that holds magnetic puzzle pieces 112 and turns into a picture that you can hang. This advantageously allows a puzzler to expose his/her puzzle on a wall after it has been completed. The magnetic puzzle board 114 is adapted to magnetically retain the puzzle pieces 112. The puzzle board 114 can be installed at a wide variety of location on a wall is thus not limited to mounting on a magnetic surface, such as a kitchen electrical appliance.

As shown in FIG. 9, the puzzle board 114 folds in half along a central fold line 116. This provides for compact packaging. Furthermore, by partly folding the board as shown in FIG. 9, it provides the required support to hold the board in a vertical displayed position on a horizontal surface, such as a desk or a table. Another type of support, such as an easel, can be integrated to the back of the board to hold the board 114 in an upstanding position. The term easel is herein intended to include any type of foldable supporting legs and the like.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, a pair of vertically spaced-apart locking members 118 is provided at the back of the board 114 for releasably locking the board against folding once the puzzle pieces 112 have been assembled together on a front surface of the board 114. The number of locking members 118 can vary depending on the dimensions of the board 114. The locking members 118 hold the board 114 in an unfolded position. Each locking member 118 is slidably received in a cutout 120 defined in the back of the board 114. The locking members 118 are slidable in respective cutouts 120 between a locking position (see FIGS. 8 and 10) wherein the locking members extend transversally through the fold line 116 and on each side thereof and an unlocking position (not shown) wherein the locking members 118 are spaced from the fold line 116, the entire extent of the locking members 118 being located on a side of the fold line 116.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, a butterfly die cut 122 is defined in each locking member 118 for hanging the board 114. The butterfly die cut 122 are only accessible when the locking members 118 are slid to their locking position.

It is understood that other type of hangers could be used to hang the board 114 on a wall. Furthermore, the hanger does not have to be incorporated to the locking members 118.

Claims

1. An educational lenticular puzzle comprising a puzzle substrate, a plurality of puzzle pieces adapted to be assembled in a predetermined pattern on said puzzle substrate to form a complete image, each of said puzzle pieces having a lenticular display providing first and second separately viewable lenticular images dependent upon a viewer's line of sight, wherein said first lenticular image of each of said puzzle pieces forms a portion of said complete image, and wherein said second image of each of said puzzle pieces matches a corresponding indicia provided on said puzzle substrate.

2. An educational lenticular puzzle as defined in claim 1, wherein said corresponding indicia indicates where the puzzle piece having the matching second lenticular image is to be placed on the puzzle substrate.

3. An educational lenticular puzzle as defined in claim 1, wherein said puzzle substrate has a top surface defining a plurality of puzzle piece regions in the form of outlines of respective puzzle pieces, each of said indicia being provided in a corresponding one of said puzzle piece regions.

4. An educational lenticular puzzle as defined in claim 3, wherein said top surface is circumscribed by a frame for holding the puzzle pieces in said predetermined pattern.

5. An educational lenticular puzzle as defined in claim 2, wherein said corresponding indicia are provided on a sheet-like member adapted to be removably installed on said puzzle substrate.

6. A packaging for an educational lenticular puzzle as defined in claim 2, wherein said packaging has a removable paperboard-like section adapted to be fitted on said puzzle substrate, and wherein said indicia are provided on said removable paperboard-like section.

7. A puzzle comprising a number of puzzle pieces, each of said puzzle pieces bearing an image portion, wherein an assembled image is formed when the puzzle pieces are assembled in a puzzle-solving arrangement, and a puzzle substrate on which said puzzle pieces are placed in said puzzle-solving arrangement, wherein a lenticular image is provided on each of said puzzle pieces so that when a particular puzzle piece is viewed from a given angle, the viewer perceives an indicia corresponding to a location where said particular puzzle piece is to be placed on said puzzle substrate.

8. A puzzle as defined in claim 7, wherein said puzzle substrate includes a puzzle tray having a frame circumscribing a puzzle receiving area, said puzzle receiving area comprising a puzzle map provided with a plurality of puzzle piece region indicia corresponding to the lenticular images of respective puzzle pieces.

9. A puzzle as defined in claim 8, wherein said puzzle map defines a plurality of puzzle piece regions in the form of outlines of respective puzzle pieces, each said puzzle piece region indicia being provided in a corresponding one of said puzzle piece regions.

10. A puzzle as defined in claim 8, wherein said puzzle map is removably received in said recess of said puzzle tray.

11. A puzzle as defined in claim 10, wherein said puzzle map is printed on a removable section of a packaging member in which said puzzle is shipped.

12. A puzzle as defined in claim 11, wherein said packaging includes a paperboard like member having a score line defining the outline of said puzzle map.

13. A puzzle comprising a puzzle board and a plurality of puzzle pieces which when assembled in a predetermined pattern on said puzzle board forms an assembled image, and wherein each of said puzzle pieces has a lenticular image matching a corresponding symbol on said puzzle board.

14. A puzzle as defined in claim 13, wherein said lenticular images and said corresponding symbols on said puzzle board provide indications as to where the puzzle pieces are to be placed on the puzzle board to form said assembled image.

15. A method of making a lenticular puzzle comprising the steps of: providing a number of puzzle pieces, each puzzle piece having a lenticular display providing first and second lenticular images, said first lenticular image forming a portion of a complete image, providing a puzzle substrate having indicia thereon, and matching said second lenticular images of said puzzle pieces with corresponding indicia on said puzzle substrate.

16. A puzzle comprising a number of puzzle pieces adapted to be assembled in a puzzle-solving arrangement to form an image, and a puzzle substrate on which said puzzle pieces are placed in said puzzle-solving arrangement, said puzzle substrate being provided with an easel for holding the puzzle pieces at an angle to a support surface on which the puzzle substrate stands.

17. A puzzle packaging comprising a number of puzzle pieces pre-assembled and retained on an outer surface of a movie holding case such as to form a cover thereof, the puzzle forming an image representative of a movie contained in the movie holding case.

18. A puzzle packaging as defined in claim 17, wherein said puzzle pieces are shrink wrapped onto said outer surface of said movie holding case.

19. A puzzle kit comprising a number of magnetic puzzle pieces adapted to be assembled in a puzzle-solving arrangement to form an image, and a magnetic puzzle board on which said magnetic puzzle pieces are adapted to be magnetically held in said puzzle-solving arrangement, said magnetic puzzle board being provided with at least one of a support for holding the puzzle pieces at an angle to a support surface on which the puzzle board stands and a hanger for hanging the board on wall surface.

20. A puzzle kit as defined in claim 19, wherein the magnetic puzzle board is foldable.

21. A puzzle kit as defined in claim 20, wherein a lock is provided to releasably maintain the magnetic puzzle board in an unfolded state.

22. A puzzle kit as defined in claim 21, wherein said magnetic puzzle board is foldable along a fold line, and wherein said lock comprises at least one slidable locking member, the slidable locking member being mounted at the back of the magnetic puzzle board and slidable relative thereto between an unlocking position wherein said locking member is spaced from said fold line and a locking position wherein said locking member extends across said fold line.

23. A puzzle kit as defined in claim 22, wherein said hanger is incorporated into said at least one slidable locking member.

24. A puzzle kit as defined in claim 23, wherein said hanger is provided as a butterfly die cut defined in said slidable locking member.

25. A puzzle kit as defined in claim 25, wherein said butterfly die cut is accessible only when said at least one locking member is in said locking position thereof.