US3692311A - Maze toy - Google Patents

Abstract

A maze toy including a parallel floor and cover joined together by impediments that define corridors therein. A token is provided so shaped that it can only pass through one of the corridors when a certain one of its sides is on the floor and through another corridor only when that certain side of the token is not on the floor. The distance between the floor and cover being less than the largest diagonal of token height and width, and thereby preventing rotation of the token from a position with one side on the floor to a position with another token side thereon. A recessed area is provided adjacent to the floor where there is adequate space for the token to rotate from one side onto another. The user must determine a series of corridors and also when and how to enter a recessed area for changing the side on which the token travels.

Description

1 51 Sept. 19, 1972 United States Patent Redo [ MAZE TOY [72] Inventor: Ronald W. Redo, 773 Blossom Way,

Hayward, Calif. 94541 Aug. 9, 1971 A token is provided so shaped that it can only pass [22] Filed:

throu one of the corridors when a certain one of its [21] Appl 170056 sides i s on the floor and through another corridor only when that certain side of the token is not on the floor. [52] US. Cl....... ....273/l53 R, 273/109 The distance between the floor and cover being less [51] Int. 9/14, A63f9/06 than the largest diagonal of token height and width, Field of 09 113, 153 R and thereby preventing rotation of the token from a position with one side on the floor to a position with another token side thereon. A recessed area is pro- [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS vided adjacent to the floor where there is adequate space for the token to rotate from one side onto Cleveland..................273/l another The user must detennine a series of corridors 1,381,164 6/192 Y--- "273/113 and also when and how to enter a recessed area for changing the side on which the token travels. Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle 3 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures common;

MI Ill II IV c RiunoR-l PATENTED SEP 1 9 I972 SHEET 1 BF 2 common-4 I'll illl [ll [ml CORRIDOR-3 PATENTEDSEP 19 I972 SHEET 2 [1F 2 INVENTOR.

BY W

FIG. 8

MAZE TOY CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT In US. Pat. No. 3,539,190. for MAZE DEVICE issued No. 10, 1970 filed for reissue on Dec. 16, 1970 with the assigned Ser. No. 98,970, I disclose a board having elevated path defining means and a token having a shape that co-functions with the path defining means. The token and path defining means have interfitting projection and recess portions positioned to allign in one predetermined orientation of the token in the paths to allow passage, 'while said portions block passage when said token is in any other orientation in said paths. The token is moved by hand and a base side of the token is always in sliding contact with the board.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Maze toys are generally well known in the toy art and usually employ labyrinths through which a marble or token is moved. The labyrinthine walls constrain the token passage while within a corridor, but do not require a particular alignment of the token in one corridor and another alignment in another corridor. The user only has to find the through corridors and avoid the cul-de-sacs and the goal at the end of the maze is reached.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a maze toy which is generally more challenging than those of the prior art with which I am familiar, and is contained within arelatively small area.

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a maze toy consisting of corridors and a token with 'form and dimensions that are so related as to necessitate different alinements of the token for it to pass through different corridors, and furthermore to provide recessed areas which are the only locations that the token can change alinement.

The token has an end that has three or more edges, two or more of these edges being of different dimensions. Due to the artistic tastes of the toy industry, unneeded parts may extend from the token end, therefore the end is defined as the exterior profile of the token that is perpendicular to both the plane of corridors and the direction of token travel. The token has sides that extend longitudinally from the nonequisided end of the token, and these sides are parallel with the plane of the corridors.

Some corridors of the maze toy have internal form congruous in some way with the nonequisided end of the token. Each corridor has a floor surface and a cover surface that are parallel to each other. Although there may be physically separate floors and covers for each corridor, those surfaces of all corridors that lie in one plane shall be referred to as being a floor surface, and those surfaces that lie in a parallel plane shall herein be referred to as a cover surface. The corridor defining means that lie between the floor and cover surfaces may be walls or pins. The distance between the floor and cover surfaces is inadequate for the token to rotate on an axis parallel with the floor surface of the maze t I lecessed areas are provided adjacent to the floor surface and may either be under the cover surface of the maze toy or have an open top. If the recessed area is covered, the area in it must exceed the major diagonal of the nonequisided end of the token in both a plane .2 parallel with the corridors and'in a plane perpendicular to the corridor plane.

The invention has corridors that allow the token to pass through with any token side adjacent to the floor of the maze toy, these are corridors with transverse dimensions all greater than the longest edge of the token non equisided end. There are corridors that allow the token to pass through when a first of said token sides is adjacent to the floor surface and prevent passage when a second of said token sides is adjacent to the floor. There is at least one corridor where the token cannot passthrough when'said first side of token sides is on the floor surface and can pass through when said second side of token sides is on the corridor floor.

With the invention having corridors that require different bases of the token to be on the floor surface for passage therethrough, and with inadequate space between the floor and cover surface for the token to rotate on an axis parallel with the floor, the token must slide from the floor surface intoa recessed area to change from a position with said first base on the floor surface into a position with said second side on the floor surface in order to pass through a corridor that prevents passage of the token when the first side of said token sides is on the floor surface.

Further details of the invention are set forth in the following description thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings which show one embodiment of the invention. Other embodiments of the invention utilizing the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the maze toy and shows the token in its starting position. The transparent cover which extends over the entire top of the toy is not shown in order that the corridor defining means may be illustrated by full rather than dotted lines.

FIGS 2A and 2B illustrate isometric views of the playing piece and show it in different positions. The token can slide along on any of its selected sides that are brought into contact with the floor surface and the sliding movement is caused by the tilting of the maze toy into different inclined positions.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section through a portion of the floor surface and the transparent cover and is taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 1. An opening is indicated in a wall that lies between two adjacent corridors and the cover has an impediment on its inner surface that projects into the perimenter of the opening for requiring the token to be moved into a predetermined position before passing through the opening.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section through another portion of the maze toy and is taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1. It shows two impediments in two corridors that DESCRIPTION OF-THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The invention is understood by referring first to FIG. 1, wherein amaze toy is provided having a flat base member A, forming a floor surface, and outer side walls C, and D, and outer end walls E and F. A transparent cover G, is shown in FIGS-3 to 7 inclusive, but is not shown in FIG. 1 to simplify that drawing. The cover G extends over. the entire'maze toy and is parallel with the floor surface. Interior walls H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, and S extend perpendicularly between the floor and cover surfaces. The outer and interior walls divide the space between the floor and cover into corridors and recessed areas.

A token B is provided in the maze toy and is shown in two different positions in FIG. 2A and 2B. The token is prism-shaped and has six sides 7,8, 9,10, 13, and 14 that extend longitudinally in the direction of travel of token B. Side surfaces 13 and 14 that extend at right angles to each other form a groove Bl. As shown in FIG. 2A there are two ends 11 and 12 on the. token B. The nonequisided end of the token, which has been defined as the exterior profile of the token that is perpendicular'to both the plane of the corridors and the direction of travel of the token, is the profile of ends 1 l and 12 of the token. (If end 11 was larger than 12, only end 11 would be the nonequisided end.)

Two recessed areas are provided in the maze toy. One recessed area is formed by the inclined surfaces 20 and 22 which are joined together by the ledge 21 which tumbles the token 90. The other recessed area in the board A is formed by surfaces 25, 27 and 29, ledge 26 and groove 28, which function together to tumble the token B in a 180 rotation on an axis that is parallel with the floor surface of board A. The space between the floor surface and the cover surface G, as shown in FIG. 4, is inadequate for the token to rotate on an axis parallel with the floor surface. Only in the two recessed areas is it possible for the token B to change from position with one side on the floor surface into a position where another side is on the floor surface.

It is the object of this embodiment of the invention to get token B from its starting position, shown by the solid outline of token B in FIG. 1, to the area marked GOAL in FIG. 1.

I will describe six different moves made by token B, and for clarity they are shown by dot-dot-dash lines I, II, III, IV, V, and VI in FIG. 1. Three of these moves prove futile in reaching the GOAL, while the others are essential. The token is moved by the sliding action caused by the operator tilting the maze toy into an angular position with respect to a horizontal plane. The token B is initially orientated side 7 of the token on the floor surface A, and side 7 shall be designated as a first of said token sides. Side 10 of the token shall be designated as the second of the token sides, and side 8 of the token shall be designated as the'third of the token sides.

Assume that the operator attempts to move the token to the GOAL" by the shortest route which appears to be through the corridor defining means consisting of an opening in wall .I and impediment 2 and impediment projection 2A, and then through the opening between walls Q and R, in FIG. 1. The operator has to jockey the token around until the groove B1 of the token is aligned with the congruous impediment projection 2A, as shown in FIG. 3. With end 12 of the token going first, the token can. move along path I through the opening wall J. The height between-side 7 and side 9 of the token is less than the distance between the floor surface and the underside of impediment 2; likewise, the height between side 7 and side 13 of the token is less than the distance between the floor surface and the underside of the impediment projection2A. Proceeding along path I thetoken reaches an opening bounded by walls Q and R. The distance between wall Q and R is only slightly greater than the distance between sides 8 and 10 of the token; therefore, before passing through the opening it would be necessary to have end 1 l or 12 of the token aligned parallel with the opening between the ends of walls Q and R. The distance between wall R and wall H is less thanthe distance between token ends 11 and 12; therefore ends 11 and 12 cannot be aligned parallel with the opening between walls 0 and R. Unable to pass through the opening between walls Q and R, the operator can only tilt the toy until the token again returns to its starting position. This initial attempt to reach the GOAL is indicated by the dot-dot-dash arrowed line I in FIG. 1.

The next possible successful movement of the token B, may appear to be along the relatively long path through CORRIDOR-l, CORRIDOR-2 and CORRIDOR-3. The first corridor, marked on the floor surface as CORRIDOR-l" has an impediment 17 attached to the inner surface of the outer wall F, see FIGS. 1 and 4. Impediment 17 is disposed adjacent to the under surface of the transparent coverG, thereby requiring that token B has longitudinal groove Bl aligned to receive impediment 17 in order that the token can pass into CORRIDOR-l. With end 11 of the token as the leading end, side 13 will easily pass under impediment 17. The space between the right hand end 19 of wall M and wall D, is only sufficient to permit the side surface 10 of the token to rotate around the end 19 like a fulcrum, causing side 10 of the token to remain adjacent to wall M when it enters COR- RIDOR-2 in FIG. 1. As impediment 18 is on wall M in CORRIDOR-2 and side 10 is not congruous with it, the token B cannot pass. Groove Blthat would be congruous with impediment 18 is disposed adjacent to wall S because of the fulcrum-like movement of the token B on entering CORRIDOR-2. The operator now returns the token to the starting position. This second futile movement by the token is indicated by dot-dotdash arrowed line II in FIG. 1.

The operator may next slide the token through the K, J, N, and P. Within this enclosed area is the level floor A and a recessed area having inclined surfaces 20 and 22 and a vertical ledge 21. On passing under impediment 1, the token is still in a position with side 7 on the floor surface A. As the operator tilts the maze toy, the token B slides down the inclined surface 20 and hits against the ledge 21. The momentum of the token on striking ledge 21 tumbles the token B 90 on an axis parallel with the floor surface A. As a result of tumbling, side of the token is on inclined surface 22 of the recessed area. Now the token can slide from the recessed area back onto the floor surface. The token now has its second side, side 10, on the floor surface A. FIG. 5 shows the token B in dot-dash outline in the four positions; entering under impediment 1, on surface of the recessed area, tumbling over ledge 21, and with side 10 on the floor surface. With the token on side 10 and with side 9 adjacent to wall N, the groove B1 is congruous with impediment 6, and the token can exit from the corridor between walls P and N (See FIG. 5). The movement of the token under impediment 1 into the recessed area and out through the opening between walls P and N is indicated by the dot-dot-dash arrowed line III in FIG. 1.

The distance between sides 8 and 10 of the token is greater than the distance between sides 7 and 9, therefore the height of the token as-it now stands is greater than it was when sliding on side 7 (see FIGS. 2A and 2B). The height of the token while on side 10 is greater than the distance between the floor surface A and the underside of impediment 2, therefore it is impossible to now take the path indicated by dot-dot-dash arrowed line I in FIG. 1.

The operator now tries to move the token through CORRIDOR-l, CORRIDOR-2, and COR- RlDOR-3, with the piece now sliding on its side surface 10, rather than on surface 7. The distance between the sides 7 and 9 of the token B is less than the distance between sides 8 and 10. This narrower profile while on side 10 allows the token to pass impediment 17 in CORRIDOR-l and impediment 18 in COR- RIDOR-2, regardless of the alignment of groove B1. The distance between sides 7 and 9 of the token is less than the distance between the tip of impediment 17 and wall M and less than the distance between impediment 18 and wall S.

However, when the operator tries to move the token B into CORRIDOR-8, he must clear impediments 23 and 24, shown in FIGS. 1 and 6. Impediment 23 is attached to wall S and is adjacent to the cover surface G, while impediment 24 is attached to wall K and is disposed adjacent to the floor surface A. The impediment 23 extends too far down from the cover G to be received in groove B1 of the token. The distance between floor A and the under surface of the impediment 23 is less than the distance between side 10 and shoulder side 14 of the token B. Impedirnent 24 will prevent the token B from being shifted laterally to the right, as shown by the dot-dash outline of the token in FIG. 6. The operator must therefore return the token to the starting point, which is indicated by the solid outline of token B in FIG. 1. The movement of the token B up to impediments 23 and 24 and its return to the starting point is indicated by the dot-dot-dash arrowed line IV in FIG. 1.

The operator now senses that he must use the cul-desac to tumble the token end-over-end, in order to position the groove B1 adjacent to the floor surface A. This cul-de-sac is bounded by walls H and E and terminates at wall D, and is labelled CORRIDOR-4 in FIG. 1. The corridor is slightly wider than the distance between sides 7 and 9 of token B, and it has a'recess formed by a downwardly inclined surface 25 with a vertical ledge 26 at its lower end, a horizontal portion 27 extending from the ledge, a transverse groove 28 at the opposite end of the portion 27, and an upwardly inclined surface 29, (see FIG. 7). I

In FIG. 7 are four different positions of the token illustrated by dot-dash lines, as it is tumbled end-overend through an arc of The token enters COR- RIDOR-4 while sliding on its side surface 10 with end 11 of the token entering first into the corridor. FIG. 7 shows how token B will slide down the inclined surface 25 until the end 1 1 hits the ledge 26. The token is moving with sufficient force to cause the opposite end 12 to start cartwheeling over in a clockwise direction to bring end 11 into contact with the horizontal surface 27. By tilting the maze toy further, or by momentum, the token will continue swinging to the right as shown by the third dot-dash line position in FIG. 7 and cause the comer formed by the junction of sides 8 and 11, to be received in the transverse groove 28. The side surface 8 of the token will swing into contact with the upwardly inclined surface 29, and the momentum of the token will cause it to slide out of the recess to come to rest against side wall D at the end of the cul-de-sac. The token will now be in the position with the third side of the token sides, side 8, on the floor surface.

There is only one way to move token B back out of CORRIDOR-4 in FIG. 1 and 7, without tumbling the token back into its former position, and that is to invert the maze toy so that the side surface 10 of the token will now slide on the inner surface of the transparent cover G. The toy is tilted by the operator to effect this movement. When once the token B is freed from CORRIDOR-4, the operator can again invert the maze toy causing side 8 of the token to again be in sliding contact with the floor surface A. The token movement into and out of CORRIDOR-4" is indicated by the double-dot dash line V in FIG. 1.

The operator again moves the token B toward the CORRIDOR-1 in FIG. 1, this time sliding on its side surface 8. The width of the token B, while on its surface 8 is narrower than while sliding on its surface 7. Because of the token now having a more narrow horizontal width, it can pass unimpeded by impediment 17 in the CORRIDOR-1" and also clear impediment 18 in the CORRIDOR-2." When the token reaches CORRIDOR-3, it can be aligned so that groove Bl passes over impediment 24, as shown in the full line position in FIG. 6. Note that impediment 24 has a smaller vertical length than impediment 23, and this smaller impediment can be engaged by groove B1. It is now a simple matter for the token to slide to the GOAL position and thus solve the puzzle. The final path taken by the token from its starting position to the GOAL is indicated by the dot-dot-dash line VI.

It is important to note that some of the corridor defining means allow the token to pass when on its second or third side, while preventing passage of the 7 token when on its first side, such as in CORRIDOR-4 CORRIDOR-4" is too narrow to allow token B to enter when on side 7 or side 9, yet the token can move into it when side 8 or 10 is on the floor surface of the maze toy. In contrast the corridor defining means can prevent the token from passing except when on its third side, such as in the case of impediments 23 and 24.

A further feature of my invention is that it can retain its pass and no-pass qualities with walls and no special impediments as corridor defining means or grooves in the token. For example, from its position at the GOAL" and having side 8 on the floor surface, the token has a narrower profile than when it was on side 7; therefore, the token B can now angle through the opening between end 16 of wall Q and wall R.

A further feature of my invention is that other tokens, shaped to have a different predetermined form anddimensions than token B, may be provided, resulting in different co-functioning with corridor defining means similar to those hereinabove described. For example in FIG. 8, I show a token 30 of triangular shape. Due to the fact that all of the linear dimensions of the token are less than the distance between the floor and cover surface of the maze toy, the token 30 can slide on any of its faces, 31, 32, 33, 34 or 35. All of token 30 faces are sides, and the nonequisided end is within the body of the token. If token 30 is initially orientated with side 31 on the floor surface, the smallest profile of the token when viewed in a plane perpendicular to the floor surface, is the nonequisided end. The nonequisided end has a height equal to the distance between sides 31 and 32, and a width equal to the distance from the juncture of sides 33 and 34 to the a second board having one side fabricated to provide a lever cover surface that is substantially parallel to said floor surface;

corridor defining means secured between said first board side and said second board side and forming a plurality of intersecting corridors therein;

a token having a nonequisided end and at least three sides extending longitudinally therefrom in the direction of travel of said token, one of said sides designated as a first of said token sides and another side of different size designated as a second of said token sides;

one of said corridors being formed and dimensioned to allow passage of said token when a first of said token sides is on said'floor surface and to block passage when a second of said token sides is on said floor surface;

one of said corridors being formed and dimensioned to allow passage of said token when a second of said token sides is on said floor surface and to block passage when a first of said token sides is on 'd floo surface sai ever oor surface and said cover surface being spaced apart to allow said token to move therebetween and to prevent rotation of said token from a position with a first of said token sides on said floor surface to a position with a second of said token sides on said floor surface;

said recessed area in said first board side being of a size and depth to allow said token to rotate from a position with a first of said token sides on said floor surface to a position with a second of said token sides on said floor surface.

2. The maze toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein jun ture of id 31 d 35, Th token 30 h as a fi said recess includes a ledge formed and dimensioned to side, side 31. In order to pass under an impediment like 2 in FIG. 3, the token would first have to enter a recessed area and tumble into a low profile, such as one with side 35 is on the floor surface.

I claim:

1. A maze toy comprising in combination:

a first board having one side fabricated to provide a level floor surface and one or more recessed areas;

tumble said token in an orderly manner.

3. The maze toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein the corridors include one formed and dimensioned to allow passage of the token when a second of said token sides is on the floor surface of the maze toy and to block passage when any other side of the token is on the floor surface.

i i I t

Claims (3)

1. A maze toy comprising in combination: a first board having one side fabricated to provide a level floor surface and one or more recessed areas; a second board having one side fabricated to provide a lever cover surface that is substantially parallel to said floor surface; corridor defining means secured between said first board side and said second board side and forming a plurality of intersecting corridors therein; a token having a nonequisided end and at least three sides extending longitudinally therefrom in the direction of travel of said token, one of said sides designated as a first of said token sides and another side of different size designated as a second of said token sides; one of said corridors being formed and dimensioned to allow passage of said token when a first of said token sides is on said floor surface and to block passage when a second of said token sides is on said floor surface; one of said corridors being formed and dimensioned to allow passage of said token when a second of said token sides is on said floor surface and to block passage when a first of said token sides is on said floor surface; said lever floor surface and said cover surface being spaced apart to allow said token to move therebetween and to prevent rotation of said token from a position with a first of said token sides on said floor surface to a position with a second of said token sides on said floor surface; said recessed area in said first board side being of a size and depth to allow said token to rotate from a position with a first of said token sides on said floor surface to a position with a second of said token sides on said floor surface.

2. The maze toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein said recess includes a ledge formed and dimensioned to tumble said token in an orderly manner.

3. The maze toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein the corridors include one formed and dimensioned to allow passage of the token when a second of said token sides is on the floor surface of the maze toy and to block passage when any other side of the token is on the floor surface.

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