Puzzle apparatus with audible sounds

A puzzle apparatus comprising a first plurality of puzzle pieces that form a picture when combined together that includes a representation of at least one cartoon character, a magnet associated with at least one of the puzzle pieces, a platform on which the puzzle pieces can be arranged, a detector for sensing the magnet and sound generating apparatus for producing audible sounds corresponding to the character shown on the puzzle pieces.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates in general to a puzzle apparatus that includes a number of puzzles that can each be arranged, one-at-a-time, on a platform of a housing and more specifically involves the use of sound producing means associated with the platform for producing audible sounds representative of characters shown on each of the puzzles.

2. Description of the Prior Art

A variety of different types of puzzles are known in the prior art which serve to provide an intellectually challenging test of a user's skill in being able to arrange puzzle pieces together to form a completed picture. As an improvement over such prior art devices, the present invention provides a means for producing a variety of sayings that are associated with characters shown in puzzles such as well-known cartoon characters. Thus, once the puzzle pieces of a puzzle have been properly arranged on the platform, the user can select and activate a sound producing assembly that will provide an audible saying associated with one of the characters shown on the puzzle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a puzzle apparatus having at least a first plurality of puzzle pieces that form a picture that includes a representation of at least a first audible sound producing means, detectible means associated with at least one of the puzzle pieces, a platform on which the puzzle pieces can be arranged, detection means associated with the platform for sensing the detectible means and a sound means for producing audible sounds that are related to the various sound producing representations that may be shown in the puzzle picture.

In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus includes a housing having a top surface that included the platform on which the puzzle pieces can be arranged and the sound means includes a plurality of actuators that can be engaged as desired by a user to produce a variety of audible sounds that are associated with representations of characters or other types of sound producing means that are shown on the picture produced by the puzzle pieces. Preferably, each picture formed by the puzzle pieces includes a plurality of representations of characters or other audible sound producing means and the sound means is designed to allow a user to select the playing of audible sounds that form a story or other material that is expressed in the voices of the characters depicted.

The apparatus is designed to include a variety of different puzzle pieces to form multiple pictures, each with different representations of characters on them. The puzzle pieces for each picture include detectible means that differ from picture-to-picture to differentiate one picture from the other and the housing platform includes a detection means that is able to sense the detectible means on each picture and provide an output representative of the particular picture that is arranged on the platform. The housing further includes a plurality of actuators that are each associated with one of the characters shown in the picture. Thus, when one of the actuators is engaged by a user, the apparatus will provide an audible saying of the actuator's associated character shown on the particular picture then located on the platform.

The foregoing and other advantages of the present invention will appear from the following description. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which there is shown by illustration and not of limitation a specific form in which the invention may be embodied. Such embodiment does not represent the full scope of the invention, but rather the invention may be employed in a variety of other embodiments and reference is made to the claims herein for interpreting the breadth of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following description is provided with reference to the drawings beginning first withFIG. 1in which a preferred embodiment of a puzzle apparatus of the present invention is shown generally at10and is designed to provide not only an enjoyable and challenging experience for young children, but also serves as an entertainment device for them. The apparatus10is designed to include a plurality of puzzles such as a puzzle12as shown that is formed from a plurality of puzzle pieces14a–i.

Referring now toFIGS. 1,3and4, the apparatus10includes a relatively thin rectangularly shaped housing18having a top surface20with a recessed platform portion22in which the puzzle pieces14a–iare to be arranged to form a picture24, serving as a visual representation. Except for the particular section of the picture24they each contain, the puzzle pieces14c–iare essentially the same. However, the puzzle pieces14aandbdiffer from the remainder of the puzzle pieces14c–iin that they each include preferably an embedded magnetic strip26that serves as a detectible element by detecting means of the housing18. As can be seen inFIG. 5, the apparatus10may include a second plurality of puzzle pieces15a–iarranged to form a second picture25.

The detecting means is formed of preferably, a plurality of magnetic sensors32shown inFIGS. 2 and 4that are located in the platform portion22and are included as part of an electronic circuit34, as shown inFIG. 3that is contained within the housing18. Thus, when the puzzle pieces14a–iare arranged together on the platform portion22, the magnetic sensors32detect the magnetic strips26in the puzzle pieces14aandband provide output signals in response to such detection to a printed circuit36that preferably includes a central processing unit38(not shown).

Upon sensing of the magnetic strips26in the puzzle pieces14aandbby the sensors32, the CPU38is programmed to recognize that the puzzle12is arranged on the platform portion22. Similarly, other puzzles that are used with the apparatus10will have puzzle pieces in which the magnetic strips26are contained in, but the magnetic strips in such puzzles will be located in different puzzle pieces than those of the puzzle12. In this way, the apparatus10is able to discern the particular type of puzzle that is arranged in the platform portion22. However, it should be recognized by those skilled in the art that there are other methods that could be used for differentiating between the puzzles rather than through the use of the magnetic strips26. For example, a bar code and a bar code reader could be utilized.

Referring again toFIG. 1, the picture24includes a representation of four audible sound producing means in the form of the cartoon characters, Goofy, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck. Directly beneath the platform portion22are six longitudinally aligned actuator buttons40a–fthat are preferably pressure or touch sensitive and contain a depiction of the head of a cartoon character, with the buttons40b–ehaving the heads of the cartoon characters shown in the picture24.

The electronic circuit34is preferably powered by battery power supply42as shown inFIG. 3and is designed so that when one of the actuator buttons40b–eis pressed by a user, a voice chip44(not shown) in the printed circuit36will produce electronic signals representative of a saying by the cartoon character depicted on the button pressed, which signals are provided to a speaker48that audibly reproduces such signals. Preferably, the saying that is rendered will be related to the activity of the characters that is shown in the picture24and may well consist of a story. Thus, pressing of the actuator buttons40b–eone-at-a-time produces a saying by each one of the cartoon characters shown in the picture24. Alternatively, rather than having the characters depicted on the buttons40a–fprovide a narration, the housing18includes a triangular shaped master button50that, when pushed provides a complete narration of the material that would otherwise be rendered.

Because the cartoon characters depicted on the buttons40aandfare not included in the picture24, preferably such characters will not have a saying associated with them for the picture24. However, it is envisioned that other puzzles to be used with the apparatus10will include a different selection of the cartoon characters depicted on the actuator buttons40a–f, and will show the cartoon characters involved in different activities so that the voice chip44will produce different sayings from those produced for the puzzle12. Furthermore, the use of cartoon characters is not critical to the present invention as any audible sound producing means may be depicted on the puzzle12such as animals or musical instruments, etc. Additionally, the apparatus10can be adapted to include other sets of characters and associated puzzles simply through the use of covers that can be placed on the actuator buttons40a–f. Such covers would include the depiction of the puzzle characters rather than the buttons40a–f. Also the CPU38would have to be programmed to recognize two or more different sets of puzzles with different characters or the apparatus could employ replaceable cartridges that would be used for the various puzzle sets.

Thus, the present invention provides a novel and unique means for supplying a user with the challenge of having to properly put a puzzle together and then supplies an entertaining version of a description of the activity involved on a picture contained on a puzzle. Although the puzzle apparatus of the present invention has been described with respect to a preferred embodiment, it should be understood that such embodiment may be altered without avoiding the true spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, a wide variety of electronic circuitry can be substituted for the circuitry34and the puzzles employed with the apparatus10may contain a large plurality of different types of characters, musical instruments, machines or other types of audible sound producing means.