Amusement devices: games – Puzzles – Jumping movement
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-11
2003-06-10
Chiu, Raleigh W. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Puzzles
Jumping movement
C273S11800R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06575462
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a maze structure, and more particularly to a maze structure which is modular in construction so as to permit the maze structure to be rearranged.
BACKGROUND
Mazes are known as an amusement device where participants are challenged to find their way through a series of diverging paths. The maze typically involves a contrived ornamental and complex layout of paths through which a person or maze ball must pass to exit the maze.
The traditional maze through which a person must pass has been an area of a park or a garden or other large outdoor area where the route between the entrance and exit of the maze are interrupted by a series of paths and intersections of paths. Paths may be bordered on both sides by tall shrubbery or other form of visual and physical barrier. These paths diverge, cross and come to dead ends often so as to confuse participants and confound their intention of successfully negotiating through the maze. Other mazes may be housed indoors in a trailer or other building, employing for the borders of its paths any combination of opaque material, glass or other transparent material and mirrors. In either instance the participant must walk through the maze. The route is laid out in only two dimensions, that is length and width, and are thus often simple. Furthermore, these mazes are typically fixed and unchangeable, such that once the route is discovered, the mystery is solved and the maze no longer serves as an amusement device.
A form of naturally occurring maze known to adventurers, are subterranean caves. These caves very often resemble three dimensional mazes which increase the level of difficulty of the maze, with parts of the maze being huge, whereas others are barely small enough to squeeze through. Caves however are often dangerous because of unexpected deep precipices, noxious gases, moving water, falling objects and sharp protrusions. Other caves are so large and complicated or dangerous that they have not been fully explored. Caves are thus often not a desirable method of enjoying a maze even though the added challenge of a three dimensional maze may be desired.
Known maze structures have been provided in three dimensions to increase the level of difficulty of finding ones way through the structure. Three dimensional mazes and puzzles are described in the following U.S. patents which include U.S. Pat. No. 1,294,013 to Wittrup, U.S. Pat. No. 2,261,804 to Hall, U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,651 to Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 3,787,054 to Stafford and U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,606 to David. In each of the prior devices however the maze structure is fixed and thus only one solution is produced. Further three dimensional maze structures are provided in U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,023 to Collier and U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,723 to Grimes. Both Collier and Grimes provide multi-level mazes in which the levels are stacked one above the other, permitting the order of the maze to be rearranged. In both instances however the levels are arranged such that the maze of one level must be completed before passage to the next level is permitted thus offering only a very limited number of possible variations to the solution of the maze as only one aperture is arranged to communicate between adjacent levels in a limited number of relative orientations between the levels.
SUMMARY
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a maze structure including:
a base level comprising:
a floor;
a plurality of exterior walls extending upwardly from the floor of the base level adjacent a periphery of the floor defining a perimeter of the base level;
a plurality of interior walls extending upwardly from the floor of the base level within the perimeter defined by the exterior walls of the base level, the interior walls dividing the base level into a plurality of chambers; and
a top end which is at least partially open;
a plurality of stacking levels, each stacking level comprising:
a floor;
a plurality of exterior walls extending upwardly from the floor of the stacking level adjacent a periphery of the floor defining a perimeter of the stacking level;
a plurality of interior walls extending upwardly from the floor of the stacking level within the perimeter defined by the exterior walls of the stacking level, the interior walls dividing the stacking level into a plurality of chambers; and
a top end which is at least partially open;
the floor of the stacking level including a plurality of apertures therein, each being arranged to communicate between one of the chambers of the stacking level and one of the chambers of an adjacent level supported therebelow through the at least partially open top end of said adjacent level;
the stacking levels being arranged to be supported one atop the other on top of the base level with each stacking level being arranged to be supported on an adjacent one of the levels therebelow in a plurality of relative stacking orientations therebetween with each of the apertures in the floor of the stacking level being arranged to communicate with one of the chambers of said adjacent one of the levels therebelow through the at least partially open top end of said adjacent one of the levels therebelow in each of the plurality of stacking orientations.
The arrangement of the apertures for communicating between chambers of adjacent levels regardless of the relative orientation of the levels permits any one level to be rotated about a vertical axis in relation to the other levels as well as a plurality of different stacking orders to produce numerous different combinations and different solutions to the maze structure. The further arrangement of plural apertures communicating between each adjacent pair of levels permits a significant amount of interaction between the chambers of one level and the chambers of another level so that variation of the solution to the maze structure is significant even when only minor changes to the relative orientation of the stacking levels is present.
Each stacking orientation may comprise a different order in which the stacking levels are supported one atop the other. Alternatively, each stacking orientation may comprise a different angular position of at least one of the stacking levels in relation to the other levels with said at least one of the stacking levels being rotated about a vertical axis extending through the levels between positions. The different stacking orientations may further comprise a combination of different relative angular positions and stacking orders of the stacking levels in relation to the base level.
The levels preferably have similarly polygonal-shaped floors which are similar in size, a length of each side of each floor being substantially equal to a length of the remaining sides. When the floor is square, each level is permitted to be rotated into four different angular positions in alignment with adjacent levels. In further arrangements, the floor of each level may have any number of sides, with the number of sides determining how many different relative angular positions between two adjacent levels are permitted in order for the levels to remain aligned one atop the other.
When the floor of each level is generally rectangular in shape, the interior walls are preferably all mounted along a rectangular grid on the respective floor. The interior walls are preferably selectively mounted on the grid on the respective floors of the levels such that the interior walls are moveable between various wall mounting positions along the rectangular grid on the respective floor.
Each grid will include a plurality of intersection points with a post preferably being mounted on the respective floor to extend upwardly from each respective intersection point of the respective grids. The posts are preferably arranged to support the walls on the floor with the walls being selectively mountable between any pair of adjacent posts.
A cover is provided in preferred embodiments, arranged to be mounted on an uppermost one of the stacking levels regardless of the stacking orientation of the levels
Battison Adrian D.
Chiu Raleigh W.
Dupuis Ryan W.
Williams Michael R.
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