THREE-DIMENSIONAL PUZZLE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to ε three-dimensional puzzle comprising a box-like casing and a number of game pieces that are freely movable relative to each other within a closed system defined by said casing. The game pieces are, at least partially, marked and thus, distinguishable from each other.

BACKGROUND ART

Three-dimensional logical toys comprising movable game elements or pieces that are marked or provided with symbols, or differently coloured:, and as a result αf this _; they are at least partially distinguishable from each other have become known in various embodiments. In such known logical toys σr puzzles the game elements or pieces are movable, one by one or even groupwise along courses that are defined by a closed system of guide tracks. I'-hεn playing with such logical toys or puzzles, an initial characteristic pattern of the game pieces is first mixed up by moving the name pieces into various different positions along pati.es allowed by said system of guide tracks. Following this, the player tries to bring back the game pieces through a sequence of steps into their initial characteristic pattern or into positions in which the game pieces show other, different pre-determiπed patterns. The efforts of the player are crowπd with success if such pre-determined. characte i_rtic patterπ(s) of the game pieces are realized or-.arrived at by performing the shortest possible sequences of operational steps. In other words, satisfaction and success are achieved by finding,out of a. large number of passible combinations,, the simplest and thuS _j less time-consuming sequence of steps leading to certain

pre-determined solutions of the puzzle. The three-dimensional puzzle according to the present invention belongs to the wide range of spatial logical toys of the kind referred to above.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The general aim of the present invention is to develop a puzzle by which the relationships between three- -di ensional space and two-dimensional planar structures, the interrelation of inner and outer space characteristics, their specific features and regularities can be illustrated and shown in a clear, expressive and suggestive way. Another aim of the present invention isto provide an article of manufacture by which the above general aim is achieved by the provision of a puzzle consisting αf a relatively small number of possibly simplest game pieces. The puzzle, according tσ the invention should further offer a considerably wide range αf choices between possible step variations whereby for the player self-entertainment, arrestment of attention and improvement of mechanical aptitude are ensured simultaneously. In contrast to previous known spatial logical toys of the kind referred to further above, the three- -dimensional puzzle of the present invention comprises a number of flat plate-like game pieces arranged movably within a game space of the shape of a regular geometric solid. The game pieces are of substantially regular polygonal shape and they are, at least partially, marked by being coloured or carrying identical and/or different symbols. They are enclosed in a framework, preferably a hollow box-like casing whereby the puzzle- ^• f.σrπτs- ^■ &. clased. ^' system; The flat ^' plate-like game pieces are releasably held to ^' -lateral faces of -the casing. The gripping force through which one game piece is held to any one of said lateral faces of the casing can be provided e.g. by magnetic pull or alternatively, by adhering friction induced via attractive forces generated locally by

resilient deformation Such releasable gripping force between a game piece and a lateral face of the casing is provided by suitable retaining means. Since the game pieces are movably encased in said casing of the puzzle, theycan be rearranged, i.e.moved into different positions with respect to each other and the casing within the game space bound by the latter. The possible movements of the game pieces are determined by general rules of space geometry and by the specific geometrical dimensions of any particular design of the casing.

Moving of the game pieces for the purpose of their being brought into differentpositions within the game space can be performed either by directional shaking the box-like puzzle casing, by handling the game pieces directly by finger-tips through suitable access openings or, by using any additional tool, e.g a pencil or the like for this purpose- Alternative _t more sophisticated embodiments of the puzzle may also comprise actuating means arranged on the lateral faces of the casing for the purpose of indirect handling. From the viewpoint of practical realization, embodiments of the puzzle having flat plate-like game pieces of substantially quadratic shape enclosed in a substantially cubiform casing have proved to be the simplest and most suitable for easy manufacture at low cost. Observation of the movements of the game pieces is made easy by arranging the game pieces in a substantially transparent casing.

Tha number of possible game step variations can be substantia.lly increased if casings having lateral faces also ^' provided with (different) symbols are used an.d or if in a puzzle of cubiform casing instead of five, altogether six gams pieces are movably arranged.

Following from the above, and in accordance with the aims set, the present invention provides as a novel and useful article of manufacture, a three-dimensional puzzle

of the kind indicated in the introductory paragraph of the present specification. The casing of the puzzle is a substantially closed, shape-retentive hollow body of the shape of a regular geometric solid bound by planar lateral -faces. At least four such lateral faces are both in shape and size identical with each other. The interior of the casing serves as a game space for a number of encased flat plate-like game pieces of the shape that is substantially identical with that of the at least four lateral faces of the - casing. The game pieces are laid our in size so that they are allowed for free movement within the game space defined by the casing. Each of the at least four lateral faces of the casing and/or the game pieces are/is provided with a retaining means for releasably holding any one of the game pieces to any one of the at least four lateral faces of the casing, in preferred ... embodiments of the puzzle each retaining means comprises at least one piece of preferably ferromagnetic substance. More, particularly, in such preferred embodiments the flat plate- -like game pieces may be, at least partially, of ferromagnetic material or they may comprise, fastened to them, at least one area of such ferromagnetic material. The retaining means of each of the at least four lateral faces of the casing may consist of at least one piece of permanent magnet capable of interacting with the (area of) ferromagnetic material of the game pieces ^' .

In certain embodiments of the invention the retaining means may simultaneously serve as symbol , i.e. as means of marking the game pieces e.g. by colouring or otherwise _, , so that they will become distinguishable, aver. each.other. When designed so, the function of retaining is - at least to a certain extent - substantially hidden or even disguised whereby such embodiments of the in invention are mads even more "puzzling".

In very simple and cheap embodiments of the puzzle the retaining means may simply comprise at least one surface

- 5 - area of increased mechanical friction or adherence.

In further preferred embodiments of the invention for handling the puzzle, each of the at least four lateral fac can further be provided with an actuating means for releasing the gripping force by which .a game piece is temporarily and releasably held to a lateral face of the casing. In cheaper embodiments again, each of the at least four lateral faces of the casing may be provided as actuating means with an access opening for direct manual handling of the puzzle. Alter natively there may be embodiments in which on each of the at least four lateral faces of the casing a sensor or push button serving as actuating means is provided for indirect handling of the game pieces in the puzzle. An advantage of such embodiments lies in their casings being closed, i.e. sealed hermetically so that the access of dust,dirt etc. to the game space from outside is excluded. All kinds αf such actuating means for indirect handling perform, independently from their actual design, the act σf pushing away the game piece from the lateral face it is held to by ε certain μrε- -determined initial distance whereby the gripping force mainta ed by e.g. agnetic pull or friction is ceased, and free movement of the game piece concerned is allowed.

Quite obviously, embodiments of the three- dimensional puzzle according to the invention without actuating means, i.e. without access openings or means such as sensor or push buttons for indirect handling the game pieces are also possible. In such embodiments the temporary gripping force between a game piece and any lateral face of the casing the game piece is held to may be overcome by exercising directional dynamic inpacts to said game piece, e.g by shaking the puzzle with a certain skill that can easily be learned and experienced. Resulting from such ^' dynamic impac of proper size and direction the game piece can be forced to separation from -the respective lateral face of the casing simply under its weight and inertia.

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In order to improve their handling charasteristics preferred embodiments αf the invention may have. a hollow casing of the shape of a substantially regular solid with cut-off or preferably roundεd ^' -apical areas and/or edges. Such embodiments are, besides their more suitable shape for manual handling, less dangereous to children. Further to this, the cut-off or rounded apical areas, together with _ correspondingly cut-off or rounded corners of the flat pl3te- -like game pieces improve the freedom of movement of the latter in the game space, since in such embodiments, the name pieces arrive after their movements always centrally in their new positions adjacent to any one of the lateral faces.

As already mentioned further abα.vs in pre erred.' embodiments αf the invention the fiat plate-like game- nieces are substantially quadratic in shape, and they are enclosed in a substantially cubiform hσilσw casing. At least some - of the gams pieces and/or at least some of the lateral faces of the casing should be substantially transparent. In still further embodiments of the puzzle, for providing, a wider range of possible solutions and/or step variations, at least some of the lateral faces of the casing may also be marked and/or provided with symbols and/or shaped openings or transparent areas.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described- iπ details by the aid σf the drawings..-_ππlαsad';...sshε-reirr'

Fig.l is an exploded view of an embodiment of the thrεe-dimεnsional puzzle according to the invention showing, in perspective, five flat plate-like game pieces and their box-like casing in elevation,

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Fig.2 shows an at least partially transparent puzzle casing in half view-half section without game pieces contained,

Fig. shows iπ ^{^} si ilar view, the puzzle casing 5 as shown in Fig.2 together with encased game 'pieces, Fig.4 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the puzzle shown in Fig.l

Fig.5 shows the puzzlε in a state of playing, 10 where a game piece that used to be held to uppermost lateral face of the casing has just been caused to fall downwardly by a finger-tip push against the middle area of such game piece through an access. 15 opening of said. uppermost lateral face.

Fig.6 is a simplified diagrammatic picture showin the momentary position of the game piece moving relatively to the casing of the puzzle in the same instant state of play 20 as shown in Fig.5,

Fig.7 shows the embodiment of the puzzle in an instant state of playing where a game piece that used to be held to the right- -hand lateral face of the casing has

25 just been caused to tilting downward movement by a finger-tip touch of the player exercised against such game plate through an access opening of said right- -hand lat--εral face of the casing,

30 Fig.3 is again, a simplified diagrammatic picture illustrating the momentary positio -of the game piece moving relatively to the casing of the puzzlε in -substantially the same instant state of play as shown in Fig

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Fig.9 shαv.s in a simplified diagrammatic sketch the game piece shown in an instant state of its movement in Fig.5 and 6 after having arrived in its new position within the puzzle casing, and similarly to this, '

Fig.10 illustrates the game piece shown in its instant state of its initiated movement in Fig.7 and 6 after its arrival in the new position within the casing of the three-dimensional puzzle according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVE..TrθN

In a preferred embodiment of the three-dimen¬ sional puzzle according to the invention a box-like casing 2 encloses flat plate-like game pieces 1. The casing 2 is a substantially closed, s ape-rstsntivs , hollcw cubiform body bound by quadratic lateral faces that are both in shape and size identical with each other. The interior of the casing 2 serves as a game space for the movably encased, altogether fivε flat plate-like quadratic game pieces 1 which are of ferromagπεtic, preferably of iron sheet material. Thus, the ferromagnetic game pieces 1 farm simultaneously component part of a retaining means 3, by which one such game piece 1 is releasably held- to any one of the lateral faces of the casing 2. Corresponding component parts of said retaining means 3 are circular ring-shaped magnets 31.

One such piece of magnet 31 is fastened to the substantially middle area of each ^* lat--eral face of the casing 2. The

- 9 - magnets 31 are' arranged very much like circular window frames for access openings serving as actuating means 4 that are worked out in central areas of the lateral faces surrounded by the circular ring-shaped magnets 31. The access openings provide access to a game piece 1 held tempo¬ rarily and releasably to a lat--eral face of the casing fnr the purpose of releasing the gripping force provided by the magnetic pull between the ferromagnetic material of the game plate 1 and the magnet 31 of the lateral face. Such release of the gripping force is best effected by. a finger-tip push of the player against the middle are of the game piece 1 through the free access opening in the lateral face,whereby the magnetic gripping farce is overcome, and the particular game piece pushed is allowed to free movement within the casing 2. The .casing 2 is bound by transparent lateral faces so that symbols A,B,C,D by which corners of the game pieces 1 are marked, csπ be observed and followed easily.

The above described embodiment of the three- -dimensional puzzle can be handled as follows: Let us assume that the puzzle has only one solution, at which the marked game pieces 1 together with the casing 2 show a specific, pre-determined pattern: Within the casing 2 the game pieces are able to perform two basic kinds of movement. They can shift parallelly or they can til around each of their edges.

Consequently, by performing sequences of such shifts and tilts, the game pieces 1 can be moved relative to the casing 2, into every possible position within the game space defined by the lateral faces of the casing -2-τ For the purpose of simplicity and easier unders ing, the embodiment of the puzzle shown in the attached drawings comprises five game pieces 1 only. Let us assume that these five game pieces 1 form a hollow box having five lateral faces, and this hollow box is, showing a certain

specific initial pattern, arranged in the inside .of the transparent casing 2, the inner faces of said hollow box formed by the five game pieces 1 can be seen when viewed through the bottom face of the casing 2 as shown in Fig.l. As already mentioned, the surfaces of the plate-like game pieces 1 may be marked, e.g. provided with symbols, sections or parts of graphic pictures which, when the game pieces 1 are arranged properly, show a specific, pre-determined pattern. One such specific pattern could be seen e.g. in one particular arrangement on the resulting outer surface of the five game piecεs, and in another particular arrangement on the resulting inner surface of the game pieces 1. With the embodiment of the puzzle as shown in the attached drawing, instead of sections of a picture pattern, letters A,B,C,D are printed in respective corners of the game pieces 1. The puzzle is deemed to be salved if the game pieces: I are in positions with their corners marked with the same letter being in one particular apex αf the cubiform casing 2..: Figs.l and 4 of the attached drawing show such arrangements of the game pieces 1.

In the course of playing first, the arrangement of the game pieces 1 that constitutes the solution of the puzzle has to be altered for the worth by rearranging, through any sequence of steps, the game pieces within the casing 2. Following this, the goal of the game lies in arriving at the initial regular specific pattern of the game pieces 1,. possibly and preferably within the shortest period αf time, i.e, by performing, out of a large number of variations, the shortest sequence of steps through which all game pieces 1 are moved back into their initial position.

With the particular embodiment of the puzzle as shown in the attached drawing figures, one step of rearrange- εnt is performed by. causing any one of the game pieces 1 to move to the previously unoccupied sixth lateral face of the

- 11 - casing 2. For doing this, the casing 2 of the puzzle has to be turned in a position where the unoccupied lateral face goεs to the lowermost, bottom position. After having done so, the game piece 1 occupying now the uppermost, top lateral face position can be caused to fall down parallely and thus, arrive at bottom position by releasing the gripping force by which it is held to the top lateral face of the casing. This can be performed as clearly shown in Fig.5 of the attach drawing, by exerting a slight push by the player's finger-tip against the game piece 1 in question through the free -accεs opening of the top lateral face of the casing 2. By such slight push exerted, an initial distance is opened between th magnet 31 and the game piece 1 concerned. As a result, the magnetic pull ^' of the retaining means 3 will gradually be overcome by the weight of the game piece 1 and the latter wil fall downwardly until it arrives in its desired new position adjacent to the previously unoccupied lateral bottom face of thε casing 2. Here, it is gripped by the bottom magnet 31 and is securely held in its new position as shown in Fig. . Alternatively, any of the vertically standing game pieces 1 can be moved to the unoccupied bottom face of the casing 2. An example, for the solε purpose of illustrati only, is shown in Fig.7 of the drawing. The only difference in that instead of being caused to parallel shifting, such vertical game piece is tilted around its bottom edge in orde to arrive at its new, desired position as clearly shown in Fig.8 and Fig.10, the latter indicating the game piece tilte now in its new position. After having performed one such step αf rearrangement, the puzzle' has. tα be turned again in a position wherε its now unoccupied latεral face goes into the bottom face position.

By performing sequences of the above steps αf rearrangement, variations of the positions of the game piecε 1 relative to each other and, if also marked properly, relat

- 12 - to the lateral faces of the casing 2 can be realized. Arriving at a pre-determined specific pattern of thε gamε piεces 1 will prove to be a hard task despite of the fact that the handling of the puzzle seems, at least at first instance, to be very easy.

While handling the puzzle with the aim of solving the problem of how to arrive at a solution, the player will automatically be confronted with the deap-gσing questions of the rεlationship bεtween a three-dimensional space and planar structures contained and moved therein.

Also the problems of the interrelations of senses of rotation the reversibility of coordinate systems, the terms of "outside and "inside" will gradually become more and more apparent to regular and enthusiastic users of the puzzle. It is to be understood that the above embodiment has been shown by way of example only. The embodiment specifically described herein can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims.