Toy system of hexagonal tiles, which may be interlocking or may be joined by magnets or other means, with path patterns on the tiles that can be made into continuous paths on joined tiles; the paths mav have grooves or rails, so a propelled vehicle may follow the paths

Abstract

This application discloses a new toy track system based on hexagonal tiles. This unique system allows for pleasing and complex track layouts in a small area. The layout activity itself can be viewed as a puzzle or game. The track tiles may be joined to one another by puzzle tabs or by magnets along their edges. The track, whether slot or other construction, follows arcs on the hexagons joining midpoints of the hexagon edges. The tile designs are chosen from the unique set of tile designs having such arcs that cross at most once on a single tile.

Description

SYNOPSIS

This is a system of hexagonal tiles. The tiles have specific path patterns on them, which differs among the tiles, but which connects to form a continuous path when the tiles are joined with one another. Along this path is a groove, rail, line, or other construct which serves to guided a toy vehicle along the path. The vehicle may be powered by battery, solar power, a wind up spring, or other means. The tiles may be joined to one another by some method, such as magnets embedded along the edges of the tiles, or by an interlocking puzzle pattern along the edges. The pattern of the paths on the tiles may be designed to begin and end at midpoints of the tile edges, and paths of combined tiles can represent any topological pattern.

DESCRIPTION

More detail on the method for connecting the tiles. Methods include:

a) Puzzle tabs and receptors along the edges of the tiles (also sometimes referred to as male and female geometrical shapes) There are, of course, an infinite number of possible geometries for the puzzle tabs and receptors if we are precise about the shapes. Possible arrangements for tabs and receptors:

I. Rotational symmetry by 60 degrees, a male(s) and female(s) on each side of the hexagon. (FIG. I).

2. Rotational symmetry by 120 degrees, each side having either two male or two female shapes. (FIG. 2).

3. Rotational symmetry by 60 degrees, where each tile has a female shape at each vertex. The tiles are then connected by another shape, which has a threefold symmetry, with three male shapes for the up to three hexagons which meet at a vertex. (FIGS. 3 and 4).

b) The tiles may have straight hexagonal edges, and be connected by magnets which are arranged so that the tiles are attracted to one another and align edge to edge. (FIG. 5).

The tiles may have the path designs with grooves on both the larger planar faces of the tiles (top and bottom of a tile laying on a surface).

The groove can be made graphically distinctive in some way. The groove might be a different color than the surface of the tile. In the figures the small grooves on either side of the central path groove are merely decorative and may or may not be included. A stripe might be contrast colored, wider than the groove, with the groove as its center curve.

The paths connect at the midpoints of the tile edges when the tiles are placed in alignment. Some of the paths may be sections of circles, with radius chosen so that the curves meet the hexagon edges in a perpendicular fashion. They may be other the simple curves with this property. They may be sections of straight line. The paths may cross (FIGS. 2 and 6), and at the crossing it may be graphically displayed to give the sense that one curve passes over the other. FIG. 6 displays possible path designs.

The tiles may be made of wood, or plastic, a metal, or some other material. The tiles can be made in a variety of sizes. But the size is such that the tiles can be manipulated by hand and placed on a table or other flat surface, diameter of approximately I to 6 inches, with thickness proportional so they are tile-like, as in the figures. And a larger scale version, meant for the floor, which could be made of foam or other material, with diameter 6 inches or more also.

DESCRIPTIONS OF THE FIGURES

FIG. I. Puzzle tab tile with rotational symmetry by 60 degrees, a male(s) and female(s) connection on each side of the hexagon. On the tile is a slot track, which here is a section of a circle, connecting the midpoints of two sides of the hexagon.

The deeper central slot of the circle path is the functional slot, the two shallower slots to either side of it are merely decorative, and are not necessary. This is also the case in the other figures.

FIG. 2. Puzzle tab tile with rotational symmetry by 120 degrees, each side having either two male or two female shapes. On the tile are two slot paths, each one a section of circle. The paths cross.

FIG. 3. Puzzle tile with rotational symmetry by 60 degrees, where the tile has a female shape at each vertex. The tiles are then connected by another shape, depicted in FIG. 4. On the tile is a slot track, which here is a section of a circle, connecting the midpoints of two sides of the hexagon.

FIG. 4. Connecting shape for tiles depicted in FIG. 3. The shape has a threefold symmetry, with three male shapes for the up to three hexagons which meet at a vertex.

FIG. 5. This hexagonal tile has straight hexagonal edges, and is connected to other tiles by magnets which are embedded along the edges and arranged so that the tiles are attracted to one another and the tiles align edge to edge. On the tile are three slot paths, each one a section of circle.

FIG. 6. This is the set of possible path designs, where the paths connect the centers of edges, each path component is a section of circle (other simple curves could be used) or a straight line segment, and at most one crossing per tile is allowed.

Claims

1. hexagonal tiles, with markings or grooves or rails or other construct designating a path, such that the paths may be made continuous from tile to tile when the tiles are placed next to one another, connecting with puzzle tabs.

2. hexagonal tiles, with markings or grooves or rails or other construct designating a path, such that the paths may be made continuous from tile to tile when the tiles are placed next to one another, connecting with magnets along the edges of the tiles

3. hexagonal tiles, with markings or grooves or rails or other construct designating a path, such that the paths may be made continuous from tile to tile when the tiles are placed next to one another, together with tiles of other shapes which serve as connectors for the hexagonal tiles, connecting with puzzle tabs.

4. hexagonal tiles, with markings or grooves or rails or other construct designating a path, such that the paths may be made continuous from tile to tile when the tiles are placed next to one another, such that a vehicle may be guided along the path.

5. the set of hexagonal tiles, with markings or grooves or rails or other construct designating a path on each tile, with paths intersecting the edges of the hexagons at the center of the edges perpendicularly, where the paths are either straight line segments or segments of circles, each tile having zero, one, two, or three paths, where the paths on each tile cross other paths on that tile at most once.

6. a subset of the tiles in claim 5.

7. the set of hexagonal tiles, with markings or grooves or rails or other construct designating a path on each tile, with paths intersecting the edges of the hexagons at the center of the edges perpendicularly, each tile having one, two, or three paths, where the paths on each tile cross other paths on that tile at most once.

8. a subset of the tiles in claim 7.

9. A system of tiles satisfying claims 1 and 4.

10. A system of tiles satisfying claims 2 and 4.

11. A system of tiles satisfying claims 3 and 4.

12. A system of tiles satisfying claims 1, 4, 5.

13. A system of tiles satisfying claims 2, 4, 5.

14. A system of tiles satisfying claims 3, 4, 5.

12. A system of tiles satisfying claims 1, 4, 6.

13. A system of tiles satisfying claims 2, 4, 6.

14. A system of tiles satisfying claims 3, 4, 6.

15. A system of tiles satisfying claims 1, 4, 7.

16. A system of tiles satisfying claims 2, 4, 7.

17. A system of tiles satisfying claims 3, 4, 7.

18. A system of tiles satisfying claims 1, 4, 8.

19. A system of tiles satisfying claims 2, 4, 8.

20. A system of tiles satisfying claims 3, 4, 8.