multipurpose abacus, in which a plurality of beads is provided on rods installed in a rectangular frame, and the beads are separated into upper and lower sides by at least one removable partition bar.
With the advance of industrial society, abacuses have become seldom used and are treated as antique articles. Some time ago, abacuses were very frequently used in daily life, but, recently, it is difficult even to see abacuses in one's surroundings. Such an abacus was invented before Christ, was a daily tool and a mathematical tool, and has developed along with human society.
Typically, the abacus has been regarded merely as a tool for calculation. Although the abacus does not really have other functions other than the calculation function, abacus calculation has played and important part in understanding the notion of numbers and calculation and in enhancing calculating ability.
Accordingly, the necessity of using the abacus as a new learning tool having a function as an educational aid for helping elementary schoolchildren improve their comprehension of numbers and calculation and their calculating ability has been required.
Meanwhile, in the case of using a conventional assistant abacus, which improves on a typical abacus, it has been difficult for students to learn general arithmetic, for example, the comprehension of the structure and characteristics of numbers, comparison of numbers, comprehension of the notion of arithmetic sign, and the solution or composition of numbers. That is, the abacus has been merely used for uniform calculation, for example, simple addition, a process of subtracting a complement number, or a process of subtracting ten and shifting a complement number. Therefore, an assistant abacus for learning the mathematic notion and principle, which are important in the learning process of students, is required.
However, the assistant abacus is problematic in that it is used independently of the abacus for learning (for teaching). Furthermore, in consideration of the characteristics of mathematics which, if the notion and principle of the number are not understood, applied problems and problems requiring thinking ability cannot be solved, a multipurpose abacus, which makes it possible to conduct various learning processes using a single tool, is required.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a multipurpose abacus, in which a removable partition bar, which separates beads, and an abacus frame are assembled into a single body, and which is closed at one side of the abacus frame, thus providing a sensation of stability to a user during a learning process.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a multipurpose abacus, which is a detachable structure, and which allows anybody to easily conduct various learning work, such as counting numbers (number to 9, 50 or 100 or three figures), separation and collection of beads, addition and subtraction, multiplication, division and a stacking game.
Advantageous Effects imparts a sensation of stability to a user. Furthermore, protrusions for supporting a partition bar are provided on a bottom plate of the frame, so that the partition bar is prevented from undesirably moving.
As well, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the multipurpose abacus of the above-mentioned embodiment may have a detachable structure.
a through 5c are perspective views showing parts of an abacus frame of the abacus of
a and 6b are exploded perspective views of a support rod of
a and 7b are exploded perspective views of a partition bar of
Accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a multipurpose abacus, including: an abacus frame closed at a bottom thereof and provided with upper, lower, left and right frame walls having predetermined heights, with support rod insertion holes formed in the upper and lower frame walls at positions corresponding to each other, partition bar insertion parts provided on the left and right frame walls, and a plurality of supports provided on the bottom of the abacus frame at positions corresponding to the partition bar insertion parts to prevent a partition bar from undesirably moving; a plurality of support rods inserted into the upper and lower support rod insertion holes; a plurality of beads fitted over each support rod; and at least one partition bar removably inserted into the partition bar insertion parts of the left and right frame walls accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a multipurpose abacus, including: an abacus frame formed by upper, lower, left and right frame walls having predetermined heights, the abacus frame being open at upper and lower sides thereof, with support rod insertion holes formed in the upper and lower frame walls at positions corresponding to each other, and partition bar insertion parts provided on the left and right frame walls; a plurality of support rods inserted into the upper and lower support rod insertion holes; a plurality of beads fitted over each support rod; and at least one partition bar removably inserted into the partition bar insertion parts of the left and right frame walls, the partition bar being divided into two partition bar bodies, so that, when the two partition bar bodies are assembled with each other, holes, through which the support rods pass, are formed.
Hereinafter, the construction and operation of embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.
The multipurpose abacus further includes a plurality of beads 90, which is fitted over each support rod 80.
The multipurpose abacus further includes a plurality of partition bars 60 and 70, each of which has a plurality of insertion slots 61, 71 at positions corresponding to the support rods 80 so that each support rod 80 is inserted into the insertion slots 61 and 71, and which are inserted at opposite ends thereof into the partition bar insertion parts 21 and 41 of the left and right frame walls 40 and 20 so that the beads 90 are separated into the upper and lower sides by the partition bars 60 and 70.
Preferably, in a state in which one of the upper and lower frame walls 10 and 30 is removed from the abacus frame, the support rods 80, over which the beads 90 are fitted, are inserted into the support rod insertion holes 31. Thereafter, the upper or lower frame wall 10 or 30 is coupled and bonded to the left and right frame walls 40 and 20 and the upper end of the bottom plate 50, thus completing the embodiment of the present invention.
Referring to
Furthermore, each partition bar insertion part 21 of the right frame wall 20 and each corresponding partition bar insertion part 41 of the left frame walls 40 is disposed at the same height relative to the lower frame wall 30.
Each partition bar insertion part 21, 41, which is provided on each of the right and left frame walls 20 and 40, may comprise a groove or protrusion, which can support each end of the partition bar 60, 70.
Furthermore, each support 51, which is provided on the bottom plate 50, may comprise a groove, which is formed in the bottom plate 50 such that, when the partition bar 60, 70 is coupled to the bottom plate 50, an edge of the partition bar 60, 70 is inserted into and supported by the groove of the bottom plate 50.
In the embodiment of
Furthermore, each support 51, which is provided on the bottom plate 50, is disposed at a position corresponding to the related partition bar insertion parts 21 and 41, which are provided on the right and left frame walls 20 and 40.
As well, the upper frame wall 10 or the lower frame wall 30 of the abacus frame may be removably provided.
a through 5c are perspective views showing parts of the abacus frame of
a and 6b are exploded perspective views of the support rod of
a and 7b are exploded perspective views of the partition bar of
As shown in
The detailed description of the elements of the multipurpose abacus is presented below.
As shown in
As shown in
Furthermore, the beads 900 are fitted over each rod 800. Here, the beads 900 may comprise picture blocks, which are fitted over each rod 800, as shown in
The partition bar 600 is supported by the partition bar insertion parts 310 provided on the opposite surfaces of the left and right frame walls 300 and 400 of the abacus frame, thus being installed in the abacus frame in a sideways direction. As shown in
The process of assembling the abacus of this embodiment of the present invention will be explained herein below.
The beads 900 are first fitted over each rod 800. Thereafter, the rods 800 are inserted into the rod insertion holes 110 of the upper frame wall 100 and, subsequently, the coupling protrusions 120, which are provided on the opposite ends of the upper frame wall 100, are inserted into the respective coupling holes 320, which are formed in the upper ends of the left and right frame walls 300 and 400. The lower ends of the rods 800 are thereafter inserted into the respective rod insertion holes 110 of the lower frame wall 200 and, simultaneously, the coupling protrusions 120, which are provided on the opposite ends of the lower frame wall 200, are inserted into the respective coupling holes 320, which are formed in the lower ends of the left and right frame walls 300 and 400, thus obtaining the rectangular abacus frame having the beads 900. Thereafter, the two bodies 610 and 620 of the partition bar 600 are inserted into the partition bar insertion parts 310 at opposite sides of the rods 800 and are thus coupled to each other, such that the rods 800 are seated in the related rod passing holes 650 of the assembled partition bar 600, thus completing the assembly of the abacus of the embodiment of the present invention.
The beads 900 may be manufactured in various shapes, for example, picture blocks. Here, when a learning process is conducted using the picture blocks or beads, separate casings for containing the picture blocks or beads, which are relatively short and small, may be used.
The casings may be manufactured in various sizes, for example, to a length of 1 cm, 1.5 cm, 1.7 cm, etc., without restriction. Preferably, the casings are manufactured to a size corresponding to a multiple of that of the picture blocks or beads. Furthermore, as required, casings having various sizes are provided.
For example, when one picture block or bead exists, it is contained in the casing having a size corresponding to the size of one picture block or bead. When two picture blocks or beads exist, they are contained in the casing having a size corresponding to the size of two picture blocks or beads.
The present invention relates, in general, to multipurpose abacuses and, more particularly, to a multipurpose abacus in which a plurality of beads is provided on rods installed in a rectangular frame, and the beads are separated into upper and lower sides by at least one removable partition bar. The multipurpose abacus of the present invention can be regarded as a technique having high applicability.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2005-0096443 | Oct 2005 | KR | national |
10-2006-0031846 | Apr 2006 | KR | national |
PCT/KR2006/001940 | May 2006 | KR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/KR2006/001940 | 5/24/2006 | WO | 00 | 4/14/2008 |