Amusement devices: games – Puzzles – Jumping movement
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-28
2001-04-17
Pierce, William M. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Puzzles
Jumping movement
C273S15300J
Reexamination Certificate
active
06217023
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a spatial logic puzzle which is useful as a plaything and/or to teach spatial awareness and a systematic approach to problem solving and which combines the play or puzzle value of a manipulative puzzle such as a Rubik's cube with that of a jigsaw.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Professor Ernö Rubik is the inventor of the well-known Rubik's cube described in HU-B-170062 (1976). It is based on the idea of providing a body made up from one or more sets of equivalent but identifiable pieces which are interconnected so that groups of pieces are relatively rotatable about three orthogonal axes. The pieces can exchange positions while the external shape of the body remains unchanged. Solutions of the puzzle are disclosed in a book by Tom Werneck, “Der Zauber-Würfel”, Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, 1981 (ISBN 3453-41449-7), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Although the most popular form of the puzzle was a 3×3×3 cube, it was also produced as a 2×2×2 and 4×4×4 cube. A modified version of the cube was also produced in which the pieces were cut-off diagonally to give a puzzle which was octohedral when viewed in plan and in which the external shape of the body could be broken up by moving the pieces. Although Professor Rubik contemplated in his patent alternatives to a closed cube, and mentioned the possibility of the puzzle taking the form of another regular or semi-regular or amorphous body, semi-regular and amorphous bodies were not investigated. Instead, further developments in the field of logical puzzles lead to the Magic Pyramid described by Tom Wernick and to drum-based or sphere-based sliding bead puzzles.
WO 83/01203 (Torres) discloses a three-dimensional geometric puzzle having its pieces in a 3×3×3 arrangement, with the pieces shaped so that the external surface of the puzzle defines, in an undisturbed state of the puzzle, an identifiable three-dimensional object which may be inter alia a human head. The present applicants are not aware of any practical product having resulted from this disclosure, and believe that this lack of success was because the resulting puzzle was too difficult for acceptance by users.
The mechanical structure of a 3×3×3 Rubik's Cube has been described by D. R. Hofstadter in Scientific American, March 1981, pages 20-39 and is based on a central spider providing for rotation about three orthogonal axes, the central cube of each side face being attached to the spider by screws. An alternative internal mechanism for a 3×3×3 cube is disclosed in JP-A-55-3956 (1980). Like that of the original Rubik's cube, it requires internal screws to hold it together and additionally it has ball catches to define the positions where the pieces are accurately in register.
Commercially available 2×2×2 Rubiks cubes have a castellated spider mechanism based on a six-armed spider relative to which one piece is mechanically located in a fixed position and the remaining pieces are movable. Castellated members fit on the arms of the spider and each fit within two of the pieces. Three of the castellated members are rotatable on their respective arms and three of them are fixed. The mechanism has the advantage that the puzzle can be assembled simply by inter-engaging the individual internal parts and pieces and pushing the last piece into place, no screws or springs being required. An alternative internal mechanism for a 2×2×2 cube is shown in JP-A-55-8193 (1980) and has a central ball carrying six concentric part spherical guide members disposed in pairs along the three orthogonal axes and spaced a small distance above the surface of the ball. The attachment of the guide members to the central ball is by screws. Gaps are defined between adjacent pairs of follower plates. The movable pieces each have a part spherical plate which is trapped between the surface of the ball and a pair of the guide plates. The piece is connected to its trapped plate by a single peg which passes through the gap between the side plates. Because the piece is supported from the single peg, thick sections are needed where the piece and the peg join if adequate support and rigidity is to be obtained.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is based on the realization that by providing a logical puzzle of the aforesaid kind in which some or all of the exposed faces of the relatively movable pieces of a 2×2×2 cube are sculptured and optionally decorated to define portions of a three-dimensional figurative work, e.g. a head or a head and shoulders, it is possible to provide a logical puzzle which combines the amusement value of a manipulative puzzle and of a jigsaw but which is surprisingly challenging and is acceptable to a wide body of users. In a conventional Rubiks cube, the visible faces of the pieces are marked to show the faces of the correctly organised puzzle to which they belong. In the disorganised state of the puzzle, it is immediately apparent which cube faces belong together. In contrast, when a figurative puzzle is in a disorganised state, matching faces which form a face of the completed puzzle are not self-evident and have to be identified by the user, which adds a level of difficulty. Solving the 2×2 puzzle presents a sufficient challenge to many users.
Accordingly, in one aspect, the invention provides a manipulative puzzle comprising a body made of interconnected pieces in a 2×2×2 arrangement, groups of which are relatively rotatable about three axes to exchange positions of the pieces, wherein exposed faces of the pieces are sculptured to define an image.
In a further aspect, the invention provides a manipulative puzzle comprising a body made of interconnected pieces in a 2×2×2 arrangement, groups of which are relatively rotatable about three axes to exchange positions of the pieces, wherein exposed faces of the pieces are sculptured to define an image, and wherein the pieces are held together by interlocking of the internal parts which becomes established by pushing the final piece into place. It is an advantage of puzzles of the above mentioned kind that smooth running can be achieved by a closely toleranced fit between the components rather than by the use of compression springs or the like to maintain the components at the correct tightness.
The invention also provides a manipulative puzzle comprising a body made of interconnected pieces in a 2×2×2 arrangement, groups of which are relatively rotatable about three axes to exchange positions of the pieces, wherein exposed faces of the pieces are sculptured to define an image and wherein the pieces are supported and controlled by a castellated spider mechanism. Again the catsellated spider mechanism has the associated advantage that smooth movement can be achieved by a toleranced fit between the components. Furthermore the external movable parts in a castellated spider mechanism are supported over a relatively large area, giving stable and even support. This allows the pieces to be moulded in thinner sections which speeds up production and gives more reliable results.
The invention further provides a manipulative puzzle comprising a body made of interconnected pieces in a 2×2×2 arrangement and an internal mechanism supporting groups of the pieces for relative rotation about three axes to exchange positions, wherein one of the pieces is fixed in position relative to and physically joined to the internal mechanism. The exposed faces of the pieces may be sculptured to define an image.
In a yet further aspect, the invention provides a piece for the manipulative puzzle having means for establishing a pivotal connection to other pieces of the puzzle, at least three planar faces for slideable abutment with adjoining faces of other pieces, and at least one exposed face which is sculptured to define part of an image. The piece may be a moulding in thermoplastics material and may carry decoration p
Baker & Botts L.L.P.
Pierce William M.
Seven Towns Limited
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