Jig-saw puzzle work board

A jig-saw puzzle work board forming a work surface recessed relative to a frame surrounding the work surface. The work surface is used for reconstructing a puzzle by placing the puzzle pieces together in a predetermined fashion, and a cover having a resilient facing or padding is placed over the work surface for preserving or storing away a partially reconstructed puzzle, the padding being made of resilient foam material having a surface engageable with the surface of the puzzle pieces and capturing the pieces and applying them against the work surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a jig-saw puzzle work board, and more 
particularly to a portable jig-saw puzzle work board and storing device. 
Anyone who has ever indulged in piecing together jig-saw puzzles has, at a 
time or another, experienced the frustration of discovering in the morning 
that the partially done puzzle left overnight on a table had to be 
reconstructed all over again, because the table had been upset by a pet or 
a child and all the puzzle pieces are now lying on the floor. 
Another dilemna often encountered by jig-saw enthusiasts is the continuous 
search for an adequate work surface, such as a spare table, on which to 
attempt to assemble the puzzle pieces. The spare table eventually becomes 
the most important table in the home, which forces one to move the 
partially completed puzzle to a less popular table. Another recurrent 
problem relates to storing a partially assembled puzzle, or even a 
completed puzzle, for a period of time while working on another puzzle. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
These and other problems are solved by the present invention which provides 
a portable jig-saw puzzle work board on which the puzzle pieces may be 
disposed and assembled, the work board forming a framed recessed work 
surface provided with a lid which is removably or hingedly placed over the 
recessed work surface. The lid has an elastomeric lining resiliently and 
elastically deformable such as to contour itself around the puzzle pieces 
and hold them securely in position against the work surface and which 
permits to store a finished or partially assembled puzzle without 
upsetting or disturbing the assembly of pieces.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawing, the invention is a jig-saw puzzle work 
board 10 in the form of a shallow box having a four-sided frame 12 
defining the perimeter of a recessed plane work surface 14 used for 
reconstructing a jig-saw puzzle by interlocking the jig-saw puzzle 
individual pieces 16 together, as shown at 18 where there is illustrated a 
partly assembled puzzle. A cover or lid 20 provided with an elastomeric 
lining or padding 22 is adapted to be securely fastened over the work 
board 10, such that the elastomeric padding 22, for example made of foam 
rubber or resilient foam plastic, fits within the four-sided frame 12, as 
best shown at FIG. 3, and resiliently holds the diverse interlocked puzzle 
pieces 16 in assembly firmly against the work surface 14, by elastic 
deformation of the surface of the elastomeric padding 22, as shown at 24. 
The lid 20 is securely held in position over the work board 10 by being 
provided with patches of Velcro material 26 attached, as by cementing for 
example, proximate the edge of the lid 20 beyond the area covered by the 
elastomeric padding 22, corresponding patches 28 of complementary Velcro 
material being attached to the surface of the frame 12 at appropriate 
positions so as to be each aligned with a patch 26, when the lid 20 is 
placed in position over the work board. The thickness of the elastomeric 
padding 22 is such that when the lid 20 is in position over the board 10, 
the free face of the padding 22 at least touches the work surface 14 to 
enable the padding to apply sufficient pressure on the puzzle pieces 16 to 
safely and securely hold them in interlocked assembly against the work 
surface 14. 
As an example of structure and of the materials for making the jig-saw 
puzzle work board 10 of the invention, the edge frame 12 is conveniently 
made of square or rectangular, in cross-section, wood molding 30 provided 
with a groove 32 in which is inserted and glued the edge of a rectangular 
plank or panel 34 made of plywood, masonite or other convenient material. 
Appropriate lengths of grooved molding 30 are cut with their ends at a 
45.degree. angle such as to form glued miter joints 36, FIG. 1. 
Preferably, the groove 32 is disposed substantially at the center of a 
side of the wood molding 30 such that, as best shown at FIG. 3, two work 
surfaces 14 and 14' are formed each on a side of the panel 34. A second 
cover or lid 20', also provided with an elastomeric lining or padding 22', 
is provided for holding in interlocked assembly the diverse pieces 16' of 
another puzzle, even if partially completed, while utilizing the work 
surface 14, the second lid 20' being held in position in the same manner 
as the lid 20 by means of corresponding Velcro patches 26' and 28'. 
The lids 20 and 20' may be provided, if so desired, with appropriate felt 
pads 38 attached to their exposed surface to avoid marring the surface on 
which the work board 10 is placed either for storage or while working on a 
puzzle. Without a lid attached over one of the working surfaces 14 or 14', 
the Velcro patches 28 or 28' act as protection preventing marring the 
surface on which the work board 10 is placed. 
Instead of providing completely removable lids 20 and 20', the invention 
also contemplates that the lids 20 and 20' as shown at FIGS. 4 and 5, each 
be conveniently hinged attached to the frame 12 by way of appropriate 
hinges 40, such as piano hinges or the like. The lids 20 and 20' are held 
securedly in position over the work surfaces by way of, for example, 
pivotable S-shaped hooks 42 or the like each engaging a pin 44 affixed to 
the edge of the lids 20 and 20'. 
It will be appreciated that jig-saw puzzles are available in several sizes, 
the most common sizes being 16.times.20 in. (41.times.51 cm.), 18.times.24 
in. (46.times.51 cm.) and 24.times.30 in. (61.times.76.5 cm.). 
Consequently a work surface 14 having an area slightly larger than 
24.times.30 in. permits to work on most jig-saw puzzles available on the 
market. It will be further appreciated that a work board 10 having a 
single work surface, and a corresponding cover for protecting and storing 
unfinished puzzles, can be used, without the cover, as a display frame for 
the finished puzzle by cementing the pieces to the work surface as the 
pieces are assembled to reconstruct the original picture. If it is desired 
to remove the reconstructed puzzle from the work surface, a piece of paper 
may be placed over the work surface and the puzzle removed from the 
recessed work area when finished. 
Having thus described the present invention by way of structural 
embodiments thereof, modification whereof will be apparent to those 
skilled in the art, what is claimed as new is as follows: