GB2340284A

GB2340284A - Educational toy

Info

Publication number: GB2340284A
Application number: GB9916943A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gary Nigel Trowell
Original assignee: Invicta Plastics Ltd
Current assignee: Invicta Plastics Ltd
Priority date: 1998-08-04
Filing date: 1999-07-21
Publication date: 2000-02-16
Also published as: GB9816846D0; GB9916943D0

Description

2340284 Educational To The present'invention relates to an educational

toy, particulaily for use'in the educational development of young children.

Teachers are constantly in pursuit of new ways of capturing the imagination of their pupils, in order to maintain interest in a taught lesson. For many years, it has been normal practice to demonstrate ideas in the form of apparatus, since this allows pupils to become actively involved in the process of experimentation and investigation employed in many educational techniques.

It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus which is capable of enhancing the 10 above techniques.

According to the invention, there is provided an educational toy comprising a hollow body having a plurality of alternative positions of stable equilibrium, within which is contained at least one token, the or each token further having a plurality of alternative positions of stable equilibrium, wherein the hollow is at least partially transparent such that the equilibrium position of the or each token within the body can be observed.

In that way, the equilibrium position of the hollow body may be considered in combination with the equilibrium position of the or each token.

Preferably, the hollow body is constructed of transparent material. In a preferred embodiment, the hollow body has a plurality of substantially flat sides, the hollow body being capable of coming to rest in equilibrium on one of the flat sides in use. The flat sides may be arranged as singles, without a corresponding side on the other side of the body. Alternatively, the flat sides may be arranged in pairs, such that when the body comes to rest on one face of a pair of faces, the other face of the pair is oriented at the top of the body. Indication may be provided on the faces such that the relative orientation of the body can be 2 ascertained.

Moreover, i4dication may be provided on the or each token such that the. orientation of the token can be ascertained. The indication may consist of dots, numbers, letters, words, or word elements on the surface of the token, or the token may be shaped such that the orientation of the token can be ascertained from the orientation of the shape of the token. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the token may be a dice.

Dice are available in many different shapes and sizes, and in a preferred embodiment of the invention, there are provided two ten-sided dice, within a cube shaped hollow body. The sides of the cube can be decorated with mathematical operation signs, and in use the observer can calculate a mathematical operation based on the numbers indicated on the dice and the operation sign indicated on the hollow body.

Further aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent fi7om the following description of a specific and preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawings appended hereto, in which:

Figure I is a perspective view of a toy in accordance with the invention, and Figure 2 is a perspective view of two dice to be used within the toy illustrated in figure 1 A toy 10 comprises a hollow body 12 constructed of transparent plastics material. The body 12 is generally cube shaped, with rounded edges and vertices to allow the body 12 to roll effectively, and to reduce the risk of injury due to contact with sharp edges.

1 The body 12 is conveniently constructed of two halves, which are fixed together at a central plane 14 of the body 12. This construction allows articles to be placed within the body 12. Once articles have been placed within the body 12, the two halves are fixed permanently.

Each of the six sides 16 of the body has a mathematical operation symbol, such as +,-,x or 3 represented thereon, by means of printing or a sticker. Since there are only four commonly used mathematical operations, the other two sides may either include duplicates of the above symbols, or Tnay include dummy symbols such as 0 or e for more advanced use.

Figure 2 illustrates two ten-sided dice 20 of known type, which in use are placed within the 5 body 12 of the toy 10. The ten sided dice each include on their sides the ten Arabic numerals.

In use, the toy 10 can be rolled by the user, and when the toy comes to rest, the user will take note of the numerals uppermost on the dice 20, and the symbol uppermost on the body 12. The user will then perform a mathematical operation involving the two numerals and the symbol.

It can be seen that the toy can also be used with letters, for example with vowels being placed on the surface of the body and dice being contained within the body having consonants thereon. Other applications for the use of the toy could also be envisaged.

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Claims

1. An educational toy comprising a hollow body having -a- plurality of alternative positions of stable equilibrium, within which is contained at least one token, the or each token further having a plurality of alternative positions of stable equilibrium, wherein the hollow body is at least partially transparent such that the equilibrium position of the or each token within the body can be observed.

2. An educational toy as claimed in claim I in which the hollow body is constructed of transparent material.

3. An educational toy as claimed in claim I or 2 in which the hollow body has a plurality of substantially flat sides, the hollow body being capable of coming to rest in equilibrium on one of the flat sides in use.

4. An educational toy as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 in which flat sides are arranged as singles, without a corresponding side on the other side of the body.

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5. An educational toy as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 in which the flat sides- are arranged in pairs, such that when the body comes to rest on one face of a pair of faces the other face of the pair is oriented at the top of the body.

6. An educational toy as claimed in any one of claims I to 5 in which indication is provided on the faces such that the relative orientation of the body can be ascertained.

7. An educational toy as claimed in claim 6 in which indication is provided on the or each token such that the orientation of the token can be ascertained.

8. An educational toy as claimed in claim 6 or 7 in which the indication consists of dots, numbers, letters, words, or word elements on the surface of the token, or the token may be shaped such that the orientation of the token can be ascertained from the orientation of the shape of the token.

9. An eoucational toy as claimed in claim 6, 7 or 8 in whichthe tok.en is a dice.

10. An educational toy as claimed in claim 9 in which there are provided two ten-sided dice, within a cube shaped hollow body.

11.An educational toy as claimed in claim 10 in which the sides of the cube are decorated with mathematical operation sips, and in use the observer can calculate a mathematical operation based on the numbers indicated on the dice and the operation sip indicated on the hollow body.

12. An educational toy substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.