Patent Application
20220118354
There are currently several magnetic puzzles available. A magnet puzzle with movable sectors is disclosed in RF Patent No. 2701264, published on Sep. 25, 2019. The disclosed puzzle uses magnetic fields to change the state of the puzzle. However, the proposed puzzle is rather simple and easy to solve.
Accordingly, a complex and hard to solve 3-D puzzle with magnets and movable sectors is desired.
Disclosed herein is the 3-D puzzle is implemented as cube consisting of twenty six movable sectors configured to move about a central cross-piece created by three axels that are perpendicular to each other. Each of the three axels has a far edge attached to a plate with stationary magnets positioned on it. All movable sectors have an outer surface and an inner surface configured to house a magnet. The movable sectors are classified as eight angular ones, twelve end ones and six central ones. The angular sectors have cavities configured to host three movable elements configured to be positioned perpendicular to each other. The relative positioning of the three movable elements can be changed. The end movable sectors have cavities that may host two movable elements configured to be positioned perpendicular to each other.
These and other features of the concepts provided herein will become more apparent to those of skill in the art in view of the accompanying drawings and following description, which describe particular embodiments of such concepts in greater detail.
A more particular description of the present disclosure will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof that are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. Example embodiments of the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
Before some particular embodiments are disclosed in greater detail, it should be understood that the particular embodiments disclosed herein do not limit the scope of the concepts provided herein. It should also be understood that a particular embodiment disclosed herein can have features that can be readily separated from the particular embodiment and optionally combined with or substituted for features of any of a number of other embodiments disclosed herein.
Regarding terms used herein, it should also be understood the terms are for the purpose of describing some particular embodiments, and the terms do not limit the scope of the concepts provided herein. Ordinal numbers (e.g., first, second, third, etc.) are generally used to distinguish or identify different features or steps in a group of features or steps, and do not supply a serial or numerical limitation. For example, “first,” “second,” and “third” features or steps need not necessarily appear in that order, and the particular embodiments including such features or steps need not necessarily be limited to the three features or steps. Labels such as “left,” “right,” “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “back,” and the like are used for convenience and are not intended to imply, for example, any particular fixed location, orientation, or direction. Instead, such labels are used to reflect, for example, relative location, orientation, or directions. Singular forms of “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
For clarity, it is to be understood that the word “distal” refers to a direction relatively closer to a patient on which a medical device is to be used as described herein, while the word “proximal” refers to a direction relatively further from the patient. Also, the words “including,” “has,” and “having,” as used herein, including the claims, shall have the same meaning as the word “comprising.”
Lastly, in the following description, the terms “or” and “and/or” as used herein are to be interpreted as inclusive or meaning any one or any combination. As an example, “A, B or C” or “A, B and/or C” mean “any of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B and C.” An exception to this definition will occur only when a combination of elements, components, functions, steps or acts are in some way inherently mutually exclusive.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art.
Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to a 3-D puzzle with movable sectors configured to be repositioned relative to each other. The sectors may have movable elements providing for various states of the 3-D puzzle.
According to the exemplary embodiments, the 3-D puzzle is implemented as a cube consisting of twenty six movable sectors configured to move about a central cross-piece created by three axels that are perpendicular to each other. Each of the three axels has a far edge attached to a plate with stationary magnets positioned on it. All movable sectors have an outer surface and an inner surface configured to house a magnet. The movable sectors are classified as eight angular ones, twelve end ones and six central ones. The angular sectors have cavities configured to host three movable elements configured to be positioned perpendicular to each other. The relative positioning of the three movable elements can be changed. The end movable sectors have cavities that may host two movable elements configured to be positioned perpendicular to each other. The relative positioning of the three movable elements can be changed. The central movable sectors have cavities configured to accommodate one movable element. According to the exemplary embodiment, the magnets interact with each other by pairs in any static position of the 3-D puzzle. As a result, the movable elements are either being pulled to the center or being pushed away from the center.
Accordingly, the elements of the 3-D puzzle may move by principle of the Rubik's cube. However, the exemplary 3-D puzzle does not use colors for the movable sectors. Instead, the sides of the cube use round button-like elements positioned on every movable sector. The button-like elements can be either in “extended” or in “pushed down” binary state.
Since the 3-D puzzle has magnets positioned inside, at each turn of a segment of the puzzle, a new interaction of magnet pairs occurs. Magnetic pull/push causes repositioning of the movable sectors that change the appearance of the 3-D puzzle.
In one embodiment, the plates with static magnets may be shaped as disks. Thus, regardless of a static position of the 3-D puzzle, the magnets always interact with each other by pairs causing the movable sectors to be either pulled to the center or be pushed away from the center thereby creating different variations of the 3-D puzzle.
In one embodiment, the plates housing the static magnets include four magnets each. Thus, regardless of a static position of the 3-D puzzle, the magnets always interact with each other by pairs.
The FIGs. described below use the following numbering of the exemplary features and elements:
According to the exemplary embodiments,
According to one embodiment, some of the movable elements 4 are connected by static magnets 5. The movable sectors 1-3 have cavities 11, 21, 31 configured to accommodate the movable elements 4. Each of the movable elements 4 is configured to move into the cavities 11 or 21 or 31 under the force created by other permanent magnets of the 3-D puzzle during repositioning of the movable sectors 1-3 relative to each other.
As discussed above, the 3-D puzzle may be implemented as a cube consisting of 26 movable sectors that form the cube as a 3×3×3 formation. The movable sectors may move about the central cross-piece 6 created by three axels 61 that are perpendicular to each other. Each axel has the plate 62 that holds the static magnets 5.
All movable elements 4 have an outer portion 42 and an inner portion 43 that holds the round magnets 5. As discussed above, the movable sectors are classifies as eight angular ones 1, twelve end ones 2 and six central ones 3. The angular movable sectors 1 have cavities 11 that accommodate three movable elements 4 that have inner openings 41 that allow perpendicular positioning of the elements 4 relative to each other while providing for freedom of movements. The end movable sectors 2 have cavities 21 configured to host two movable elements 4 that have inner openings 41 that allow perpendicular positioning of the elements 4 relative to each other while providing for freedom of movements. The central movable sectors 3 have cavity 31 that each hold one movable element.
According to the exemplary embodiment, the magnets 5 interact with each other in pairs regardless of the current static position of the 3-D puzzle. Consequently, the movable elements 4 are either being pulled to the center or being pushed away from the center of the cube that represents the 3-D puzzle.
Please note that the novel design of the puzzle provides for axes along which the movable elements move that do not coincide with the axels 61 of the central cross-piece—i.e., the symmetry axes of the 3-D puzzle. According to the exemplary embodiment, all axes along which the movable elements move are off-set. Thus, the movable elements 4 are not symmetrical and do not have any of the symmetry axes as can be seen from the FIGs. such as, for example,
Further novelty may be seen from connection of the movable elements 4 of the angular movable sectors 1 shown in
According to the exemplary embodiment, all movable sectors (1, 2 and 3) may have elements extending above the surface for providing the integrity of the 3-D puzzle during the rotation of the side facets.
Referring to
When opposite magnetic poles end up next to each other, the pulling force causes the movements of the outer portion 42 of the movable elements 4 toward the center of the 3-D puzzle as can be seen in
According to the exemplary embodiments, the 3-D puzzle with movable sectors operates as follows. In an arbitrary position, the facets of the movable sectors have different positions of the movable elements: one portion may be extended and one may be pushed-in. The goal of the player is to transfer the 3-D puzzle into an ordered state from a random state. This is not a trivial task by any means. The ordered state is the state when all movable elements are in a “pushed-in” position as shown in
The 3-D cube-shape puzzle according to the exemplary embodiments, advantageously, allows for movement move the movable sectors easily while maintaining the integrity of the cube-shape puzzle. Once the movable sectors are moved, the magnets begin interacting with each other and change the state of the movable elements.
Embodiments of the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative, not restrictive. The scope of the embodiments is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
This application is a CIP of the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/974,148 filed on Oct. 21, 2020.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16974148 | Oct 2020 | US |
| Child | 17300425 | US |
