Three dimensional puzzle

Abstract

A three dimensional puzzle (10) is disclosed. Puzzle (10) has having a plurality of three dimensional first components (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24) for engagement to form a three-dimensional finished shape (10), each of the three-dimensional first components (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24) being shaped for interlocking engagement with at least one other of the three-dimensional first components (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24). At least one of the three-dimensional first components (20, 22, 24) is made in two parts (20a, 20b, 22a, 22b, 24a, 24b) adapted to be joined together by engagement different from the interlocking engagement. Also disclosed is a three dimensional puzzle (10) in which the three-dimensional finished shape (10) has an outer surface containing a three-dimensional pattern (52), which can enhance optional overmolding.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional puzzle, comprising: a plurality of three-dimensional first components for engagement to form a three-dimensional finished shape, each of the three-dimensional first components comprising: an underside with a first surface shape and an external side with a second surface shape different from that of the first surface shape, the underside being shaped for interlocking engagement with an underside of at least one other of the three-dimensional first components, wherein: at least a first one of the three-dimensional first components includes an engaging clip that releasably engages a corresponding slot on a second one of the three-dimensional first components; remaining ones of the other three-dimensional components are configured to be joined together by a sliding engagment with one another; none of the undersides is an outer surface of the puzzle when in an assembled state; at least one of the three-dimensional first components includes two parts that are joined together; and wherein the interlocking engagement includes a tongue and groove arrangement.

2. The puzzle of claim 1, wherein the interlocking engagement includes a tongue and groove arrangement, at least part of which has a taper to restrict manner of the interlocking engagement.

3. The puzzle of claim 1, wherein the two parts are permanently joined.

4. The puzzle of claim 1, wherein the two parts are reversibly joined.

5. The puzzle of claim 4, wherein the two parts when joined create a compartment.

6. The puzzle of claim 1, wherein each first component has a wall of substantially constant thickness.

7. The puzzle of claim 6, wherein all walls of each first component are of substantially constant thickness.

8. The puzzle of claim 6, wherein all walls of each first component are of substantially the same constant thickness as the walls of the other first components.

9. The puzzle of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the three-dimensional finished shape contains a three-dimensional pattern.

10. The puzzle of claim 9, wherein the three-dimensional pattern is substantially constant over the outer surface.

11. The puzzle of claim 9, wherein the three-dimensional pattern includes a plurality of fins or support structures.

12. The puzzle of claim 9, which includes an overmoulding on the outer surface.

13. The puzzle of claim 1, which includes a surround which has a plurality of second components, each of the second components being shaped for engagement with at least one other of the second components.

14. The puzzle of claim 13, wherein each second component has a shape which is planar.

15. The puzzle of claim 13, wherein each second component has a shape which is curved.

16. The puzzle of claim 13, wherein each second component has an underside with a first surface shape and an external side with a second surface shape, the first surface shape being different from the second surface shape.

17. The puzzle of claim 16, wherein the first surface shapes of the underside of the second components together complement the second surface shapes of the external side of the first components.

18. The puzzle of claim 13, wherein the engagement of the second components is by interlocking.

19. A three-dimensional puzzle, comprising: a plurality of three-dimensional components engagable to form said three-dimensional puzzle defining a finished assembly shape having an outer surface with an irregular-surface; each of said three-dimensional components, further comprising: an outer surface portion and an inner surface portion; each said outer surface portion forms a part of said outer surface exposed in said finished assembly shape and has a part of said irregular-surface; each said inner surface portion forms a continuous smooth-surface profile that does not include said irregular-surface and is not on said outer surface in said finished assembly; each said inner surface portion further comprising: at least one of a projecting male sliding geometry portion; and a receiving female sliding geometry portion on said smooth-surface profile; at least two of said plurality of three-dimensional components assembled in combination; at least two of said projecting male sliding geometry portions on respective said three dimensional components forming a combined male sliding portion; at least two of said receiving female sliding geometry portions on respective said three dimensional components forming a combined female sliding geometry portion; said combined male sliding portion in a sliding engagement with said combined female sliding geometry portion; an engaging male clip portion on said ourter surface of at least one of said plurality of said three dimensional components; said engaging male clip portion extending cantilevered from said one of said three-dimensional component; a receiving female clip concavity portion on said inner surface of another of said plurality of said three dimensional components; and in said finished assembly shape said engaging male clip portion in a non-sliding spring-clip engagement with said receiving female clip concavity portion which is not one of said sliding engagements in said three-dimensional puzzle.

20. The three-dimensional puzzle of claim 19, wherein: the combined male sliding portion forms a tongue; and the combined female sliding geometry portion forms a groove.

21. The three-dimensional puzzle of claim 19, wherein: the at least two of said plurality of three-dimensional components are assembled in combination along a common combination-plane; said first portion has a first lateral surface along said common combination-plane; said second portion has a second lateral surface along said common combination-plane; the first lateral surface has at least one receptacle, the second lateral surface has at least one projection; the at least one projection being received within the at least one receptacle and thereby securing the first portion to the second portion with the first lateral surface and the second lateral surface along said common combination-plane.

22. The three-dimensional puzzle of claim 20, wherein: the at least two of said plurality of three-dimensional components assembled in said combination with said finished assembly shape each respectively define one of a complementary pair of respective concave portions; and wherein said pair of respective concave portions define an inner compartment within said outer surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention in its various aspects will now be described in connection with non-limiting embodiments described in connection with the drawings. It will be appreciated that the drawings are not all shown on the same scale.

(2) In the drawings:

(3) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the three-dimensional puzzle in its finished shape, being in the shape of a sphere, with a three-dimensional surface pattern;

(4) FIG. 2 shows the embodiment of FIG. 1, rotated to the right and showing removal of one first component;

(5) FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the puzzle of FIGS. 1 and 2;

(6) FIG. 4 is a plan view of the removed first component in FIG. 2, seen from below;

(7) FIG. 5 is a plan view taken in the direction of arrow 5 in FIG. 2, illustrating an embodiment of engagement of tapering first components and also showing a first component made in two parts;

(8) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the two-part first component seen in FIG. 5, with the parts separated;

(9) FIG. 7 is a sectional view of one of the first components seen in FIG. 3, illustrating a second two-part component;

(10) FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the second two-part component of FIG. 7 from below;

(11) FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the first and second two part components of FIGS. 6 and 8 joined to a third two-part component;

(12) FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment of a first component having a constant wall thickness and detailing a ribbed array of fins being an embodiment of part of a three-dimensional pattern on the outer surface;

(13) FIG. 11 shows an embodiment of overmoulding on the first component removed in FIG. 2;

(14) FIG. 12 shows an exploded view of the embodiment in FIG. 11;

(15) FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an assembled three dimensional puzzle with overmoulding textured to resemble a soccer ball;

(16) FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a surround about an assembled three-dimensional puzzle, the surround being in the form of a cube;

(17) FIG. 15 shows the embodiment of FIG. 14, with one second component removed, revealing the three-dimensional puzzle inside;

(18) FIG. 16 is an exploded view of the embodiment in FIGS. 14 and 15; and

(19) FIG. 17 is a partly exploded view of a second embodiment of a surround about an assembled three-dimensional puzzle, the surround being in the form of a sphere.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(20) Referring first to FIGS. 1 to 3, in this embodiment three dimensional puzzle 10 has seven first components 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 for engagement to form the three-dimensional finished shape shown in FIG. 1. Each of first components 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 is shaped for interlocking engagement with at least one other of the first components 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24, by sliding engagement of the tongue and groove type, as can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. Each of the first components is formed by injection moulding.

(21) A detail of such tongue and groove engagement is seen in FIGS. 2 and 4. First component 20 as seen in FIG. 2 includes grooves 26 and 28. FIG. 4 shows on the underside of first component 12 edges 29a, 29b, 29c and 29d, forming a tongue, with sides 29a and 29c being inclined towards side 29b. Grooves 26 and 28 have a similar incline. Thus component 12 will fit properly into component 20 only if entry is as shown in FIG. 2, moving component 12 from right to left. Insertion in the opposite direction will not succeed, because of the tapered fit between components 12 and 20.

(22) FIG. 4 shows recessed channels 30 and 32, which are formed during injection moulding to create the undercut nature of the interlocking tongue and groove.

(23) As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, a similar sliding engagement is used to engage first component 24 to first component 22, first component 20 to engaged first components 22 and 24, first component 18 to engaged first components 22 and 24, first component 16 to engaged first components 20 and 22, first component 14 to engaged first components 20 and 24 and first component 12 to engaged first components 16, 20 and 14.

(24) Also shown in FIG. 4 is engaging clip 34, which is a protrusion on the underside of first component 12, on flexible finger 35, to engage notch or slot 36 in first component 20 (refer FIG. 2). Engaging clip 34 is an option to help hold puzzle 10 in the assembled form, but is not essential to hold all the first components together.

(25) As an alternative to engaging clip 34 and slot 36, a small return wall (not shown) may be formed at much the same location on component 12 as engaging clip 34. The return wall may assist to hold puzzle 10 in the assembled form.

(26) In this embodiment, three of the first components, namely 20, 22 and 24 (see FIG. 3) are each made in two parts and then joined together, as explained further in connection with FIGS. 5 and 6, below.

(27) In FIG. 5, first component 20 has two parts, 20a and 20b joined at interface 38. While various methods of joining parts 20a and 20b may be employed, including permanent joining by adhesion, fasteners, ultrasonic welding or heat sealing, for example, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, pegs 40 fit through a friction fit into tubes 42 to form hollow cavity 44. Parts 20a and 20b may be pulled apart to overcome the frictional engagement of pegs 40 with tubes 42, to access hollow cavity 44.

(28) First component 22 is also made of two parts 22a and 22b, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, which are partial sectional views, omitting some of component 22 for simplicity of illustration. In this embodiment, there are dual methods of engagement: dovetailing of part 22a with part 22b at 46 and friction fit using pegs at 48.

(29) Turning now to FIG. 9, this shows in partial section (with omissions for clarity) parts 20b, 22b and 24b of two-part components 20, 22 and 24 having tubes 42, only some of which are labelled. These tubes 42 are used to capture the friction fit pegs or pins 40 of parts 20a, 22 and 24a (not shown).

(30) FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment of a first component having a wall 50 of constant thickness, to assist in injection moulding. As may be seen in FIG. 9, several or all the walls of the first components may be of constant thickness and further each of the first components may have a wall with the same thickness as that of a wall of the other first components.

(31) Puzzle 10 is shown in each of FIGS. 1 to 3, 5, 6, 9 and 10 as having a three-dimensional surface pattern, in this embodiment taking the form of a plurality of arrays of fins 52.

(32) FIG. 11 shows first component 12 after it has been overmoulded with an elastomeric resin 54. Component 12 is made of ABS or other injection mouldable polymers, while the overmould resin 54 is made of a suitable over-mouldable material such as silicon or rubber.

(33) Resin 54 gives the surface of component 12 a soft feel, which is enhancing and which also assists manipulation during puzzle assembly. The compatibility between the material of component 12 and the resin 54 enables a good bond.

(34) FIG. 12 shows an exploded view of the embodiment in FIG. 11, but it is to be appreciated that this is for illustration purposes only: once the overmoulding has taken place, resin 54 cannot be disassembled from component 12 without damaging one or the other.

(35) It can be seen from FIG. 12 that resin 54 has formed grooves 56 on its underside, complementing the array of fins 52, to further enhance bonding.

(36) The other first components contributing to the outer surface of puzzle 10 may be overmoulded in the same way as component 12.

(37) The soccer design in FIG. 13 is an example of a textured appearance which can be achieved using overmoulding. The puzzle may be disassembled and assembled as usual.

(38) A first embodiment of the surround of the fourth aspect of the invention is shown in FIGS. 14 to 16.

(39) Three-dimensional puzzle 10 is surrounded by a cube 60 composed of a plurality of second components, some of which are labelled as 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72 and 74

(40) Each of second components 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72 and 74 is shaped for engagement with at least one other of the second components. In this embodiment, the engagement occurs by sliding a tongue into a complementary groove, for example as shown by tongue 76 on second component 62 and groove 78 in second component 64.

(41) The underside of each second component is shaped so as to fit snugly around puzzle 10, having appropriate curves. Optionally, the underside of each second component may have a surface complementing the fin arrays on the outer surface of puzzle 10.

(42) The second embodiment of the surround of the fourth aspect of the invention is shown in FIG. 17. Sphere 80 is composed of a plurality of second components, some of which are labelled as 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 94. 96, 98, 100, 102, 104 and 106. In this embodiment, the engagement occurs by inserting or sliding a tongue into a complementary shallow groove, for example as shown by tongue 108 on second component 92 and groove 110 in second component 90.

(43) The underside of each second component is shaped so as to fit snugly around puzzle 10, having appropriate curves. Optionally, the underside of each second component may have a surface complementing the fin arrays on the outer surface of puzzle 10.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

(44) It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the present invention provides attractive yet effective advances in the art of three-dimensional puzzles.