Abstract:
The present invention is an improved puzzle game where the puzzle game is composed of a plurality of removable pieces, each removable piece having at least one solution location, the improvement being means for retaining the removable pieces in the same general area of other removable pieces or the puzzle frame. The present invention provides a method of linking puzzle pieces to a frame and to other puzzle pieces, for ease of use and for storage.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates generally to children&#39;s puzzles, and more particularly to jigsaw puzzles and puzzles enclosed in frames, including peg puzzles and knob puzzles.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART  
       [0002]     Prior to the present invention, puzzles, particularly childrens&#39; puzzles were manufactured to be used as follows; the puzzle pieces would be taken out of the box or frame and scattered. Then the pieces would be reassembled to complete the puzzle.  
         [0003]     The problems with this type of puzzle are numerous.  
         [0004]     Puzzle pieces are often lost. This creates frustration for the child and parent. The child often feels frustrated that the puzzle cannot be completed. For the younger child, there are also parent or guardian concerns that the puzzle pieces will be put in the child&#39;s mouth. For the less dexterous children, puzzle pieces are picked up and dropped before the child has the opportunity to place the pieces in the proper places.  
         [0005]     The frustrations for the parents and guardians are numerous. Clean up and searching for missing pieces can be timely, and often missing pieces of the puzzles are never found, thus rendering the puzzle unusable, requiring replacement of the entire puzzle. Often times, families spend money on the same type of puzzles numerous times, especially for younger children.  
         [0006]     Puzzles are often brought along on trips to entertain children on route. Prior to this invention, it has been difficult to use these puzzles in public places or in moving vehicles due to problems with the puzzle pieces falling out and pieces falling into hard to access places.  
       OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     From the preceding discussions, it will be understood that among the various objectives of the present are included in the following:  
         [0008]     The provision of a new and improved puzzle that will eliminate the losing of puzzle pieces;  
         [0009]     The provision of a new and improved puzzle that will minimize frustration to the user;  
         [0010]     The provision of a new and improved puzzle that will minimize frustration to the caregivers of child users;  
         [0011]     The provision of a new and improved puzzle that will minimize frustration to the less dexterous user;  
         [0012]     The provision of a new and improved puzzle that will minimize wasting of money for replacement of the puzzles due to missing pieces;  
         [0013]     The provision of a new and improved puzzle that will make transportability easier;  
         [0014]     The provision of attachment hardware between the puzzle pieces and puzzle frame so that the puzzle pieces will not be lost;  
         [0015]     The provision of multiple attachment devices so that the amount of difficulty in placing puzzle pieces in proper place can be modified;  
         [0016]     The provision of removable attachment devices so that attachment devices can be totally removed if desired;  
         [0017]     The provision of color-coded attachment devices so that frames could be color coded to match attachment devices to make completion of puzzle more or less challenging.  
         [0018]     The provision for a carrying device for keeping puzzle pieces together so they do not get lost.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]     The present invention is an improved puzzle game where the puzzle game comprises a plurality of removable pieces, each removable piece having at least one solution location, the improvement comprising means for retaining the removable pieces in the same general area of other removable pieces or a puzzle frame.  
         [0020]     The present invention provides a method of linking puzzle pieces to a frame and to other puzzle pieces. The present invention also includes a storage device for non-linked puzzle pieces.  
         [0021]     The foregoing as well as other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the appended drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0022]     Further features and advantages of the present invention will be made clear from the following description, reference being made to the embodiments shown in the annexed drawings, in which:  
         [0023]      FIGS. 1, 2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8  and  9  are perspective plan views of different embodiment of puzzle frames, showing how the puzzle pieces would appear within the puzzle frame and how the puzzle pieces would appear when out of the puzzle frame. These figures also display various means of how the puzzle pieces could be attached to the puzzle frames.  
         [0024]      FIG. 10A  is a perspective plan view of a finished frameless puzzle with most of the puzzle pieces in their respective places and other puzzle pieces appearing that have not been placed in the puzzle.  
         [0025]      FIG. 10B  is a perspective plan view of the puzzle pieces of  FIG. 10A  shown with a storage means. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0026]     FIGS.  1  THROUGH  9  are perspective plan views for how the puzzle pieces could be attached to the puzzle frames.  
         [0027]      FIG. 1  shows how the puzzle pieces  14  (shown individually as  14   a ,  14   b ,  14   c ,  14   d  and  14   e , but referenced herein collectively as  14 ) would appear within puzzle frame  11  at locations  12  (shown individually as  12   a ,  12   b ,  12   c ,  12   d  and  12   e , but referenced herein collectively as  12 ) as well as how the puzzle pieces would appear when out of the puzzle frame  11 . This figure also displays one method of attaching the puzzle pieces  14  to the puzzle frame  11 . In this example, each puzzle piece  14  would have a peg  16  attached to the puzzle piece, preferably on the top surface of the puzzle piece. The puzzle frame  11  would also have at least one peg  13  attached to it. A string or other flexible connecting means  15  would be attached at one end to peg  16  of each puzzle piece  14 , preferably at the opening  17  of peg  16 . The strings  15  from each puzzle piece  14  would then be attached to peg  13  on the puzzle frame  11 , preferably at the opening  19  of peg  13 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 2  shows a variation of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , where the puzzle frame  11  would have a plurality of pegs  13 , one for each corresponding puzzle piece  14 . A string  15  would be attached to the peg  16  of each puzzle piece  14 . The string  15  from each puzzle piece  14  would then be attached to the corresponding peg  13  on the puzzle frame  11 .  
         [0029]     Where the strings  15  can be directly attached to pegs  13  and  16 , the respective openings  19  and  17  can be omitted.  
         [0030]      FIG. 3  shows another embodiment of how the puzzle pieces  14  can be attached to the puzzle frame  11 . In this embodiment, each puzzle piece  14  would have a peg  16  attached to the puzzle piece  14 . The puzzle frame  11  would have a slide pole  18 , mounted to the puzzle frame  11  by support pegs  20 . A plurality of rings  22  would be movably located on slide pole  18 , each with a string  15  attached thereto. The other end of the strings  15  would be attached to the peg  16  of each puzzle piece  14 .  
         [0031]      FIG. 4  shows a variation of the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , where each string  15  would be attached at one end to a peg  16  on a puzzle piece  14 , and at the other end to a ring  24 . There would be a plurality of rings  24 , each attached to a peg  26  on puzzle frame  11 .  
         [0032]     To make the puzzle more challenging for play, the strings  15  may be removably attached to the puzzle pieces and/or the puzzle frame. The embodiment shown in  FIG. 4  lends itself to this arrangement, in that the rings  24  may include an opening that would allow for the removal of ring  24  from peg  26 . After play is finished, the strings  15  could be reattached for storing the puzzle  300  so the puzzle pieces  14  do not get lost. The strings  15  could also be reattached to make the puzzle  300  less challenging again. As a variation, rings  24  could also be attached to pegs  16  on puzzle pieces  14  to allow strings  15  to be removed from the puzzle during use, but reattached for storage.  
         [0033]      FIG. 5  shows the invention in the form of a jigsaw puzzle  400 . This view shows how the puzzle pieces  402  would appear in their solved state and how the puzzle pieces  402  would appear when out of the puzzle frame  401 . In this embodiment, each puzzle piece  402  would have a peg  404  attached to the puzzle piece  402 . There would be one fixed puzzle piece  408  attached to the puzzle frame  401 . This fixed piece  408  would also have a peg  410  attached thereto. Strings  406  would be attached to each peg  404  of puzzle pieces  402 . The strings  406  from each puzzle piece  402  would then be attached to the peg  410  of the fixed puzzle piece  408 . As mentioned above with regard to other embodiments, pegs  404  may have an aperture  405  and peg  410  may have an aperture  411  to aid in the attachment of strings  406 .  
         [0034]      FIG. 6  shows an alternate embodiment of the puzzle game shown in  FIG. 5 . Ring  412  is attached to the puzzle frame  401 . Each puzzle piece  402  would be attached to the ring  412  by a string  406  connecting at peg  404 . Ring  412  may be removably attached to puzzle frame  401 . The strings  406  may be removably attached to either ring  412  and/or pegs  404  for varying the difficulty of the puzzle.  
         [0035]      FIG. 7  shows yet another embodiment of the puzzle game shown in  FIG. 5 , where one or more pegs  414  are attached to the puzzle frame  401 . Strings  406  would be attached to at least one of the pegs  414  attached to the puzzle frame  401 , and also attached to at least one peg  404  on each puzzle piece  402 . The strings  406  may be removably attached to either pegs  414  or pegs  404  for varying the difficulty of the puzzle.  
         [0036]      FIG. 8  shows a further embodiment of the puzzle game shown in  FIG. 5 . The puzzle frame  401  would have multiple slide poles  422  attached thereto, possibly by supports  424 . Strings  406  would connect rings  24  on one of the slide poles  422  to pegs  404  on the puzzle pieces  402 .  
         [0037]      FIG. 9  shows another embodiment of the puzzle game shown in  FIG. 8 , showing only one slide pole  422 . As a variation, detachable rings  24  could also be attached to pegs  404  on puzzle pieces  402  to allow the strings  406  to be removed from the puzzle during use.  
         [0038]      FIGS. 10A and 10B  show an embodiment of a way to prevent puzzle pieces from being lost when not in use. This invention would be a particularly beneficial improvement to large puzzle piece floor puzzles. Each puzzle piece  902  would have a hole or aperture  426 .  FIG. 10A  is a perspective plan view for how the puzzle  900  would appear noting the hole  426  in each puzzle piece  902 . This view contains examples of how the puzzle pieces  902  would appear in a solved position and how the puzzle pieces  902  would appear in an unsolved position.  FIG. 10B  is a perspective plan view of the storage ring  428  and individual puzzle pieces  902 , with some of the puzzle pieces  902  loaded onto storage ring  428  through hole  426 . After all puzzle pieces  902  are placed on the storage ring  428 , the storage ring  428  can be closed so that puzzle pieces  902  would not fall off and the puzzle game would be ready for storage. In  FIG. 10B , storage ring  428  includes interlocking ends  430  and  432 .  
         [0039]     As noted above, the various attachment means can be constructed to be removable when desired.  
         [0040]     Attachment strings could be made of various materials including twine, string, plastic, chain, shoelaces, and other materials, and may be elastic or inelastic. The strings could also be color coded to match the background of the puzzle pieces for younger children to aid in the proper placement of puzzle pieces within the puzzle frame.  
         [0041]     From the foregoing, it will be understood that the applicant has provided a new and improved puzzle so that puzzle pieces of a puzzle game will not be lost. Since certain changes in the above-described construction will occur to those skilled in the art, without departure from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter set forth in the above description or shown in the various views of the appended drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.