A COMPOSING PLANE FOR TWO-SIDED PUZZLES

Abstract: A composing and supporting plane for games of patience such as puzzles, in which games the composition of the figures can be performed on both sides of the game itself.

Description: A COMPOSING PLANE FOR TWO-SIDED PUZZLES DISCLOSURE OF IKE INVENTION " This invention relates to a composing plane for two-sided p zzles. More particularly, this invention relates to a composing and supporting plane for games of patience such as for in¬ stance puzzles, in vhich the composition of the figures can be performed on both sides of the game. As is veil known, such type of game essentially consists in recreating, by means of reciprocal fitting of small pieces in one another, a complete figure. In games already novn at the present time, such figure is formed on one of the tvo sides of the sheet that makes up the game, and that is divided accordingly into small pieces, so that each one of said pieces bears, on one sice, a portion of the image that is to be reconstituted and, on the opposite side, e paper support of any color. Such type of game of patience is generally composed by employing, as a supporting plane, very different kinds of supports such as the covers of the boxes, or tables, boards or planks... according to the size of the game itself. Moreover, said game, once it is composed, must lie on ε horizontal plane to avoid becoming undone and generally it is to be stored vithin boxes or similar containers in vhich it is quite hard to look at the final composition and to appreciate its beauty. Moreover, it is veil knovn that in the field of- games of patience such as for instance puzzles, not only children but also adults love to' ut themselves to test, aiming at the cre¬ ation and composition of images of ever increasing complexity and having an ever increasing number of details and of pieces into vhich the vhole figure is subdivided. One of the main complications is represented by the pre arrangement of sheets on vhich the images to be composed ar formed on both sides of the game, so that the action of com posing the figure can be performed simultaneously on bot parts. One of the main problems met vith in such type of -compos ition is due to the need for having at disposal a suitabl support so as to control the progress of the puzzle on bot sides and so that the puzzle, once it has been composed, ca be shown for ornamental and decorative purposes indifferentl from both sides. In order to satisfy such requirement, the present inven tion suggests the realization of a composing plane fo puzzles, preferably for tvo-sided puzzles, vhich is made up o a transparent material and consists of tvo complementary shee members provided vith side vails or stops and vith checkin means, vhich members can be opened so as to allov the compo sition to be performed on one side, and then can be close again so as to obtain, throu-gh overturning, the transfer o the whole set of pieces of the inner side of one of the tv sheets to the inner side of the other sheet,- εo-"thεt the com position of the game can be continued on the opposite side. Accordingly, it is a specific object of the present in vention a composing plane for two-sided puzzles, said plan being characterized in that it comprises a first and a secon transparent material sheet, first longitudinal side-wall mean being provided on the inner side of said first and secon sheet in order to enclose and contain the small pieces of th game; second longitudinal means being provided in a directio parallel to that of said first longitudinal side-vall .means a the points corresponding to at least tvo contiguous -sides o said first and said second sheet; said first longitudina side-veil means and said second longitudinal side-wall mean making up a continuous cavity intended for engagement wit said first side-wall means provided on the inner surface o the complementary sheet; spring means being provided on. sai first εide-vall means for fastening the upper and lower sheets at a closed position; a hole being provided at the point cor¬ responding to the outer perimeter of each one of the sides of said upper and lover sheets for hanging said composing plane. According to a preferred embodiment of the composing plane of the present invention, a supporting member can be associated to said holes provided at the points corresponding to said perimeter edges. The present invention will be disclosed in the following just for illustrative and not for limitative purposes with re¬ ference to the enclosed drawings wherein: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the composing plane in the closed position; Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the composing plane in the open position; Figure 3 shows a vertical cross-sectional viev of the composing plane of Figure 1 in the closed and the open pos¬ ition in dashed line; Figure shows an enlarged vertical cross-sectionεl viev of the locking system of the upper and* lower sheets in the closed position; ' ' . • ' Figure 5 shows an enlarged vertical cross-sectionε.1 viev of the locking system of the sheets, in the open position; Figures 6 and 7 show respectively a sice perspective viev and a rear-side view of the composing plane joined to ε sup¬ porting member; and Figure 8 shows a detail on an enlarged scale of the hook¬ ing system of the supporting member with one of the tvo sheets of the plane. As can be observed in Figure 1, the composing plane 1 for two-sided puzzles is made up of a first sheet , 2. and of a second sheet 3 whose shape is substantially rectangular, both sheets having the same sizes. - Such sheets are made up of a transparent material so that the images which are gradually composed through fitting the pieces of the puzzle in one another can be observed and εp- preciated. In Figure 2, the sheets 2 and 3 are shown in the open position, so that both the inner longitudinal side-wall means 5 and the outer longitudinal side-wall means 6 can be clearly seen, all of them being arranged on the sheet 2 like the inner longitudinal side-wall means 7 and the outer longitudinal side—wall means 8 of the sheet 3. The inner side-walls provided along the edges of each one of the two sheets are so arranged as to prevent the puzzle pieces from sliding out of the support both during the compos¬ ing phase and when the game has been completed. The arrangement of the outer εide-valls has been design¬ ed, on the contrary, so that, while the side-walls 5 and 6 of the sheet 2 form at the points corresponding to two contiguous sides the cavity 9 for accommodating the outer side-walls 8 of the sheet 3, the side-walls 7 and 8 form, at the points cor¬ responding to two contiguous sides of the sheet 3 which are opposite to the preceding ones, a cavity 10 for ac-ςjDmmodating the inner side walls 5 of the sheet 2. * Thus, when the tvo sheets are overlapped on one another, the configuration shown in Figure 3 is formed, wherein the sheet 3 is shown both in the closed position and, in dashed line, in the raised position. Accordingly, as can be remarked the side-walls 5 and 6 of the sheet 2 engage with the side-wall 8 of the sheet 3, while the side-walls 7 and 8 of the sheet 3 engage with the side- wall 5 of the sheet 2. Figures a ' nd 5 show a detail of the system for fastening the two sheets 2 and 3 by means of a spring 11 which is as¬ sociated respectively to the side-walls 5 and ' 8 and is intended for being housed within the corresponding cavity provided in the inner surface of the side-walls 5 and 6. Figures 6 and 7 show on the contrary the composing plane 1 in the closed position, to which plane a support 13, sub¬ stantially triangular in shape, is associated at a point cor¬ responding to one of the holes 12 provided in each of the two sheets 2 and 3, said support having in its upper part a plate¬ like portion 14 that overlaps the sheet 2 (or 3) so that it can be joined to the same through a threaded screw 15. The present invention has been disclosed just for illus¬ tration and not for limitative purposes, according to some preferred embodiments of the same, but it is to be understood that modifications and/or changes can be introduced by those who are skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention for which a priority right is claimed.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A composing plane for two-sided puzzles, characterized in that it comprises a first and a second sheet vhich is made up of a transparent material, and also characterized in that first longitudinal side-wall means are provided on the inner surface of said first and second sheet for containing and stopping the pieces of the game; said plane being also charac¬ terized in that second longitudinal side-wall means are prov¬ ided in a direction parallel to that of said first longitudi- nal side-wall means at the point corresponding to at least two contiguous sides of said first and of said second sheet; said first longitudinal side-wall means and said second longitudi¬ nal side-wall means forming a continuous cavity intended for engagement vith said first side-wall means provided on the in¬ ner surface of the complementary sheet; spring means being provided on said first longitudinal continuous means for fastening the upper and the lower sheets in the closed pos¬ ition; at least one hole for hanging said composing plane be¬ ing provided at a point corresponding to the outer perimeter of each one of the sides of sSid upper and lower sheets. 2. A composing plane for two-sided puzzles according to claim 1, said plane being characterized in that said hole for hanging the supporting plane is provided with a thread for en¬ gagement with a supporting member. 3. A composing member for two-sided -puzzles according to claim 2, characterized in that said supporting member is sub¬ stantially triangular in shape and has a plate-like portion i its upper part. 4. A composing plane for two-sided puzzles according t the preceding claims, and substantially as disclosed an illuεstrated above.

Inventors: SILBERSTEIN BENIAMINO, SILBERSTEIN, BENIAMINO
Applicants: SILBERSTEIN BENIAMINO, SILBERSTEIN, BENIAMINO
Application year: 1989
Main classification: A63F9
IPC codes: A63F9