GB2357705A

GB2357705A - Three- dimensional puzzle

Info

Publication number: GB2357705A
Application number: GB9928287A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stephen Anderson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-12-01
Filing date: 1999-12-01
Publication date: 2001-07-04
Also published as: GB9928287D0

Abstract

A three-dimensional puzzle (fig 1) comprises a tracked inner core 2, and a number of movable connected external pieces 1 that have a recognisable display of colours, icons and/or patterns on the external surface (fig 5, 9) of the moving pieces 1. The puzzle may be of a hand held size, and the movement of the external pieces 1 may be facilitated by a system of grooved tracks 2 into which the external pieces 1 are connected by a protruding stem (fig 2, 3), whose end can be fashioned so that it fits into the grooved tracks (fig 3, 5) on the inner core, allowing the external moving pieces 1 to be permanently attached yet capable of moving around the inner core. The external movable pieces 1 can be moved around the grooved tracks of the inner core 2 to allow the correct alignment of the colours and or patterns on the external surface (fig 5, 9). The course of the grooved tracks (fig 5, 9) over the inner core may be altered so that the difficulty of the puzzle can be increased or decreased. The puzzle could be made from tough yet resilient material such as a plastic, and the external display (fig 5, 9) would preferably be attached by the use of transfers or paints.

Description

2357705 PUZZLE IT THE Il'4'VL^,MTION REJUATESS TO A THREEDIMENSIONAL

PUZZLE OF THE KIND THAT INVOLVES THE ORDERING OF MOVABLE PEICES, OF EITHER A FLUSH FITTING OR INTERLOCKING TYPE, UNTIL A RECOGNISABLE, OR PRE-DEFINED, EXTERNAL PATTERN IS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED. THE EXTERNAL DISPLAY NORMALLY CONSISTS OF A SERIES OF MATCHING COLOURS, AND/OR SHAPES, OR FAMILIAR ICONS WHICH THE SOLVER WOULD RECOGNISE.

THREE-DIMENSIONAL PUZZLES ARE NOT UNUSUAL, BUT NORMALLY THEY SUFFER FROM ONE OR SEVERAL PROBLEMS: THEY EITHER LACK ARTICULATION OF THE MOVING PEICES- THEREBY REDUCING THE COMPLEXITY OF THE CHALLENGE- OR THEY LACK THE ABILITY TO CONTROL THE DEGREE OF COMPLEXITY OF THE EXTERNAL PATTERN, THEREBY MAKING THE PUZZLE EITHER TOO DIFFICULT OR TOO EASYOR THEY CONSIST OF DETATCHED, SEPERATE PEICES WHICH ARE EASILY LOST.

THE OBJECT OF THIS INVENTION IS TO PROVIDE A HAND-HELD PUZZLE WHICH HAS ARTICULATING INDIVIDUAL PEICES, AN EXTERNAL PATTERN WHICH USES COLOURS, SHAPES AND/OR INTERLOCKING PEICES AND WHOSE DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY CAN BE PER-DETERMINED TO SUIT A RANGE OF ABILITIES, AND ONE IN WHICH THE MOVING PEICES ARE PERMANENTLY CONNECTED TO THE REST OF THE PUZZLE.

ACCORDINGLY, THIS THREE-DIMENSIONAL PUZZLE PROVIDES A SYSTEM OF GROOVED TRACKS CONSTRUCTED ON AN INNER CORE INTO WHICH A PROTRUDING STEM ON EACH OF THE MOVING PEICES FITS: THUS ALLOWING THEM TO BE PERMANANTLY ATTATCHED TO THE INNER CORE, YET CAPABLE OF MOVEMENT AROUND IT. THE NATURE OF THE GROOVING IS SUCH THAT IT ALLOWS A LARGE MEASURE OF ARTICULATION AND MOVEMENT FOR EACH OF THE MOVING PEICES, AND AT THE SAME TIME, (BY ALTERING THE COURSE THE GROOVED TRACKS TAKE ACROSS THE INNER CORE), THE DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY OF THE PUZZLE CAN BE EITHER INCREASED OR DECREASED.

THE INVENTION WOULD PREFERRABLY BE MADE OF A TOUGH YET RESILIENT MATERIAL SUCH AS PLASTIC. THE EXTERNAL DISPLAY WOULD PREFERABLY BE ATTATCHED BY THE USE OF TRANSFERS, OR PERHAPS BY THE USE OF PAINTS.

A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION WILL NOW, BE DESCRIBED WITH REFERENCE TO THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS IN WHICH:

FIGURE 1: SHOWS AN ANGLED VIEW OF THE TRACKED INNER CORE.

FIGURE 2: SHOWS THE PREFERRED FORM OF THE GROOVED TRACK, AND HOW THE PROTRUDING STEM ON THE MOVING PEICES WOULD FIT.

2 FIGURE 3 Tilf-" M111OVI ">G PlEI (CES I iT S I TU. A[.4,fD THEY 1121, ARTICULATE ú"IROU''D THE CORE.

AS SI'OT.4'li IN PIGUIRE 1 THE TRACKED INNEIR' CORE IS A MULTI-SI=,D 1?T ITS BODY 'i',ITIl T 1 1j,.11J.,4-11.1 TT -,m" j. L 1 Y TRAC\S W -E'S HIS S"S'S T E1,11. -IF G TI3E COD EDGES.

C0i'TIi\Y,UOU- ALLOWS THE OF I H _E AT TATC111---D P E I C E IS ( F I G U R\ 2 A C!--',0 S ') A ',j D P 0 U,'.'D TH1 E, ENTI RE SURFACE OF TIE IIJNER CORE.

THE ATITIATCHIED PEI'''-'S (Fln;UI:\".S 2 & 3), EAC1-, 11AVE 1A PROTTRUDI JIG STE1M AT ONE OF THEIR CORNERS. EACH OF TI1E STEMS IS FASHION;:D SO THAI' IT FITS INTO THE GROOVED TRACKS 011,1 THE IIN'NEP CO -,:-w ALLOV,ING THE PEICES '1110 2E AriPTATCHED Y-1-:T CAPABLE OF MOVING AROUND THE INNER CORE.

THE EXTERNAL: FACES OF THE ATTATCHED MOVING, PEICES HAVE A PATTERN ON THEM. IN THE RIGHT ORDER, RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER, THEY CREATE A DISTINGUISHABLE OR RECOGNISABLE DISPLAY THROUGH THE USE OF COLOURS, AND/OR SHAPES AND/OR INTERLOCKING PARTS, THE OBJECT OF THE PUZZLE IS TO MOVE THE EXTERNAL AT1PATCH'E'D PEICES Al7C)U"C, THE- CORE, VIA THE GROOVED TRACKS, UNTIL THE PATTERN, OR PATTERNS CREATE A DISCERNABLY RECOGNISABLE DISPLAY.

C LA 1 ",S A T;"!,nE-",-DIttE!-,-IONAL PUZZLE, COMPRISING A TRACK5n INNER CORE, A NUMBER OF MOVING AND CONNECTED EXTERNAL PEICES, AND A RECOGNISABLE DISPLAY OF COLOURS, ICONS, ANDI/OR PATTERNS ON THE EXTERNAL SURFACES OF THE MOVING PEICES.

Claims

2. A HAND-HELD PUZZLE AS CLAIMED IN CLAIM 1, WHEREIN THE MOVEMENT OF THE

EXTERNAL PEICES AROUND THE INTERNAL CORE IS FACILITATED BY A SYSTEM OF GROOVED TRACKS INTO WHICH THE EXTERNAL PEICES ARE CONNECTED BY A PROTRUDING STEM WHOSE END IS APPROPRIATED GROOVED TO FIT.

3. A HAND-HELD PUZZLE AS CLAIMED IN CLAIM 1, WHEREIN A NUMBER OF MOVABLE PEICES ATTATCHED CAN BE MOVED AROUND THE SURFACES OF THE INTERNAL CORE TO ALLOW"THE CORRECT ALIGNMENT OF THE COLOURS AND/OR PATTERNS ON THE EXTERNAL SURFACES.

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