Patent Publication Number: US-2005127603-A1

Title: Laminated 3D jigsaw puzzle

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a 3D (three dimensional) jigsaw puzzle, and more particularly to a laminated 3D jigsaw puzzle composed of multiple pieces superposed together to form a three dimensional structure.  
      2. Description of Related Art  
      A conventional plan jigsaw puzzle is composed of multiple pieces each with multiple protrusions and cutouts. With the mutual correspondence between the protrusions and the cutouts, two adjacent pieces are connected together. Therefore, little by little, a complete picture is formed. The difficulty of the jigsaw puzzle depends on the number of the pieces involved. This kind of jigsaw puzzle does provide entertainment to the player, although the appeal is somewhat limited. In order to increase the fin of jigsaw puzzles, a three dimensional jigsaw puzzle is introduced to the market to challenge the player&#39;s patience and skill.  
      The 3D jigsaw puzzle is composed of multiple pieces and may also include a bladder. When the 3D jigsaw puzzle includes the bladder, the player is able to depend on the spherical contour of the bladder and place each of the pieces on the outer periphery of the bladder to manage to connect every two adjacent pieces. When the 3D jigsaw puzzle does not have the bladder, the player will have to depend on his/her own skill to gradually form a three dimensional pattern.  
      No matter what kind of jigsaw puzzle previously described, the pieces are interconnected to one another in a plan surface or a curved surface. That is, the space usage is confined and fixed and so the challenge to the player&#39;s patience and skill is small.  
      To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide an improved laminated 3D jigsaw puzzle to mitigate the aforementioned problems.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an improved laminated 3D jigsaw puzzle to provide unlimited space configuration such that after the 3D jigsaw puzzle is finished, different heights as different shapes are presented.  
      Another objective of the present invention is that each piece of the laminated 3D jigsaw puzzle is superposed on top of one another so that the jigsaw puzzle is based on the stacking of the pieces.  
      Still another objective of the present invention is that each piece has bosses formed on a top face of the piece and recesses defined in a bottom face of the piece and mis-aligned with the bosses such that the strength and durability of the piece is remained.  
      Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the jigsaw puzzle of the present invention configured as a castle;  
       FIG. 2  is a partially exploded perspective view of the jigsaw puzzle of the present invention;  
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged perspective view of two pieces of the jigsaw puzzle in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 4  is a schematic view showing the interrelationship among the pieces;  
       FIG. 5  is a plan view of the 3D jigsaw puzzle configured as a snowman; and  
       FIG. 6  is a partially exploded perspective view of the embodiment in  FIG. 5 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the laminated 3D jigsaw puzzle ( 1 ) in accordance with the present invention includes multiple pieces ( 11 ) each provided with multiple bosses ( 110 ) formed on a top face of the piece ( 11 ) and multiple recesses ( 111 ) defined in a bottom face of the piece ( 11 ).  
      With reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , it is noted that each piece ( 11 ) may be hollow and the bosses ( 110 ) correspond to the recesses ( 111 ) of an adjacent piece ( 11 ) such that the bosses ( 110 ) are able to be received in the recesses ( 111 ) of the adjacent piece ( 11 ). With the various dimensions of every two pieces ( 11 ), after the bosses ( 110 ) are received in the corresponding recesses ( 111 ), a three dimensional pattern, i.e. a castle, is formed. Further, in order not to reduce the rigidity of the piece ( 11 ), the bosses ( 110 ) are mis-aligned with the bosses ( 111 ) of the same piece ( 11 ).  
      With reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , a different three dimensional jigsaw puzzle ( 2 ), i.e. a snowman, is shown and has multiple pieces ( 21 ). Each piece ( 21 ) has multiple bosses ( 210 ) formed on a top face of the pieces ( 21 ) and multiple recesses ( 211 ) defined in a bottom face of the piece ( 21 ) and mis-aligned with the bosses ( 210 ). The bosses ( 210 ) correspond to the recesses ( 211 ) of an adjacent piece ( 21 ) so that the bosses ( 210 ) are able to be received in the recesses ( 211 ) of the adjacent piece ( 21 ). Due to the various dimensions of the piece ( 21 ), after the pieces ( 21 ) are formed, a three dimensional pattern is formed.  
      It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.