GB2107595A

GB2107595A - Puzzle

Info

Publication number: GB2107595A
Application number: GB08204497A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chit Leong Cheng
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1981-10-14
Filing date: 1982-02-16
Publication date: 1983-05-05
Also published as: GB2107595B

Abstract

The puzzle has a spherical guide body (101) having guide grooves (102) and guide clamps (shaded parts) mounted resiliently on the surface thereof by means of screws (104) and springs (114). A plurality of external segments (100) slide along the grooves (102), and are retained by circular lugs (105) engaging the undersides of the clamps. The segments (100) are movable in groups with respect to the remaining segments, the guide grooves and clamps being such that in any given position of segments each segment can be moved as a member of any one of a plurality of groups. The puzzle has the shape of an icosahedron or dodecahedron. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Puzzle This invention relates to a puzzle.

According to the present invention there is provided a puzzle comprising a guide body having guide means on the surface thereof, and a plurality of external segments having means cooperating with the said guide means so as to enable the said segments to be moved in groups with respect to the remaining segments, the guide means being such that in any given position of segments each segment can be moved as a member of any one of a plurality of groups.

Two embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows the external appearance of a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows the external appearance of a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 3a shows a sphere which forms a guide body both the first and second embodiments; Figure 3b shows one of the guide clamps used in the first and second embodiments; Figure 3c shows one of the external segments of the first embodiment; Figure 3d is a cross-section through the first embodiment; Figure 4a shows one of the external segments of the second embodiment; and Figure 4b shows part of a cross-section through the second embodiment.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 1 is in the form of an icosahedron having as its faces twenty equilateral triangles. The embodiment of Fig. 2 is in the form of a dodecahedron having as its faces twelve regular pentagons.

The external surface of each embodiment is defined by the external surface of a plurality of segments denoted by reference numeral 100. The boundaries between the segments are shown in both Figs. 1 and 2 in the form of thick lines.

Each embodiment is coloured in twelve different colours, the different colours being denoted by reference numerals 1 to 1 2 in Figs.

1 and 2. In the case of the embodiment of Fig. 1 all the regions which are coloured 11 and 1 2 are on the side of the puzzle facing away from the viewer, and the same applies in the embodiemt of Fig. 2 to the regions coloured 7, 8, 9, 10,11 and 12. In the case of the icosahedron 1 each vertex has one colour, whereas in the case of the dodecahedron each face has one colour.

As will be explained with reference to Figs.

3 and 4, the external segments 100 are independent of each other. By repeatedly selecting at random any groups composed of five mutually adjacent pieces and rotating that group of pieces about an axis perpendicular to their centre, the puzzle may be scrambled.

The puzzle will be considered solved if the original unscrambled pattern (or any other free-determined pattern) as attained.

The mechanism of the puzzle shown in Fig.

1 will now be described with reference to Figs. 3a to 3d of the accompanying drawings.

The mechanism comprises a sphere 101 in the surface of which are formed twelve circular grooves 102. The grooves intersect with one another to define intersection points where three adjacent circular grooves intersect one another. It will be seen from examination of Fig. 3a that the intersecting grooves serve to define, inscribed within each circular groove a shape which is in the form of a pentagon having concavely curved sides. Corresponding to each of these pentagonal shapes is a guide clamp 103, as shown in Fig. 3b. At the centre of each of the pentagonal shapes on the sphere 101 is a pentagonal hole 111, which serves to receive a pentagonal protrusion 11 2 on the concave side of the guide clamp 103. A cylindrical hole 11 3 is made at the centre of the convex side of each group clamp 103.The clamps are positioned and fixed on the base sphere by helical springs 11 4 and screw 1 04. A step-shaped undercut 105 is formed on each of the curved edges of each of the clamps 1 03. There are a total of twelve clamps.

The grooves 102 receive the inner ends of pinions 106. The pinions are circular in crosssection, and their longitudinal section is cruciform. The disc-shaped central portion of each pinion fits into one of the step-shaped undercuts 105 formed in the edges of the clamps, and the outward portion of each pinions carries one of the external segments 100. There are twenty pinions 106.

Fig. 3c shows one of the twenty external pieces 1 00. Each segment has an upper flat, triangular surface 107 and a lower concave surface 108 which conforms to the convex surface of the guide clamp 1 03. Outwardly of the surface 108 the underside of each segment 100 is tapered, as indicated by reference numeral 109, so as to allow the segments to slide over one another when they are moved.

The mechanism of the embodiment of Fig.

2 is basically the same as that of the embodi ment of Fig. 1, except as regards the form of the external segments. Fig. 4a shows one of these segments, and Fig. 4b shows part of that segment in place on a guide sphere 101.

As can be seen from Fig. 4a the external segment has the shape of three equal sections of a hexagon, and the upper surface is not flat but rises to a vertex 1 10 beneath which a respective pinion 106 is received. The segment shown in Fig. 4a has a concave underside 108, and tapered inner portions 109.

From the above description it will be under stood that each external segment can assume the position of any other external segment by travelling along the grooves 102 through suitable rotation of selected groups of five mutually adjacent segments.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A puzzle comprising a guide body having guide means on the surface thereof, and a plurality of external segments having means cooperating with the said guide means so as to enable the said segments to be moved in groups with respect to the remaining segments, the guide means being such that in any given position of segments each segment can be moved as a member of any one of a plurality of groups.

2. A puzzle according to claim 1, wherein the said segments have coloured external surfaces, each segment bearing a plurality of colours on its surface.

3. A puzzle according to claim 1, wherein in the shape of an icosahedron having twenty equilateral triangles as its faces, each segment having an external surface which constitutes a respective one of the said triangles.

4. A puzzle according to claim 3, wherein each triangle is divided into three quadrilaterals of visually distinguishable appearance, each vertex of the icosahedron having five quadrilaterals meeting thereat and defining together a regular ten-sided figure.

5. A puzzle according to claim 4, wherein the visual distinction is achieved by colouring.

6. A puzzle according to claim 1, wherein each segment is defined externally by a sixsided figure and has three facets, and wherein the puzzle is in the shape of a dodecahedron having twelve regular pentagons as its faces, each of the twelve pentagons being defined by facets of five adjacent segments which meet at a point.

7. A puzzle according to claim 6, wherein the three facets of each segment are visually distinguishable from one another.

8. A puzzle according to claim 7, wherein the three facets are of different colours to one another.

9. A puzzle according to any preceding claim, wherein the guide body has twelve circular guide grooves on the surface thereof.

each groove having five locations at which it is intersected by two adjacent grooves.

9. A puzzle according to any preceding claim, wherein the guide body comprises a sphere with twelve circular grooves on the surface thereof, each groove having five locations at which it is intersected by two adjacent grooves, the segments having means slidably received in the grooves.

10. A puzzle according to claim 9, wherein the guide means include guide clamps secured to the sphere.

11. A puzzle according to claim 10, wherein the guide clamps are resiliently secured to the sphere.

1 2. A puzzle substantially as herein described with reference to either of the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

CLAIMS (11 Jan 1983)

1. A puzzle comprising a spherical guide body having a plurality of equal sized circular guide grooves on the surface thereof, each groove having a plurality of regularly spaced locations and which it is intersected by two others of the grooves, and a plurality of identical external segments having means movable in the said guide grooves so as to enable the said segments to be moved in groups with respect to the remaining segments, the guide grooves being such that in any given position of segments each segment can be moved as a member of any one of a plurality of groups.