The present invention relates to a toy block composed of polyhedral block unit that has 50 faces and a toy blocks game set consisted of said toy blocks.
The traditional toy blocks are usually made into square, triangle or other geometrical shapes for assembling different objects. However, variety of the object which can be built is often restricted by the shapes of the toy blocks. To improve, some toy blocks are composed of single or multiple spherical block units; spherical units allow the user to be able to assemble more complicate object, but since contacting surface of the spherical unit is less than other shape, the assembled object is easier to collapse. To support said toy block, a game tray having multiples grooves for receiving said block units is further provided, however the required space for the game is increased. Therefore, to find a toy block that can stand firmly on a planar surface has become the primary object of the present invention.
Further, said spherical surface may become slippy as the fingers of the user are wet, making the toy block difficult to be held. Thus, to provide a toy block which can be grasped firmly even the finger is wet has become another objective of the present invention.
Applicant has dedicated to design intellectual games for years, and various models with different playing rules has been invented, such as cited document 1,
U.S. Pat. No. 6,220,919, entitled “ASSEMBLED BUILDING BLOCK FOR FORMING VARIOUS GEOMETRICAL SHAPES WITH CORNERS HAVING ANGLES 60 DEGREES, 90 DEGREES AND 120 DEGREES”, by referring to FIG. 1 of the cited document 1, it discloses a game set having 18 assembling pieces, each is formed by 3 to 6 spherical units. As each unit is joined to another horizontally or vertically, when assembling a pyramid, they can only form a square pyramid as shown in FIGS. 16-19, but unable to assemble a triangular pyramid.
In cited document 2, US 2010/0237561, entitled “TOY BLOCK ASSEMBLY PUZZLE”, it discloses a game set including 11 assembling pieces, each is also formed by 3 to 6 spherical unit. The game teaches a new concept of playing the game by limiting the pieces can only be inserted diagonally with an angle of 45 degree; however, it can't be used to form any 3-dimentional shape.
In cited document 3, TW M372207, entitled “A toy block set formed by 54 block units” discloses a game set including 12 assembling pieces, having total 54 cubic block units. By referring to FIGS. 18-21, a triangular pyramid having 21 units for the base and six units for the height can be formed by said 12 pieces; however, a 56 units is required to build the pyramids, thus a game tray having 19 position holes must be provided to complete the assembly.
Moreover, invention from other inventor, such as cited document 4, U.S. Pat. No. 7,140,612, entitled “Cubic assembly puzzle and support structure” of Ronghao Chen discloses an intellectual game having cubic building blocks which can assemble a 3-dimentional shape (FIG. 19), but fails to form a pyramid.
Therefore, to design a new intellectual game which permit the user to build a triangular pyramid firmly even without a supporting structure has become another objective of the present invention.
To achieve above objectives, a toy block is characterized in that said toy block is consisted of at least one block unit. Each unit comprising 50 adjacent faces, and are arranged in 7 layers, wherein:
a first layer including one hexagonal face, provided horizontally as a top of the block unit;
a subjacent second layer including six adjacent pentagonal faces;
a subjacent third layer including twelve adjacent pentagonal faces, which are set in six symmetrical pairs;
a subjacent forth layer including twelve adjacent pentagonal faces;
a subjacent fifth layer including twelve adjacent pentagonal faces, which are set in six symmetrical pairs; faces of the fifth layer and faces of the third layer are arranged symmetrically;
a subjacent sixth layer including six adjacent pentagonal faces; faces of the six layers and faces of the second layer are symmetrical; and
a seventh layer including one hexagonal face, provided horizontally as a bottom of the block unit.
To play as an intellectual game, the present invention teaches a toy block set comprising 12 toy blocks, composed of aforementioned block unit, wherein said 12 toy blocks are assembled to form a triangular pyramid having a base with 6 block units provided on each side and a height of 6 block units. The toy block set including 8 toy blocks consisted of 5 block units and 4 toy blocks consisted of 4 block units, a sum of 56 block units; each block unit is connecting to another by a join member.
Beside said triangular pyramid, the first seven toy blocks of the set, with a total 35 block units can be assembled to form another smaller triangular pyramid, having a base with 5 block units provided on each side and a height of 5 block units.
Both pyramids can be built over corresponding game trays. Each game tray has pluralities position holes provided thereon, and the number of the holes matches the number of units of pyramid's base. Said position holes are arranged in an outer and inner triangle. The outer triangle is set approximate the edge of the game tray and the inner triangle is set in the center of the outer triangle. Both are equilateral triangles.
Each position hole is a concave having 19 faces arranged in 3 layers, which match arrangement of the first to third layers or the seventh to fifth layers of the block unit, wherein:
The first layer including one hexagonal face, provided horizontally as a bottom of the concave;
The second layer including six adjacent pentagonal faces;
The third layer including twelve adjacent pentagonal faces.
The description of preferred embodiments of the present invention is described in detail hereinafter according to the appended drawings.
Referring to
Above 12 toy blocks (A˜L) are assembled to form a triangular pyramid having a base with 6 block units (10) provided on each side with a height of 6 block units (10). The toy block set including 8 toy blocks (A˜H) consisted of 5 block units and 4 toy blocks (I˜L) consisted of 4 block units, a total 56 block units (10). Shapes of each 12 blocks (A˜L) are described as follows:
Toy block A (A) is formed by 5 block units (a1˜a5); a first to third units (a1˜a3) are provided on a horizontal plane with a left-to-right order, while a forth unit (a4) provided on a upper left of the first unit (a1), forming an angle of 60 degree with the horizontal plane, and a fifth unit (a5) provided under the second and third unit (a2, a3), forming an equilateral triangle.
Block B (B) is formed by 5 block units (b1˜b5). A first to third units (b1˜b3) are provided on a horizontal plane with a left-to-right order, while a forth unit (b4) provided on a upper left of the first unit (b1), a fifth unit (b5) provided on a upper left of the second unit (b2), both units (b4, b5) forming an angle of 60 degree with the horizontal plane respectively.
Toy block C (C) is formed by 5 block units (c1˜c5). A first to third units (c1˜c3) are provided on a horizontal plane with a left-to-right order, while both forth and fifth units (c4, c5) are provided on a upper right of the third unit (c3), forming an angle of 60 degree with the horizontal plane.
Toy block D (D) is formed by 5 block units (d1˜d5); a first to forth units (d1˜d4) are provided on a horizontal plane with a left-to-right order, while a fifth unit (d5) is provided above the third and forth units (d3, d4), forming an equilateral triangle.
Toy block E (E) is formed by 5 block units (e1˜e5); a first to third units (e1˜e3) are provided on a horizontal plane with a left-to-right order, while a fourth unit (e4) is provided above the first and second units (e1, e2), forming an equilateral triangle, and a fifth unit (e5) is provided above the second and third units (e2, e3), forming another equilateral triangle.
Toy block F (F) is formed by 5 block units (f1˜f5); a first to forth units (f1˜f4) are provided on a horizontal plane with a left-to-right order, while a fifth unit (f5) is provided above the second and third units (f2, f3), forming an equilateral triangle.
Toy block G (G) is formed by 5 block units (g1˜g5); a first to third units (g1˜g3) are provided on a horizontal plane with a left-to-right order, while a fourth unit (g4) is provided above the first and second units (g1, g2), forming an equilateral triangle, and a fifth unit (g5) is provided on a upper-right of the of the third unit (g3), forming an angle of 60 degree with the horizontal plane.
Toy block H (H) is formed by 5 block units (h1˜h5); a first to third units (h1˜h3) are provided on a horizontal plane with a left-to-right order, while both forth and fifth units (h4, h5) are provided on a upper left of the third unit (h3), forming an angle of 60 degree with the horizontal plane.
Toy block I (I) is formed by 4 block units (i1˜i4); a first to third units (i1˜i3) are provided on a horizontal plane with a left-to-right order, while a forth unit (i4) is provided on a upper right of the third unit (i3), forming an angle of 60 degree with the horizontal plane.
Toy block J (J) is formed by 4 block units (j1˜j4); a first and second units (j1, j2) are provided on a horizontal plane with a left-to-right order and a third and forth units (j3, j4) are provided on another horizontal plane with the same order, while the third unit (j3) is provided on a upper right of the second unit (j2), forming an angle of 60 degree with the horizontal plane of the first and second units (j1, j2).
Toy block K (K) is formed by 4 block units (k1˜k4); a first and second units (k1, k2) are provided on a horizontal plane with a left-to-right order, while a third unit (k3) provided on a upper right of the first unit, a forth unit (k4) provided on a upper right of the second unit (k2), both units (k3, k4) forming an angle of 60 degree with the horizontal plane of the first and second units (k1, k2).
Toy block L (L) is formed by 4 block units (l1˜l4); a first to third units (l1, l3) are provided on a horizontal plane with a left-to-right order, while a forth unit (l4) is provided above the second and third units (l2, l3), forming an equilateral triangle.
Referring to
As shown in
Each face on the first and seventh layer is a regular hexagon with each internal angle (δ1-δ6) defined to be 20 degree.
Each face of said second and sixth layer is inclined an angle (θ1) of 35.25 degree to a horizontal plane; each face of said third and fifth layer is inclined an angle (θ2) of 62 degree to the horizontal plane, and each face of the forth layer is inclined an angle (θ3) of 90 degree to the horizontal plane.
Said second and sixth layer is identical and designed primarily for contacting a face of another toy block. Each face of both layers has two internal angles (α1, α2) of 115.24 degree, formed by an edge where butting the face of first layer and a lateral edge thereof, two internal angles (α3, α4) of 92.99 degree, formed by two edges where butting adjacent faces of the same layer and edges butting faces of the third layer, and an internal angle (α5) of 123.53 degree, formed by two edges where butting faces of the third layer.
Each face of the forth layer has two internal angles (γ1, γ6) of 128.09 degree, formed by two edges of two faces of third layer and two edges of two faces of fifth layer; four internal angles (γ2˜γ5) of 115.96 degree, formed by two lateral edges thereof and two edges butting the faces of the third layer and the fifth layer.
Said third and fifth layer is identical and each face of both layers has an internal angle (β1) of 79.16 degree, formed by an edge where butting face of the second layer and a lateral edge where butting adjacent face of the same layer, an internal angle (β2) of 115.18 degree, formed by the edge where butting face of the second layer and another lateral edge where butting adjacent face of the same layer, two internal angles (β3, β4) of 112.55 degree, formed by two lateral edges and two edges butting faces of the forth layer, and an internal angle (β5) of 120.57 degree, formed by two edges where butting faces of the forth layer.
The regular tetrahedron assembled by said 12 toy blocks (A˜L) is shown in
For a fast and secure assembly, said pyramid formed by all 12 toy blocks can be set upon a first game tray (20a), as shown in
Each position hole (21) is a concave having 19 faces arranged in 3 layers, which match the arrangement of the first to third layers or the seventh to fifth layers of the block unit, listed as follows:
The 12 toy blocks (A˜L) can be divided into two groups, the first croup (10a) includes blocks A˜G, while the second group (10b) includes blocks H˜L. The five toy blocks of said first group (10A) can be assembled to form a smaller triangular pyramid having a base with 5 block units provided on each side and a height of 5 block units.
The pyramid assembled by the blocks of first group (10a) is shown in
Both pyramids can be built upon the first game tray (20a) as shown in
Referring to
Each position hole (21) of the second game tray (20b) has the same configuration as of the first game tray (20a), therefore, no further description is described hereafter.
Referring to
The advantages and novelty of the present application comparing with prior arts are listed in following tables:
Comparison with Conventional Block Unit:
Comparison with Other Polyhedral Block Unit:
Comparison with Assembling Pieces of Cited Document 4