Patent Publication Number: US-6655685-B2

Title: Three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to, a jigsaw puzzle, more particularly to a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Conventional jigsaw puzzles are generally two-dimensional and are not attractive to consumers. Although there are available two-dimensional jigsaw puzzles with a three-dimensional visual effect, they are still not very interesting. 
     There are also available building blocks that can be interlocked to form a desirable shape or figure, such as the building blocks available under the trademark Lego®. As such building blocks are generally rectangular or square blocks, when they are used to form an object, such as a vase, the object will have an irregular surface with many angles, and is thus not visually appealing. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle that is attractive to consumers and that has an enhanced three-dimensional effect. 
     Accordingly, a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle of this invention includes: 
     a three-dimensional core body having a vertical axis, the core body including a plurality of stackable block units formed by cutting the core body along a plurality of transverse cutting planes that are transverse to the vertical axis, each of the stackable block units having top and bottom surfaces which are opposite to each other in a vertical direction that is parallel to the vertical axis, each of the stackable block units including at least two block members formed by cutting each of the stackable block units along at least one vertical cutting plane that is parallel to and that passes through the vertical axis; and 
     a plurality of interlocking members that are disposed to interlock removably an adjacent pair of the stackable block units. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: 
     FIG. 1 is an assembled perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle according to the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a partly exploded perspective view of the first preferred embodiment; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the first preferred embodiment taken along line  3 — 3  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is an assembled perspective view of the second preferred embodiment of a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle according to the invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a partly exploded perspective view of the second preferred embodiment; 
     FIG. 6 is an assembled perspective view of the third preferred embodiment of a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle according to the invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a partly exploded perspective view of the third preferred embodiment; 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the third preferred embodiment in a modified form; 
     FIG. 9 is an assembled perspective view of the fourth preferred embodiment of the three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle according to the invention; 
     FIG. 10 is a partly exploded perspective view of the fifth preferred embodiment of the three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle according to the invention; 
     FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the fifth preferred embodiment in an assembled state; 
     FIG. 12 is an assembled perspective view of the sixth preferred embodiment of the three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle according to the invention; 
     FIG. 13 is a schematic top view of a stackable block unit of the sixth preferred embodiment; and 
     FIG. 14 is a schematic top view of a stackable block unit of the sixth preferred embodiment in a modified form. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Before the invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that like.elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 to  3 , the first preferred embodiment of a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle according to the invention is shown to include a three-dimensional core body  10  and a plurality of interlocking members. The core body  10  has a vertical axis  13 , and a uniform cross-section along the vertical axis  13 . The core body  10  includes a plurality of stackable block units  20  formed by cutting the core body  10  along a plurality of transverse cutting planes that are transverse to the vertical axis  13 . Each of the stackable block units  20  has top and bottom surfaces  211 ,  212  which are opposite to each other in a vertical direction that is parallel to the vertical axis  13 , and includes two equal block members  21  formed by cutting each of the stackable block units  20  along a vertical cutting plane that is parallel to and that passes through the vertical axis  13 . The vertical cutting plane that cuts an upper one of the stackable block units  20  is staggered relative to and forms an angle with the vertical cutting plane that cuts a lower one of the stackable block units  20  which is adjacent to the upper one of the stackable block units  20 . 
     The interlocking members are disposed to interlock removably an adjacent pair of the stackable block units  20 , and are arranged around the vertical axis  13 . In this embodiment, the interlocking members include four first holes  213  formed in the top surfaces  211  of the block members  21  of the stackable block units  20 , and four second holes  214  formed in the bottom surfaces  212  of the block members  21  of the stackable block units  2 . It is noted that the first holes  213  are not formed in the topmost one of the stackable block units  20 , and that the second holes  214  are likewise not formed in the bottommost one of the stackable block units  20 . The interlocking members further include a plurality of pins  215  that removably engage the first holes  213  formed in the top surface  211  of a lower one of the stackable block unit  20  and the second holes  214  formed in the bottom surface  212  of an upper one of the stackable block unit  20  which is adjacent to the lower one of the stackable block units  20 . In this embodiment, the interlocking members on the same one of the top and bottom surfaces  211 ,  212  of each of the stackable block units  20  are equidistant from the vertical axis  13 , i.e., the interlocking members on the top or bottom surface  211 ,  212  of each of the stackable block units  20  lie on the circumference of an imaginary circle centered on the vertical axis  13 . 
     In play, the pins  215  are used to connect the block members  21  of an upper one of the stackable block units  20  to the block members  21  of a lower one of the stackable block units  20  such that the vertical cutting plane of the upper one of the stackable block units  20  is at a right angle relative to that of the lower one of the stackable block units  20 . In other words, each of the block members  21  of the upper one of the stackable block units  20  straddles over the block members  21  of the lower one of the stackable block units  20  at the same time. The stackable block units  20  are interlocked in this manner to form the core body  10 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the second preferred embodiment of a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle according to the invention is shown to include a three-dimensional core body  30  having a vertical axis  33 . The core body  30  includes a plurality of stackable block units  40  that are interlocked via a plurality of interlocking members. This embodiment is substantially similar to the previous embodiment. The major difference therebetween resides in that each of the stackable block units  40  includes four equal block members  41  formed by cutting each of the stackable block units  40  along two vertical cutting planes that are at right angles relative to each other. The vertical cutting planes of an upper one of the stackable block units  40  are staggered relative to those of a lower one of the stackable block units  40 . The interlocking members include a plurality of first holes  411  formed in bottom surfaces  414  of the stackable block units  40 , and a plurality of pins  413  formed integrally on top surfaces  415  of the stackable block units  40  to engage the first holes  411 , respectively. It is noted that the pins  413  are not formed on the top surface  415  of the topmost one of the stackable block units  40 . 
     In play, the block members  41  of the stackable block units  40  are interconnected to form the core body  40  in a manner substantially the same as that described in the previous embodiment. That is, each of the block members  41  of an upper one of the stackable block units  40  straddles over two of the block members  41  of a lower one of the stackable block units  40  at the same time so that the vertical cutting planes of an adjacent pair of the stackable block units  40  are staggered. 
     Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the third preferred embodiment of a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle according to the invention is shown to comprise a core body  50  and a plurality of interlocking members. The core body  50  has a vertical axis  53  and includes a plurality of stackable block units  60 . Each of the stackable block units  60  includes four equal block members  61  formed by cutting each of the stackable block units  60  along two vertical cutting planes that are at right angles relative to each other. The vertical cutting planes of an upper one of the stackable block units  60  are staggered relative to the vertical cutting planes of a lower one of the stackable block units  60 . The interlocking members include a plurality of first holes  612  formed in bottom surfaces  611  of the stackable block units  60 , and a plurality of pins  615  formed integrally on top surfaces  614  of the stackable block units  60  to engage the first holes  612 . It is noted that the pins  615  are not provided on the top surface  614  of the topmost one of the stackable block units  60 . 
     This embodiment is substantially similar to the previous embodiments, but is different therefrom mainly in that the core body  50  has a shape resembling a bowling pin, which has a non-uniform cross-section along the vertical axis  53 . 
     Furthermore, this embodiment can be modified to have a patterned outer surface  54 , such as that shown in FIG.  8 . 
     Referring to FIG. 9, the fourth preferred embodiment of a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle according to the invention is shown to comprise a core body  70  which has a vertical axis  73  and which includes a plurality of stackable block units  80 . The major difference between this embodiment and the previous embodiments resides in that the core body  70  has an appearance in the form of a cartoon character. 
     Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, the fifth preferred embodiment of a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle according to the invention is shown to include a core body  90  and a plurality of interlocking members. The core body  90  has a vertical axis  93  and includes a plurality of stackable block units  100 . Each of the stackable block units  100  includes four equal block members  101 . The interlocking members include a plurality of first holes  102  formed in bottom surfaces  105  of each of the stackable block units  100 , and a plurality of pins  103  formed integrally on top surfaces  106  of each of the stackable block units  100 . This embodiment differs from the previous embodiments mainly in that the first holes  102  in the bottom surface  105  of one of the stackable block units  100  are spaced apart from the vertical axis  93  by a first radial distance. The pins  103  on the top surface  106  of the same one of the stackable block units  100  are spaced apart from the vertical axis  93  by a second radial distance different from the first radial distance. It is noted that, in this arrangement, the first holes  102  in the bottom surface  105  of an upper one of the stackable block units  100  and the pins  103  on the top surface  106  of a lower one of the stackable block units  100  are spaced apart equidistantly from the vertical axis  93  so as to permit interlocking of an adjacent pair of the stackable block units  100  in the manner as described hereinbefore. 
     Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, the sixth preferred embodiment of a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle according to the invention is shown to comprise a core body  110  having a vertical axis  111  and including a plurality of stackable block units  120 . Each of the stackable block units  120  includes a plurality of block members  121 . The stackable block units  120  are interconnected via interlocking members which include holes  123  formed in bottom surfaces of the stackable block units  120  and pins  122  formed integrally on top surfaces of the stackable block units  120 . This embodiment differs from the previous embodiments mainly in that the core body  110  has a non-uniform cross-section along the vertical axis  111 , and has a top end, a bottom end opposite to the top end along the vertical axis  111 , and a blind bore  126  that extends from the top end toward the bottom end along the vertical axis  111  and that has a square cross-section. The interlocking members are disposed around the blind bore  126 . This embodiment can be adapted for use as a vase, a pen holder, or the like. 
     Referring to FIG. 14, the blind bore  126  can also be configured to have a circular cross-section. 
     By virtue of the aforesaid construction, a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle of this invention, when assembled to form a figure or sculpture, has a symmetrical appearance and smooth contour lines that enhance the three-dimensional or realistic aspect of the figure or sculpture. 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.