U.S. patent application number 10/035259 was filed with the patent office on 2002-08-08 for intellectual matching toy and method of manufacturing.
Invention is credited to Dorosz, Andrzej, Ficinski, Marek B..
Application Number | 20020105139 10/035259 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26711939 |
Filed Date | 2002-08-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020105139 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ficinski, Marek B. ; et
al. |
August 8, 2002 |
Intellectual matching toy and method of manufacturing
Abstract
The puzzle is comprised of an exterior shell over a rotating
interior ball. The interior ball rotates around the center point of
the exterior shell, about an infinite number of axes running
through the center point. The interior ball may be moved rotating
it and viewing it through arranged openings in the exterior shell.
The challenge of the puzzle is to match the color of the exterior
shell with similarly colored marks on the surface of the interior
ball. The player rotates the interior ball looking for marks on the
surface of the ball that match the color of the exterior shell
around the openings. Variations of this matching are possible. The
number of openings in the exterior shell may be any number
depending on the geometric form of the exterior shell and the
number of facets and openings.
Inventors: |
Ficinski, Marek B.; (Baldwin
Park, CA) ; Dorosz, Andrzej; (Alhambra, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MAREK B. FICINSKI
4850 N. LANTE ST.
BALDWIN PARK
CA
91706
US
|
Family ID: |
26711939 |
Appl. No.: |
10/035259 |
Filed: |
January 3, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60253323 |
Nov 28, 2000 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
273/157R |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 9/0873
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
273/157.00R |
International
Class: |
A63F 009/12 |
Claims
1 A puzzle device assembly for intellectual play with manual
operation of a toy comprising: (a) a polyhedron shaped housing, (b)
a movable spherical element, whereby said polyhedron shaped hosing
having a plurality of openings in its polygon faces through which
said movable spherical element is exposed and said movable
spherical element is able to rotate within the housing element,
wherein both the housing and said movable spherical element having
a plurality of color marks on their exposed surfaces, in which
correct solution of said puzzle device is accomplished by manual
rotation of said movable spherical element within the hosing until
all respective color marks are matching.
2 A puzzle device assembly for intellectual play as set forth in
claim 1, wherein said polyhedron shaped housing element is a
tetrahedron shaped enclosure having four walls with four openings
and each wall is marked with four different colors.
3 A puzzle device assembly for intellectual play as set forth in
claim 1, wherein said polyhedron shaped hosing element is a cube
shaped enclosure having six walls with six openings and each wall
is marked with six different colors.
4 A puzzle device comprised of a polyhedron shell with openings in
its faces through which protrude a movable ball placed inside the
polyhedron shell and the movable ball able to rotate about the
center point of the polyhedron shell about any axis intersecting
that point, the movable ball inside the polyhedron with marks on
the surface coordinated with openings in the polyhedron permitting
viewing possibilities and the matching of marked edges or marked
walls of opening with said marks placed on the movable ball by
rotating the movable interior ball.
5 A puzzle comprised of an exterior ball shell with a number of
openings having marked edges and a movable interior ball with marks
placed and with marks corresponding to marks at the opening of the
exterior ball shell, which can be matched by rotating the movable
interior ball about any axis intersecting point which is the center
of the exterior ball shell with marked openings and the movable
interior ball having marks on its surface, the exterior sphere with
opening and interior ball with marks coincide, their centers
coincide, the small space between the exterior and the movable
interior ball will assure movement and sliding inside the surface
of the exterior shell.
6 A puzzle device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said polyhedron
shell is made of an irregular polyhedron shaped enclosure
comprising 18 square faces and 8 equilateral triangle faces having
any shape of openings in any of the faces and with some of the
faces removed from the shell.
7 Said in claim 4 the movable interior ball has a number of round
dots applied on its surface with the same colors as the color
applied on the faces of the polyhedron shell.
8 A method of manufacturing of said marks on the surface of said
movable ball as set forth in claim 4, in which said marks are color
coded and form a flat pattern structure having a plurality of said
color marks and a web of connecting links arranged to form a center
spine length and meridian arms branching sideways from said spine,
whereby said flat pattern structure is flexible and applied in
wrapped-around fashion to exterior surface of the ball element to
form an appearance of an equator and meridians on said ball.
Description
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a utility application which is based upon the
disclosure including the functional description and structural
disclosure contained in my provisional patent application
#60/253/323 filed on Nov. 28, 2000.
PRIOR ART
[0002] The intellectual matching toy which is comprised of an
exterior shell over a rotating interior ball is, different from the
known Rubik's Cube. This invention is composed of only two parts
which move in relation to each other: The exterior shell and the
interior ball that is able to rotate inside.
[0003] A matching solution to this puzzle depends on random trial
and error, where the Rubik's cube solution has established rules
and must be memorized. In this invention partially memorizing the
position of the marks may help only somewhat in solving the puzzle,
since the arrangement of the marks may be disoriented to the
player. This matching puzzle is intended for younger children than
Rubic's cube. The rotation and matching could, however, be a useful
exercise for the elderly. Due to the comfortable size of the
puzzle, it can be used in waiting rooms, airplanes during travel
time and relaxation between intensive periods of work. The puzzle
does not make any noise and is quiet for others in public
places.
[0004] The puzzle may be used in contests matching solutions in a
given period of time.
DESCRIPTION
[0005] The round or polyhedral exterior shell over the rotating
interior ball has rounded edges and corners. The polyhedral
exterior shell may be created as a regular polyhedron or
semi-regular polyhedron.
[0006] FIG. #1 shows the open exterior shell: one of the halves
(#50) and the second half (#52) with the interior ball (#54).
Openings in the exterior shell have colored edges: blue (#56), red
(#58), Green (#60) and, Black (#62). Colored dots placed on the
interior ball: blue (#64), red (#66), green (#68) and black (#70).
Other dots (#72) are for misleading the player trying to match the
same color of dots with the same color on the edge of the openings.
The interior ball may rotate inside the two glued halves of the
exterior shell. When the polyhedral shell is a cube, each side of
the cube is colored and constructed individually. Three different
colored sides come together at each rounded corner of the cube.
FIG. #2 shows the open cube constructed of two groups of
individually colored walls: One group is created by the red wall
(#10), the yellow wall (#12) and the white wall (#14). The second
group is created by the blue wall (#16), the green wall (#18), and
the black wall (#20). After the placement of the ball (#22), two
groups of glued walls are connected together by gluing edges. Each
side of the cube has a centered, circular opening, which allows for
the smooth guidance of the rotation of the interior ball.
[0007] On the FIG. #2, see the opening in the red wall (#24), in
the yellow wall (#26), in the white wall (#28) of one part and in
the blue wall (#30), in the green wall (#32), in the black wall
(#34) of second part. The interior ball protrudes through each
opening with a small space around for the frictionless movement of
the ball. The ball protrusion is for touching and rotating it in
any desired direction. The interior ball rotates about the
geometric center point of the ball and the cube. In order to
enclose the ball within the cube, two pairs of three of the sides
of the cube are glued together. The centers of the openings of the
cube create three axes, perpendicular to each other. The center of
the cube or center of the surrounding ball space lines up with the
center of the ball and with the center of the coordinates which are
the axes: X, Y, and Z. These axes are located 90 degrees between
each other in space. When the polyhedral shell is a tetrahedron,
the center point of each circular opening in each side of the
tetrahedron and the geometric center of the tetrahedron lines up
with the center of the ball enclosed by the tetrahedron creating
four axes with an equal angle between each other. When the
polyhedral shell is an octahedron, eight axes each go through the
center of an opening and the geometric center of the octahedron.
Colored dots located on the surface of the ball match up with the
colors of the shell around the openings for one solution only. On
the FIG. #2 is shown ball (#22) with red dot (#36), yellow dot
(#40), green dot (#38), other dots which may be blue, green, black
(shown as #42), and dots (#44) may be additional for misleading.
For a more difficult challenge, fewer than the full number of
colored dots on the ball need match the colors around the
opening.
[0008] FIG. #3 shows the green side (#18) of cube with the opening
(#32) centered with the green dot (#38) placed on the ball (#22).
Additional colored dots on the surface of the ball (designated as
#44) are placed as additional marks for a more difficult solution.
FIG. #4a shows the cube facing red wall (#10), yellow wall (#12),
green wall (#18) With centered openings in each wall respectively
(#22, #26, and #32), on the ball (#22) red dot (#36), green dot
(#38), yellow dot (#40) are placed in the center of each
openings.
[0009] Drawing #4b. shows the cube facing white wall (#14), blue
wall (#16), black wall (#20) With centered opening (#28, #30 and
#34) in each wall respectively. Dots (#42, #44 and #46) placed on
the ball (#22) are centered with openings meeting proper
colors.
[0010] FIG. #5a shows two sets of solutions where each of the walls
of the cube match with the center of its opening and the same color
of dots on the ball.
[0011] FIG. #5b shows the colored walls matching the opposite color
of dots: The red wall with the white dot, the yellow wall with the
black dot, the green wall with the blue dot, the white wall with
the red dot, the black wall with the yellow dot, the blue wall with
the green dot.
[0012] FIG. #6 shows the method of dot placement on the ball using
tape connecting different color dots together and able to be glued
on the ball in one piece. Center spine of a web (#2) includes
number of dots applied around equator of the movable ball. One of
the meridian branch is shown as (#4). One of the dots of spine (#6)
is centered with the opening of the enclosed polyhedron wall,
additional dots placed within vicinity of the opening are (#8).
[0013] FIG. #7 shows the exterior shell as a semi-regular
polyhedron constructed of 18 square facets and 8 equilateral
triangle facets whose sides are equal to the sides of the squares.
This special polyhedron enables the creation of 18 openings to view
the interior rotating ball with designed marks or symbols
corresponding to designated edges of the openings. Besides the
puzzle idea with this special polyhedron, this geometric solid may
be used for another purpose. The information given around all walls
of this solid, including the upper portion case this portion of the
solid is seen from above. This could be used as a special light
effect or advertisement or for airport flight information for
example. Different support of this solid may be created using a
hanging devise or column-type support. This shape of solid may be
used as storage for liquid tank with different decorative angle
facets. This shape may be used as an architectural shape of a
building. FIG. #7 shows the side view and the isometric view of the
tetrahedron shell:
[0014] Drawing #7a shows the side view of the tetrahedron shell,
the opening in one of the facets (#80), the movable interior ball
(#82), one side of the shell (#84), and edge of the shell
(#86).
[0015] FIG. #7b shows the isometric view of the tetrahedron shell
with the openings in the side facets (#80), the movable interior
ball (#82), the side facet (#84), and one of the exterior edges
(#86).
[0016] FIG. #8 shows the following:
[0017] FIG. #8a shows the plane development of the irregular
polyhedron shell (18 squares and 8 equilateral triangles), one of
the equilateral triangles (#90), one of the squares (#92), the
opening in the square facet (#94), and the edge of the shell
(#96).
[0018] FIG. #8b shows the side view of the shell with the triangle
facet (#90), the square facet (#92), the opening in the side facet
(#94), and one of the edges (#96).
[0019] FIG. #8c shows the angle view with the triangle facet (#90),
the square facet with the opening (#92), the opening in one of the
square facet (#94), and one of the edges (#96).
[0020] FIG. #8d shows the isometric view of the irregular
polyhedron with the triangle facet (#90), the square facet (#92),
the opening the side, (#94), one of the edges (#96), and the
movable interior ball (#98).
[0021] Thus the scope of this invention should be determined by the
appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the
examples given.
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