Three-Dimensional Plush Figure and Puzzle System

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/762,731, filed February 25, 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.

The present disclosure relates generally to plush figures, toys and puzzles. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to three-dimensional puzzle systems for constructing figures(e.g., dolls, animals, creatures, robots, vehicles, buildings) from interconnectable plush or other stuffed pieces.

Conventional jigsaw and construction puzzles are typically planar and assembled into a two-dimensional image or a rigid three-dimensional form. Plush toys are typically provided as fully assembled figures. There remains a need for construction-style puzzles that provide a soft, plush tactile experience while enabling repeatable assembly into a stable three-dimensional figure.

A three-dimensional puzzle system is disclosed in which multiple plush (or otherwise stuffed) pieces are configured to interlock via complementary slots. In an example, a body or core piece defines one or more body slots extending inward from an outer perimeter or edge thereof. One or more appendage pieces each define one or more appendage slots extending inward from an outer perimeter or edge thereof. The body slot is sized to receive a portion of an appendage piece, and the appendage slot is sized to receive a portion of the body piece. During assembly, the appendage piece is oriented transverse (e.g., at an angle or orthogonal) to the body piece and the slots are aligned such that the pieces are threaded or otherwise overlapped into one another to form a stable three-dimensional figure.

In some examples, one or more pieces include a rigid or semi-rigid core (e.g., cardboard or pressboard), optionally a cushioning layer (e.g., foam), and an outer plush layer (e.g., plush fabric, velour, velvet, felt, artificial fur). The slots can have equal or varying depths and can be distributed around the perimeter to accept multiple appendages, allowing formation of different figures using a common body piece.

Because the pieces are coupled using slots and may be separated without tools, the assembled three-dimensional figure may be readily disassembled into individual pieces for storage. In an unassembled state, the pieces can be stored substantially flat and/or compactly stacked, thereby reducing the volume required for shipping, merchandising, travel, and home storage.

In some embodiments, the system supports mix-and-match construction. For example, a body piece may be configured as a core that is attachable to one or more outer body pieces (e.g., coverings, shells, or skins) having different appearances, colors, patterns, or characters. Additionally or alternatively, appendage pieces from different kits or different figures may be interchangeably coupled to a selected body piece, allowing a user to create unique or customized three-dimensional plush figures according to the child’s desire or imagination.

According to an aspect of the disclosure, a three-dimensional puzzle system is provided and includes a body piece having an outer perimeter and defining at least one body slot extending inward from the outer perimeter; and an appendage piece having an outer perimeter and defining at least one appendage slot extending inward from the outer perimeter. The body piece has a first thickness and the appendage piece has a second thickness. A width of the at least one body slot is at least the second thickness and a width of the at least one appendage slot is at least the first thickness. The body piece and the appendage piece are configured to be assembled by orienting the appendage piece transverse to the body piece, aligning the at least one body slot with the at least one appendage slot, and threading the body piece and the appendage piece into one another such that a portion of the body piece is received within the at least one appendage slot and a portion of the appendage piece is received within the at least one body slot to form a three-dimensional figure. The body piece and the appendage piece are formed at least in part of a compressible and resilient material.

The appendage piece may be configured to be oriented substantially orthogonal to the body piece during said threading.

The three-dimensional puzzle system may further include a plurality of appendage pieces, each appendage piece including a respective appendage slot configured to interlock with a corresponding body slot of the body piece.

The body piece may define a plurality of body slots distributed around the outer perimeter of the body piece.

At least one of the body slot or the appendage slot may have a depth selected to position an exterior surface of the body piece substantially flush with an exterior surface of the appendage piece when assembled.

At least one of the body piece or the appendage piece may comprise a rigid or semi-rigid core layer and an outer plush layer covering the core layer.

The at least one of the body piece or the appendage piece may further comprise a cushioning layer disposed between the rigid or semi-rigid core layer and the outer plush layer.

The appendage piece may comprise an outer textile layer having at least one of plush, velour, velvet, felt, artificial fur, or flocking.

At least one of the body piece or the appendage piece may be non-planar.

The body piece and the appendage piece may be configured to be retained in an assembled state by a friction fit between surfaces of the slots and surfaces of received portions of the pieces.

The body piece and the appendage piece may be selectively capable of disassembly by reversing the threading such that the pieces separate into an unassembled state.

In the unassembled state, at least a plurality of the pieces may be substantially planar and are configured to be stored substantially flat or stacked to reduce storage volume.

The pieces are packaged for shipment in the unassembled state in a compact stacked arrangement.

The three-dimensional puzzle system may further comprise an outer body piece configured to be removably coupled to the body piece to change an appearance of the three-dimensional figure.

The outer body piece may be coupled to the body piece using a selectively closable connection.

The appendage piece may be interchangeably couplable with the body piece and at least one additional appendage piece from a different three-dimensional plush figure kit based on compatible slot dimensions.

The appendage piece may be flexible along at least a portion of a length thereof, and wherein the appendage piece includes a wire integrated into at least a portion of the length thereof.

The body piece and each appendage piece may be joined via a half-lap joint between the body piece and each appendage piece.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, a method of assembling and storing a three-dimensional plush puzzle is provided. The method includes assembling a body piece and an appendage piece by orienting the appendage piece transverse to the body piece, aligning a body slot with an appendage slot, and threading the body piece and the appendage piece into one another to form a three-dimensional figure; disassembling the three-dimensional figure by reversing the threading to separate the body piece and the appendage piece; and storing the separated pieces in a substantially flat or compact stacked arrangement for shipping or space-saving storage.

The method may further comprise forming a customized figure by interchanging at least one of (a) an outer body piece coupled to the body piece or (ii) an appendage piece selected from a set associated with a different three-dimensional plush figure.

The present application relates to puzzles made of plush. More specifically, the present application relates to three-dimensional puzzle systems for constructing figures(e.g., dolls, animals, creatures, aliens, robots, vehicles, buildings) wherein each piece of the puzzle is made of plush or other stuffed construction and the pieces are joined to one another in a threaded or dovetail-like or half-lap joint manner.

1 2 FIGS.- 100 100 As illustrated in, the three-dimensional plush puzzle system is generally designated by reference character. When assembled, the three-dimensional plush puzzle systemforms a three-dimensional figure such as an animal (e.g., a rabbit, dog, cat, elephant, horse, pig), although any other figure or object is contemplated, including dolls, creatures, aliens, robots, buildings, castles, vehicles, cars, planes, and boats.

100 110 120 120 Each three-dimensional plush puzzle systemincludes a body or core pieceand at least one appendage piece. The body piece 110 may constitute a torso or central support of the figure, and the appendage piece(s)may constitute arms, legs, ears, tails, trunks, faces, heads, wings, fins, or other features.

110 110 112 110 110 110 1 112 1 112 110 120 a a The body piecedefines an outer perimeterand one or more body slotsprojecting or extending into the body piecefrom the outer perimeter. The body piecehas a thickness “T”, and each body slothas a width “W”. The body slot(s)may have equal or varying depths extending into the body piecedepending on the size and shape of the appendage piece(s)to be received.

120 120 122 120 120 120 2 122 2 122 120 110 a a Each appendage piecedefines an outer perimeterand one or more appendage slotsextending or projecting into the appendage piecefrom the outer perimeter. Each appendage piecehas a thickness “T”, and each appendage slothas a width “W”. The appendage slot(s)may have equal or varying depths extending into the appendage piecedepending on the intended connection to the body pieceor to another appendage piece.

110 120 Although the body pieceand appendage piece(s)may be planar, it is also contemplated that one or more pieces may be non-planar or curved to more accurately represent an intended figure or to increase stability in the assembled configuration.

112 122 110 120 1 110 120 112 122 110 120 1 110 120 5 FIG. a a a a The slots, namely, body slotsand appendage slots, may extend along an axis “X” which is orthogonally angled into the respective body pieceor appendage piecewith respect to a plane or chord “P” (see) extending perpendicular to the respective outer perimeter,. Alternatively, the slots, namely, body slotsand appendage slots, may extending along an axis “Y” which is non-orthogonally angled into the respective body pieceor appendage piecewith respect to a plane or chord “P” extending perpendicular to the respective outer perimeter,.

120 4 5 FIGS.- In embodiments, the appendage piecesmay be flexible along a portion or substantially along an entire length thereof, and may include an integrated wire 120b (see) to form a tail, and to permit the tail to be curved or shaped as desired.

1 112 2 120 2 122 1 110 120 112 120 122 110 In accordance with the present disclosure, the width “W” of the body slot(s)is substantially equal to or larger than the thickness “T” of the appendage piece(s), and the width “W” of the appendage slot(s)is substantially equal to or larger than the thickness “T” of the body pieceto which the appendage pieceis to be attached. In this manner, a body slotmay receive a portion of an appendage piece, and an appendage slotmay receive a portion of the body piecewhen the pieces are joined, in the manner of a lap joint or half-lap joint.

110 120 110 120 122 110 120 110 122 120 112 More specifically, the body piecedefines a body plane and each appendage piecedefines an appendage plane. During connection of an appendage piece 120 to the body piece, the appendage pieceis oriented such that the appendage plane is transverse (e.g., orthogonal) to the body plane. Once so oriented, a body slot 112 is aligned with an appendage slotand the body pieceand appendage pieceare fed into or threaded into one another such that a portion of the body pieceis received into the appendage slotand a portion of the appendage pieceis received into the body slot, in the manner of a lap joint or half-lap joint.

112 122 100 In some embodiments, the body slotsand the appendage slotsare sized to create a friction fit that retains the pieces in an assembled state during normal play. Additionally or alternatively, the systemmay include a secondary retention feature, such as a hook-and-loop patch, snap, button, magnet, or tether, positioned adjacent a slot to inhibit unintended separation while still permitting disassembly.

110 120 110 120 110 120 1 FIG.A 2 FIG. One or more of the body pieceand appendage piecesmay be fabricated from plush, smocking, velour, velvet, felt, artificial fur, flocking, foam, or the like. In an embodiment, the body pieceand/or the appendage piece(s)are constructed entirely or at least in part of a compressible and resilient material (e.g., foam). In an example construction, as illustrated in, a piece (e.g., body pieceor appendage piece) includes a rigid or semi-rigid core “C” (see) made of a material (e.g., cardboard, pressboard, plastic sheet, or fiberboard) that provides structural support. The core “C” may be covered by a cushioning or outer layer “CL” (e.g., foam) and further covered by an outer textile or plush layer “PL” (e.g., plush, velour, velvet, artificial fur).

1 FIG.A In some examples, as illustrated in, one or more pieces include a rigid or semi-rigid core “C” (e.g., cardboard or pressboard), optionally a cushioning layer “CL” (e.g., foam), and an outer plush layer “PL” (e.g., plush fabric, velour, velvet, felt, artificial fur).

110 120 112 122 a a The body or appendage piece perimeter,may be finished using stitching, binding tape, heat sealing, adhesive, or other edge finishing techniques. The edges of slots,may be reinforced using stitching, binding, lamination, grommets, or localized stiffeners to reduce wear and maintain dimensional tolerances.

100 120 110 The systemmay be provided as a kit including a plurality of pieces that can be assembled into a selected figure. In some embodiments, different sets of appendage piecescan be interchangeably coupled to a common body pieceto form different figures(e.g., different animals) or different poses of the same figure.

3 8 FIGS.- In some embodiments, the kit includes multiple sets of appendage pieces configured as different animals or characters. For example,illustrate non-limiting example configurations (cat, dog, elephant, horse, pig) that share common interlocking principles while using different body profiles and appendage profiles.

In these examples, a body piece includes multiple body slots positioned around the perimeter at locations corresponding to at least one of front legs, back legs, ears, tail, neck, or a face piece. Appendage pieces (e.g., legs, ears, tail, trunk, face) each include one or more appendage slots that engage a corresponding body slot, or other appendage pieces.

3 8 FIGS.- The example templates offurther illustrate that different appendage categories may be shaped and slotted differently. For instance, a leg piece may define a central appendage slot sized to receive a portion of the body piece, while an ear piece may define a shorter appendage slot positioned near a base region of the ear piece. A face piece may include multiple appendage slots to receive portions of multiple other pieces and/or to couple to a body slot.

230 8 3 7 FIGS., In some embodiments, at least one appendage piece includes an internal bendable member(e.g., a wire) that permits the appendage piece to be posed or curved. For example,, andillustrate a tail piece that may include a bendable wire to allow a user to curve the tail in different directions while the tail remains coupled to the body piece.

In use, the assembled three-dimensional plush figure may be disassembled by reversing the threading operation described above, thereby separating the appendage piece(s) from the body piece. Because the pieces may be generally planar and include slots extending inward from the perimeter, the pieces may be stored in an unassembled state substantially flat. In some embodiments, the pieces are stacked, nested, or otherwise arranged in a compact bundle for shipping and/or for space-saving storage in a drawer, backpack, suitcase, or toy bin. This flat or compact storage configuration can reduce packaging size and shipping volume relative to a pre-assembled plush toy.

Interchangeable Parts and Custom Figures. In some embodiments, one or more pieces are standardized such that components are interchangeable across different figure themes. For example, a body piece may function as a core that couples to one or more outer body pieces (e.g., a removable outer body covering, sleeve, shell, or skin) having different characters, textures, colors, and/or printed indicia, while maintaining compatible slot locations. In some embodiments, an outer body piece is coupled to the body/core piece using one or more slots, hook-and-loop patches, snaps, magnets, or other releasable fasteners.

Additionally or alternatively, appendage pieces from different three-dimensional plush figures(e.g., from different kits) may share common slot dimensions and/or standardized slot locations and can therefore be coupled to a selected body piece. In this manner, a child may combine ears, tails, limbs, faces, wings, and/or accessories from different sets to create hybrid or imaginative characters. In some embodiments, the kit includes a plurality of appendage pieces having multiple different aesthetic designs but compatible connection geometry, thereby encouraging creative customization while preserving stable interlocking assembly.