Sound generating puzzle

• US 7,585,216 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2003
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hasbro Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hasbro Inc.
• Inventors: Foster, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau; Ronald
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARPER, TRAMAR YONG
• Application Number:
  US10/648,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20050049023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,205 Days
• Field of Search: 273/157.R, 273/153.R
• US Class Current: 463/9
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00684 One of the conducting layers being flexible so that electrical contact with the other can be established, e.g. by the weight of a playing piece
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/1061 with electric features, e.g. light, wires
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/247 audible, e.g. using a loudspeaker
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/10 Two-dimensional jig-saw puzzles

Abstract

A puzzle includes a base having a receiving area, a plurality of puzzle pieces sized for placement on the receiving area and adapted to form an assembled image, a sound generator, and an electrical circuit disposed beneath the receiving area and formed by a first substrate and a second substrate. Each of the substrates have conductive patterns, with at least one of the substrates operatively coupled to the sound generator. The conductive patterns are arranged for contact with each other upon depressing a selected portion of the receiving area to thereby activate the sound generator.

Claims

1. A puzzle comprising:

a base having a receiving area;

a plurality of removable puzzle pieces, the puzzle pieces sized for placement on the receiving area and cooperating to form an assembled image;

a sound generator mounted to the base and arranged for connection to a power source;

a first substrate and a second substrate arranged for placement beneath the receiving area, the first and second substrates formed from the same folded piece of a single paperboard blank, the first substrate having a conductive pattern operatively coupled to the sound generator, the second substrate having a conductive dot facing the conductive pattern and spaced away from the conductive pattern, the conductive dot and at least a portion of the conductive pattern disposed beneath a selected portion of the image;

the conductive dot and the conductive pattern both formed of a conductive ink and being relatively displaceable to thereby permit contact between the conductive pattern and the conductive dot upon pressing the selected portion of the image on one of the removable puzzle pieces such that a lower surface of the puzzle piece directly contacts an upper one of the first or second substrates such that the first and second substrates cooperate to form an electrical circuit, thereby activating the sound generator.

2. The puzzle of claim 1, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are separated by third substrate, the third substrate having an aperture disposed adjacent the conductive pattern and the conductive dot.

3. The puzzle of claim 1, including a third substrate adapted for placement between the first and second substrates, the third substrate including an aperture located for placement between the conductive pattern and the conductive dot.

4. The puzzle of claim 3, wherein the first substrate is separated from the third substrate by a first fold line, and wherein the second substrate is separated from the third substrate by a second fold line, the fold lines permitting the first and second substrates to shift between unfolded positions and folded positions, the third substrate disposed between the first and second substrates when the first and second substrates are in the folded position.

5. The puzzle of claim 1, wherein the paperboard blank is die cut.

6. The puzzle of claim 1, wherein the first and second substrates are adapted to permit the conductive ink to be applied in a single printing operation.

7. The puzzle of claim 1, wherein the conductive pattern includes a first portion and a second portion, and wherein the conductive dot is arranged to connect the first portion and the second portion upon pressing the selected portion of the image.

8. The puzzle of claim 1, wherein the first substrate includes a plurality of conductive patterns, the second substrate includes a plurality of conductive dots, and the assembled image includes a plurality of selected portions, and wherein the sound generator is arranged to generate a distinct sound in response to pressing each of the plurality of selected portions.

9. The puzzle of claim 1, wherein the substrates include a plurality of tabs, and wherein the base includes a plurality of slots sized to receive the tabs to thereby retain the substrates in the base.

10. A puzzle comprising:

a base having a receiving area;

a plurality of removable puzzle pieces, the puzzle pieces sized for placement on the receiving area and each puzzle piece having an image adapted to form an assembled image;

a sound generator mounted to the base and arranged for connection to a power source;

an electrical circuit disposed beneath the receiving area and formed by a first substrate and a second substrate, both of the substrates formed from connected portions of the same folded paperboard panel and having formed thereon conductive patterns formed of conductive ink, the conductive pattern of at least one of the substrates operatively coupled to the sound generator, the conductive patterns on each of the substrates arranged for contact with each other upon depressing a selected portion of the receiving area to thereby activate the sound generator, wherein a lower surface of the puzzle piece directly contacts an upper one of the first or second substrates when the selected portion of the receiving area is depressed.

11. The puzzle of claim 10, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are separated by a third substrate, the conductive pattern on the second substrate comprising a dot, the third substrate having an aperture disposed for alignment with the conductive dot.

12. The puzzle of claim 11, wherein the first, second and third substrates are formed from a single die cut paperboard blank.

13. The puzzle of claim 12, wherein the first substrate is separated from the third substrate by a first fold line, and wherein the second substrate is separated from the third substrate by a second fold line, the fold lines permitting the first and second substrates to shift between unfolded positions and folded positions, the third substrate disposed between the first and second substrates when the first and second substrates are in the folded position.

14. The puzzle of claim 10, wherein the conductive patterns comprise conductive ink, and wherein the first and second substrates are adapted to permit the conductive ink to be applied to both substrates in a single printing operation.

15. The puzzle of claim 10, wherein the conductive pattern on the first substrate comprises a first portion and a second portion, and wherein the conductive pattern on the second substrate is arranged to connect the first portion of the pattern to the second portion of the pattern upon pressing the selected portion of the image.

16. The puzzle of claim 10, wherein the conductive pattern on the second substrate comprises a plurality of dots and wherein the first substrate includes a plurality of conductive patterns, each of the dots of the second substrate positioned to cooperate with one of the plurality of conductive patterns of the first substrate, the assembled image including a plurality of selected portions, each selected portion overlying a corresponding one of the dots, and wherein the sound generator is arranged to generate a distinct sound in response to pressing each of the selected portions.

17. A puzzle comprising:

a base having a receiving area;

a plurality of puzzle pieces, the puzzle pieces sized for placement on the receiving area and adapted to form an assembled image having a plurality of selected areas;

a sound generator mounted to the base and arranged for connection to a power source;

a substrate assembly including a first substrate, a second substrate, and a third substrate;

an electrical circuit disposed beneath the receiving area and formed by the first substrate and the second substrate, the first substrate having a plurality of conductive ink patterns, each pattern comprising a first half and a second half separated from the first half by a gap, the second substrate having a plurality of conductive ink dots, the patterns of the first substrate operatively coupled to the sound generator, each dot aligned with a corresponding one of the selected images and with a corresponding one of the patterns, each dot cooperating with a corresponding one of the patterns to electrically connect the first and second halves of the pattern to permit activation of the sound generator upon depressing one of the selected areas;

the third substrate positioned to maintain the dots and the patterns in spaced relation until the selected area is depressed; and

the first, second and third substrates formed from the same paperboard panel and connected to one another by fold lines.

18. A puzzle comprising:

a base having a receiving area;

a plurality of puzzle pieces, the puzzle pieces sized for placement on the receiving area and adapted to form an image having a plurality of selected areas;

a sound generator mounted to the base and arranged for connection to a power source;

an electrical circuit assembly disposed beneath the receiving area and formed by first and second substrates, the first and second substrates operatively coupled to one another and formed of the same folded paperboard material, the first substrate having a plurality of conductive ink patterns, the second substrate having a plurality of conductive ink dots, the patterns of the first substrate operatively coupled to the sound generator, each of the plurality of dots aligned with a corresponding one of the selected images and with a corresponding one of the patterns, each dot cooperating with a corresponding one of the plurality of patterns to permit activation of the sound generator upon depressing one of the selected areas;

a third substrate positioned to maintain the dots and the patterns in spaced relation until the selected area is depressed; and

the first, second and third substrates having the same thickness and formed of the same material.

19. The puzzle of claim 18, wherein the first, second, and third substrates are all formed of the same paperboard material folded along a plurality of fold lines.