Patent Publication Number: US-6039318-A

Title: Resettable puzzle

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Ser. No. 08/787,306 filed Jan. 24, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,213. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to amusement devices, and more specifically relates to a puzzle construction, the elements of which are manipulable by the user who endeavors to solve the puzzle. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     Puzzles of various types have served as a source of amusement (and education) for mankind for at least as long as the existence of historical records. One type of puzzle which dates back to antiquity, is based upon the manipulation of a plurality of interacting pieces in order to attain a previously identified result or configuration. In one well-known type of such puzzle the user seeks to arrange or rearrange displaceable pieces to achieve a desired configuration. Common jig saw puzzles are based on this principle; i.e. in such instance the user seeks to intermesh a large number of pieces to yield a pattern such as a picture or design. 
     The present invention relates to a subclass of these types of puzzles, wherein indicia bearing pieces such as blocks, are moved about within a bounding frame, with the objective of transforming an initial arrangement of the blocks to a desired final configuration by sliding the blocks in the plane bounded by the frame. The blocks are slidable upon and cover the surface within the frame, except for a void space into which one or more of the blocks can be moved or parked. As the pieces are moved the void effectively migrates within the frame, enabling new pieces adjacent the void to be moved into same. This process can be continued indefinitely until the desired configuration of the pieces--i.e. that necessary to solve the puzzle--is achieved. 
     The specific puzzle of the above type to which the invention is applicable, is illustrated in British patent No. 381,813. In this puzzle nine rectangular blocks are provided which are slideable on the flat plane or platform defined within the surrounding rectangular frame. Two of the blocks are squares having an area 1/20th that of the platform surface, six of the blocks are rectangles having an area 1/10th that of the platform, and one block is a square having an area 1/5th that of the platform. The void space is a rectangle having an area 1/10th that of the platform. The objective of the puzzle is to interchange a specified initial position of the large square (1/5th)block with the positions of two of the 1/10th rectangular blocks. 
     While the device shown in British 381,813 is an attractive and fascinating puzzle, its construction is such as to render it comparatively impractical and difficult to use. The blocks in such construction are simply emplaced upon the platform which is surrounded by the frame. The blocks are not constrained against being lifted from or inadvertently dislodged from the plane of the platform. Particularly in that a puzzle of this type is often used during travel, the arrangement suffers from the same problems as exist with a chess or other game board having unconstrained pieces. While such an arrangement is quite suitable for use on a sturdy table, it is quite impractical for carrying about, for operating while traveling in a plane, automobile or the like--which locales are precisely the sort of places where the amusement value of such a puzzle would be most appreciated. 
     While it may be noted that other types of puzzles are well known which consist of blocks having alphanumeric indicia thereupon, which blocks are positioned within a frame and intermeshed with the frame and with one another by projecting tabs, such a construction does not lend itself to the puzzle of British 381,813 for a reason that arises from the nature of the latter type of puzzle. Specifically in such a type of device it is necessary in order to solve the puzzle to proceed through a very large number of sequentially correct steps. Experience shows that the solution is so difficult that most individuals will not succeed in their early attempts, whereby sooner or later the user gives up, and desires to start over. Therein lies the difficulty. In order to restore the original or starting configuration where intermeshed or interlocked blocks are present, one has to reverse the complex and lengthy series of steps which gave rise to the impasse. But this is extremely difficult to achieve. In short the interlocked or intermeshed type of puzzle does not normally lend itself to being simply reset to its starting configuration. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Now in accordance with the present invention a puzzle construction is provided which while having all of the appealing and diverting aspects of the device known in the prior art as discussed above, incorporates features that enable such puzzle to be readily carried and operated by a user during travel or the like; and which unlike prior art devices is so constructed that it may be accurately and simply reset if the user wishes to do so. 
     Pursuant to the present invention therefore an improvement is provided which is applicable to a puzzle of the type including a rectangular base piece, a raised rectangular frame surrounding the sides of said base piece and defining therewith a recessed platform; and a plurality of rectangular flattened pieces which are positionable on said platform within said frame, and of dimensions and number when so positioned in mutual lateral contact as to provide a single rectangular void space among the pieces. In this type of puzzle, the said flattened pieces are slidable on the plane of the platform subject to lateral restraint by one another, the object of the puzzle being to proceed from a designated starting configuration of the flattened pieces, and interchange the respective initial positions of designated of the flattened pieces by successive sliding movements of pieces into and out of the said void space. 
     In accordance with the present invention, the flattened pieces are slidingly interengaged with adjacent such pieces, and the frame and pieces adjacent thereto are slidingly interengaged, whereby the said pieces may be interslid in the plane of the platform on which they are disposed in an effort to solve said puzzle, while maintaining integrity of the entire puzzle and precluding removal or dislodgement of the pieces from the said plane. The frame and base piece are interlocked by means which are manually actuatable by the user of the puzzle to enable separation and subsequent reassembly of the base piece and frame; whereby the user upon concluding that the movements of the flattened pieces to a then arrived at configuration will not enable solution of the puzzle, may disengage the base and frame, restore the flattened pieces to their starting configuration, and then reassemble the frame and base piece, thereby enabling restarting of his or her efforts to solve the puzzle. 
     Preferably each of the flattened pieces has recessed tracks on two adjoining lateral edges and a projecting fin-like tab extending along the remaining two lateral edges. The frame defines with the base piece a further recessed track extending about two sides of the platform; a fin-like rail extends from each of two remaining sides of the frame. The tabs of the flattened pieces are engaged in the frame track where they border same; and the rails provided at the remaining sides of the frame are engaged in the recessed tracks of the flattened pieces where such pieces border the side of the frame provided with the rails. 
     The puzzle preferably further includes user readable indicia defining the initial arrangement of the pieces of the puzzle, to enable the user to configure the pieces to the starting configuration for the puzzle. Each of the blocks may thus be provided with user readable indicia; and the platform may be is provided with user readable indicia and optionally shape patterns matching the indicia and shapes of the flattened pieces. The indicia and optional patterns on the platform define the initial arrangement of the pieces of the puzzle to enable the user to configure the pieces to the starting configuration for the puzzle. 
     The puzzle may have nine of the rectangular flattened pieces, two of which are squares each having an area 1/20th that of the platform, six of which are rectangles having an area 1/10th that of the platform, and one of which is a square having an area 1/5th that of the platform; and the void space can be a rectangle having an area 1/10th that of the platform. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A fuller understanding of the present invention may now be gained from a reading of the following description, and by simultaneous review of the appended drawings. The drawings should not be construed as limiting the present invention, but are intended to be exemplary only. 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a first embodiment of a puzzle construction in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a rear plan view of the frame portion of the puzzle of FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the frame, base piece and flattened pieces forming part of the present construction, and showing the flattened pieces engaged with the lateral rail members of the frame. 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded assembly view of the lateral members, showing how several flattened pieces are engageable therewith. 
     FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the base piece of FIG. 3. 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the base piece of FIG. 5, taken along the line 6-6&#39; therein. 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the frame of FIG. 2, taken along the line 7-7&#39; therein. 
     FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a representative slideable flattened piece used in the puzzle. 
     FIG. 9 is a left end view of the piece shown in FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 10 is a right end view of the piece shown in FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the frame portion of a second embodiment of a puzzle construction in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 are respectively left end, right end and front elevational views of the frame depicted in FIG. 11; 
     FIG. 15 is a plan view of the removable end portion of the frame utilized in the second embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 16 is a top plan view of the piece of FIG. 15; 
     FIG. 17 is a bottom view of the piece of FIG. 15; 
     FIGS. 18 and 18A are respectively right and left end views of the piece depicted in FIG. 17; 
     FIG. 19 is a plan view of the base piece of the FIG. 2 embodiment; and 
     FIGS. 20 and 21 are respectively front and side elevational views of the base piece of FIG. 19. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a top plan view of a puzzle 10 in accordance with the present invention. This Figure can be considered simultaneously with several of the remaining Figures, particularly the exploded partial assembly view of FIG. 3. Puzzle 10 includes a frame 12 in which a back piece 14 is receivable. The rear side of back piece 14 is provided with a plurality of feet 16--seen in FIGS. 5 and 6--which assist in stabilizing the puzzle when placed on a table or the like. The inside surface of base piece 14 is provided with indicia 18 which take the form of numerals which correspond to the numerals present on the plurality of flattened pieces 20 which are positioned upon the platform 22 defined when piece 14 is received within the frame 12. Optionally further shape patterns such as shown in dotted lines at 24 and 26 can also be formed upon the interior of piece 14, which patterns show the shape of the specific flattened piece 20 which is to be overplaced upon platform 22 when the puzzle is assembled or reset by the user. Pieces 20 are nine in number, and have fractional areas with respect to platform 22 as discussed for the prior art device of British Patent 381,813. 
     As seen in FIGS. 8, 9, and 10, each of the flattened pieces such as that representatively shown at 28, is provided with a groove or track 30 extending along two lateral edges (e.g. the right and lower edges as shown), and with fin-like tabs 39 which extend along the remaining two edges (e.g. the left and upper edges as shown). When the assembly of FIG. 3 is brought together, lateral members 32 and 34 sit atop shoulders 36 and 38 of base piece 14. The rails 40 on members 32 and 34 thus extend along two adjacent inwardly facing sides of frame 12 are received in the tracks 30 of pieces 20 which are adjacent members 32 and 34. This relationship can be best seen in the exploded view of FIG. 4. In turn each of the pieces 20 is slidingly interengaged with its neighbor or with the adjacent portion of frame 12. Correspondingly recessed tracks are formed under edges 35 and 37 of frame 12, which tracks receive the tabs 39 of adjacent pieces 20. 
     As may be seen in FIG. 7 internal projections 42 extend inwardly from frame 12. Six such projections are provided about the frame. Frame 12 and the other components of puzzle 10 are molded of a tough but somewhat flexible plastic such as polypropylene or the like. Accordingly when the assembly of FIG. 3 is brought together, the base piece 14 may be pressed against the frame until it snaps in place lodged atop the projections 42. A most important aspect of the invention, however, is that the resulting assembly can be readily disassembled by a user of the puzzle. By slightly twisting the lateral edges of the frame 14, base piece 12 can be dropped off projections 42 to enable such disassembly. In use the objective of the puzzle 10 is to interchange the position of piece &#34;1&#34; (quotations are used here to identify indicia--as opposed to reference numerals) with that of the pieces &#34;4&#34; and &#34;5&#34;. That is one seeks by sliding the nine pieces 20 among themselves (utilizing the void 44), to end up with piece &#34;1&#34;, i.e. the largest such piece (having an area of 1/5th that of the platform 22), repositioned at the space initially occupied by pieces &#34;4&#34; and &#34;5&#34;. The pieces &#34;4&#34; and &#34;5&#34;, each of which have an area 1/10th that of platform 22, are in turn to be moved to the space initially occupied by piece &#34;1&#34;. (It is acceptable for pieces &#34;4&#34; and &#34;5&#34; to be in either of the two possible arrangements in their new space.) In the event, which in practice is all too likely, that the user finds after a series of movements of the pieces 20 that he or she is stymied, rather than being required to attempt reversing the said steps to achieve the starting configuration, the puzzle can simple be dissembled in the manner discussed, and by use of the indicia provided at the platform 22, the puzzle can be reset and then reassembled for reinitiation of the puzzle solving steps. 
     In FIGS. 11 through 20, a second embodiment of the invention is shown wherein the puzzle 50 depicted is operated and generally arranged in accordance with the concepts described in connection with the first embodiment of the puzzle. However, in the puzzle 50 the construction has been modified to further facilitate the resetting feature of the puzzle pursuant to which the movable pieces may be readily rearranged in the instance in which the user becomes stymied and is required to achieve the starting configuration anew. Disassembly and resetting in puzzle 50 is facilitated and simplified by utilizing a removable lateral end panel which otherwise forms part of the frame 52. 
     In puzzle 50 a frame 52 is thus provided which is of generally one piece construction except that one end of the frame, i.e. the lateral end piece 54 seen in FIGS. 15 through 18A is secured to the remainder of the frame in a readily removable fashion by means of the projecting ears 56 and 58. These projecting ears 56 and 58 are received in openings 60 and 62 at the two side members 64 and 66 of the remainder of the frame 52. The frame 52 as seen in FIG. 11 has a series of projections 68 extending inwardly from its interior edges which enable the separate base piece 70 shown in FIG. 19 to be simply inserted from the end of the frame with lateral end piece 54 removed, by being slid inwardly from that end and being then retained within the frame 52 perimeter by the aforementioned projections 68. During initial assembly of the puzzle, the plurality of slidable pieces such as pieces 20 in the first embodiment are positioned in appropriate relationship atop the base piece 70. The slidable pieces 20 and base piece 70 is either slid into the frame from one side as described, i.e. with the lateral end piece 54 removed; or the base piece 70 can be slid in initially with the pieces 20 then following. The end piece 54 is then emplaced and retained to provide the completely assembled puzzle. In the event the user becomes stymied as aforementioned, the user need only remove the end piece 54 and is then provided with the option of either slidingly removing all the slidable pieces 20 from the open end of the frame while retaining the base piece 70 and frame 52 in assembled relationship and thereupon individually or group-wise sliding the pieces back in the open ended frame from the open side and reassembling the end member; or alternatively the entire base piece 70 may be slidingly removed from the frame reversing the initial assembly of same, with the slidable pieces 20 then being arranged atop the base piece 70 which is then reemplaced by sliding it in the frame and the frame closed as aforementioned. Thus the embodiment of FIG. 2, while operating basically the same as that of the device of FIG. 1, is of further simplified construction and is particularly adapted to enable easy, rapid and effective resetting of the puzzle by the user. The arrangement makes possible the removal of minimum number of pieces from the total assembled puzzle and diminishes the possibility of pieces being lost or improperly replaced or the like. 
     While the present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated in view of the foregoing disclosure, that numerous variations upon the invention are now enabled to those skilled in the art, which variations yet reside within the scope of the present teaching. Accordingly, the invention is to be broadly construed, and limited only by the scope and spirit of the claims now appended hereto.