WO1989002773A1

WO1989002773A1 - Logical toy with cubiform toy-elements

Info

Publication number: WO1989002773A1
Application number: PCT/HU1988/000002
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ede Pszotka; Ede Pszotka, Jr.; Istvánné SÁROSI; Edéné PSZOTKA
Original assignee: Ede Pszotka; Pszotka Ede Jr; Sarosi Istvanne; Pszotka Edene
Priority date: 1987-10-02
Filing date: 1988-01-29
Publication date: 1989-04-06
Also published as: HUT50650A; HU206638B

Abstract

The invention relates to a logical toy with cubiform toy-elements, the faces of which are provided with information carriers, mainly with colours. The essence of the logical toy according to the invention lies in that at least 3 x 3 toy-elements (3) are contained, in their basic position the elements are arranged in the common place of the field of the game, covered with a transparent lid (2). All the toy-elements (3) are provided with a through opening (4, 5, 6) each in all the three symmetry axes. Furtheron, a crank (7) is provided for, which can be introduced into the openings of the toy-elements (3) having been arranged in a row through openings on at least two neighbouring faces (9, 10) of the casing, said crank is able to turn the toy-elements (3). The two neighbouring lateral faces (13, 14) of the house and the bottom plate (15) thereof are connected with the lateral and bottom faces of the neighbouring toy-elements through an elastic support.

Description

LOGICAL TOY WITH CUBIFORM TOY-ELEMENTS

T echnica l field

The invention relates to a logical toy composed of cubiform toy-elements.

Background art

As it is well-know, a plurality of logical toys consisting of cubiform toy-elements have been on the market in the recent years. Out of these perhaps the best known is the "magic cubs" of Rubik. With this toy the planes of the cubes consisting of the cubiform elements of the toy can he turned in relation to each other by means of a special central connecting unit, while the solution of the game lies in that the player is turning the elements of the toy so, that the elements of the toy should appear in the same colour on every face of the cube.

Furtheron, it is also known, that the toys show a fashion-character in certain sense, that means that after the expiration of a certain time the player feels once in a while stimulated to play a game with known toy, accordingly, trade is urging constantly the marketing of continually newer toys.

The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the said deficiencies, i.e. to develop an original logical toy which partly broadens the assortment, partly yields the possibility of entertainment on a high level both for children and adults. Disclosure of invention

To solve the task set we started from a logical toy, the cubiform toy-elements of which are provided with different information carriers, first of all colours on the faces.

In sense of the invention this embodiment was developed so - simultaneously representing the essence of the present invention - that the logical toy has at least 3 x 3 cubiform toy-elements which are arranged in the common quadrangular plane of the game-field of the house covered with a transparent lid in the basic position; every toy-element is provided with a through-opening each in all the three symmetry axes, furtheron it has a crank which can be introduced into the openings of the toy-elements arranged in one row through the introductory opening having been formed on at least two neighbouring faces of the house, which is able to turn said toy-elements simultaneously; at least two neighbouring lateral faces and the bottom face of the house are bearing up elastically on the lateral resp. bottom faces of the neighbouring toy-elements.

According to a further characteristic of the invention the embodiment is considered as advantageous, with which between the faces with the openings for introducing the crank and the row of neighbouring toy-elements a locking plate is arranged, which is provided with through-openings, the number and size of which correspond to the toy-elements contained in the outermost row of toy-elements; the end of the crank facing the handle is formed with a part of reduced diamiter the length of which surpasses the width of the locking plate. A further possible embodiment of the logical to according to the invention is realized so, in so far as the toy-elements are arranged above each other in several quadratic fields of game and in such a manner that these are forming a cube; in this case every side of the house is covered with a transparent lid which is provided with openings receiving the crank, said openings are arranged coaxially with the openings of the toy-elements; the lids are paired with a supporting plate each through an elastic support and the supporting plates are connected to the outer side of the neighbouring toy-elements and they are provided with openings for receiving the crank, while said openings are formed coaxially with the openings of the lid and the toy-elements, respectively.

The embodiment is also considered as advantageous with which the crank formed with a plygonal - preferably quadric - cross-section has a cylindrical part with reduced diameter at its end facing the handle and the length of this part exceeds the thickness of the covering lid. The quadratic opening in the lid enables but an axial displacement of the part of the crank with the quadratic cross-section, at the same time the openings of the supporting plate enable also the free rotation of the crank.

Preferably the elastic supports are formed as foam rubber elements. Brief description of drawings

The invention will be described in detail by means of two preferred embodiments of the logical toy according to the invention, serving as example, by means of the accompanying drawings, wherein

- Fig. 1 is the top view of the first embodiment of thelogical toy according to the invention,

- Fig. 2 is 1he perspectivic view of one single cubiform toy-element of the toy according to Figure 1,

- Fig. 3 is the sectional view taken along the line III-III of Figure 1,

- Fig. 4 is the sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of Figure 1,

- Fig. 5 gives another sectional view of the solution according to Figure 1, illustrating the position with the turned toy-element,

- Fig. 6 is the top view of another embodiment of the logical toy according to the invention,

- Fig. 7 is the side-view of the solution according to Figure 6,

- Fig. 8 is a detail of Figure 6 showing the position of the toy-elements while turned,

- Fig. 9 the solution according to Figure 6 when viewed in direction of the arrow A.

- Fig.10 is the horizontal sectional view of the detail of Figure 6 , and at last

- Fig.11 illustrates a further version of the detail according to Figure 10. Best mode of carrying out the invention

As it is to be seen in Figs. 1 to 5, the logical toy according to the invention has a boxlike casing 1 provided with the lid made of a transparent synthetic material. With the embodiment illustrated here 4 x 4 i.e. 16 pieces of the cubiform toy-elements 3 are to be found in the casing 1, in a free arrangement. Every single toy-element is an information carrier, in the present case they are differently coloured on the single faces. As colours cannot be illustrated in the drawings, for the sake of simplicity, six different colours are replaced by numbering from 1 to 6 put into parantheses, wherein 1 stands for red, 2 for yellow, 3 for green, 4 for blue, 5 for white and 6 for black.

As it becomes obvious from Figure 1, in the basic position the toy-elements 3 are arranged in the common quadratic plane of the field of game.

From Figure 2 it can be even better seen that in all the three symmetry axes the cubiform toy-element 3 is provided with a through-opening 4, 5, 6 each which are formed in our case with a quadratic cross-section

From the sectional view of Figures 3 and 4 it becomes obvious that with this embodiment the openings form a continuous throughgoing horizontal line in the neighbouring toy-elements 3.

In Figures 1 and 4 it can be well seen that the logical toy according to the invention has a crank 7, provided with a cylindrical knurled handle 8. The crank 7 can be introduced into te openings of the toy. elements 3 through the openings 11 having been formed in the lateral faces 9, 10 of the casing 1. The task of the crank 7 lies in that when it is introduced in any of the rows of the toy-elements 3 from the direction of the lateral face 9 or 10 of the casing 1, it should turn the connected toy-elements 3 by 90°, 180° or 270°. In compliance with this requirement the longer part of the crank 7 after the peak has a quadratic cross-section, while at the end facing the handle 8 it is formed with the part 12 with the reduced cross-section, the length of which is indicated with A, the function of which will be detailed below. For the sake of order, however, it should be mentioned that on the part 12 the crank 7 has a circular cross-section with a dimension, as illustrated in Figure 4.

At least two neighbouring lateral faces of the casing 1 according to the invention, in the present case lateral faces 13 and 14, as well as the bottom face 15 are bearing up elastically against the lateral and bottom faces of the neighbouring toy-elements 3. This elastic bearing up is achieved with the embodiment illustrated here with the supporting plate 16 supporting every single toy-elements 3 along the lateral faces 13, 14 and by the supporting plate 17 which again supports all the toy-elements 3 f rom below , the compression springs 18, 19 tend to remove said supporting plate from the inner wall of the casing 1. It goes without saying that elastic supporting of the toy-elements 3 from below resp. from the side may be realized in any other way, so e.g. by using flexible synthetic foam rubber inserts. Elastic support of the toy-elements 3 is imperative, as - as it is to be seen in Figure 5 by turning the toy-elements in the direction as indicated with the arrow 20, the faces of the toy-elements 3 will not bear up against the faces of the neighbouring two toy-elements 3, but the edges thereof, which are rounded-off to a slight extent, as illustrated in Figure 2, in such a manner the distance between the edges will be larger, than the distance between the faces of the toy-element 3. Accordingly, in order to be able to turn the toy-element 3, possibility of expansion to the side and in height must be assured, in our case this is achieved so, in so far as the supporting plate 16 is displace outwards against the compressive springs 18, while the compressive springs 19 force the supporting plate 17 downwards in direction of the arrow 21. As soon as the faces of the rotated toy-element 3 are bearing up against the neighbouring toy-elements 3, compressive springs 18 resp. 19 return the supporting plate 16 resp. the lower supporting plate 17 into their basic position.

With the embodiment illustrated here between the inner plane of the lateral faces 9 and 10 of the house having been provided with the opening 11 for the introduction of the crank and the outmost row of toy-elements the locking plate 22 resp. 23 is inserted. In identical pitch locking plates 22, 23 are provided with the openings 24 formed coaxially with the central opening of the toy-elements 3, which have the same size and quadratic cross-section as the openings 4-6. As it becomes obvious from Figure 4, width 8 of the locking plate 22 is less, than the section A of the crank 7 . The aim of this arrangement lies in that simultaneousrotation of the row of toy-elements 3 becomes possible only if the crank 7 is fully pushed-in, why, if the outer part of the crank 7 with the quadratic profile becomes engaged with the opening 24 of the locking plate 22 resp. 23, the crank 7 is in a locked position, that means that it cannot be turned. For the sake of order, it should be mentioned that optionally locked position can be even omitted, in such a manner an embodiment may be also realized, with which it becomes possible to rotate simultaneously one single, or two, or three or four toy-elements 3 by means of the crank 7.

The course of game with the logical toy according to the invention is as follows:

Let us start from the arrangement that the toy-elements 3 are arranged with their differently coloured covering plates to be seen through the transparent lid 2. In this case the solution of the game lies in, if the player is able to rotate the toy-elements 3 in relation to each other so, that faces of identical colours of the toy-elements 3 shou ld point upwards. This re-arrangement may be performed by means of the crank 7, which is pushed fully into the throughgoing central opening of the rows of the toy-elements 3 by the player from the direction of the lateral face 9 or 10, while the player is turning the toy-elements 3 of a given row of the toy-elements simultaneously by a quarter, half or three-quarter turn. This counter-rotation is to be continued as long as faces of same colour appear through the lid 2. It goes without saying, if several players are playing the game, the winner will be the player, who solves the task first, within the shortest span of time.

Due to the relatively simple structural design of thelogical toy according to the invention it can be produced economically, with an insignificant expenditure, even of a synthetic material. By increasing the number of the toy-elements 3 complexity of the solution of the game increases proportionally

Another possible embodiment of the logical toy according to the invention - serving here as an example - shows the favourable features, as described above, in addition it enables a more complex solution of the game and far more possible variations, this embodiment will be described in detail in connection with Figures 6 to 11. For the sake of order, it should be mentioned that similar structural parts are indicated with identical reference numbers. This embodiment differs in so far from that according to Figures 1 to 5, in so far as, while with the embodiment illustrated in said Figures the cubiform toy-elements 3 are arranged in one single plane of the elements, with this embodiment at least 3 x 3, i.e. nine toy-elements 3 are lying in one single plane of the toy-elements and with the embodiment illustrated here three planes of the elements are arranged above one another, with other word, the imaginary enveloping profile of the toy-elements 3 is cubiform. As a consequence, the casing 1 is also cubiform, which was made in this case of plexiglass. By using the crank 7 simultaneous turning of the toy-elements 3 by rows is performed in the previously described manner, therefore we disregarded the specification of details. In this case every transparent lateral face of the housing 2 corresponds to a lid 2 each, in a certain distance therefrom - as it is to be seen in Figure 6 - a supporting plate 17 each is arranged The supporting plate 17 contacts the outer lateral surface of the toy-elements lying next on every face of the cube and connection with the lid 2 is established via the elastic support. With the embodiment specified here these supports are made of a synthetic foam rubber and are formed as corner-profiles 25. Accordingly, the corner-profiles 25 as elastic supports force the supporting plates 17 inwards, as a consequence, toy-elements 3 - arranged otherwise freely - are pressed to each other in a forced way.

In Figure 8 it can be well seen that by turning one of the toy-elements 3 neighbouring toy-elements 3 are pressing the supporting plates 17 outwards against the elastic supports.

Figure 10 illustrates a locking version for the crank 7, whereby the opening 11 in the lid 2 permits the free rotation of any cross-section of the crank 7, while the opening 26 of the supporting plate 17 has a quadratic shape, thus enabling but the axial displacement of the quadratic cross-section of the crank 7. However, in the completely pushed-in position of the crank 7 the opening 26 engages with the cylindric section A with the reduced diameter of the crank 7, thus enabling rotation of the crank 7. In such a manner the player is compelled to rotate simultaneously all the toy-elements 3 lying in one row, thus increasing complexity of the solution of the game. It should be mentioned that with this embodiment the toy-elements 3 are accessible for the crank 7 from every side of the casing 1. Figure 11 illustrates a further possible version of locking the crank 7 wherein opening 26 of the supporting plate 17 allows always the free turn thereof, however, the locking function as specified before is performed in this case by the opening 11 of the lid 2, having a quadratic cross-section.

As an accessory advantage it should be mentioned that the secondly mentioned embodiment yields the possibility for a more thrilling game with increased entertainment. Grade of difficulty of solution can be increased by increasing the number of the toy-elements 3.

Claims

1. Logical toy with cubiform toy-elements provided with information-carriers, in particular colours on their faces, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by that it contains at least 3 x 3 cubiform toy-elements (3) which are arranged in the common quadratic plane of the game-field of the casing (1) covered with the lid (2) when the toy-elements (3) occupy their basic position, furtheron, in all the three symmetry axes the toy-elements (3) are provided with a through-opening (4, 5, 6) each, furtheron a crank (7) is provided for, which can be introduced into the openings (5, 6) of the toy-elements (3) having been arranged in a row through the opening (11) in at least two neighbouring sides (9, 10) of the casing (1) and which is able to turn said toy-elements, furtheron, at least two neighbouring lateral faces (13, 14) and the bottom plate (15) of the casing (1) are connected to the lateral resp. bottom faces of the neighbouring toy-elements via an elastic support.

2. Logical toy according to Claim 1, c h a r a ct e r i z e d by that the elastic support consists of the lateral supporting plates (16) and the bottom support- plate (17) and between them and the lateral faces (13,14) of the casing (1) compressive springs (18 19) are inserted.

3. Logical toy according to Claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by that between the lateral faces (9, 10) of the casing (1) provided with openings (11) for introducing the crank and the outmost toy- elements (3) a locking plate (22, 23) is arranged, which is provided with openings (24) - the size and number of which correspond to the toy-elements (3) of the outmost row of toy-elements, furtheron, the end of the crank (7) facing the handle (8) has a section (12) with reduced cross-section, the length (A) of which surpasses the width (B) of the locking plate (22, 23).

4. Logical toy according to Claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by that the toy-elements (3) are arranged above one another in a plurality of quadratic planes of the field of the game in such a manner that their envelopping profile has the shape of a cube, furtheron, the openings (11) receiving the crank (7) formed on the transparent lid (2) covering all sides of the casing (1) are arranged coaxially with the openings (4, 5, 6) of the toy-elements (3) and all the transparent lids (2) are paired through an elastic support with a supporting plate (17) each, which is connected to every toy-element (3) of the face each of the enveloping cube and the plate (17) is provided with openings (26) for receiving the crank (7) having been arranged coaxially with the openings (11) of the lid (2).

5. Logical toy according to Claim 1, 2 or 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by that at the end of the polygonal - expediently quadratic - crank (7) facing the handle (8) there is a cylindrical section (A) with reduced cross-section and a length thereof is larger, than the thickness of the lid (2), furtheron, the openings (11) in the lid (2) enable but the axial displacement of the section of the crank (7) with the polygonal cross-section, at the same time the openings (26) of the supporting plates (17) are dimensioned so, as to permit free rotation of the crank (7).

6. Logical toy according to Claim 1 or 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by that the elastic supports are corner-profiles (25) preferably made of synthetic foam rubber.

7. Logical toy according to Claim 1 or 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by that the surfaces of the toy-elements are provided with symbol carriers which can be rearranged through movement in the space.