Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
  • G09D—RAILWAY OR LIKE TIME OR FARE TABLES; PERPETUAL CALENDARS
  • G09D3/00—Perpetual calendars
  • G09D3/02—Perpetual calendars with interchangeable members bearing the indicia

Definitions

• This invention relates to a device which may be used as to be a display device or, equally well could be an amusement, a puzzle or an educational device.
• children's block sets which, in one form, are generally made of a number of cubes, and each cube has, on each face, part of a total picture, so that, provided the correct faces were all directed upwardly, the individual blocks could be located one relative to the other to provide a display of this picture.
• a second form is, say, poker dice, where a random display is that required.
• these blocks could have letters of the alphabet or numbers and possibly symbols, such as arithmetic symbols, whereby selected blocks of the set could be arranged to, say, spell a word or set out a mathematical relationship.
• the display was dependent solely on the total number of blocks and the indicia thereon to see whether any required set could be formed.
• the invention in its broadest sense, includes a set of solids, each of which has a number of faces, indicia on each of the faces, the indicia being so selected as to permit a particular predetermined range of information to be displayed by the solids of the set.
• the total number of the solids in the set are used to make the required display.
• the invention also includes a set of solids as hereinbefore defined, which are associated with a display holder which may or may not include written material indicating the meaning of the indicia of blocks associated therewith.
• Figs . 1 to 6 show various preferred sets of cubes to use in calendar applications
• Fig. 7 shows one particular form of display device having cubes located therein
• Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of a single cube of the type shown in the display device of Fig. 7 and portion of the device;
• F Fiigg.. 9 9 shows a particular form of arrangement where the cubes can be locked into the display device;
• Fig. 10 shows, in a descriptive manner, various configurations which could be adopted in a display device
• Fig. 11 shows a front view of a production form of the device in which cubes are held in a different manner
• Fig. 12 is an end elevation of the device of Fig. 11.
• the solids could be made of two or more components, say by injection or extrusion moulding of plastics material, and these components could be fitted together, either by physical interengagement of components or by an adhesive or welding to form the final solids.
• solids do not have to be of strict geometric form, they can, for example be formed with curved corners.
• the faces of these solids bear indicia, as will be described further hereinafter, and, if required, these could be embossed into or extend outwardly in relief from the faces of the solids.
• the solids can be of any required shape although, pre erably, they are regular in the mathematical sense and, in practice, the two most preferred forms would be cubes or octahedra, the cube having six square faces and the octahedra, eight triangular faces.
• the solids do not normally have the same indicia on more than one face, unless more than one face of the solid is to be displayed at any time.
• the device can be used for displaying dates and, in order to do this, there can preferably be displayed at any time the faces of eight solids with the first two indicating the day, the second two the month and the last four the year.
• dates which are, for example, in the Gregorian calendar, the days never go beyond 31; the months never beyond 12; and the first letter of the year will, in the reasonably foreseeable future, be only 1 or 2.
• Other calendars have other constraints.
• a set of calendar cubes represents, besides many short sequences, the longest possible sequence-or-run of successive dates around a time. The run cannot
• the forty-eight indicia to be distributed on a set are unique to a particular run, though more than one distribution of those forty-eight indicia will give the same run. No other forty-eight indicia have the same finish and start dates, given the same conventions. (An example of these
• I j represents a blank face. Two conventions used in arriving at these sets are that a single face is used for 6 and 9 and that j jmay only be used before 5 and 0 after 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 in the "Day", "Month” or "Year” section.
• each cube will give the run noted, as will some 0 redistributions of the indicia within the set. Specifically excluded sets are shown beneath each array.
• Numbers without a border may change places with any other borderless number if they are not separated by a vertical line.
• the numeral 4 from either the sixth, seventh or eighth cube can be exchanged with any of the numerals on the fifth cube.
• the arrangement may be such as to enable a pattern to be established to change from one required display to the next.
• FIGs.7 and 8 show one particular form of display device adapted to be used with cubes of this embodiment of the invention.
• the cubes 80 each have an extension 71 which are of a size to be received in apertures 82 in the face of the display device 70.
• the display device which is a holder is divided into three sections, the two upper sections each containing two blocks and being labelled “Day” and “Month” respectively and the third section containing four cubess and being labelled "Year”.
• the holder there may be shelves or the like adapted to receive the cubes 80 at the correct height so that the extensions 71 can pass through the apertures 82.
• each block 90 is a cube and is provided with smaE apertures 93 in the centre of each face and a pin or the like 94 is adapted to pass through the waE of the holder 92 to retain the block against movement, and also to prevent ready pilfering.
• the existence of the aperture 93 does not detract from the appearance of the face 91 which is outwardly directed.
• Fig. 10 shows several different formats of a display which relocate the various components of Fig. 7 within the holder and, in each case, the day and month are clearly marked by lettering on the holder and, if required, the year can be so marked.
• Figs. 11 and 12 show one particular practical form of device.
• body member 100 which, as iUustrated, may be made from a single piece of material, such as a substantiaEy rectangular block of wood or which could be moulded from a synthetic plastics material or which could be otherwise fabricated.
• the body member 100 has eight cube receiving recesses 101, each of which is to receive one of the cubes 102 of the device for at least a substantial part of its depth. This can weE be seen on Fig. 12.
• the body member 100 is shown connected to a backing plate 103 which has a face 104 which could carry, for example, details of what is displayed by the cubes, or advertising material.
• This member 104 could be provided with means whereby the device can be attached to a surface.
• the actual mode of holding the solids into display devices can vary greatly depending upon the particular form of solid and the required form, of display device.
• the solids could be held magneticaEy or the device could be provided with a hingedly or slideably mounted member which can be moved to permit the solid to be located and then closed to permit inadvertent removal, or there may be recesses or similar formations into which the solid can be located.
• OMPI displaying dates it wiE be understood that, by using different arrangements, so different information can be displayed, or additional information can be displayed.
• the invention can be applied to an indication of time, in which case, there is only need for four solids in the set to show times in hours and minutes, although, if a 12 hour type clock is to be indicated, an additional cube to show either AM or PM may be provided.
• the face which is used for the left most hour position can only be a blank or a 1 and that for the left hand minute position cannot be greater than 5.
• the left hour solid may display a blank, a 1 or a 2.
• a single set of solids may selectively be used to represent Hours, Minutes and Seconds, or Days, Months and Years.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Sheet Holders (AREA)
• Road Signs Or Road Markings (AREA)
• Devices For Indicating Variable Information By Combining Individual Elements (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (3)

Family

ID=3769990

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (3)

Citations (2)

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• 1984
  • 1984-02-16 JP JP50087584A patent/JPS60500685A/ja active Pending
  • 1984-02-16 DE DE8484900696T patent/DE3480884D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1984-02-16 EP EP19840900696 patent/EP0136294B1/de not_active Expired
  • 1984-02-16 WO PCT/AU1984/000021 patent/WO1984003384A1/en active IP Right Grant

Patent Citations (2)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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