Amusement devices: games – Puzzles – Jumping movement
Patent
1990-08-02
1992-08-04
Brown, Theatrice
Amusement devices: games
Puzzles
Jumping movement
273155, A63F 908
Patent
active
051352257
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to puzzle toys for the entertainment of persons of all ages.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known to provide puzzle toys wherein a plurality of toy elements are slidably mounted for manual movement by a player along longitudinal rows and transverse columns in a housing. The toy elements are provided with some visible indicia, e.g. a color, a number or a part of a picture. The correct puzzle solution is obtained when the toy elements are re-arranged by the player to form a predetermined color pattern, sequence of numbers, or a picture. Although generally satisfactory for their intended purpose, the known puzzle toys are too difficult to solve for some players, too easy to solve for other players, and, in any event, quickly lose their appeal after the puzzle solution has been obtained.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
1. Objects of the Invention
It is a general object of this invention to provide a puzzle toy of high entertainment reward for persons of all ages.
It is another object of this invention to provide a puzzle toy which is inexpensive to manufacture and is of durable construction.
2. Features of the Invention
In keeping with these objects, and others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of this invention resides, briefly stated, in a puzzle toy having a puzzle solution. The toy comprises a housing having concave housing walls at least partly bounding internal circular compartments. Each compartment overlaps at least one adjacent compartment at a generally almond-shaped common area. Each circular compartment has a center, a circular periphery along which a respective concave housing wall extends, and a radial dimension extending from the center to the respective concave housing wall.
The toy further comprises a plurality of manually-turnable actuators, each mounted in a respective compartment for turning movement in either circumferential direction about a turning axis that is coincident with a respective center of the respective compartment. All of the turning axes are arranged along longitudinally-extending rows and transversely-extending columns. Adjacent rows are spaced apart by said radial dimension. Adjacent columns are also spaced apart by said radial dimension. Each actuator has a plurality of concave actuator walls that face and bound generally almond-shaped pockets with respective concave housing walls. The concave actuator walls also face and bound generally almond-shaped pockets with respective concave actuator walls of at least one adjacent actuator.
The toy still further comprises a plurality of generally almond-shaped toy elements, each mounted in respective pockets. The toy elements in the pockets of each actuator are jointly turned during said turning movement thereof about the periphery of the respective compartment in which each actuator is turned to transfer at least one toy element from a pocket of the actuator being turned to another pocket of an adjacent actuator.
The toy yet further comprises indicia on each toy element. The indicia are arranged in a desired visual pattern when the puzzle solution is obtained. Preferably, the indicia are different colors provided either over the entire expanse of an upper surface of each toy element, or along arc-shaped strips on a portion of the upper surface of each toy element.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a partly broken-away, top plan view of a first embodiment of a puzzle toy according to this invention;
FIG. 2 is an exploded top plan view of one actuator and four toy elements of the first embodiment of FIG. 1, togethe
REFERENCES:
patent: 3655194 (1972-04-01), Pierson
patent: 4415158 (1983-11-01), Engel
Pszotka Ede
Pszotka Edene
Pszotka, Jr. Ede
Sarosi Istvanne
Brown Theatrice
Pierce William M.
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