Patent Application
20220122474
The present invention relates generally to the field of educational toys. More specifically, the present invention relates to an educational toy kit that provides components including small spheres and pegs that can be assembled into multiple geometric shapes such as polyhedrons. The shapes are created from separate wooden spheres used as vertices that are connected using pegs. Inner spheres including two holes are placed inside the pegs wherein the holes are used for rotating the shapes both horizontally and vertically on a stand including horizontal spinning rods and vertical rods. The shapes can be assembled and disassembled as per the preferences of a player, child, or student. The spheres, pegs, and inner spheres include manipulable parts that provide hours of fun, building, and learning and helps students to learn different aspects of geometry. Accordingly, the present disclosure makes specific reference thereto. Nonetheless, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the present invention are also equally applicable to other like applications, devices, and methods of manufacture.
Mathematics is an exciting subject for children of all ages and helps to develop brain activity, creativity and analytical skills. Mathematics helps individuals understand the world and provides an effective way of building mental discipline while encouraging logical reasoning, critical thinking, spatial thinking, and/or problem-solving ability. Geometry is a branch of mathematics that deals with geometric shapes. Studying geometry helps students improve logic, problem solving, and deductive reasoning skills. In geometry, simple shapes are easy to understand and visualize even in two-dimensions, such as when drawn on a board or on a paper. However, more complex shapes such as polyhedrons, including three-dimensional shapes with flat polygonal faces, straight edges and sharp corners or vertices are hard to visualize and understand when shown or drawn on a piece of paper. Teachers and other educators desire to demonstrate these complex shapes in a three-dimensional (3D) manner such that the shapes can be visible from different angles and views enabling the students and other individuals to understand the intricacies of these complex shapes.
Students who study geometry face the issue in understanding these abstract shapes without any tangible visual aids. For relatively younger children, understanding these shapes is important as they can become intellectually enlightened upon learning and understanding these shapes.
Teachers may use solid geometric teaching aids with students. Conventional solid geometric teaching aids allow children to build and/or create configurations and/or structures. However, conventional solid geometric teaching aids are useful for simple shapes but are ineffective for complex shapes that contain many faces, edges and vertices. Further, these solid geometric teaching aids are not available as a toy, and especially as a spinning toy, that can act as a functional model for understanding complex shapes. Heretofore known teaching aids are hard for children to manipulate the shapes and/or to build new shapes, and this can cause frustration in children. Frustration can lead to a loss of interest in mathematics, and especially geometry.
Therefore, there exists a long felt need in the art for an improved tangible functional model aid that provides a functional and tactile model for visualizing and manipulating complex geometric shapes. There is also a long felt need in the art for an improved tangible functional model aid that can be assembled into a plurality of shapes, such as multiple polyhedrons. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for an improved tangible functional model aid that enables students to understand different faces, sides, vertices and their interrelated relationship in a complex geometric shape. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for an improved tangible functional model aid that enables students to hold and spin the faces, vertices and edges of the various shapes for a complete understanding and visualization of a geometric shape. Furthermore, there is a long felt need in the art for an improved tangible functional model aid that can be used by educators for teaching geometry effectively. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for an improved tangible functional model aid that can be used by both educators and students to understand how different aspects of geometry are related in a fun manner.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a kit for creating and visualizing complex 3D shapes. The kit includes a plurality of small spheres used as vertices, a plurality of pegs for connecting the spheres to form the 3D shape and a plurality of inner spheres wherein one or more inner spheres are placed at the center of the 3D shape. The kit also includes a stand including at least one horizontal rod and at least one vertical rod that enables the created 3D complex shape to be mounted in order to allow horizontal or vertical rotation of the mounted 3D shape. The vertical and the horizontal rotation enables users such as students and children to hold and spin the faces, vertices and edges of the 3D shapes for visualization, understanding, and entertainment from all angles.
In this manner, the improved polyhedron-like spinner device of the present invention accomplishes all of the forgoing objectives and provides a multi-purpose, convenient and easy solution that offers a way to visualize and understand complex geometric 3D shapes. The device includes manipulable components that can be assembled and disassembled for use by children for hours of fun. The components enable building and learning by creating complex geometric shapes such as tetrahedrons, hexahedrons, octahedrons and more. The device enables students and children to hold and spin the faces, vertices, and edges of the various shapes around the dowels so that they can be visualized and understood from all angles.
The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some general concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a kit for creating and visualizing complex 3D shapes. The kit includes a plurality of small spheres used as vertices, a plurality of pegs for connecting the spheres to form the 3D shapes and a plurality of inner spheres wherein one or more inner spheres are placed at the center of the 3D shapes. The kit also includes a stand, including at least one horizontal rod and at least one vertical rod wherein the created 3D complex shape can be mounted to the horizontal rod for vertical rotation of the 3D shape and can also be mounted to the vertical rod for horizontal rotation of the 3D shape. The vertical and the horizontal rotation enables users such as students to hold and spin the faces, vertices and edges of the 3D shapes for visualization and understanding from all angles.
In one potential embodiment, the small spheres can be about 1¼″ in diameter and can be used as vertices of 3D shapes. The pegs can be about 3/16″ diameter dowel rods and can be used as edges. It is to be appreciated that any variety of different dimensions can be used in the present invention. In yet other potential embodiments, the 3D shapes can be one or more of a tetrahedron, a hexahedron, an octahedron, a dodecahedron, an icosahedron or more.
In yet another potential embodiment of the present invention, each of the inner spheres can include two ¼″ holes wherein a first hole extends completely through the inner sphere enabling the 3D shape in which the inner sphere is placed to mount to a horizontal rod of the stand and the second hole extends only halfway through the inner sphere enabling the 3D shape in which the inner sphere is placed to mount to the vertical rod.
It is also disclosed that the kit of the present invention also includes a two-sphere spinner shape with a sphere that can be cut into 8 equal sections, reconnected with pegs with an internal sphere that enables for spinning.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a wooden stand for mounting a polyhedron shape is disclosed. The wooden stand includes at least a pair of horizontal spinning rods and at least a pair of vertical rods. Each horizontal spinning rod can be supported by a plurality of vertically-oriented supporting bars or rods. The horizontal spinning rods and the vertical supporting rods can be used for mounting complex polyhedron shapes, wherein each horizontal spinning rod is configured to rotate the mounted polyhedron in a generally vertical direction and each vertical rod is configured to rotate the mounted polyhedron in a generally horizontal direction.
In yet another embodiment, a method for visualizing and understanding complex geometric shapes by rotating the shapes horizontally and vertically is described. The method includes the steps of initially creating a complex geometric shape using spheres, pegs and inner spheres, wherein the geometric shape is created by connecting the spheres using the pegs and placing the inner spheres at the center of the complex geometric shape, then mounting the created geometric shape on a horizontal spinning rod for a first rotation of the shape and thereafter mounting the geometric shape on a vertical rod for a second rotation. The first and the second rotations enable students to hold and spin the faces, vertices, and edges of the various shapes so that they can be visualized and understood from all angles.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the first rotation is the vertical rotation, and the second rotation is the horizontal rotation.
The present invention is employed to enable students to understand how different aspects of geometry are related, and features a stand to view shapes from all faces, edges and vertices. The invention provides components that can be used for creating tetrahedrons, hexahedrons, octahedrons, and more, and offers a plurality of manipulable parts for hours of fun, building and learning.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and are intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
The description refers to provided drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and in which:
The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.
As noted above, there exists a long felt need in the art for an improved tangible functional model aid that provides a functional and tactile model for visualizing and manipulating complex geometric shapes. There is also a long felt need in the art for an improved tangible functional model aid that can be assembled into a plurality of shapes such as multiple polyhedrons. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for an improved tangible functional model aid that enables students to understand different faces, sides, vertices, and their interrelated relationships in a complex geometric shape. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for an improved tangible functional model aid that enables students to hold and spin the faces, vertices, and edges of the various shapes for a complete understanding and visualization of a geometric shape. Faces include the flat or curved surfaces that make up the outside, or outer periphery, of a 3D shape. Edges include the lines where two faces of a 3D shape meet. Vertices include the corners of a 3D shape formed where two or more edges meet. Furthermore, there is a long felt need in the art for an improved tangible functional model aid that can be used by educators for teaching geometry effectively. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for an improved tangible functional model aid that can be used by both educators and students to understand how different aspects of geometry are related in a fun manner.
The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, is a novel method for visualizing and understanding complex geometric shapes by rotating the same both horizontally and vertically is disclosed. The method includes the steps of creating a complex geometric shape using spheres, pegs and inner spheres. Then, the created complex geometric shape can be mounted on a horizontal spinning rod for a first-oriented rotation of the shape and/or can be mounted on a vertical rod for a second-oriented rotation. The first and the second-oriented rotations enable students to hold and spin the faces, vertices and edges of the various shapes so that they can be visualized and understood from all angles.
Referring initially to the drawings,
A special inner sphere 108 is used for placement inside the pegs 104 and can be positioned at the center of an assembled spinner device. The inner sphere 108 incudes a first hole 110 that extends through the sphere 108 enabling a horizontal spinning rod 112 positioned on a base 1000 to pass through the inner sphere 108. The spinner device in an assembled form can spin around the longitudinal axis of the horizontal rod 112. This rotation enables a child to view different faces, vertices and edges of the device 100 to understand how different aspects of geometry are related in the assembled spinner device. The components 1200 can be disassembled to form a new and different type of polyhedron.
The inner sphere 108 can also include a second ¾″ hole 114 that extends only halfway through the inner sphere 108. The second ¼″ hole 114 is used for positioning the polyhedron spinner device 100 on a vertical rod 116 positioned on the base 1000. In one potential embodiment, the vertical rod 116 is positioned on one end 1002 of the base 1000.
The horizontal rod 112 is supported on a plurality of supporting bars 120 that can be placed equidistantly on the base 1000 such that the supporting bars 120 are used for horizontally and detachably-placing the horizontal rod 112 thereto. A plurality of assembled spinner devices, in the form of various types of polyhedrons, can be placed along the horizontal spinning rod 112, using the central first hole 110 of the inner sphere 108 as shown in
The base 1000, including the vertical supporting bars 120 and a pair of vertical rods 116, enables a child to rotate the assembled spinning polyhedron in both horizontal and vertical directions for viewing the polyhedron shapes from all faces, edges and vertices.
The components 1200 comprising the spheres 102, the pegs 104 and the inner sphere 108 can be used for assembling shapes like a tetrahedron (4 faces and 4 vertices), a hexahedron (6 faces and 8 vertices), or an octahedron (8 faces and 6 vertices), a dodecahedron (12 faces and 20 vertices), an icosahedron (20 faces and 12 vertices) and many more complex shapes. It is to be appreciated that vertices represent corners of the polyhedron, and faces represent single flat surfaces or planes. Each shape, after assembling, can be hung on the horizontal rod 112 or the vertical rods 116 for rotation.
Additionally, it should also be noted that a more complicated and therefore more interesting spinner is created by placing the two-sphere spinner inside the polyhedron, in place of the single inner sphere. This creates a three-level spinner.
Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “polyhedron-like spinner device kit”, “polyhedron spinner device” and “kit” are interchangeable and refer to the polyhedron-like spinner device kit 100 of the present invention.
Notwithstanding the forgoing, the polyhedron-like spinner device kit 100 of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above-stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the size, configuration and material of the polyhedron-like spinner device kit 100 as shown in the FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the polyhedron-like spinner device kit 100 are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the polyhedron-like spinner device kit 100 are important design parameters for user convenience, the polyhedron-like spinner device kit 100 may be of any size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.
Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments including different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.
What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/224,587, which was filed on Jul. 22, 2021, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/093,490, which was filed on Oct. 19, 2020, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63224587 | Jul 2021 | US | |
| 63093490 | Oct 2020 | US |
