GB2090751A - Puzzle & constructional elements - Google Patents

Abstract

Each play element (1) is provided with at least one guide way or channel in which a resilient coupling element (2) is displaceable. The play elements may be blocks or spheres and the guideways may run irregularly across the play element's surface. The connecting elements may be plastic rods, as shown, or springs. The use of a zip fastener to join the play elements together is also disclosed. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Spatial toy The invention relates to a spatial toy providing numerous permutations of logical play and experience in forming shapes offered by constructive toys while having a relatively small size and diverse geometrical constructions.

In recent times, numerous logical and constructive toys consisting of displaceable and turnable elements became known.

A popular and generally known spatial toy consists in a closed cube as regards its external shape, made up of elementary spatial solids, advantageously of cube elements.

In one preferred embodiment of this spatial logical toy, the solid cube is made up of 27 smaller cube elements and of an internal supporting core orframe holding them together. Each of the 9 cube elements forming a given face of the cube made up of the cube elements may be rotated together and displaced from their initial position simultaneously. There are symbols on the external, visible sides of the cube elements that have to be arranged into a given pattern by rotation.

Said toy has numerous kinds of advantage, though it can be carried out in limited, mainly symmetrical spatial configurations. The external shape of the toy is a closed spatial solid, the shape of which is essentially not varied during the game.

Accordingly, this toy is explicitly a logical toy.

The symbols and codes can be located only on the external surfaces of the cube elements. The size of the toy exceeds the typical pocket size for easy manipulatability.

Another spatial toy that can be produced in a relatively small size can be conveniently or comfortably carried in a pocket, the elements of which are exclusively formed as spherical bodies and they are surrounded by, as well as journalled in, a supporting unit which is provided with a display window disposed in front of some of the symbols of the elements, the said elements being angularly displaceable about at least two theoretical axes of rotation passing through the centres of the elements, the said centres being fixed in space. By logical angular displacement of the exclusively spherical elements provided with symbols, the symbols can be set into a predetermined code system.

In this latter toy, the symbols can be located on the whole surface of the elements, while the elements have an exclusively spherical shape. The toy is definitely a logical toy, it does not provide game experience in forming shapes and the external shape of the toy does not essentially change during the game.

In recent times, a constructive toy became known and popular, the elements of which consist of triangular based prisms with a hollow inside. The prism-shaped elements have square lateral faces.

The elements are connected into a non-detachable unit by spring-supported bolts located in holes passing through the confining surfaces of the elements. The adjacent elements can be angularly displaced about the longitudinal axis of the bolts along their confining flat surfaces; accordingly, different spatial configurations can be formed of them.

Said toy enables the formation of simple spatial configurations. Any of the elements can take four positions relative to one of the adjacent elements, thus the number of variations is relatively small, and the toy cannot be used as a logical toy.

Several types of constructional toys are known where the most diversified configurations can be obtained using separate elements, e.g. cubes that can be joined to one another and thus fixed. They have the common drawback that the elements are separate from one another, as a result of which they can easily become lost.

Though the described logical toys offer a great variation of playing, they are not suitable for forming shapes.

The known shape-forming, constructional toys either consist of individual elements - thus they can become lost-ortheyform a non-detachable unit, but in this case they do not assure great variation in playing.

This invention aims at producing a spatial toy that can be easily used in any size and that assures the formation of very diverse spatial configurations, a great number of play variations, easy manipulatibil itywithout breaking the connections of the elements effected between one another.

The invention consists in a spatial toy having at least two play elements connected to one another displaceably by a coupling element, the play elements still forming a non-detachable unit.

The essence of the invention is that each of any two adjacent play elements connected to one another is provided with at least one guide way, where at least one of the guide ways is formed along a planar or spatial line, and a coupling element holding the two adjacent play elements elastically together which is displaceable - advantageously rotatable relative to the longitudinal axis of a guiding way - along the length of at least one of the guiding ways, and that one of the play elements is formed to be angularly displaceable, even independently of the other elements, about at least two immobile, theoretical axes (X, Y, Z) of rotation, advantageously intersecting in the centre of one of the play elements.

Also advantageously at least some of the play elements are provided with code symbols, which are settable into a logical system.

According to another preferred feature of the invention, at least some of the spatial play elements are provided with spatial orientation symbols preferably with arrows.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the code symbol of the elements is formed as at least a section of the guide way of the play element.

Afurther preferred embodiment of the invention lies in that its guide way is formed as a channel opened outwardly and flaring inwardly and advantageously, its coupling element is formed as a guide solid fitting into the guide way and widening at both ends.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention at least some of its play elements are formed as cubes, balls and/or other spatial solids.

Advantageously, the guide way is formed along an endless line and along a single line.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the guide way is formed along a line consisting of nearly straight sections and advantageously provided with break points and/or curves.

According to a further preferred feature of the invention the guide way formed along a spatial line is arranged along a line passing through the centre of each sides of the element.

Advantageously, the guide way is arranged along a line intersecting itself and/or branching from itself.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention at least a part of the coupling element, (advantageously, the body of the guide) is formed as a compression spring element.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention the coupling element of the toy is formed as a one-piece spring.

A yet another preferred embodiment of the invention can be obtained where at least a part of the coupling element is formed as a tension spring element.

According to a further embodiment of the invention the guide way is formed - at least partly - as a guide rail.

Advantageously, the element is - at least partly made of an elastic material.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention the coupling element being displaced along the guide way is formed as a non-rotatable element and is connected to both play elements belonging to it in a non-rotable way, along at least a section of the guiding way.

Advantageously, the elements are connected together in rows by coupling elements, where the number of the coupling elements is equal to or one less than the number of the play elements.

Finally, the toy according to the invention can also be preferably formed in such a way, that at least one play element is provided with an interconnecting unit suitable for coupling further toy(s) or element(s) forming a non-detachable unit The toy according to the invention may be contrasted with all known logical toys in that the individual elements are held elastically together into a single unit by coupling elements guided in guide ways. At the same time, the individual elements can be angularly displaced about theoretical spatial axes of rotation even when the elements are not spherical.

The developed construction according to the invention enables two adjacent elements to be displaced around one another, thus assuring a number of shape-constructing possibilities and, simultaneously, logic games.

The angular displaceability about a plurality of spatial axes of rotation can be increased by arranging the guide way on the element in such a way, that it should spatially encircle the play element, as far as possible.

Accordingly, the angular displaceability can be increased, on the one hand, by the number of break points and intersection points of the spatial line, and on the other hand, by employing a coupling element that can be angularly displaced relative to the longitudinal axis of the guide way.

The code symbols facilitate the marking, identification and distinction of the sides or other parts of the play elements, thus making the toy suitable for setting and solving different logical games.

Various colour, number, character, picture or other, planar or spatial symbols, or specific arrangement of parts of the play elements may be employed as code symbols according to the invention.

Accordingly, e.g. the arrangement or shape of the guide way or of a part of it can be used as code symbol.

By employing such code symbols the toy according to the invention comprising, e.g. eight cubic elements, can be arranged into a single, regular large cube only when each element of the large cube configuration is situated in a unique, strictly determined location, in a given position of rotation.

In all other positions deviating from the said unique one, the external shape of the toy differs from the regular cubic form.

The code symbols formed as described are also themselves spatial configurations and/or kinetic positive guides, which makes the game more interesting.

At least a part of the spatial elements are provided with spatial orientation - advantageously with arrows - according to the invention.

The arrows provided on the elements, being combined with the shape-forming feature of the toy, - in contrast to all known logical toys - facilitate the setting of logical tasks where the formulation of the task does not specify which configurations of the play elements supply the positions of the solution, but even the configuration itself becomes known only when the solution has been found.

That is, the toy also offers the user the pleasure of creating configurations, shapes during the search for the solution of the logical task.

As the arrows located on the spatial elements or other direction-designating symbols also function as space vectors, this facilitates the setting and solution of the most varied - and not only game - tasks.

Spatial orientation affords the possibility of configuring the elements into a further spatial logical system that could not have been obtained hitherto.

According to the invention, cubic, spherical or other spatial solid-shaped elements can be fitted together into spatial forms in various ways, that improve the shape-forming feature of the toy. In contrast to all the known shape formfing toys, ext smoot, discontinuity-free spatial forms can be built from a toy made up of spherical elements.

Aguidewayformed along an endless or selflocked, as well as along a single line facilitates the displacement of the coupling element continuously along the guide way.

When employing play elements with planar confining faces, it is especially advantageous to make up the guide way of straight sections provided with break points, because in this way the length of the guide way will be shorter.

By employing a guide way formed along a spatial line passing through the centre of each confining face of each play element, the play elements, especially those confined with plane figures - precisely covering one another - can be arranged into the most varied positions and configurations. If the guide way is formed along a single line passing through the centre of each confining face of the play element, then the length of the guide way can be kept at a minimum without decreasing the numbeer of the arrangement positions, and thus the external size of the element can also be diminished.

Guide ways formed along self-intersecting or self-branching lines increase the kinetic degrees of freedom of the play elements.

Employing a compression spring element according to a preferred feature of the invention enhances the life of the toy.

By using a guide body formed as a compression spring element, the opening that is visible from outside of the guide way formed as a channel opening outwardly and flaring inwardly, that is, the external channel may expediently be chosen to be narrow.

The one-piece spring, as coupling element especially when selected as a compression spring, further enhances the life of the toy.

If the coupling element of the toy according to the invention, or a part of it, is a tension spring then the toy can be produced in a simple, inexpensive form.

The guide way formed as a guide rail facilitates the production of the play elements in a more simple manner.

If the play elements are made of an elastic or resilient material, then the elastic or resilient holding together of the elements is accomplished, or is at least promoted, and thus the coupling element and also the play elements themselves may be produced in a smaller size.

By arranging the coupling element to be displaceable along the guide way as a non-rotatable element and connecting it to both elements belonging to it in a non-rotatable way, the re-arrangement of the elements relative to one another can be accomplished according to a fixed positive guide only. The straight and angular displacements in this case are not independent operations, but they are tied together by a cause-result relation. The user must also take into account this cause-result relation while using the toy, thereby making the toy logically more difficult and interesting.

Connecting the elements into a row assures that the toy according to the invention will have diverse game variations.

By employing interconnecting units, the toys or their elements can be connected to one another, accordingly the number of elements connected together may be increased even multiplied. Thus the toy affords more possibilities for construction, and becomes suitable for building spatial configurations of diverse size and complexity.

Eliminating or reducing the drawbacks of the known, similar toys, the toy according to the invention has a shape-forming feature offering extremely extensive variations that assures extensive possibilities as an innovative, logical shape-forming toy.

The great advantage of the invention resides in its extensive and diverse variation possibilities, small dimensions and non-detachability.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, merely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, wherein: Figure lisa plan view of two play elements connected together by a coupling element, of a first embodiment of a toy according to the invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the play element shown in Figure 1 and of the coupling element half extending out of it, Figure 3 and 4 are plan views of the play element shown in Figure 2, Figures 5to 7are cross-sections of Figure 4, taken along the planes indicated by the lines V-V, VI-VI, and VII-VII, respectively, Figure 8 is an elevational view of a coupling element made from an elastic material according to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, Figures 9 to 11 each are perspective, diagrammatic views of embodiments - connected together from 8 respectively cubic and spherical play elements in a non-detachable way - of a toy according to the invention, Figures 12 and 13 are perspective views of spatial arrangements of the play elements of the toys shown in Figures 9 to 11, as examples, Figure 14 is a perspective view of one of the play elements of a further embodiment of a toy according to the invention, Figure 15 is a perspective view of the spatial track of the guiding way of the play element shown in Figure 14, marked with a dash-and-dot line, Figure 16 is a plan view of the play element shown in Figure 14, Figures 17to 19 are cross-sections, taken along the plane indicated bythe lines XVII-XVII, XVIII-XVIII, XIX-XIX shown in Figure 16, respectively, Figures 20 and 21 are cross-sections of the coupling elements, as embodiments, of a toy according to the invention, as well as of broken-away fragments of adjacent elements, Figure 22 is a perspective, diagrammatic view of a toy consisting of four cubic play elements according to the invention, and of the arrows formed on the faces of the play elements, Figure 23 is a half-elevational, half-sectional view of a play element, and of an interconnecting unit taken out of it, of a further embodiment of a toy according to the invention, Figure 24 is a half-elevational, half-sectional view of the shape-forming toy shown in Figure 10 and made up from spherical play elements, and of an interconnecting unit taken out of one of the play elements, Figures 25 to 28 are cross-sections of different embodiments of the coupling elements of a toy according to the invention, Figure 29 is an elevational view of a cubic play element and a coupling element of a toy provided with a guide way formed as a guide rail, and Figure 30 is a cross-section, taken along the plane indicated by the line XXX-XXX shown in Figure 29.

The spatial logical toy illustrated in Figures 1 to 9 and 12, 13, in respect of its external shape, comprises play elements 1 in the form of cubic bodies, resiliently held together into a non-detachable unit by coupling elements 2 in such a way that they are linearly or angularly displaceable relative to one another. The play elements 1 of the embodiment are provided with a guiding way 3 formed as an opened-out, flaring inward channel 30 for receiving the coupling element 2, where the channel 30 comprises an external channel 31 opened outward and an internal channel 32 located in parallel under it, and communicating with it.

The external channel 31, as well as the internal channel 32, that is, the guiding way 3 are formed on the play element 1 along a compound, spatial line passing through the centre of each face of the cubic play element 1, as well as through the midpoint of the edges of the play element.

Holding together the play element 1 nondetachably is accomplished by widening guide bodies 21, fitting into the guide way 3 and located in the internal channel 32. A coupling element shank 22 serves for connecting together each guide body 21 located in the internal channels 32 of two adjacent or neighbouring play elements 1. The guide body 21 and the coupling element shank 22 together constitute the coupling element 2, which is a one-piece resilient (e.g. rubber) body in this embodiment.

The play element 1 is advantageously made from plastics as a whole.

For the various logical tasks, for marking, identification and distinction of the various parts, advantageously of the faces of the play element, the play elements 1 are provided with code symbols 4 that can be set into a predetermined code system. For the sake of greater clarity, the code symbols 4 formed as stars, crosses and triangles in this particular embodiment have not been shown in the figures, but for Figure 2. Various colour, number, character or other symbols and any other known distinguishing symbols capable of being perceived, respectively, may be used for forming the code symbols 4. Accordingly, a distinguishing symbol that can be perceived means not only visible symbols, but e.g. a tangible symbol or symbols that can be sensed in any other way.

Figure 1 is a plan view of two play elements 1 marked with letters A and B, held together into a non-detachable unit by a coupling element 2. The figure illustrates a possible linear displacement and rotation of the play element marked with B.

A dash-and-dot line illustrates the play element 1 marked with B in its motionless, stable position. A continuous line shows the play element 1 marked with B at an intermediate moment of displacement by rotating it.

The invisible internal edges of the play elements 1 are not shown in the figure. For the sake of easier comprehension, however, the coupling element 2 is still shown with a dashed line, though it is located inside the play elements 1 and is thus invisible.

Figure 2 is a prespective view of one of the play elements 1 of the toy, e.g. of play element 1 "A" togetherwith the coupling element 2 being half inside it and half projecting from it. It must be noted that Figure 2 this way illustrates only a part of the toy according to the invention, namely the toy according to the invention incorporates two or more play elements 1 marked in the embodiment with Ato H and held non-detachably together with coupling elements 2.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the play element 1 of the toy. The front and side views of the play element 1 are identical with the view shown in Figure 3 due to its symmetrical form.

Figure 4 is identical with Figure 3, but here the confining lines of the internal channel 32 are also illustrated by dashed lines.

The external channels 31 and the internal channels 32 formed inside the play elements 1 are shown in Figure 4 and in Figures 5, 6 and 7, each illustrating one typical cross-section.

Figure 8 illustrates individually the axially symmetrical, simple coupling element 2 made from a one-piece, resilient or elastic material. The diameter of the two guide bodies 21 forming a part of the coupling element 2 is advantageously less than the width of the internal channel 32 of the play element 1, but exceeds the width of the external channel 31, while the diameter of the coupling element shank 22 is less than the width of the external channel 31.

Figures 9 to 11 diagrammatically show a toy incorporating eight play elements 1 marked with letters A to H, undetachably connected together in a row of coupling elements 2. The play elements 1 may have a cubic form (Figure 9) or a spherical form (Figure 10). The play elements 1 connected in a row of the toy shown in Figures 9 and 10 are connected together by seven, while the play elements 1 of the toy shown in Figure 11 by eight coupling elements 2.

Accordingly, the play elements 1 marked with A and H are also connected together in a non-detachable way by a coupling element 2 according to the toy shown in Figure 11.

The letter symbols A to H used in the notation of the play elements 1 in Figures 9 to 13 serve merely for identifying the succession of the play elements 1, and are not related to the code symbols 4.

Figures 12 and 13 give examples of possibilities of arranging the play elements 1 of the toys shown in Figures 9 to 11 into various configurations. The spatial succession, shown in Figure 12, of the play elements 1 gives example of a possible spatial arrangement of the play elements 1 of the toys according to Figures 9, 10 and 11, while Figure 13 shows that of the play elements 1 of the toys according to Figures 9 and 10 only.

Figures 9 to 13 merely illustrate the fact, that the play elements 1 of the toy held resilientlytogetherin a non-detachable way may be arranged into different configurations.

The principle of operation of the spatial logical toy shown in Figures 1 to 13 according to the embodiment of the invention will now be described as follows.

Without being disconnected, the play elements 1 of the toy according to the embodiment described of the invention may be angularly displaced about either the X, or the Y, or the Z theoretical axes by way of the elastic coupling elements 2.

In order to prove this, the guide body 21 outside the coupling element 2 shown in Figure 2 must be fixed in space e.g. in such a way, that it is taken in one's right hand and is kept motionless in place.

Then by seizing the play element 1 with the left hand, it can be rotated about either the X, or the Y, or the Z theoretical axes even if the coupling element 2 remains in place. By rotating the cubic play element 1 by an integral number of rotations of + or - 90 , 24 different positions of the play element 1 can be distinguished using the code symbols 4 that are seen on the faces of the cube. The location of the coupling element 2 does not change in space during rotation, because it is held in place in one's right hand.

Meanwhile, the non-visible guide body 21 of the coupling element 2 remains all the time in the internal channel 32 situated in the play element 1, but it is located in different sections of the internal channel 32.

The toy according to the invention consists of at least two pieces of toy elements 1, where two oppositely lying guide bodies 21 of the same coupling element 2 are situated in the internal channel 32 of two adjacent play elements 1. By taking two adjacent play elements 1 of the toy in one's right and left hands, any of the play elements 1 can be rotated about the other one or about itself similarly to that described on the basis of Figure 2.

Figure 1 illustrates a rotation that displaces angularly the play element 1 marked with B about the Y theoretical axis of rotation of the play element 1.

Accordingly, the play elements can be displaced, angularly displaced about both their own theoretical X, Y, Z and the X, Y, Z theoretical axes of rotation of one another.

By moving two adjacent play elements 1 relative to one another, the coupling element 2 connecting them together can be displaced along the guide way 3 of either one or the other play element 1; as a result, the adjacent play elements 1 can be moved around one another along diverse routes.

During this operation, one of guide bodies 21 of the coupling element 2 "wanders about" inside the internal channel 32 of one of the play elements 1, while its other guide body 21 in the internal channel 32 of the other play element 1 remains relatively motionless in place.

This means that - while accomplishing tiny displacements - it does not exit from the guide way 3 section belonging to the given face of the cubic play element 1.

Considering that in our embodiment the coupling element 2 is axially symmetrical and is of circular section, consequently, it is formed as being rotatable relative to the longitudinal axis of the guide way 3, the angular displacement of the play element 1 about the rotational axis of the coupling element 2 can be accomplished by a simple rotational operation, without displacing the coupling element 2, without making it "wander".

24 different positions of all the play elements 1 in their own spatial locations can be distinguished by the code symbols 4. Together with the possibility of arranging the play elements 1 relative to one another, in a toy comprising eight play elements 1 the number of variations is of the order of a billion (million millions).

There can also be set tasks, where the code symbols 4, e.g. colours are to be brought into a pattern, that is, to be arranged into a certain code system. In this case, colours, shapes and logical relations are to be and may be considered during the game.

For illustrating this, an embodiment according to the invention is shown in Figure 11. The eight spherical or nearly spherical play elements 1 are connected together in rows by eight coupling elements 2 formed as shown in e.g. Figure 26, that can be angularly displaced relative to the longitudinal axis of the guiding way 3. The guide ways 3 are formed as inwardly flaring channels 30 along one great circle of each spherical play element 1, that is, along a single, endless regular planar curved line.

The play elements 1 are provided with six symmetrically formed code symbols 4 each. According to the problem set, the players are to look for the solution of the logical task in a cubic form spatial arrange mentsimilarto Figure 12, but the angular displacement of the play elements 1 about a plurality of axes can only be accomplished in the configuration according to Figure 11. As a result, the player has to rearrange the play elements 1 in space continuously during the game.

The toy according to the invention is suitable for developing the creative ability in the most versatile fashion due to the numerous variation possibilities.

The play elements 1 of the spatial toy according to the invention may be arranged not only into a cubic form but into other, most diverse configurations also, e.g. into parallelepipeds, spherical, cylinderical, conical and other solid bodies, or other regular or irregular, even amorphous solids. Even play elements 1 that are arranged into solids of different shape may be connected to one another by the coupling elements 2. This is due to the fact that each play element uses only one-half of the coupling element 2, its one side guide body 21.

In contrast to Figures 9 to 13 the play elements 1 may be connected to one another not only in a series arrangement, because e.g. not only two, but also a different number of adjacent play elements 1 may be connected to a given play element 1. Such an embodiment will now be described without figures, where a guide way 3 is formed on the upper face of a parallelepipedal play element 1 along a planar labyrinth line, and eight or ten or more, cubic or other solid play elements 1 are separately connected to it according to the invention.

By this embodiment of the invention e.g. interesting indoor games may be constructed.

On the other hand, by employing play elements 1 of different numbers and shapes the toy according to the invention can be produced in the most varied embodiments and forms.

The construction of the play elements 1 according to Figures 1 to 7 can be further simplified while preserving the main advantageous characteristics of the invention that results in further advantages. An example is illustrated by a further embodiment according to the invention, which is described on the basis of Figures 14 to 22.

Because of the identity of the faces of the play element 1, as can be seen in Figures 14 and 15, the side elevational view and the elevational view have not individually been shown, because they are similar to the view shown in Figure 16. Figures 17to 19 are typical cross-sections of Figures 16, where the external channels 31 and the internal channel 32 maywell be seen.

A broken-out fragment of two adjacent play elements 1 held elastically together by the coupling element 2 is also shown on Figures 21 and 22, where also the external channels 31 and the internal channels 32 may well be seen.

The coupling element is made up from a compact, clock-spring shaped tension spring element 23, and from two spherical guide bodies 21 as shown in Figure 20, while in Figure 21 it is formed as a clock spring 25 in the form of a compression spring element. The coupling element of a shape shown in Figure 21 may also be a one-piece spring 25 bent from a single spring wire, which enhances its life.

Atoy according to the invention, made up from four play elements 1 is diagrammatically shown in Figure 22. For the sake of easier comprehension, the structure of the play elements 1 is not shown.

There are arrows 41 suitable for direction designation on the lateral faces of the play elements 1 as logical code symbols 4. The arrows 41 arranged in the positions shown in Figure 22 of the four play elements 1 on the lateral faces of the play elements constitute a single, continuous, self-locked spatial way system, that the play elements 1 provided with the arrows 41 fit into.

The confining, covered faces of the play elements 1 are also provided with arrows 41, but they are not shown in figure, for the sake of easier comprehension.

For the sake of easier comprehension, it is not shown in figures that a small, roughly hemispherical recess to the left, as well as a hemispherical projection of similar dimension to the right of each theoretical median are expediently provided on all the faces of the play elements 1, in the vicinity of the edges. These assure that the confining play element faces held elastically together will not be displaced or angularly displaced, unintentionally and precisely cover one another.

In this embodiment the spatial line, along which the guide way 3 is formed on the play element 1, is of a length half that of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 7. This allows one to employ play elements 1 of smaller dimension with a coupling element 2 of same dimension while preserving their proper strength.

In spite of the guide way being simpler and shorter, all the configurations and positions that were possible with the play elements 1 according to Figures 1 to 7 can be obtained from the play elements 1 during the game when using a toy made up from such play elements 1.

This is due to the fact that the external channels 31 and the internal channels 32, that is, the guide way 3 are effected along an endless or self-locked line passing through the centre of all the lateral faces of the play element 1.

The guide way 3 arranged along a single line facilitates the easy, continuous displacement of the coupling elements 2 along the guide way 3. In order to decrease the length of the guide way 3 to a minimum, the guide way 3 is formed along a line consisting of straight sections and provided with breakpoints.

The toy according to the invention, shown in Figures 14 to 22 will now be described, as follows.

In this embodiment the operations required during the game to build up, to create configurations and positions become more complicated than in the case of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 7, because certain angular displacements that previously could be accomplished in a single step can now be carried out in a plurality of steps only, by sequential angular displacements about a plurality of axes of rotation.

Otherwise, the angular displacement and the rearrangement, relative to one another, of the play elements 1 is accomplished in a similar way to those of the toy elements 1 of Figures 1 to 7.

When using the toy mainly as a logical toy, the angular displacement that can be realized in a plurality of steps only, makes the game more interesting - due to the character of the game because the toy better challenges human spatial perception and memory.

In this embodiment the aim to be achieved by the player is: to arrange, to displace angularly the play elements 1 into such a configuration and position in space that the arrows 41 on all the visible, not covered faces of the play elements 1 should constitute an adjoining, unidirectional, self-locking, continuous "way system" that runs through all the visible faces. The solution of the task is shown in Figure 22.

The arrows 41 and sections of the "way" may also be provided with ordinal numbers. This facilitates the setting of any number of game tasks by prescribing the two sections of the "way" provided with numerals that are to be connected with a continuous way.

The task can be understood by itself without the need for any directions of use or explanation, as the arrow symbols and their desired arrangement into a continuous line along them are readily and universally understood.

Straight and curved arrows of 90" representing twelve kinds of code symbols 4 are used: any one arrow 41 may have its base point in any of the four sides of a square, and it may be straight, curving to the left or to the right. Accordingly, one of the twelve possible kinds of arrow is formed on each face of the play elements 1.

Finding a solution to the problem, whether experimentally or by mathematical-geometrical methods, is an extremely interesting task.

The arrows 41 used in the toy according to the invention may be arrows 41 of any kind (e.g. a branched one) or any other direction designation that can be perceived or sensed.

The arrows 41 located on the play elements 1 are not merely code symbols serving for distinguishing or identifying references of individual parts of the play elements 1, but, at the same time, they are geometrical elements providing the play elements 1 with orientation, where - in case of spatial logical toys - they have the same fundamental feature and importance, as e.g. the shape of the play element 1 has. By way of them, the play elements 1 need to comply with futher requirements of solid geometry in the game.

The arrow 41 or other direction designating formation, just like the other fundamental elements of the toy cannot be substituted with anything else without corrupting the essential feature of the logical toy.

The usual code symbols 4 do not meet this requirement where one of the code symbols can be substituted with another code symbol, e.g. colour with shape, letter with number, etc.

A quite innovative feature of the invention is that the regularities of the three-dimensional material space are brought into the logical game by means of the play elements 1 being orientated.

A non-illustrated embodiment of the invention will now be described in which the guide way 3 is formed as code symbol 4. In this embodiment the toy is made up of eight cubic play elements 1 connected together by coupling elements 2.

The guide way 3 on the play elements 1 is effected similarly to Figures 14 and 15, with the difference that the break points of the guide way are not situated precisely in the centre of the literal faces of the play elements 1, but at a smaller or larger distance from it in a given direction, namely in a way varying for each play element. Accordingly, here the code symbol 4 of the logical toy forms a section of the guide way 3, where the toy can be arranged into a large cube similar to the one shown in Figure 12 only when each play element 1 is located in a strictly determined place and position within the cubic configuration.

In the following embodiment of the invention the coupling element 2 is formed as a non-rotateable element and it is connected to both play elements 1 belonging to it, on a longer section of the guide way 3 in an angularly non-displaceable way. The play elements 1 are formed as shown in Figures 14to 19.

The simple coupling element 2 made from an elastic material is similarly formed as in Figure 8, but with the difference that its guide bodies 21 have a cubic shape, the length of the edge of which is nearly the same as the width of the internal channel 32, thus it cannot be angularly displaced in the channel.

Along one of the six faces of the play element 1 the internal channel 32 of the guide way 3 is widened by a factor of 1.5 relative to the other sections of the guide way 3; accordingly, in this section of the guide way 3 the coupling element 2 is connected to the play element 1 in an angularly displaceable way.

The highly advantageous shape-forming feature of the toy according to the invention enables the toy to be made and used as an explicitly constructive, shape-forming toy.

For constructional toys, interconnecting units 5 are preferably formed on some element or elements of the toy comprising non-detachable play elements 1 with the aid of which several toys may be connected to one another or to further play elements 1.

The embodiments of the invention according to above will now be described, based on Figures 23 to 28, as well as Figures 9,10,12 and 13.

In the present embodiment the toys shown di agrammaticallyin Figures 9,10, 12 and 13 will be used not as a logical, but explicitly as a shapeforming toy. Therefore it is indifferent that e.g. which side of the play element 1 marked with "G" in the configuration according to Figure 13 is facing us.

That is, the faces of the play elements 1 usually are not to be distinguished in the case of a construction toy. As a result, the guide way 3 can be effected along a more simple and shorter line on the play elements 1.

Figure 23 is a half-elevational, half-sectional view of a play element 1 of the toy, according to Figures 9, 12, 13. The guide way 3, that is, the external channel 31 and the internal channel 31 are formed on the cubic play element 1 along a planar line that is running along three medians and is roughly "U" shaped.

The interconnecting units 5 serve for connecting the toy to further toys. Two interconnecting units 51 formed as a hole or a cylindrical nest are arranged along an axis at right angles to the plane of the guide way 3, while in the plane of the guide way 3 an interconnecting unit 52 of same shape and diameter is provided. An expediently tube-shaped interconnecting unit 53 fitting precisely into and easily removeable from the interconnecting units 51, 52 provides the play element 1 with possibility of further connections.

A similar construction is shown in Figure 24 employing spherical play elements.

A guide way 3 is effected in the form of an external channel 31 and an internal channel 32 along one of the great circles of the spherical play element 1 of the toy. The guide way 3 has a shape of, roughly, the letter "C". Three interconnecting units 5,51,52 formed as a hole or cylindrical nest are provided on the play element 1 in a similar way to that on the play element 1 according to Figure 23.

An interconnecting unit 54 with a function similar to that of the interconnecting unit 53 shown in Figures 23, but matching the spherical form facilitates connection of the play element 1 to a further similar toy. The external cylindrical surface of the interconnecting unit 54 is notched in order that it should be easily removable from the play element 1.

To hold elastically together and to fix the play elements against unintentional displacement, a coupling element 2 is made up from an inelastic clamp element 27 equipped with a widening guide body 21 and from a ring-shaped fixing element 26 formed as a compression spring element 24.

As shown in Figure 25, the coupling element 2 is made from an inelastic clamp element 27 equipped with a widening guide body 21, and from two ring-shaped fixing elements 26 formed with a compression spring element 24, as a clock ring, according to another embodiment.

Figure 26 shows a coupling element 2 made up from a ring-shaped fixing element 26 provided on both sides with part-spherical double concave recesses, and from a clamp element 27 passing through the fixing element 26, where the clamp element 27 is formed as a journal, is equipped with guide bodies 21 and is surrounded by a compression spring element 24.

Figure 27 shows a coupling element 2 suited for holding spherical play elements 1 together, the length of which is greater than their radius. It is made up from a cylindrical fixing element 26 and from guide bodies 21 connected to the fixing element 26 and equipped with a compression spring element 24.

Figure 28 shows a coupling element 2 suited for holding together six spherical play elements 1 which comprises a central fixing element 26 equipped with part-spherical recesses and guide bodies 21 formed as compression spring elements 24.

The operation of the toys according to the invention shown in Figures23,24and9,10, 12,l3wilI now be described, as follows, based on the toys shown in Figures 10 and 24.

By rotating the play elements 1 relative to one another, the mostvaried configurations can be obtained from the toy comprising spherical toy elements 1 as shown in the figures.

Each play element may be angularly displaced about an axis in a round angle, while it may be angularly displaced about an axis perpendicular to the first axis with more than a three-quarter turn.

The range ofthe angular displacement, however, is not discrete, but quite continuous, in contrast with the usual jig-saw puzzles, where the angular dis placement may usually be accomplished by a multi pie of + 90". This facilitates the creation of forma tions with quite smooth contour lines. To any of the play elements 1 arranged in a row shown in Figure 10 may be connected further, shorter or longer play element rows in three locations, with the aid of the interconnection units 51,52, and 54.

As a result, any play element 1 can be provided with branches or intersections at any angle. The play can be further enlarged without any limit, e.g. a many-branched bush our a pile of coiled up snakes may also be formed.

To brighten the outward appearance of the toy, every second play element 1 of the play element row is preferably to be made from a material of the same colour or each play element 1 is to be produced from two halves of different colour.

The interconnecting units 5 may also be formed for a threaded joint.

Interconnecting units 5 connecting together the toys in a detachable way by fitting tightly into L-shaped external channels 31 of the play elements 1 can be formed for connecting together the toys made up from the play elements 1 according to Figures 14to 19.

The difference between the mode of use of the toy according to Figures 23 and 9,12, 13 and of the one according to Figures 10 and 24 resides merely in that the play elements may be rotated only by an integral number of + or - 900.

The coupling elements 2 according to Figures 25 and 26 have advantages as regards construction and production. The connecting element 2 according to Figures 27 facilites the formation of shapes of a stick-like impression.

Figure 28 illustrates an embodiment of a coupling element 2 suited for holding together a plurality of play elements 1; thus it can advantageously be used also in logical toys.

The relative proportions of the dimensions of the individual play elements 1, the coupling elements 2 and the guide ways 3 of the toy according to the invention are not restricted. In some embodiments of the invention, e.g. the extent of the coupling element 2 may be greater than the play element 1 belonging to it, as e.g. in the embodiment according to Figure 27.

By changing the relative proportions the most diverse embodiments of the toy according to the invention can be obtained. By changing the proportions, the individual constituent of the toy may have additional functions too, and some of their functions may be exchanged. The coupling elements 2 may e.g. also be provided with code symbols 4 or an inter-connecting unit 5.

The solution according to the invention is not restricted to guide ways 3 in the form of channels and to coupling elements 2 as described in the embodiments and to the described methods for holding the two of them together.

The spatial toy according to the invention defined in Claim 1 of the invention can be effected by numerous methods for holding the elements constructionally together and by constructive elements that differ from those described above.

An example for that is shown in Figures 29,30 where the guide way 3 is formed as a guide rail 33 on the play element 1 along the spatial line according to Figure 15 which rail is coupled with a fitting and connecting, spring-supported coupling element 2 that can be angularly displaced about its own axis of rotation and can be displaced along the guide rail 33.

Another non-illustrated example according to the invention, for another construction will now be described.

Accordingly, a zip-fastener (zipper) serving as a guide way 3 is run around on the outer surface of the spherical surface of a play element 1, along any seif-locked line. The carrier strip of the zip-fastener is attached (e.g. glued) to the ball. The spherical play element 1 is split into two halves along the middle line of the zip-fastener in such a way that without the zip-fastener the ball would fall apart to two parts.

The slide of the zip-fastener is formed as two oppositely directed, built-together common zipfastener slides. This "twin-slide" unlocks the zipfastener forwards and locks it immediateiy behind itself. Accordingly, in any position of the slide the zip-fastener is locked.

This way the slide of the zip-fastener constitutes the coupling element 2 that can "walk" around on the play element 1 but cannot be removed.

The toy according to the invention can also be realized in such a way that the elasticity of holding the play elements 1 together is entirely or at least partly assured by elasticity of the play element 1 or of a part of it.

An embodiment of this is the toy according to the invention as shown in Figure 24, where the play elements are made from a resilient plastic, and the dimensions of the constituents of the toy have been chosen in such a way, that holding the play elements 1 elastically together is achieved partly by the elasticity of the play elements 1.

In addition to the benefits described above, the toy according to the invention offers also further game values of different type that will now be described by way of the following embodiment. Accordingly, the construction of the toy corresponds to the construction of a previously described logical toy shown in Figure 11, but advantageously, this toy comprises at least fifteen-twenty play elements 1, the diameter of which is not greater than one centimetre. The guide way 3 is arranged along one great circle of each spherical play elements 1 connected in row into a closed chain.

The toy, as regards to its outward appearance, is very similar to a people's or religious instrument known as "worry beads" or rosary in the Arab world, and it clams one's nerves while one fingers it or keeps rotating the balls of the toy.

The play elements 1, that is, the balls of the toy according to the invention may be angularly rotated about a plurality of axes of rotation, thus they are even more suitable for soothing fingering.

In this embodiment of the toy according to the invention the play elements 1 can be held elastically together in a much looser way than in cases of the previously described embodiments.

The play elements 1 according to the invention may expediently be produced from two halves, the coupling elements 2 may expediently be placed into the channels 30 of the play elements 1 for coupling, e.g. sticking the two halves together.

Claims (22)

1. A spatial toy comprising at least two play elements connected to one another by a coupling element in a displaceable way, the play elements constituting a non-detachable unit, characterized in that at least one guide way is provided on each of its two adjacent play elements connected to one another, wherein at least one of them is arranged along a planar and/or spatial line, the toy further comprising a coupling element displaceable along the length of at least one of the guide ways and holding the two adjacent play elements elastically together - advantageously being angularly displaceable relative to the longitudinal axis of some of the guide ways -, and at least one of the play elements is formed in such a way that it can be angularly displaced about at least two dead, theoretical axes of rotation (X, Y, Z) - advantageously intersecting in the centre of one of the play elements, irrespective also of the other play elements.

2. Spatial toy as claimed in claim 1 characterized in that at least a part of the play elements are provided with code symbols that can be set into a logical system.

3. Spatial toy as claimed in claim 1 or 2 characte rized in that at least a part of the play elements is provided with spatial orientation - preferably with arrows.

4. Spatial toy as claimed in claim 2 characterized in that the code symbol of the play elements is formed as at least a section of the guide way of the play element.

5. Spatial toy as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that the guide way of the play elements is formed as a channel opened outward and flaring inward.

6. Spatial toy as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that the coupling element holding the play elements together is a guide body fitting into the guide way and widening at both ends.

7. Spatial toy as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6 characterized in that at least a part of the play elements is effected in the form of a cubic, spherical and/or other geometrical solid.

8. Spatial toy as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7 characterized in that the guide way of the play element is arranged along an endless or self-locked line.

9. A toy as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each said guideway is arranged along a single line.

10. A toy as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each said guideway is arranged along a line made up from roughly straight sections, preferably being provided with break points and/or curves.

11. A toy as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each said guideway arranged along a spatial line of the play element is formed along a line passing through the centre of each face of the play element.

12. A toy as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8, 10 or 11 wherein each said guideway of the play element is arranged along self-intersecting and selfbranching lines.

13. A toy as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least a part of the coupling element of the play element advantageously the guide body, is a compression spring element.

14. A toy as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the coupling element holding the play elements together is a one-piece spring.

15. Spatial toy as claimed in any of claims 1 to 14 characterized in that at least a part of the coupling element holding the play elements together is effected as a tension spring element.

16. Spatial toy as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, 7 to 13 or 15 characterized in that the guide way of the play element is at least partly formed as a guide rail.

17. Spatial toy as claimed in any of claims 1 to 16 characterized in that the play element is at least partly made from an elastic or resilient material.

18. Spatial toy as claimed in any of claims 1 to 17 characterized in that the coupling element moving along the guide way of the play element is nonrotatable, and is connected to both play elements belonging to it in a non-rotatable way on at least a section of the guide way.

19. Spatial toy as claimed in any of claims 1 to 18 characterized in that the play elements are con nected to one another in a row by coupling elements, wherein the number of the coupling elements is equal to or one less than the number of the play elements.

20. Spatial toy as claimed in any of claims 1 to 19 characterized in that at least one of the play elements 1 is provided with an interconnecting unit suited for connecting a further toy formed as a non-detachable unit, or a further play element.

21. A toy for forming shapes and/or performing logical tasks, comprising at least two play elements each of which is provided with a guideway, a coupling element captively but displaceably received in the guideways of said play elements so as permanently to interconnect said play elements while allowing them to move relative to each other.

22. A toy substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 9, 12 and 13; or Figure 10 or Figure 11; or Figures 14-19, or any one of Figures 20 to 30.