GB2193028A

GB2193028A - Educational toy

Info

Publication number: GB2193028A
Application number: GB08616683A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Heinrich Hruby
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-07-09
Filing date: 1986-07-09
Publication date: 1988-01-27
Anticipated expiration: 2006-07-09
Also published as: GB8616683D0; GB2193028B

Abstract

The toy comprises a hollow disc-like housing 10 having two oppositely facing viewing surfaces and a plurality of indicia bearing wheels 11 mounted for rotation in the housing. The wheels are each provided with indicia on oppositely facing surfaces thereof and the housing has a plurality of segmentally shaped windows 16 in each of its viewing surfaces for sequentially exposing the indicia on each of the oppositely facing surfaces of each wheel as the wheels are rotated in one or other angular direction. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Educational toy This invention relates to an eductional toy.

According to the invention there is provided an educational toy comprising a housing having two oppositely facing viewing surfaces and a plurality of indicia bearing members mounted for rotation in the housing about spaced apart parallel axes, each member being provided with indicia on oppositely facing surfaces thereof and the housing having a plurality of windows in each of its two viewing surfaces for sequentially exposing the indicia on each of the oppositely facing surfaces of each member as the members are rotated in one or other angular direction.

Preferred and/or optional features of the invention are set forth in claims 2-8.

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view from the top and one side of an embodiment of an educational toy according to the invention, Figure 2 is an underneath plan view of the toy shown in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a plan view of the toy shown in Figure 1 and 2 with the upper housing part removed.

Referring now to the drawings, the educational toy shown therein comprises a hollow disc-like housing 10 comprising upper and lower parts 9 and 12 secured together at adjoining peripheral edges of associated rims, the parts 9 and 12 defining oppositely facing viewing surfaces of the toy.

The housing 10 contains four wheels 11 mounted on pillars 18 for rotation in the housing about parallel axes equi-angularly spaced around the axis of the disc-like housing 10.

The peripheral edge 19 of each wheel 11 is serrated for co-operation with an associated spring leaf 13 attached to a central support 17 to provide a ratchet mechanism which serves to restrain the wheel against free rotation. The wheels 11 are mounted on pillars 18 in two spaced planes and have diameters such that each wheel overlaps two adjoining wheels.

A portion of the peripheral edge 19 of each wheel projects through a respective opening 14 in the periphery 15 of the housing 10 so that each wheel can be rotated by manual contact with its peripheral edge.

Each wheel 11 is provided with indicia (not shown) on oppositely facing surfaces thereof and the housing 10 has four segmentallyshaped equi-angularly spaced windows 16 in each of its viewing surfaces, the windows 16 in one viewing surface being aligned with the windows in the other viewing surface. The windows 16 can be in the form of openings in the housing 10 or transparent inserts mounted in openings in the housing 10 and these windows 16 serve to sequentially expose the indicia on each of the oppositely facing surfaces of each the wheel 11 as the wheels are rotated in one or other angular direction.

The indicia on the upper surface of each wheel 11 may comprise a plurality of angularly spaced illustrations each depicting a particular object and an associated descriptive word for that object. The objects depicted on one wheel could fall into different categories.

The objects depicted on the other wheels 11 could then be different but in each case fall into the same categories as the objects on the said one wheel. The indicia on the lower surface of each wheel may then be in the form of words describing the categories in which respectively aligned indicia on the upper surface of the wheels fall. For example, the indicia on the upper surfaces of the four wheels 11 may include illustrations of and words describing, respectively, an apple, an orange, a banana and a pear. The respectively aligned indicia on the lower surfaces could then be the word "fruit".

The aim could then be to align objects of the same category on the upper surface of the wheels 11 with the four windows 16 in the upper viewing surface of the housing 10. A player would be able to verify that a selected combination of indicia belong to the same category by turning over the toy and reading the categories in the windows 16 of what was the lower viewing surface of the housing 10.

Consequently, it will be appreciated that the indicia on the lower surface of each wheel 11, in the aforesaid example, is related to the indicia on its upper surface and the indicia on the lower surface of each wheel 11, being words describing the categories, is identical to that on the lower surfaces of the other wheels.

Various modifications will be apparent to those in the art and it is desired to include all such modifications as fall within the scope of the accompanying claims. For example, the wheels need not project beyond the periphery of the housing but instead the wheels could be mounted on axles which project through one of the viewing surfaces of the housing and which have knobs secured thereto for rotating the wheels. Moreover, the ratchet mechanisms could be replaced by means for frictionally restraining the wheels against free rotation, in which case the peripheral edge of each wheel could be plain or knurled rather than serrated. The housing need not be disclike but could have a periphery in the shape of a regular polygon and if desired could be made thicker to contain rotatable drums instead of wheels.

1. An educational toy comprising a housing having two oppositely facing viewing surfaces

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Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

SPECIFICATION Educational toy This invention relates to an eductional toy.

According to the invention there is provided an educational toy comprising a housing having two oppositely facing viewing surfaces and a plurality of indicia bearing members mounted for rotation in the housing about spaced apart parallel axes, each member being provided with indicia on oppositely facing surfaces thereof and the housing having a plurality of windows in each of its two viewing surfaces for sequentially exposing the indicia on each of the oppositely facing surfaces of each member as the members are rotated in one or other angular direction.

Preferred and/or optional features of the invention are set forth in claims 2-8.

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view from the top and one side of an embodiment of an educational toy according to the invention, Figure 2 is an underneath plan view of the toy shown in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a plan view of the toy shown in Figure 1 and 2 with the upper housing part removed.

Referring now to the drawings, the educational toy shown therein comprises a hollow disc-like housing 10 comprising upper and lower parts 9 and 12 secured together at adjoining peripheral edges of associated rims, the parts 9 and 12 defining oppositely facing viewing surfaces of the toy.

The housing 10 contains four wheels 11 mounted on pillars 18 for rotation in the housing about parallel axes equi-angularly spaced around the axis of the disc-like housing 10.

The peripheral edge 19 of each wheel 11 is serrated for co-operation with an associated spring leaf 13 attached to a central support 17 to provide a ratchet mechanism which serves to restrain the wheel against free rotation. The wheels 11 are mounted on pillars 18 in two spaced planes and have diameters such that each wheel overlaps two adjoining wheels.

A portion of the peripheral edge 19 of each wheel projects through a respective opening 14 in the periphery 15 of the housing 10 so that each wheel can be rotated by manual contact with its peripheral edge.

Each wheel 11 is provided with indicia (not shown) on oppositely facing surfaces thereof and the housing 10 has four segmentallyshaped equi-angularly spaced windows 16 in each of its viewing surfaces, the windows 16 in one viewing surface being aligned with the windows in the other viewing surface. The windows 16 can be in the form of openings in the housing 10 or transparent inserts mounted in openings in the housing 10 and these windows 16 serve to sequentially expose the indicia on each of the oppositely facing surfaces of each the wheel 11 as the wheels are rotated in one or other angular direction.

The indicia on the upper surface of each wheel 11 may comprise a plurality of angularly spaced illustrations each depicting a particular object and an associated descriptive word for that object. The objects depicted on one wheel could fall into different categories.

The objects depicted on the other wheels 11 could then be different but in each case fall into the same categories as the objects on the said one wheel. The indicia on the lower surface of each wheel may then be in the form of words describing the categories in which respectively aligned indicia on the upper surface of the wheels fall. For example, the indicia on the upper surfaces of the four wheels 11 may include illustrations of and words describing, respectively, an apple, an orange, a banana and a pear. The respectively aligned indicia on the lower surfaces could then be the word "fruit".

The aim could then be to align objects of the same category on the upper surface of the wheels 11 with the four windows 16 in the upper viewing surface of the housing 10. A player would be able to verify that a selected combination of indicia belong to the same category by turning over the toy and reading the categories in the windows 16 of what was the lower viewing surface of the housing 10.

Consequently, it will be appreciated that the indicia on the lower surface of each wheel 11, in the aforesaid example, is related to the indicia on its upper surface and the indicia on the lower surface of each wheel 11, being words describing the categories, is identical to that on the lower surfaces of the other wheels.

Various modifications will be apparent to those in the art and it is desired to include all such modifications as fall within the scope of the accompanying claims. For example, the wheels need not project beyond the periphery of the housing but instead the wheels could be mounted on axles which project through one of the viewing surfaces of the housing and which have knobs secured thereto for rotating the wheels. Moreover, the ratchet mechanisms could be replaced by means for frictionally restraining the wheels against free rotation, in which case the peripheral edge of each wheel could be plain or knurled rather than serrated. The housing need not be disclike but could have a periphery in the shape of a regular polygon and if desired could be made thicker to contain rotatable drums instead of wheels.

1. An educational toy comprising a housing having two oppositely facing viewing surfaces and a plurality of indicia bearing members mounted for rotation in the housing about spaced apart parallel axes, each member being provided with indicia on oppositely- facing surfaces thereof and the housing having a plurality of windows in each of its two viewing surfaces for sequentially exposing the indicia on each of the oppositely facing surfaces of each member as the members are rotated in one or other angular direction.

2. The toy of claim 1, wherein the housing is disc or plate-like and the indicia bearing members are in the form of wheels.

3. The toy of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the ndicia bearing members each have a peripheral portion which projects outwardly from the housing for rotation by manual contact therewith.

4. The toy of claim 3, wherein the peripheral surface of each indicia bearing member is knurled or serrated.

5. The toy of anyone of the preceding claims, wherein each indicia bearing member has an associated ratchet mechanism to restrain it against free rotation.

6. The toy of anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the indicia on the two surfaces of each indicia bearing member are related.

7. The toy of claim 6, wherein the indicia on one of said oppositely facing surfaces of the indicia bearing members is identical or substantially identical.

8. The toy of anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the windows in the housing are segmentally shaped.

9. An educational toy substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

CLAIMS Amendments to the claims have been filed, and have the following effect: Claim 1 above has been deleted and a new claim 1 filed as follows: Claims 6 & 7 above have been deleted and claims 8 & 9 re-numbered as 6 & 7.

1. An educational toy comprising a housing having two oppositely facing viewing surfaces and a plurality of indicia bearing members mounted for rotation in the housing about spaced apart parallel axes, each member being provided with indicia on oppositely facing surfaces thereof, the indicia on one surface of each member- being different from the indicia on the corresponding surface(s) of the other member or members and the indicia on the other surface of each member being related to the indicia on its said one surface and being identical or substantially identical to the indicia on the corresponding surface(s) of the other member or members, and the housing having in each of its two viewing surfaces a plurality of windows equal in number to the number of indicia bearing members for sequentially exposing the indicia on each of the oppositely facing surfaces of each member as the members are rotated in one or other angular direction.