EDUCATIONAL DEVICE

The invention relates to the field of education, in particular to educational devices that are designed for mastering the basics of arithmetic operations, reading, geography, foreign languages or other school subjects for pre-school age children, as well as children with hearing or vision impairments. The educational device of prior art is known, for example, from the US patent description No. 3735500, 29 ^th May 1973, IPC G09B 7/06. It is designed as a portable educational device for children and is composed of a case with a numeric keyboard on the front panel, and a housing for inserting a cassette, which interacts with a battery circuit provided therein. The cassette carries a movable tape, which contains corresponding information indices. The tape is coded in order to program the circuit, acting in conjunction with the keyboard. The tape is advanced in the corresponding direction only when correct keyboard button is depressed indicating to the user that the problem has been solved. However, the educational device of prior art has disadvantages, such as complexity and insufficient features for attracting a child's interest and attention, which makes its use inefficient. Other educational device of prior art is known, for example, from the ex- USSR author's certificate description No. 1621070, 15 ^th January 1991, IPC ⁵ G09B 19/02 (prior art), which is designed for teaching mathematical calculations for primary school children. The educational device of prior art for teaching mathematics is composed of a case, whose front part contains a panel with signalling lamps and light indicators with a moving pointer above them, as well as housings, which conduct current and which are placed vertically in a row and with explanatory inscriptions on plates, a set of plates with graphically executed inscriptions and bypass elements conducting current, which are intended to be placed on a dielectric plate of the addend

and the sum. The electric circuit of the device contains isolation diodes, electromagnetic relays and conjunctions with current-conducting probes. The known educational device has the afore-mentioned disadvantages, such as complexity and insufficient features for generating interest, which would encourage its use for teaching children, especially those at a pre-school age. The object of this invention is to create an educational device with enhanced features generating a child's interest and thereby achieve that the child himself or herself master the basics of relevant subjects, when playing, willingly and with interest.

The object of this invention is achieved in the way that the educational device, which contains a case with a front panel, signalling means and housings connected to current-conducting elements placed in an electric control circuit, a set of elements with inscriptions for placing in the mentioned housings and a controlling element for determining the correctness of the result, pursuant to the invention, is characterized in that it has at least one toy-like teacher equipped with light and/or sound-reproducing elements. As a toy-like teacher can be used the case of the game - educational device, which is made in the form of a toy figure; the toy-like teacher may also be made in the form of a separate figure, which is designed for placing in a separate housing in the case. Every element of the set with numeric inscriptions and the sign of the performed arithmetic operation may be made in the form of one block, but the corresponding element bearing the inscription with the result may be made in the form of another block, whereas the equality sign on the case and the inscription of every number on the block may be made as protuberance above the corresponding frontal surface. Every block, according to the inscription of every number, may be equipped with the corresponding amount of light-emitting elements, such as light-emitting diodes or signalling lamps.

In another embodiment of the arithmetic educational device design, each block of the set with a numeric inscription and the sign of the corresponding

operation may be made as a separate block, but the corresponding element bearing inscription with the result may be made in the form of another block, whereas the sign of the corresponding operation and the equality sign on the case and the inscription of every number on the block may be made as protuberance above the corresponding frontal surface. Every block, according to the inscription of every number, may be equipped with the corresponding amount of light-emitting elements.

In both the first and the second embodiments of the arithmetic educational device, but in a different modification, every block, according to the inscription of every number, may be equipped with a corresponding amount of housings where corresponding figures can be placed, but light-emitting elements in the amount corresponding to the maximum envisaged inscriptions of numbers, may be placed on the case above the housings of the blocks, providing the activation of the amount of light-emitting elements according to the corresponding numeric inscriptions on the blocks, when the selected blocks are placed in the housings of the case.

In another embodiment of the educational device design, it can be as a game: a language teacher, geography teacher or other subject teacher, and it can be made in the form of a separate figure, which is designed for placing in a separate housing in the case.

Each element of the set for mastering the corresponding subject may be made in the form of one block with one or several letter inscriptions, but light- emitting elements, in the amount corresponding to the amount of the letters in the word, may be placed on the case above the housings of the block, providing the activation of the amount of light-emitting elements according to the corresponding amount of letters of the word and blocks, which are selected for placing in the housings of the case. The invention is explained through the enclosed drawings, where:

- fig. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the proposed educational device

- a game for mastering the basics of arithmetic operations - in axonometric

projection; fig. 2 and fig. 2a is a front view of a symbolic drawing of the toy teacher placed in the housing; fig. 3 is a drawing of the element placed in the housing bearing a numeric inscription for arithmetic operations in axonometric projection; fig. 4 is a drawing of the element placed in the housing bearing the inscription of the result in axonometric projection;

- fig. 4a is an analogous drawing of the element placed in the housing bearing the inscription of the result in axonometric projection, which is designed for another embodiment of the educational device; fig. 5 is the educational device for mastering the basics of arithmetic operations in this embodiment respectively; fig. 6 is a drawing of the element placed in the housing bearing a numeric inscription for arithmetic operations in axonometric projection in this embodiment respectively; fig. 7 is a drawing of the element placed in the housing bearing the inscription of the addend in axonometric projection in this embodiment respectively;

- fig. 8 is a drawing of the educational device for mastering the basics of arithmetic operations in the first embodiment in a different modification; fig. 9 is a drawing of the element placed in the housing bearing a numeric inscription for arithmetic operations in axonometric projection according to this modification; fig. 10 is a drawing of the element placed in the housing bearing the inscription of the result in axonometric projection according to this modification;

- fig. 10a is a drawing of the element placed in the housing bearing the inscription of the result in axonometric projection, which is designed for a different modification of the second embodiment of the educational device; fig. 11 is the educational device for mastering the basics of arithmetic operations for a different modification of another embodiment; fig. 12 is a drawing of the element placed in the housing bearing a numeric inscription for arithmetic operations in axonometric projection according to this modification; fig. 13 is a drawing of the element placed in the housing bearing

the inscription of the addend in axonometric projection according to this modification;

- fig. 14 illustrates the educational device as a game for mastering the basics of a language or other subjects; fig. 15 are drawings of the elements placed in the housing bearing letter inscriptions in axonometric projection. The proposed educational device - game contains a case 1 (fig. 1), which can have any geometric or figured shape, whose frontal panel may be provided with a switch 2, a light source - lamp 3, which are connected in an electrical circuit (not shown) and designed for signalling when the educational device is switched on. The circuit also includes a light source - lamp 4, which is designed for signalling an incorrect mathematical operation, such as the result of addition. The case 1 may be provided with the housing 5 for placing a toy - "teacher" 6 of a corresponding shape (fig. 2). The case 1 on the side of the front panel is made with two housings 7 and 8 with protuberance 9 between them. The housing 7 is designed for placing blocks 10 (fig. 3), and the housing 8 is designed for placing blocks 11 (fig. 4). On top of the protuberance 9 there is the equality sign, which is located at the same height as blocks 10 and 11. Blocks 10 are provided with the inscriptions or protuberances with numbers 12 and the sign of the performed mathematical operation 13, and blocks 11 are provided with numbers 14 corresponding to the result or respective protuberances, thus forming various sets of blocks 10 and 11. The lower or lateral surfaces of blocks 10 and 11 are provided with corresponding protuberances or elements for making changes in the corresponding conjunctions in the mentioned electric control circuit. Blocks 10 can be provided with embedded luminous elements 15, such as lamps or light-emitting diodes in the amount corresponding to the total amount of numbers 12, and blocks 11 can be provided with embedded luminous elements 16 in the amount corresponding to the figure of the result of the mathematical operation 14. Numbers 12, figures 13 and luminous elements 15

and 16 are placed on blocks 10 and 11 above their front surfaces so that children with vision impairments could feel them.

Depending on the modification of the proposed educational device, it can be made without the toy - "teacher", if the case 1 is in the form of a toy character, while the blocks and housings in the case may be of any shape. The educational device can also be made without the lamp 3, which signals its activation.

By turning on the switch 2, we can activate the source of a sound signal, which is appropriate and enjoyable for the child (not shown). The lamp 3 is switched on simultaneously with the sound signal indicating that the educational device has been activated. By placing the toy - "teacher" 6 into the housing 5, connection to the source of an enjoyable sound, text or speech is activated. Parts of the case 1 and toy - "teacher" 6 are illuminated simultaneously. By placing any of the blocks 10 into the housing 7, an enjoyable signal or speech is reproduced again and luminous elements 15 are activated on the respective block 10. By placing the block 11 of the result of the mathematical operation into the housing 8, if the result, namely the equation is incorrect, an unpleasant signal or speech is reproduced and the lamp 4 is activated, signalling that the equation is incorrect. If the block 11 with the correct result is placed into the housing 8, an enjoyable signal or speech is reproduced, luminous elements 15 are activated and parts of the case 1 and game toy 6 are illuminated.

In another embodiment of the design of the educational device (fig. 5, 6, 7, 4a), the case 1 contains separate housings 17 and 18 for each of the addend numbers 12, which are placed on their respective blocks 19 and 20. On the case 1, between the housings 17 and 18, there is protuberance 21, on top of which there is a sign of an arithmetic operation, such as the sign of addition, which is located approximately at the same height as the placed blocks 19 and 20. The luminous elements 15 in the amount corresponding to the respective number 12 are embedded into the respective blocks 19 and 20 of the addends.

The blocks 11a of the result, for example, of a sum, with luminous elements 16a are analogous to the first variant of the educational device. Other components of this educational device are analogous to the components of the first embodiment of the design and have analogous functions, when the aforementioned operations are performed. This design of the educational device provides for enhanced interest of a child, because when any of the blocks 19 and 20 are placed into the housings 17 and 18, sound signals, speeches, congratulations arousing interest are reproduced, and luminous elements 15 placed on the blocks 19 and 20 become activated according to the numbers 12 located on these blocks, as well as the sign of an arithmetic operation 21 and the equality sign 9. By placing the third block 11a into the housing 8, if the equation is Gorrect, the correct amount of the luminous elements 16a is illuminated, indicating that the result figure 14a has been selected correctly, and congratulations and enjoyable sound signals are reproduced again accompanied by illumination effects. If the equation is incorrect, the lamp 4 is illuminated and unpleasant signals and critical words are reproduced. In another modification of the design of the educational device according to the first embodiment (fig. 8, 9, 10), the luminous elements 15 and 16 are embedded into the case 1 above the housings 7 and 8 respectively. The blocks 10 and 11 are made with the amount of figures 22 corresponding to the respective addend numbers 12, on the block 10. The amount of the figures 23 corresponding to the result number 14 is made on the block 11. Other components of this educational device are analogous to the components of the first embodiment of the design and have analogous functions, when the aforementioned operations are performed.

In another modification of the construction of the educational device according to the second embodiment (fig. 11, 12, 13, 10a), the case 1 contains separate housings 24 and 25 for each of the addend numbers 12, each of which is placed on its respective block 26 and 27, as well as other elements analogous to the mentioned second embodiment, whereas the luminous

elements, such as the lamps 28, 29 and 16, are embedded into the case 1 above the housings 24, 28 and 8 respectively. The blocks 26 and 27 are made with the respective addend numbers 12 in the amount corresponding to the amount of figures 30 and 31 on the mentioned blocks. The amount of the figures 23 a corresponding to the result number 14a is made on the block 11a. Other components of this educational device are analogous to the components of the second embodiment of the design and have analogous functions, when the afore-mentioned operations are performed.

In another embodiment of the design of the game - educational device, such as the educational device for mastering a language, geography and other subjects (fig. 14 and 15), the case 1 contains a row of housings 32 for each block-letter to be inserted 33. Luminous elements 34 are embedded in the case 1 above the housings 32. The other elements of the game-toy "Language Teacher" are similar to the elements of the game "Arithmetic Teacher": the electric switch 2 and the light source - lamp 3, which are connected in an electrical circuit (not shown) and designed for signalling when the educational device is switched on. The circuit also includes a light source - lamp 4, which is intended for signalling an incorrect operation of language training, such as placing of an incorrect block-letter 33 into the respective housing 32. The case 1 may be provided with the housing 5 for placing a toy - "teacher" 6a of a corresponding shape (fig. 2a).

In other embodiments and modifications of the design of the educational device, it can be used for mastering the basics of geography, history and other school subjects.

In general, the described educational device has the following characteristics: - enhanced features generating a child's interest, thus making the process of mastering a school subject into a game and thereby achieving that the child himself or herself masters the basics of relevant subjects, when playing, willingly and with interest;

- opportunity to use this educational device for children with hearing or vision impairments;

- cost effectiveness and reduced production expenses;

- a wide scope of application, using its structural embodiments or modifications for mastering the basics of arithmetic operations, reading, geography and other school subjects for pre-school age children, as well as children with hearing or vision impairments.

The proposed educational device can be industrially made and used as mentioned above for mastering different school subjects for children.