Edge Match Jigsaw is a puzzle where flat pieces have to be fitted together to make a complete result, but it has no image on its face, only a variety of colours.
Unlike conventional puzzles, Edge Match Jigsaw features hard sided geometric shapes such as oblongs, parallelograms, triangles and irregular 4 sided pieces. It's the deep edge sides that must be matched and here's where there's the big difference. The edge sides have a variety of knobs and slots that match against each other like a key matching the inside of a lock.
This means the pieces all look quite similar but only piece A will fit against the side of piece B etc. Solving the puzzle will require picking up one piece, then trying all of the others against one of its edge faces until one locks into place, then looking for the next pieces to gradually grow the solution. The pieces of Edge Match Jigsaw are made of metal with powder coated colours on the outer surface.
To make life even more interesting, care needs to be taken to avoid making a "hole" in the solution like a land locked lake, as the final piece won't be able to fit into the space due to the projecting knobs. [see rapid scribble link]
Once finished, the resulting image looks like a mosaic composed of many coloured shapes.
Edge Match Jigsaw is expensive and requires precision engineering to produce the machined components.
Ultra version is made from wristwatch component sized pieces.
(I had a look and nothing the same seems to currently exist so I've lodged the idea on a site in the Netherlands as legal proof of originality.)-- xenzag, May 19 2021 2 minute scribble of idea https://sodabred.tu...inal-idea-by-xenzag [xenzag, May 19 2021] https://www.ccproof.nl/en/ [xenzag, May 19 2021] Could be 3D, with identical cubic pieces except for the projections and holes on some but not all faces.
Then there could be one and only one possible order to assemble the final cube.
A 1,000 piece puzzle could be 10 x 10 x 10-- pocmloc, May 19 2021 See link-- xenzag, May 19 2021 Since metal , is EDM (electrical discharge machining) subtle enough to make a cut that looks straight but at the fine detail level, a keying pattern? No tabs, slots necessary.
[xenzag] You putting some work/money into this one or just staking a territorial climb for someone whom really wants to do it?-- wjt, May 22 2021 I have better ideas re commercial viability listed that are easier to realise, but too busy with my main practice to get into that now. I have no problem generating ideas, but the rest of it is just of no great interest ie production.-- xenzag, May 22 2021 So would you hunt down someone realizing the idea or just feel a warm glow?
You're not some one to come out of then wood work after the large amount of work has been done and the money starts piling up?-- wjt, May 22 2021 I already torpedoed someone over one of my ideas. [inflatable hoodie]-- xenzag, May 22 2021 I alerted Quickstarter where they were claiming originality.-- xenzag, May 22 2021 It's a very interesting idea, but I'm not sure it's actually original to you, xenzag. People have been designing puzzles for a long time, and I'd be a little surprised if no- one had ever done anything similar. There are many, many puzzles made out of closely fitting wooden blocks.
Prior publication of a supposedly original idea may stop others from patenting it, or allow you to challenge their patent, but (I am not a lawyer; as I understand it~) what it won't do is give you any right over their design. For that you'd need a patent yourself, which is a) expensive, b) not supposed to be granted for ideas already in the public domain, and c) requires you to correspond/sue infringers to maintain and actually achieve a result.-- Loris, May 22 2021 //I'm not sure it's actually original to you, xenzag// Well I searched, and didn't find. Meanwhile, there's very little to prevent anyone from copying anything they want, unless you're like Apple and even then Samsung just went ahead, and of course Apple in turn had copied Xerox's GUI years earlier. As regards this idea - ie a metal puzzle with a large number of male/female interlocking parts, it's halfbaked because it would cost a ton of money to make, and I'm not even certain that it could ever be made to work. It might fall within the parameters of the 4 colour problem. I thought of it because of some work I'm doing re the concept of breaking and remaking - the idea that even though two a piece of glass can be broken, and nothing lost; with the two pieces fitting togther with 100% precision, the break will still be clearly visible and the pieces will always be seperate items. I find that interesting and built the idea around questions related to the fitting of broken edges togther.-- xenzag, May 22 2021 Does it have to be metal? I'd figured the initial model would be wood - to which it is fairly easy to work and add protrusions/indents. OK, I see now the idea specifies metal, but it's not a strict technical requirement.
It seems to me you could 3D print it. Shapeways do various plastics, but also steel, brass, bronze, copper, silver, gold and platinum. So you could have a range.
I also like the idea of transparent glass pieces. I guess you could use a laser cutter to make some precise flat parts which could be stacked and bonded together. Of course each slice could only have vertical cuts - which is a bit of a down- grade.-- Loris, May 22 2021 With glass, the right optical joining liquid/spray would make a join next to invisible. An example would be vehicular window repair resins. Although here, the pieces need to come apart and go together multiple times.
With metal, I had a thought. Each piece could be made from a stack of pins of varying lengths, press melted together. The sides could then be created to have any keying necessary. The pins of the top face, to a set depth, would all be equal and can be planed and polished.
laws are there to make a better society, in this case protect effort. The thing is, laws can also be technically used to get a gain without effort (steal/devalue the gain). It always comes down to the morality of the individual.-- wjt, May 22 2021 random, halfbakery