DESCRIPTION * * * * *

Technical field

The present invention is directed to a puzzle, of the jigsaw puzzle type illustrating an image. In particular, the invention refers to a puzzle that can be solved even by people with visual impairment/without using the sight.

The invention is also directed to a kit comprising the aforesaid puzzle.

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Prior art

The puzzle is a jigsaw puzzle-type board game in which small-sized pieces, usually made of cardboard, must be joined to one another until the original image is recomposed.

The degree of difficulty of a puzzle is closely linked to the total number of pieces of which it is composed and, in addition, also to the type of image which must be recomposed. For example, the image of a landscape could contain a third of pieces that are related to the sky and, therefore, substantially all made with very similar colours included among the various shades of blue and white of the clouds (if present). There are several techniques for completing a puzzle. The most widespread one involves subdividing the various pieces by colour and/or shape (i.e. considering the possible presence of linear sides that identify a portion of the outer edge of the puzzle) in order to initially make the outer edge and then proceed with the execution of the different inner sections. All these steps, by the very nature of the puzzle, require using the sight so that the recognition and the positioning of the pieces can be performed correctly, also with reference to the final image that must be obtained and that is shown on the box containing the pieces of the puzzle.

However, for fun, passion or as a personal challenge, an experience with puzzles can also be made by blind people who nevertheless wish to try to solve the puzzle, despite the obvious difficulties they encounter while making them.

Furthermore, it is also possible that some sighted people may want to deliberately not use the sight to complete the puzzle in order to increase the personal challenge and to sharpen their other senses and abilities, such as the touch or problem -solving ability. Generally, a sighted person can complete a puzzle consisting of 1000 pieces within a few tens of hours (about 20 hours).

The same puzzle made by a blind person would take a considerably longer time interval in order to be solved, hypothetically in the order of hundreds of hours.

The considerable disparity in time and complexity of execution means that almost no visually impaired person engages in this activity, and most of the times this occurs with puzzles with a small number of pieces, usually intended for children.

This discourages the purchase of such products, as it generates a sense of despondency and frustration absolutely contrary to the state of mind with which one should and would like to experience a game, a pastime.

Therefore, the present invention intends to propose a puzzle version, of the jigsaw puzzle type, alternative to those known and, therefore, able to overcome the aforesaid problems.

An example of a puzzle developed for visually impaired or blind people is reported in document W02015/005644A1 . This document describes a puzzle comprising a plurality of puzzle pieces, each of which has on its rear surface (i.e. , the one not visible) a first Braille® scheme indicating the position identifying the matrix position (i.e., position on a row and position on a column) in which it must be placed to be correctly made. The puzzle also comprises a support table on which a second Braille® scheme indicating the position is made. This second scheme is substantially a matrix whose cells include respective Braille® indications of the matrix position so as to define a unique correspondence with a specific piece of puzzle.

Therefore, unlike the invention described below, the aim of document WO201 5/005644A1 is to provide a puzzle that can be made without using the sight, as it allows to recognize and combine the corresponding position of a piece of puzzle on the support table to train one's tactile sensitivity and to read the raised marks, such as Braille® writing, while making the same puzzle.

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Summary

In this context, the technical task at the basis of the present invention is to propose a puzzle, of the jigsaw puzzle type illustrating an image, and a relative kit which overcome the problems of the prior art cited above.

In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide a puzzle, of the jigsaw puzzle type illustrating an image, which can be solved with greater simplicity even without using the sight.

In particular, the invention aims to propose a puzzle that can be solved by blind people according to considerably shorter timings than those normally used for puzzles in accordance with the state of the art, preferably in a time interval comparable to the one used by blind people for making the same puzzle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a puzzle, of the jigsaw puzzle type illustrating an image, which provides additional technical elements that can be used alternatively or complementary to the sense of sight so as to allow the completion of the puzzle itself.

In addition, these additional technical elements can help the development of the user’s manual ability and sharpen the user’s out of the box reasoning skills.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a puzzle provided with technical elements additional to those of the known art that allow the solution thereof with alternative techniques, which for example exploit senses other than the sight, and equally functional.

The invention also intends to provide a puzzle shaped to be defined as “Designed for all”. In other words, a puzzle usable by both normal-sighted and blind people according to the respective solution strategies that are based on visual elements for the former and tactile elements for the latter, without the elements of the former interfering with those of the latter, and vice versa.

The stated technical task and specified objects are substantially achieved by a puzzle which comprises the technical features disclosed in the independent claim. The dependent claims correspond to further advantageous aspects of the invention.

It should be appreciated that this summary introduces a selection of concepts in simplified form, which will be further developed in the detailed description below.

The invention is directed to a puzzle, of the jigsaw puzzle type illustrating an image, comprising a plurality of shaped elements that are joinable to one another and each of which illustrates a part of the image of the puzzle.

In particular, each shaped element comprises a main body having an edge along which at least one appendage is present and/or at least one recess that are joinable respectively, with a corresponding recess or appendage of another shaped element. In addition, each shaped element has an illustrative surface, on which the respective part of the image of the puzzle is present, and a support surface opposite the aforesaid illustrative surface.

Each shaped element further comprises a tactile orientation recognition element arranged on the illustrative surface or on the support surface at the main body. The tactile orientation recognition element is preferably configured to indicate an orientation direction of the shaped element to be arranged within the puzzle with respect to a predefined reference direction so as to make the image of the puzzle correctly.

Preferably, the tactile orientation recognition element is not an element of the image of the puzzle.

In other words, the tactile orientation recognition element is a foreign element that is detached from the image of the puzzle 10. It is just an additional element that can be used for the correct orientation of the respective shaped element.

Advantageously, the use of such tactile orientation recognition elements by a blind user (or who decides not to use the sight for the completion of the puzzle) allows to greatly reduce the amount of hours necessary for making the image of the puzzle.

The reduction in the amount of hours required to solve the puzzle is substantially proportional to the increase in the number of shaped elements to be used for the composition of the puzzle.

In this way, therefore, the puzzle in accordance with the present invention can advantageously include a category of people, those with visual impairment, in the practice of a game/passion represented by making puzzles.

Even more advantageously, the possibility of reducing the timings for solving puzzles without using the sight can further provide additional opportunities for socialization and play among people with and without visual impairments who, together, have fun composing the same puzzle together.

In addition, the puzzle in accordance with the invention can also be used for the purpose of carrying out company training activities, for example “team building”.

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Brief description of the drawings Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the approximate and thus non-limiting description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a puzzle, of the jigsaw puzzle type illustrating an image, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: figure 1 illustrates, according to a perspective view, a first embodiment of the shaped element in accordance with the invention; figure 2 illustrates, according to a plan view, a second embodiment of the shaped element in accordance with the invention; figure 3 illustrates, according to a plan view, two shaped elements with joined interconnection between them; figure 4 illustrates, according to a plan view, a puzzle composed of a plurality of shaped elements; figure 5 illustrates, according to a schematic view, a kit comprising a puzzle and an information medium in accordance with the invention.

With reference to the drawings, they serve solely to illustrate embodiments of the invention with the aim of better clarifying, in combination with the description, the inventive principles on which the invention is based.

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Detailed description of at least one embodiment

The present invention is directed to a puzzle, of the jigsaw puzzle type illustrating an image, which has been generically indicated with the number 1 with reference to the attached figures.

Any modifications or variants which, in the light of the description, are evident to the person skilled in the art, must be considered to fall within the scope of protection established by the present invention, according to considerations of technical equivalence.

Figures 1 and 2 show, respectively, a first and a second embodiment of a shaped element 1 that can be used for making a puzzle 10 of the jigsaw puzzle type illustrating a complex image, such as a landscape.

The differences between the aforesaid embodiments will be analysed in the continuation of this detailed description.

An example of puzzle 10 in accordance with the present invention is, instead, illustrated in figure 4. In this figure, the main subject of the image of the puzzle 10 (which extends over the entire surface of the puzzle 10 itself, i.e. over the entire illustrative surface A of each shaped element 1 ) is, purely by way of example, illustrated by means of a dashed closed line.

In particular, the puzzle 10 comprises a plurality of shaped elements 1 that are joinable to one another and each of which illustrates a part of the image of the puzzle 10.

More precisely, each shaped element 1 comprises a main body 2 having an edge along which at least one appendage 3 is present and/or at least one recess 4 that are joinable respectively, with a corresponding recess 4 or appendage 3 of another shaped element 1 . An example of such a feature is illustrated in figure 3, where two shaped elements 1 in accordance with the second embodiment are joined to one another.

In addition, each shaped element 1 has an illustrative surface A on which a part of the image of the puzzle 10 is present and, in addition, a support surface B opposite the aforesaid illustrative surface A.

Advantageously, each shaped element 1 comprises a tactile orientation recognition element 5 arranged on the illustrative surface A (as illustrated in figure 2) and/or on the support surface B (as illustrated in figure 1 ) at the main body 2. In particular, the tactile orientation recognition element 5 is configured to indicate an orientation direction of the shaped element 1 to be arranged within the puzzle 10 with respect to a predefined reference direction R so as to make the image of the puzzle 10 correctly.

The tactile orientation recognition elements 5 can advantageously reduce the time interval required for a blind user to make a puzzle 10.

Making a puzzle 10 composed of a thousand shaped elements 1 (lacking tactile orientation recognition elements 5 or, if present, not used) would require a time interval that starts from hundreds of hours for a blind person, against a much shorter interval for a normal-sighted person, which is usually around a few tens of hours.

Advantageously, the use of the aforesaid tactile orientation recognition elements 5 by a blind user allows to reduce the time interval for solving the puzzle 10 to about two hundred hours.

Preferably, the tactile orientation recognition element 5 is not an element of the image of the puzzle 10.

In other words, no tactile orientation recognition element 5 is made in such a way as not to interfere/alter in any way with the image of the puzzle 10.

In still other words, no tactile orientation recognition element 5 is an integral part of the illustration, but each of them is an element totally detached therefrom.

Therefore, as usual, the puzzle 10 has its own planar surface on which the illustration is made (by means of the composition of the illustrative surfaces A of the individual shaped elements 1 ), while the tactile orientation recognition elements 5 are additional elements arranged on the shaped elements 1.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, all tactile orientation recognition elements 5 are shaped or configured to indicate the same orientation direction with respect to the aforesaid reference direction R.

Preferably, all the tactile orientation recognition elements 5 are shaped or configured to indicate the same orientation direction of the aforesaid orientation direction with respect to the reference direction R.

In other words, the tactile orientation recognition elements 5 are advantageously shaped or configured to indicate the same relative reference point with respect to which each shaped element 1 must be oriented so as to make the image of the puzzle 10 correctly.

For example, by predetermined convention, the reference direction R may be a straight line running from the left to the right of the user. In this way it is possible to define four main reference points related to the user: “right” and “left” are positioned on the reference direction R and define the two opposite directions of said straight line, while “above” and “below” define the opposite directions in a direction perpendicular to the reference direction R. Consequently, all the tactile orientation recognition elements 5 can point at least at one of said main reference points related to the user (they could, in fact, also indicate a further intermediate reference point, for example “top-left”) with which the respective shaped elements 1 must be oriented so as to be arranged to correctly align the parts of the images with each other in order to complete the image of the puzzle 10.

For example, as illustrated in figure 4, by convention it is possible to provide the tactile orientation recognition elements 5 so as to indicate the relative reference point definable as “top” (in accordance with the previous example).

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, each tactile orientation recognition element 5 has at least one main portion that is arranged offset with respect to an orthogonal axis T passing through a central point of the main body 2.

In this way, each tactile orientation recognition element 5 can advantageously define the orientation direction with which to orient the shaped element 1 .

In particular, the orientation direction is that direction that can join a central point of the main body 2 with at least the aforesaid offset portion of the tactile orientation recognition element 5.

Preferably, the main portion of each tactile orientation recognition element 5 is offset according to the same orientation direction with respect to said reference direction R for each shaped element 1 .

In this way, all the tactile orientation recognition elements 5 can advantageously define the same orientation direction for each shaped element 1 , as can be seen in figure 4, for example.

Even more preferably, the tactile orientation recognition elements 5 can also define the orientation direction of said orientation direction once established by convention which reference point related to the user must be considered for the orientation.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, each tactile orientation recognition element 5 comprises screen printing and/or a ridge.

In other words, the tactile orientation recognition elements 5 define elements that are slightly raised with respect to the illustrative surface A and/or to the rear surface B and are advantageously identifiable by using the touch even in the absence of the sight. These elements, in fact, are made in such a way as to be substantially little visible.

Preferably, each tactile orientation recognition element 5 comprises screen printing arranged on the illustrative surface A.

Even more preferably, each tactile orientation recognition element 5 comprises a ridge, for example of the Braille® type, arranged on the support surface B.

Figure 1 illustrates a first embodiment of a shaped element 1 in which the support surface B is visible and on which a tactile orientation recognition element 5 made as a raised point of the Braille® type is arranged. With respect to the alignment direction R, the raised point is positioned offset with respect to the orthogonal axis T so as to indicate the relative reference point that can be defined as “top”.

Preferably, the raised point is made so as to protrude by at most 1 millimetre with respect to the support surface B so as not to interfere with the positioning of the shaped element 1 within the puzzle 10. In other words, the tactile orientation recognition element 5 protrudes sufficiently to be detected by touch but, at the same time, cannot alter the positioning of the shaped element 1 by making it unstable with respect to the work surface on which the puzzle 10 is made.

Figure 2 illustrates a second embodiment of a shaped element 1 in which the illustrative surface A is visible and on which a tactile orientation recognition element 5 made as screen printing is arranged.

In this particular embodiment, the screen printing is shaped like an arrow so as to indicate the orientation of the shaped element 1 through its shape and, moreover, through its positioning in the main body 2 thereof.

Similar to what was said above regarding the raised point, the screen printing is also made so as to protrude slightly (the minimum necessary) with respect to the illustrative surface, preferably at most one millimetre, so as to be recognizable to the touch but not to the sight of a normal-sighted person, so as not to alter the image of the puzzle 10 in the slightest.

If necessary, the screen printing and/or the raised point can be made on both surfaces of the shaped element 1 or on surfaces opposite to those mentioned above.

In any case, the screen printing and/or the raised point are made such that the minimum overall size possible is defined so as to create a puzzle 10 satisfying a philosophy that can be defined as “Designed for all”, that is, a product that can be used by any type of sighted, visually impaired or blind person.

In other words, the screen printing and/or the raised point are made in a discreet way so as not to affect the making of the puzzle in the slightest either from a visual point of view (preferably, the screen printing is also transparent) or from a tactile point of view (if not a minimum to be perceived by a visually impaired or blind person (in fact, a normal-sighted person would hardly perceive such tactile elements if not intending to do so).

In accordance with an alternative or complementary aspect of the invention, each tactile orientation recognition element 5 comprises at least one depression (not illustrated).

In other words, even a possible depression that is recessed with respect to the illustrative surface A and/or the support surface B can be used as a tactile element for recognizing the orientation 5 of the positioning of the respective shaped element 1 with respect to the alignment direction R.

The present invention is also directed to a kit for a puzzle comprising a puzzle 10 having one or more of the features described above and, in addition, an information medium 50 visible in figure 5. In detail, the information medium 50 consists of a matrix provided with a plurality of cells and each representing a schematized version of the puzzle 10.

In particular, each of the cells is associated with a respective shaped element 1 of the puzzle 10. In addition, each of the cells is representative of a series of pieces of information relating to the corresponding shaped element 1 , including: the positioning of the shaped element 1 within the puzzle 10; the category of the shaped element 1 ; the orientation of the shaped element 1 .

The shaped elements 1 of a puzzle 10, in fact, can be subdivided into six different categories according to the number and the positioning of the appendages 3 (also defined “male joints”) and/or of the recesses 4 (also defined “female joints”) arranged along the edge of the main body 2.

In detail, the six categories that can be identified based on the combination of the “male-female” joints (with the exception of the shaped elements 1 defining the edge of the puzzle 10) are as follows:

A. 1 male and 3 females;

B. 2 adjacent males and 2 adjacent females;

C. 2 opposite males and 2 opposite females;

D. 1 female and 3 males;

E. 4 females;

F. 4 males.

Similarly, further categories can also be identified for the on-board elements.

However, depending on the orientation with respect to a reference point related to the user, the shaped elements can be subdivided into further subcategories. To be precise, considering the four main reference points (“right”, “left”, “above” and “below”) into which each shaped element 1 can be oriented, each of the above categories can be subdivided into four subcategories as follows: - A1 , A2, A3, A4;

- B1 , B2, B3, B4;

- C1 , C2;

- D1 , D2, D3, D4;

- E;

- F. wherein, for example, “1 ” refers to the “right”, “2” refers to the “left”, “3” refers to “above”, and “4” refers to “below”.

The subdivision into four subcategories applies only to the so-called “asymmetric” shaped elements, i.e. the shaped elements 1 of category A, B and D.

The shaped elements 1 of category C can only be subdivided into two subcategories: a first subcategory in which the male joints are arranged “vertically” and a second subcategory in which the male joints are arranged “horizontally”.

The shaped elements 1 of categories E and F, on the other hand, cannot be subdivided into subcategories as they are completely symmetrical, i.e. they have the same type of male/female joint on each side.

Advantageously, the subdivision into categories and subcategories of each shaped element 1 allows to define an alternative system for solving the puzzle that can be used by visually impaired or blind people, but also by sighted people who decide, for example for personal challenge, not to use the sense of the sight for the completion of the puzzle.

Another example of use of such an alternative system is applicable for solving the so- called “monochrome puzzles”, i.e. puzzles that do not illustrate a particular reference image to be recreated, but a surface with one homogeneous colour.

At the state of the art, as it has been conceived to date, a puzzle of the jigsaw puzzle type involves the reconstruction of an image (usually made on a cardboard support) that has been broken down into several shaped elements with the shape comparable to a quadrilateral. These shaped elements are provided with special protrusions and recesses (respectively, the male joints and the female joints), adapted to allow them to be effectively joined to one another.

Therefore, the aforesaid image is the one guiding the recomposition of the puzzle and which is generally present both on each shaped element of the puzzle (each shaped element bears a part thereof), and on the package containing the puzzle. The image thus defines a reference element, a visual code useful to provide a visual feedback to the normal-sighted user.

Therefore, to facilitate and speed up the recomposition process, where allowed by the image, the users are generally used to creating subgroups of shaped elements according to the chromatic affinity present on the shaped elements themselves. These subgroups obviously consist of a smaller number of shaped elements than the starting set. It follows that the search for the pieces to be joined is simplified.

Otherwise, the puzzle 10 in accordance with the present invention makes use of at least one of the following elements: a tactile orientation recognition element 5 for each shaped element 1 and configured to indicate an orientation direction of the shaped element 1 to be arranged within the puzzle 10 with respect to a predefined reference direction R so as to make the image of the puzzle 10 correctly; a category code scheme that can be used in place of the reference image reported on the package.

In particular, the category code scheme is easily accessible by means of an information medium 50, for example a printed sheet bearing Braille® indications or a digital sheet of the Excel® type.

Advantageously, therefore, the category code scheme allows to indicate for each shaped element 1 the corresponding category to which it belongs.

Even more advantageously, to facilitate and speed up the process of recomposing the puzzle 10 without using the sight, it is possible to subdivide the shaped elements 1 into the categories and subcategories described above. In this way, it will be possible to obtain a simplification of the search for each shaped element 1 to be joined that must be selected from a group (defined by category and possibly subcategory) populated by a smaller number of shaped elements 1 than the total number that defines the entire puzzle 10.

The puzzle 10 according to the invention, therefore, allows to obtain a solution procedure for blind people based on a criterion of subdivision by categories (tactile feedback) comparable to the common solution strategy for normal-sighted people based on the visual criterion of subdivision of the shaped elements by colour. In other words, a different approach based on different characteristics conferred to the puzzle 10 (the tactile elements 5 and/or the information medium 50) allows the visually impaired and blind people to obtain the same result achieved by the normal-sighted people in the known art. An example of an association between the puzzle 10 and the information medium 50 is shown in figure 5. By way of example, the central cells of the information medium 50 show the categories and subcategories of the corresponding shaped elements 1 , in accordance with the categorization presented above.

In detail, the information medium 50 is a matrix composed of a plurality of cells. Each cell is associated with a respective shaped element 1 of the puzzle 10. Preferably, the cells are arranged side by side with the same arrangement with which the shaped elements 1 must be arranged side by side to make the puzzle 10.

Therefore, the aforesaid pieces of information characterizing the respective shaped element 1 are arranged inside each cell. In the following of this detailed description it will be specified how these pieces of information are provided in the respective cell (depending on the type of information medium 50 made).

In this way, therefore, the information medium 50 can advantageously associate with each shaped element 1 a corresponding cell in which the pieces of information are contained which are useful for guiding a blind user in the choice of the correct shaped element 1 to be positioned in a certain position of the puzzle 1 with a specific orientation (also thanks to the previously described tactile orientation recognition elements 5) in order to make the image of the puzzle 10.

The information medium 50, therefore, allows to considerably reduce the timings for solving a puzzle 10. The use of the information medium 50, in fact, allows a blind user to complete a puzzle 10 composed of a thousand shaped elements 1 in a time interval of a few tens of hours, that is, the same time that a normal-sighted user normally takes. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the information medium 50 is of hard copy and/or digital type.

In other words, the information medium 50 can be a sheet of paper on which the matrix is illustrated and in which, for each cell, the aforesaid pieces of information relating to the corresponding shaped element 1 are reported. Such pieces of information may be reported by writing and/or by Braille® writing.

Additionally or alternatively, the information medium 50 may be made on a digital sheet, such as an Excel® digital sheet. Such a digital sheet may be pre-loaded onto a portable storage device, for example a USB stick, or may be pre-loaded onto a web page reachable via an electronic device, for example a smartphone, and a dedicated URL address previously provided to the user.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, at least one shaped element 1 of the puzzle 10 comprises a recognition code, preferably a barcode or a QR code, which can be framed with a reading device. In particular, the information medium 50 is integrated into the recognition code.

In other words, on at least one shaped element 1 , preferably on all shaped elements 1 , an identification code (QR code and/or barcode) is previously provided which can be framed by the user with a special electronic device, for example a smartphone, to obtain the entire information medium 50 in digital format and/or directly the pieces of information relating to the shaped element 1 on which the aforesaid information code is provided.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the kit comprises a container for containing each shaped element 1 . In particular, the container comprises a recognition code, preferably a barcode or a QR code, which can be framed with a reading device. In particular, the information medium 50 is integrated into the recognition code.

In other words, the information code is obtained on one face of the box (i.e. the container) in which the shaped elements 1 are contained so that the user can scan it with a special electronic device, for example a smartphone, in order to obtain the information medium 50 in digital format.

As regards an example of operation of the aforesaid kit, it derives directly from what is described above and, moreover, is referred to hereinbelow.

Once all the shaped elements 1 have been prepared on the work surface, the user (normal-sighted or blind) can subdivide the aforesaid shaped elements 1 into the different categories and subcategories (previously described) thanks to the use of their sense of touch (for the identification of the positioning of the appendages 3 and of the recesses 4 of each shaped element 1 ) and the tactile orientation recognition elements 5 (for the recognition of the correct orientation of each shaped element 1 ).

Preferably, the alignment direction R and the positioning on the illustrative surface A or on the support surface B of the tactile orientation recognition elements (or if any screen printing or points of the Braille® type) will be known to the user by convention and/or as reported in an illustrative sheet attached to the puzzle 10.

After subdividing all the shaped elements 1 into several representative stacks or piles of the various categories and subcategories, the user can apply the strategy he or she prefers for solving the puzzle 10. In other words, he or she can decide whether to complete firstly the edge of the puzzle 10 or some of the inner potions thereof.

In any case, regardless of the strategy, the user can use the information medium to know from which stack or pile to look for the correct shaped element 1 . For example, in the event that the QR type identification code is provided on the box of the puzzle 10, the user can frame this code with his or her smartphone so as to be redirected to a site where the information medium is present and/or downloadable in digital format. At this point, thanks to the additional accessibility functions of the smartphone that allow reading digital contents to assist blind people, as illustrated in figure 5, the user can know the pieces information relating to each shaped element 1 for its correct positioning within the puzzle 10 in order to make the relative image.

The present invention also refers to a process for making a puzzle 10, of the jigsaw puzzle type illustrating an image.

This process comprises the following steps: providing a plurality of shaped elements 1 that are joinable to one another, each of which illustrates a part of the image; making on each shaped element 1 a corresponding tactile orientation recognition element 5 configured to indicate an orientation direction of the shaped element 1 to be arranged in the puzzle 10 with respect to a predefined reference direction R so as to make the image of the puzzle 10 correctly.

In particular, the tactile orientation recognition element 5 is not an element of the image of the puzzle 10.

Advantageously, the process allows to make a puzzle 10 in which the shaped elements 1 have tactile orientation recognition elements 5 that can be used by visually impaired or blind people for solving the same puzzle.

Preferably, the process comprises the following further steps: making an information medium 50 comprising a matrix provided with a plurality of cells and representing a schematized version of said puzzle 10; making a category code for each of the cells so as to create a relationship between each cell and a plurality of shaped elements 1 belonging to the same category.

In this way, the process allows to make a puzzle 10 having additional characteristics capable of providing blind or visually impaired people with tactile feedback that can be used to apply an alternative solution strategy but which is comparable, in terms of result (i.e. , solution times), to the known solution strategy of normal-sighted people based on the subdivision of the shaped elements by colour.

The puzzle 10 in accordance with the invention, therefore, also retains for visually impaired and blind people the solution challenge by not providing any univocal association between the tactile symbols reported on the shaped element 1 and the position that it must assume within the puzzle 10 (contrary to what is described for the known art in which a univocal matrix correspondence is made between the puzzle piece and the support table).

In fact, the puzzle 10 in accordance with the invention offers the visually impaired or blind person the possibility to choose the correct shaped element 1 for solving the puzzle from a group containing a plurality of shaped elements 1 belonging to the same category and/or subcategory.

Normally, in fact, the production of a puzzle 10 of the jigsaw puzzle type involves making shaped elements 1 that do not have the same edge, even if they belong to the same category and/or subcategory.

In other words, for example, two shaped elements 1 belonging to the same category A1 (1 male facing upwards and 3 females) always have edges having a different profile course. In still other words, they are not perfectly overlapping.

In this way, a blind or visually impaired person must in any case proceed to the test of joining the shaped element 1 selected from the appropriate group defining a specific category and/or subcategory, as this group presents on average a plurality of shaped elements 1 that are similar but not identical in shape.

Therefore, the puzzle 1 in accordance with the invention keeps alive the feeling of challenge and fun even for blind or visually impaired people.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the process also provides a step for making a recognition code, preferably a barcode or a QR code, on at least one shaped element 1 and/or on a container in which the shaped elements 1 defining the puzzle 10 are stored.

In particular, the recognition code can advantageously be framed with a reading device to allow access to a digital version of the information medium 50 integrated into the recognition code.

For example, in this way an Excel® file can be advantageously opened with which a blind or visually impaired person, through an appropriate sound feedback function, can know which category or subcategory of shaped element 1 must be positioned in a specific cell.

Alternatively, the information medium 50 can be made in paper format and therefore has raised writings, for example of the Braille® type to assist a blind or visually impaired person in solving the puzzle 10.