Patent Application
20060061033
This invention relates to puzzles in general and to mechanical hand-held puzzles more particularly.
Many known mechanical puzzles utilize moving elements. In some embodiments, the moving elements are shifted relative to each other to obtain a desired pattern or graphical display. Many of the known designs implement mechanical elements in a manner that a desired pattern or graphical display is difficult to achieve and/or maintain. Such difficulties include binding and/or overly loose relative movements of the elements, which in some instances may be caused by overly complex mechanical designs. Some of the known designs utilize the moveable pieces to reconstruct or assemble two-dimensional patterns or pictures, but these implementations are typically uninteresting.
What is needed, therefore, is a mechanical hand-held puzzle that comprises elements that may be moved relative to each other to achieve a desired pattern or graphical display in a manner that improves upon prior mechanical hand-held puzzles.
In
In
In
In
In
In
In one embodiment, a three-dimensional puzzle comprises at least two moveable mainframes, each movable mainframe defined by a bore, a top, a bottom, and a plurality of sides, wherein a bottom of at least one moveable mainframe is disposed in an opposing relationship to a top of at least another moveable mainframe; a shaft, wherein the shaft is disposed within the bore of each moveable mainframe such that when each movable mainframe moved it is constrained to rotationally move about the shaft; a top retainer and a bottom retainer coupled to respective top and bottom portions of the shaft, wherein the top and bottom retainers constrain the rotational movements of each moveable mainframe to occur between the top and bottom retainer; a plurality of moveable face pieces, wherein the number of moveable face pieces is equal to at least one less than the number of the plurality of sides, and wherein each moveable face piece is coupled to at least one of the sides; and at least one constraint mechanism for providing alignment, separation, and reduced friction between top and bottoms of each adjacently disposed movable mainframe. In one embodiment, the constraint mechanism comprises a bearing. In one embodiment, the constraint mechanism is disposed between adjacent moveable mainframes. In one embodiment, at least one moveable mainframe comprises a void, wherein at least one adjacently disposed moveable mainframe comprises at least one detent, wherein during the aligned separation the bearing is disposed within the void and within a detent. In one embodiment, at least one moveable mainframe comprises a void, wherein at least one adjacently disposed moveable mainframe comprises at least one detent, wherein during a non-aligned separation the bearing is disposed within the void and outside of a detent. In one embodiment, the constraint mechanism comprises a spring. In one embodiment, each moveable mainframe comprises 8 sides. In one embodiment, the number of moveable face pieces comprises 39 sides. In one embodiment, each moveable face piece is coupled to a side of a moveable mainframe by an interlocking type of mechanism. In one embodiment, the interlocking mechanism comprises a groove or a protrusion. In one embodiment, an outer surface of at least one moveable face piece comprises a flat geometry. In one embodiment, an outer surface of at least one moveable face piece comprises a curved geometry. In one embodiment, an outer surface of at least one moveable face piece comprises a three-dimensional geometry.
In one embodiment, a shaped puzzle comprises a body, the body having a top and a bottom; and a plurality of moveable pieces, wherein relative to the body the moveable face pieces comprise an outer three-dimensional surface, wherein the moveable pieces are coupled to the body and limited to movement by the body, and wherein the movement comprises a rotational or linear movement between the top and bottom. In one embodiment, the shape comprises a cylinder. In one embodiment, the shape comprises a multisided geometry. In one embodiment, the body comprises a plurality of moveable mainframes disposed about a central shaft, and wherein between any two adjacent mainframes there is disposed a bearing.
In one embodiment, a puzzle comprises a body, the body having a top and a bottom; and a plurality of moveable pieces, wherein the moveable pieces are coupled to the body and limited by the body to movement about the body in a rotational direction between the top and bottom, and wherein the body is coupled to moveable face pieces that define an outer shaped surface of the puzzle that is cylindrical or multisided. In one embodiment, the outer shaped surface may be further defined by a three dimensional surface. In one embodiment, the body comprises a plurality of adjacent moveable mainframes, wherein between any two adjacent mainframes there is disposed a self-aligning friction reducing mechanism.
These and other features and aspects of the present invention will be better understood with reference to the following description, figures, and appended claims.
Reference will now be made in detail to several embodiments of the invention that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, same or similar reference numerals are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts. The drawings are in a simplified form and not necessarily to precise scale. For purposes of convenience and clarity only, directional terms such as top, bottom, left, right, up, down, over, above, below, beneath, rear, and front, as well as other terms, may be used with respect to the accompanying drawings. These and similar directional terms should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention in any manner. In addition, the words couple, connect, and similar terms with their inflectional morphemes are used interchangeably, unless the difference is noted or made otherwise clear from the context. Also, it should be understood, these words and expressions do not necessarily signify direct connections, but may include connections through mediate components and devices.
Referring now to
Top and bottom portions 22a and 22b of each moveable mainframe 22 may be defined by a geometry, which in one embodiment is a multisided geometry. In one embodiment, the multisided geometry can be described with reference to a geometry of the top and bottom peripheries 22aa and 22bb. In one embodiment, the top and bottom peripheries 22aa and 22bb define respective edges of top and bottom portions 22a and 22b. In
Each side portion 22c of each moveable mainframe 22 can also be described by a geometry. In one embodiment, each side portion 22c comprises edges 22cc, which in
Referring further to
Referring now to
In one embodiment, the puzzle 100 further includes a top retainer 11a and a bottom retainer 11b. In one embodiment, each retainer is coupled to respective top and bottom portions of a shaft 13. In one embodiment, the retainers 11a and 11b are fastened to the respective top and bottom ends of the shaft 13 by stoppers 9, or other means known to those skilled in the fastener arts, for example, screws, rivets, adhesive, interlocking fittings, and the like. The top and bottom retainers 11a-b act to retain and restrain movements of the moveable mainframes 22 and attached moveable face pieces 25 to rotational movements about the shaft 13, and longitudinal movements within fixed limits imposed by the retainers 11a and 11b.
Referring again to
Referring now to
In one embodiment, a topmost moveable mainframe 22 comprises at a bottom portion 22b at least one void 18, and a bottommost movable mainframe 22 at a top portion 22a comprises one or more of detent 21. In one embodiment, each moveable mainframe 22 between the topmost and bottommost moveable mainframe 22 comprises at a bottom portion 22b at least one void 18, and at a top portion 22a one or more detents 21. In one embodiment, the number of detents 21 at a top portion 22a of a moveable mainframe 22 is the same number as the number of side portions 22c, for example, with 8 side portions 22c a moveable mainframe 22 comprises 8 detents. In one embodiment, the detents 21 are disposed at an equal radius from a center of a respective top portion 22a and such that they are separated by angles that are determined by the following relationship, 360 degrees divided by the number of detents. In an embodiment with eight detents, the detents are disposed at intervals of 45 degrees. In one embodiment, each void 18 is disposed in a respective bottom portion 22b such that when coupling portions 17a of two adjacent moveable mainframes 22 are in alignment, a respective void 18 is in an aligned and opposing relationship to a detent 21 of an adjacent moveable mainframe, or visa-versa.
In one embodiment, within each void 18 is disposed a self-aligning friction reducing mechanism 95. In one embodiment, each mechanism 95 comprises a bearing 20, for example, a ball bearing. In one embodiment, each mechanism 95 further comprises a spring 19 functionally disposed. against a bearing 20. In one embodiment, the puzzle 100 is assembled and used such that when a void 18 of one moveable mainframe 22 is in an aligned and opposing relationship to a detent 21 of an second adjacent moveable mainframe, the coupling portions 17a of the adjacent movable mainframes, as well as the adjacent mainframes themselves, are maintained in a secured aligned relationship. When aligned in this manner, some or all of the positions of the face pieces or moveable mainframes may be secured during movements of other face pieces and/or other moveable mainframes. In one embodiment, the puzzle 100 is assembled and used such that when a void 18 of a respective movable mainframe 22 is in a non-aligned and opposing relationship to a detent 21 of an adjacent moveable mainframe (i.e., the coupling portions 17a of adjacent moveable mainframes are not aligned), the spring 19 of a respective mechanism 95 exerts a force onto a respective bearing 20 so as to position the bearing against a smooth surface of top portion 22 (i.e. part of top portion 22 not comprised of detents). In the aforementioned embodiments of use, when coupling portions 17a are not aligned (typically, when an end user is rotating moveable mainframes relative to each other) the mechanisms 95 may act to separate respective adjacent moveable mainframes 22 by some small amount. It is identified the large potential surface to surface frictional contact can, thus, be avoided and/or reduced, which in the case of a bearing is reduced by the minimized rolling contact that would occur between the bearing and surfaces of the movable mainframes 22.
Referring now to
The present inventor has identified that one advantage of the puzzle 100 is derived from a feature that allows puzzle 100 to be easily configured to comprise a plurality of configurations or geometries. As seen in the embodiment of
Further to this end, in other embodiments, it is identified that the outer surface of the movable face pieces may comprise a flat portion, a curved portion, or a combination thereof. The present inventor has identified that the outer surface of the moveable face pieces described herein may also be configured to comprise a surface geometry that is three dimensional rather than two-dimensional. For example, in one embodiment, instead of displaying a two-dimensional picture or pattern on an outer surface of a moveable face piece, the inventor envisions that outer surfaces of one or more moveable face piece of embodiments of the puzzle disclosed herein may comprise a three-dimensional relief or contour. Accordingly, in FIG. 5, there is seen a cross-section of a movable face piece 26 comprising a three dimensional surface. It is identified that, one or more movable face piece 26 could also be used with the core structure of components described above. Using one or more principles described herein, three dimensional moveable face pieces 26 could be used by an end user of a puzzle 100 to reconstruct or arrange the moveable face pieces into a desired three dimensional surface pattern, for example, as a map, a face, an animal figure, or other three dimensional topography.
Neither the specific embodiments of the invention as a whole, nor those of its features limit the general principles underlying the invention. The features described herein may be used in some embodiments, but not in others, without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth. Many additional modifications are intended in the foregoing disclosure, and it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that in some instances some features of the invention will be employed in the absence of a corresponding use of other features. The metes and bounds of the invention and the legal protections afforded the invention should therefore be interpreted with reference to the claims and their legal equivalents.
