WO1995001818A1

WO1995001818A1 - Play object

Info

Publication number: WO1995001818A1
Application number: PCT/AU1994/000379
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ralph Hibble
Original assignee: Deem Pty. Ltd. Trading As Aisling Studios Unit Trust
Priority date: 1993-07-06
Filing date: 1994-07-06
Publication date: 1995-01-19

Abstract

A play object (10) comprising a multi-sided body (12) having a plurality of planar faces (13) arranged in opposed pairs on opposed sides of said body (12), each of said faces (13) being inclined to an adjacent face (13) such that the angle of inclination between adjacent faces (13) is the same, said faces (13) comprising substantially square faces (14) and substantially hexagonal faces (16) arranged such that one square face (14) is contiguous with four hexagonal faces (16), and wherein the surface area of a square face (14) is equal to the surface area of a hexagonal face (16).

Description

TITLE

Play Object

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention resides in a play object for use in sporting or recreational activities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one form the invention resides in a play object comprising a multi-sided body having a plurality of planar faces arranged in opposed pairs on opposed sides of said body, each of said faces being inclined to an adjacent face such that the angle of inclination between adjacent faces is the same, and wherein said faces comprise substantially square faces and substantially triangular faces arranged such that a square face is contiguous with four triangular faces.

Preferably, the opposed faces are substantially identical.

Preferably, the triangular faces are equi-sided. The apexes of a triangular face may be truncated to form a hexagonal face having three sides of a first length and three sides of a second length. Preferably the second length sides are considerably shorter than the first length sides.

The surface area of a square face is equal to the surface area of a hexagonal face.

Preferably the first length sides of the hexagonal faces are equivalent in length to the sides of the square faces. The faces are arranged such that a square face is surrounded by four hexagonal faces wherein the sides of the square face are contiguous with the first length sides of the hexagonal faces.

Preferably, the second length sides of a hexagonal face are contiguous with the second length sides of adjacent hexagonal faces.

Preferably the edges between the faces are rounded.

Preferably the play object has three pairs of opposing square faces and four pairs of opposing triangular or hexagonal faces.

The triangular or hexagonal faces forming each opposed pair are disposed in opposing directions.

Preferably one or more of the faces may be provided with indicia.

In another form the invention resides in a play object comprising a multi-sided body having a plurality of planar faces arranged in opposed pairs on opposed sides of said body, each of said faces being inclined to an adjacent face such that the angle of inclination between adjacent faces is the same, said faces comprising substantially square faces and substantially hexagonal faces arranged such that one square face is contiguous with four hexagonal faces, and wherein the surface area of a square face is equal to the surface area of a hexagonal face.

Preferably the angle of inclination between two adjacent faces is 125° 16'. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

One specific embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the embodiment; Figure 2 is an isometric view of the embodiment; Figure 3 is another perspective view showing the manufacture of the embodiment from a cube; Figure 4 is a plan view of the embodiment showing a square face contiguous with four hexagonal faces; Figure 5 is a plan view of the embodiment showing two adjacent hexagonal faces contiguous with each other.

MODE OF PERFORMING INVENTION

The embodiment is directed to a play object 10 comprising a multi-sided geometric body 12 having a plurality of planar faces 13 as depicted in Figures 1 and 2. The object 10 may be made solid or hollow depending on the purpose for which it is required as will be explained further on.

The planar faces 13 are comprised of six square faces 14 and eight hexagonal faces 16 providing a total of 14 faces. The square faces 14 are arranged in opposing pairs such that each pair is disposed at opposite sides of the body 12.

The hexagonal faces 16 are also arranged in opposing pairs at opposite sides of the body 12 such that opposing hexagonal faces 16 are disposed in opposing directions with respect to each other.

Each hexagonal face 16 comprises three sides 18 which correspond in length to the sides 22 of the square faces 14. Located between the three sides 18 are three shorter sides 20 so that located opposite each side 18 in a hexagonal face is a shorter side 20.

The square faces 14 and hexagonal faces 16 are arranged such that a square face 14 is surrounded by four hexagonal faces 16. In this arrangement the sides 22 of the square faces 14 are contiguous with sides 18 of the hexagonal faces 16 to form edges 24. This is best illustrated in Figure 4.

The shorter sides 20 of a hexagonal face 16 are contiguous with a shorter side 20 of adjacent hexagonal faces 16 to form edges 26 as best illustrated in Figure 5.

The body 12 is constructed such that adjoining faces are inclined to each other at an angle of 125° 16'.

The edges 24 and 26 are formed as rounded edges so that the play object is comfortable when in the hands of the player and also to assist in the deflection of the play object 10 when it is thrown at a surface.

Figure 3 shows how the play object 10 may be constructed. A cube 28 of 58mm x 58mm x 58mm dimensions is used as an example as a basis for constructing the play object 10. The central portions of the cube's faces 30 form the square faces 14 which are 31.446mm x 31.446mm in dimension. The corners of the cube 28 are cut away to form a triangular face the apexes of which are then truncated to form the hexagonal faces 16. The sides 18 of the hexagonal faces 16 are provided to be 31.446mm in length corresponding to the length of the square sides 22. The shorter sides 20 are 9.566mm in length. The distance from the corners 32 of the square faces 16 to the cube edge 34 is 6.764mm. These dimensions provide that the surface area of the square faces 14 and hexagonal faces 16 will be the same. The edges 24 and 26 of the body_^ are rounded to a 4mm radius. As mentioned above the faces 13 are adjoined to each other in the arrangement described at an angle of 125° 16' .

The measurements will remain proportionally the same no matter the size of the body 12.

The play object 10 may be made as a solid object and can be used to practise catching skills. For example, the play object 10 can be used to sharpen up the catching skills of slips fieldmen in the game of cricket where the play object 10 can be thrown against a wall or other surface. The combination of squares faces 14 and hexagonal faces 16, and different length edges 24 and 26 provide that the play object 10 will rebound randomnly in a manner which is unpredictable to the player.

The equality of the surface areas of the square faces 14 and hexagonal faces 16, and the provision of rounded edges 24 and 26 provide a balanced and comfortable feel to the object 12 in the hand of the player.

The play object 10 can be used as a dice which when rolled or thrown against a surface may come to rest on any one of its fourteen faces 13. Each face may be provided with indicia such as a numeral, letter of the alphabet, character, symbol, colour or any other distinguishing means. For this purpose the play object 10 may be made hollow or solid. The play object 10 may be provided in any size or weight and in any suitable material required for its particular purpose.

It should be appreciated that various other changes and modifications may be made to the embodiment described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

THE CLAIMS defining the invention are as follows:

1. A play object comprising a multi-sided body having a plurality of planar faces arranged in opposed pairs -on opposed sides of said body, each of said faces being inclined to an adjacent face such that the angle of inclination between adjacent faces is the same, and wherein said faces comprise substantially square faces and substantially triangular faces arranged such that a square face is contiguous with four triangular faces.

2. A play object as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sides of said triangular faces are of equal length.

3. A play object as claimed in claims 1 or 2 wherein said opposed faces are substantially identical.

4. A play object as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims wherein the apexes of a triangular face are truncated to form a hexagonal face having three sides of a first length and three sides of a second length wherein said second length sides are considerably shorter than said first length sides.

5. A play object as claimed in claim 4 wherein the surface area of said square face is equal to the surface area of said hexagonal face.

6. A play object as claimed in claims 4 or 5 wherein a first length side is equivalent in length to a side of said square face.

7. A play object as claimed in any one of claims 4, 5 or 6 wherein a square face is surrounded by four hexagonal faces wherein a side of said square face is contiguous with a first length side of a hexagonal face.

8. A play object as claimed in anyone of claims 4 to 7 wherein said second length sides of a hexagonal face are contiguous with the second length sides of adjacent hexagonal faces.

9. A play object as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the edges between the faces are rounded.

10. A play object as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 9 having three pairs of opposing square faces and four pairs of opposing hexagonal faces wherein said hexagonal faces forming each opposed pair are disposed in opposing directions.

11. A play object comprising a multi-sided body having a plurality of planar faces arranged in opposed pairs on opposed sides of said body, each of said faces being inclined to an adjacent face such that the angle of inclination between adjacent faces is the same, said faces comprising substantially square faces and substantially hexagonal faces arranged such that one square face is contiguous with four hexagonal faces, and wherein the surface area of a square face is equal to the surface area of a hexagonal face.

12. A play object as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the angle of inclination between two adjacent faces is 125° 16'.

13. A play object as substantially herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.