Abstract:
A lighted display frame for a jigsaw puzzle includes a light transmissive top and a switch activating slide actuator which results in a light emitting element illuminating the puzzle, the slide actuator being actuated by engagement of the puzzle therewith.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/828,308 filed on Oct. 5, 2006, the contents of said provisional application are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention related to a jigsaw puzzle display frame on which a jigsaw type puzzle can be assembled. In particular, the invention relates to a frame that, on completion of the assembly of the puzzle pieces on a top surface of the frame unit, illuminates the assembled puzzle to enhance the appearance and artistic character of the intended scene depiction. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   The various and many types of jigsaw puzzles have been long known. It is also known to assemble the puzzle pieces on a support such as a plate or board, and then enclose the puzzle and plate within a frame coupled with covering the puzzle with a protective plexiglass sheet. See, for example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0282139 by Hughes published on Dec. 22, 2005. The present inventor, though, has no present knowledge of a display frame unit being employed to provide a top on which the puzzle is assembled and illuminated when assembly has been completed. 
   OBJECTS AND BRIEF SUMMARY 
   An object of the preferred embodiment to provide a display frame on which a jigsaw puzzle can be assembled, following assembly, the completed puzzle being illuminated to highlight the appearance of the puzzle scene. 
   Another object of the preferred embodiment is to provide a display frame which is particularly suited for assembling and illuminating jigsaw puzzles which comprise translucent material puzzle pieces. 
   Another object of the preferred embodiment is to provide a display frame which can be used with translucent material puzzles and vivid color sharpened puzzles that are of particular appeal to young people. 
   Another object of the preferred embodiment is to provide a display frame which rewards children and other people who successfully solve or properly assemble a jigsaw puzzle by illuminating the puzzle as a mark of accomplishment and satisfaction to the person. 
   In one aspect, the preferred embodiment provides a display frame for assembling and mounting a jigsaw puzzle, which includes a frame housing having spaced top and bottom frame margin pieces and spaced left and right end margin pieces extending between opposite ends of said top and bottom margin pieces. These margin pieces define a continuous frame that encircles a light transmissive, preferably, translucent material assembly plate that is recessed below a top face surface of the continuous frame. This recessing arrangement facilitates utilization of the assembly plate as a surface on which a user manipulates and effects joinder together of mating pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. During user assembly of the puzzle pieces, edges of perimeter located puzzle pieces of an assembled puzzle closely abuttingly engage inner side faces of the continuous frame. A slide actuator member is carried at a location on the encircling frame such that an end edge of a puzzle piece on the assembly plate and which puzzle piece juxtaposes with said slide actuator functions to urge the slide actuator counter to a bias acting thereon and moves it from an non operating position to an operating position; One or more light emitting members are carried in the frame housing these being disposed behind the assembly plate. A source of electric power, i.e., a battery is provided for operating light emitting members. An on-off switch in circuit with the battery and light emitting members also is provided. A normally open cut-out switch is provided for interrupting a power flow from the battery to light emitting members. The slide actuator is connected with the cut-out switch such as to move the cut-out switch from open to closed condition. This occurs responsive to movement of said slide actuator from non-operating to operating position caused by engagement of a puzzle piece with the slide actuator and attendant sliding of the actuator in a slot in the encircling frame. This sliding of the actuator is effected counter to a spring bias acting on the slide member tending to maintain the cut-out switch open. When the cut-out switches closes, power can flow to any light emitting device illuminating same and the light generated therewith transmits through the assembly plate to illuminate a puzzle mounted on the assembly plate. 
   The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the preferred embodiment of the invention will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate the same elements. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a top left side perspective view of an illuminated puzzle, the puzzle pieces being assembled together one with others and mounted in a display frame according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a top front perspective of the assembled puzzle shown removed intact from the frame so as to show the top of the frame as well as the top, bottom and opposite side frame margin pieces in the preferred embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a top front perspective view of the frame unit of the preferred embodiment as it appears prior to the start of assembling puzzle pieces; 
       FIG. 4  is a fragmentary perspective view of the left side top corner intersection of the frame left side and top side margin pieces in the preferred embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 5  is a fragmentary top left side perspective view of the frame unit and mounted puzzle showing location of a slide operated on-off switch mounted at the left side frame margin structure and used to connect a power supply battery to electric circuitry housed within the frame unit in the preferred embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a top view of a partly assembled segment of puzzle pieces as well as other non connected ones of said pieces in the preferred embodiment of the invention; and 
       FIG. 7  is an illustration of one possible embodiment of wiring arrangement which can be employed for illuminating the assembly plate member to highlight the scene of the puzzle that has been assembled thereon. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , display frame unit  10  includes a frame housing  12  comprised of an encircling upper frame that includes spaced apart top margin piece  14  and bottom margin piece  16 , these being connected at opposites ends with left margin piece  18  and right margin piece  20 . A top comprised of a light transmissive material, such as assembly plate  24  shown in  FIG. 4 , sets a slight distance below a top surface of the encircling frame, this to accommodate insertion of puzzle pieces  26  in the recess or well defined by the upper surface of assembly plate  24  and the in inner side wall surfaces of the encircling marginal pieces  14 ,  16 ,  18  and  20 . The bottom (not shown) is separated and spaced from assembly plate  24  so that a recess is formed therebetween. 
   The upper frame made up of the margin pieces also has outer downwardly depending wall parts  30  so that the encircling upper frame sets on and around a housing lower body part seen best in  FIG. 5  as at  32 , the lower body carrying an optional on-off switch  34  the purpose of which will be described later. The lower body part  32  surrounds the recess between the assembly plate  24  and bottom and other switches, one or more light emitting elements and a battery power source are housed in the recess. Instead of the battery power used in the illustrated preferred embodiment, AC power may be used and the power circuitry is located in the recess. The housing upper frame and lower body part are made of any one of a number of moldable opaque plastic materials suitable for the purpose herein involved. 
     FIG. 1  shows an assembled or “solved” jigsaw puzzle  25  received in the above described recess, the puzzle being a scene depicting several comic book characters— FIG. 3  shows housing  12  without a puzzle set on the assembly plate  24 . Preferably, the puzzle pieces  26  ( FIG. 6 ) are made of a light transmissive material such as a thermoplastic.  FIG. 2  depicts an assembled puzzle  25  that has been removed from the frame a short distance so as to enable a viewer to appreciate how close fitting the margins of the puzzle are within the well or recess so that the marginal edges of the puzzle engage with the inner side wall surfaces of the marginal pieces. 
   Referring to  FIG. 4 , the upper frame carries a slide actuator  40 , slidable in a slot  42  in top margin piece  14 , and located desirably at the intersection or joinder location of top margin piece  14  with left side margin piece  18 . The slot  42  may alternatively be a recess or a well. It may also be located at any of the other three intersections, or even in the side of one of the margin pieces. 
   The slide actuator  40  is operatively connected with a normally open cut-out switch  44  housed within lower body part  32  serving the purpose as will be described later and with reference to  FIG. 7 . It is to be noted here that the slide actuator  40  overhangs the corner of assembly plate  24  such that it will be engaged by the assembled puzzle marginal left upper corner edge. In the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, the puzzle piece has to be pushed into slide actuator  40  horizontally. Alternatively, slide actuator  40  may have a sloped top edge such that it moves even when the puzzle piece is pressed straight downward. Preferably, the person actually has to push the puzzle piece into place horizontally to Such engagement moves the actuator  40  in slot  42  from an actuator non operating condition to an operating condition. 
   The slide actuator  40  is moved by the puzzle piece in slot  42  in a horizontal direction away from the center of the frame. The slide actuator  40  is biased so that it pushes back on the puzzle piece. If the puzzle is not fully assembled, the biasing force will push the puzzle piece toward the center of assembly plate  24  and the puzzle will not be illuminated. The puzzle must be completed so that the biasing force of slide actuator  40  merely pushes the assembled puzzled pieces against the inside walls of opposing margin pieces  16  and  20 . If the biasing force is strong enough, slide actuator  40  may push the assembled puzzle pieces tightly enough against the inside walls of opposing margin pieces  16  and  20  that it tends to hold the jigsaw puzzle pieces on the top even when the frame with the assembled puzzle is jostled or moved. Alternatively, slide actuator may move in both horizontal and vertical directions (away and up) such that it tends to push downward on the puzzle piece as well as inwardly thus clamping the puzzle pieces in place. 
   Referring to  FIG. 7 , circuitry including the depicted switch circuit is employed in the recess between assembly plate  24  and the bottom of the frame to enable illuminating an assembled puzzle  25  upon completion of assembly and solving of the puzzle. With the puzzle on the assembly plate  24 , and with the slide actuator  40  having been moved from a first position to a second position corresponding to an operating condition by the action of the puzzle piece described above, the circuit may operate so that light is emitted. The light emission may be dependent on the on-off switch  34  be turned on to allow connection to the battery power or AC power. 
     FIG. 7  depicts use of optional pressure switches  52  in the circuitry with the light emitters  54  which are disposed in lower body part  32  behind the assembly plate  24 . With these pressure switches in the circuit loop, it is necessary for the user to press the puzzle face at locations where the open pressure switches are embodied in order for power to be provided to the light emitting elements. This pressure will close the circuit to allow power flow to the light emitters  54 . The pressure switches need not be used and if eliminated from the circuit  60 , the light emitters  54  would light when the slide actuator  40  is moved to the second position corresponding to the operating condition. Furthermore, the pressure switches may be timed so that they only provide power to the light emitting elements for a period of time after they are pressed. These pressure switches may be employed in place of, or in addition to, the on-off switch  32 . 
   Having described at least one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various changes, modifications, and adaptations may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.