WO1997026963A1

WO1997026963A1 - The modular, adaptable puzzle

Info

Publication number: WO1997026963A1
Application number: PCT/BE1996/000132
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dirk Laureyssens; Jean-Michel J. P. Meys
Original assignee: Dirk Laureyssens; Meys Jean Michel J P
Priority date: 1995-12-14
Filing date: 1996-12-13
Publication date: 1997-07-31
Also published as: AU1134197A; BE1009891A6

Abstract

An adaptable puzzle which is composed of one or more pieces which are themselves made up of a series of identical and/or different bodies, linked by means of identical or different connectors, which allow the linked parts to be moved thus changing the initial shape or to be disconnected one from the other.

Description

DESCRIPTION: The modular, adaptable puzzle.

Throughout time, puzzles, such as polyhedrons, have been made from wood, plastic, metal, pliable plastic, crystal... But these puzzles were manufactured and sold separately. Many non- polyhedric puzzles also exist, for example, spheres, triangles, irregular shapes, ... such as Golomb's puzzle, Hara's cube, Dudeney's Hexomini cubes, Yoshigahara' s L-puzzle, ...

This particular invention enables the construction of all of these puzzles (brain-teasers, games of patience) , in two or three dimensions, while allowing the player trying to solve them to modify or adapt them, thus inventing new puzzles himself which he can then communicate to others.

We are dealing with an adaptable puzzle made up of single pieces which are constructed individually and can be linked to one another by connectors.

The individual pieces of the puzzle can be put together in two or three dimensional form as desired. The adaptable puzzle (1), is made up of one o_μ. more individual pieces of the puzzle, which themselves form a series of shapes (4) which may be identical (2) or different (3) . These series of shapes are joined by identical (5) or different connectors (7) which allow the shape to be altered (8) (for example, by removing a piece from one place and attaching it to another, by turning pieces to create a different shape) or to be disconnected. In the three dimensional learning process, the adaptability of this puzzle enables the user to model it to his or her own desired level of simplicity or complexity. For example, first make a cube of four identical pieces. Then turn (modify) one piece to look for a second solution, or modify it in a different manner to create yec a third possibility and so on.

The pieces are entirely transformable. Once a solution has been learnt, the pieces can be assembled in such a way as to simplify the brain-teaser by using fewer sets of cubes (i.e. increasing the number of cubes used to make up the shape) , or they can be broken up thus complicating the brain-teaser because it is now made up of more shapes.

The adaptable puzzle consists of connectors and pieces which enable the player to make up and modify his own shapes, or those of his friends in order to solve the brain-teaser. The pieces of the puzzle can be adapted by moving, removing or adding one or more pieces to shapes and creating different (even huge) brain-teasers using one or more sets of pentahedrons in two or three dimensional form (for example, fig. 4 ) and all sorts of similar two or three dimensional (fig. 5) polyhedrons, duohedrons, trihedrons, tetrahedrons, hexahedrons, octahedrons and even, for example, two and a half cubes, and other geometric forms, etc...

The game can be made of synthetic materials, (including scrap) , wood, metal, glass, plastic, etc... or a mixture of these materials which may be coloured.

The puzzle may be composed of several separate pieces which in turn may make up various geometric forms which when combined together with all the pieces of the puzzle form a pyramid, a triangle, a rectangle, a cube (17), a dodecahedron, a sphere (18) half-spheres and parts of spheres with different angles, half cubes (12), or other shapes, rectangular, frames, irregular forms and shapes (fig. 11) such as animals or objects, ... but also flat shapes (27) .

A piece (36) , which is the smallest, basic element with the exclusion of the connector, can also have a variety of geometric shapes such as a pyramid, a triangle, a rectangle, a cube (3, 12, 36) , a dodecahedron, a sphere, or half or part sphere with different angles, half a cube (12) or other rectangular shapes, irregular shapes, etc... and may be partly or entirely overlaid with a cover. This cover may have one or more hollows or projections (23) - called the connector points (16) - which fit perfectly into the corresponding, complementary hollows and projections of the connector (24) . These may be of different colours (9) and may be made of materials or paint which are heat or light sensitive.

The connector may have, on both upper and lower sections, one or more identical or dissimilar connector points. One side is entirely (11) or partially covered which makes the puzzle appear either completely or partially covered on the outside. It may also have one or more irregularities in the surface

(10) , bumps, openings, lines, raised print, letters, stamps, etc... It may also be composed of two plates (14), linked by means of a hinge (15) where each plate has the complementary part of the other and where each plate has one or more (16) connector points on its connector side. A connector may also act as a covering plate for one or more pieces (35) on which there may be, on the connector side, one or more connector points (16) and where the decorative side of the connector may be flat, curved (19), irregular (42), angular, etc... and where the covering plate may have a slanted edge (43) which means that this side of the piece is itself covered by a fold.

The connector may also be made of a plate with a narrow, soft and pliable band across the middle which acts as a hinge, which means that the two linked elements may be pressed against one another and where each part has a complementary hinge and where, on the connection side of each part, there are one or more connector points (16) . The connectors may also have, near their connector points, projections (29) or hollows (30) which means that the connector stays in position in the complementary part of the piece. As can be seen from the aerial view in fig. 14, the connectors can also have a variety of shapes and forms: circles, squares, stars or teeth, etc...

As shown in the side view, the connectors may have various shapes such as part of a combined sphere (20) , combined angles (31), flexible sections (38), combined internal parts (33), combined external parts (34), etc...

The edges may have one or more notches (39) or flat openings, one or more complementary jutting edges (40) , dots or furrows, etc... useful for easy detachment of the connector from the piece using a fingernail.

Some connector points may have such forms as slotting assemblies (5), dowels or screws (21), pivots, sliding, magnets

(37), tubing (28 - round or angular), partly cylindrical and flexible (38), perhaps extended by one or more grooves (30) and/or projections (29) .

A puzzle, or brain teaser, as described above, can be offered either In^" graphic form, or by using a notation system which might be based on the notation used for playing dice (25) . The top is one, the front is two, the right side is three and the opposite sides to each of these are equal to these sides less 7. So a piece added to a shape will be given the number of the side of the piece to which it is connected.

Multiple directions are indicated by an eight (for example, 3 directions = 888), and the beginning of the first split is indicated by a 9 (e.g. 8894931) .

For example, here is _ra shape composed of 8 pieces —> 05889488919588949593. This brain-teaser can be communicated by phone between two players. It goes without saying that a shape made up of twenty pieces would be very long to note down, but would, however, be simple to construct once the basics of the notation format have been understood.

This patent concerns an adaptable puzzle which would assist greatly in increasing powers of intellect. It can be used as an educational and scientific school tool, as a toy, as a brain-teaser, as a construction tool, as a learning tool (e.g. chemical demonstrations), as a prize, as a game for young and not so young children, as a televised game, or at demonstrations, etc...

Claims

CONCLUSION: THE MODULAR, ADAPTABLE PUZZLE

1. An adaptable puzzle (1) is composed of one or more pieces which are themselves made up of a series of identical (2) and/or different (3) bodies, linked by means of identical

(5) or different connectors (7), which allow the linked parts to be moved thus changing the initial shape (8) or to be disconnected one from the other.

2. An adaptable puzzle is such as that described in conclusion number 1, in which certain pieces may be combined in such a way as to facilitate the brain teaser, or may be split up in order to facilitate or complicate the game by providing more pieces.

3. The connectors and series of pieces as described in conclusion number 1 allow the player to construct or modify his own series of pieces (e.g. placing one set of pieces somewhere else, or changing the shape of a set of pieces by turning some of them...), or to construct and solve the manufacturer's brain teaser, or that of his friends.

4. An adaptable puzzle, like that described in conclusion number 1, may be made of synthetic materials, wood, metal, glass, transparent plastic, crystal, etc... or may be made of a mixture of these materials which might be coloured giving the brain teaser a multi-coloured aspect, or may be made of different materials.

5. An adaptable puzzle, like that described in conclusion number 1, may have parts and or connectors of similar or different colours and may be made of materials and or covered with heat, light or emission-sensitive paints.

6. An adaptable puzzle, like that described in conclusion number 1, has on its upper and lower parts one or more connector points which may be the same or different (e.g. fixing by locking, doweling, screwing, turning, sliding or magnetic) .

7. The connector, like that described in conclusion number 1, has one side which is entirely (fig. 11) or partially covered which means the assembled puzzle may be partially or entirely covered on the outside.

8. A shape (36), like that described in conclusion number 1, may have different geometric shapes such as a pyramid, a rectangle, a box, a triangle, a cube (3, 12, 3β) , a dodecahedron, a sphere, half-spheres with parts of a sphere with different angles, parts of cubes (12) or other shapes - rectangular, irregular, etc..., and may be wholly or partially overlaid with a cover.

9 . A puzzle, like that described in conclusion number 1, is composed of individual pieces which can be combined to make up various geometric shapes and forms which when all linked together make up e.g. a pyramid, a triangle, a rectangle, a cube (17), a dodecahedron, a sphere (18), half-spheres with parts of a sphere with different angles, parts of cubes (12), or other shapes - rectangular, frames irregular shapes like animals, objects, ..., but also flat shapes (27) or shapes with (11) or without form.

10. The connector, like that described in conclusion number 1, may have one or more projecting (23) or hollow irregularities called connector points (16) which make a perfect fit with the corresponding projecting or hollow

(24) irregularities of the pieces.

11. The connector, like that described in conclusion number 1, may have a variety of surface irregularities (10) (e.g. bumps, openings, lines, raised print, letters, stamps, auto-adhesive additions, etc..)

12. The connector, like that described in conclusion number 1, is made up of two piates (14) joined by means of a hinge (15), where each plate contains the complementary part of the other and where each plate has one or more (16) connector points on its connection side.

13. The connector, like that described in conclusion number 1, acts as a covering (13) for one or more pieces (35) on the connector side of which there are one or more connector points (16) and where the decorative side may be flat, curved (19), irregular (42), angular, etc..., and where the covering may have a raised centre (43) which means that this side of the piece is completely covered by a fold.

14. The connector points, like those described in conclusion number 1, can have a variety of shapes such as slotting assemblies (5), dowels or screws (21), pivots, sliding, magnets (37), tubing (28 - round or angular), partly cylindrical and flexible (38) , perhaps extended by one or more grooves (30) and/or projections (29) .

15. The connector, like that described in conclusion number 1, as can be seen from the aerial view in fig. 14, can also have a variety of shapes and forms: circles, squares, stars or teeth, etc...

16. The connector, like that described in conclusion number 1, as shown in the side view, may have various shapes such as part of a combined sphere (20), combined angles (31), flexible sections (38) , combined internal parts (33) , combined external parts (34), etc...

17. The connector, like that described in conclusion number 1, may have edges which may have one or more notches (39) or flat openings, one or more complementary jutting edges (40), dots or furrows, etc... useful for easy detachment of the connector from the piece using a fingernail.

18. The connector, like that described in conclusion number 1, may also be made of a plate with a narrow, soft and pliable band across the middle which acts as a hinge, which means that the two linked elements may be pressed against one another and where each part has a complementary hinge and where, on the connection side of each part, there are one or more connector points (16) .

19. The connector, like that described in conclusion number 1, may also have near their connector points projections (29) or hollows (30) , which means that the connector stays in position in the complementary part of the piece.

20. The brain teaser, as described in conclusions 2 and 3 above, can be offered either in graphic form, or by using a notation system which might be based on the notation used for playing dice (25) . The top is one, the front is two, the right side is three and the opposite sides to each of these are equal to these sides less 7. So a piece added to a shape will be given the number of the side of the piece to which it is connected. Multiple directions are indicated by an eight (for example, 3 directions = 888) , and the beginning of the first split is indicated by a 9 (e.g. 8894931) . For example, here is a shape composed of 8 pieces —> 05889488919588949593 or fig. 15 - —> 05351.

21. The pieces of the puzzle as described in ^• conclusions 1, 2 and 3 above can be adapted by moving, removing or adding one or more pieces to shapes and creating different (even huge) brain-teasers using one or more sets of pentahedrons in two or three dimensional form (for example, fig. 4) and all sorts of similar two or three dimensional (fig. 5) polyhedrons, duohedrons, trihedrons, tetrahedrons, hexahedrons, octahedrons and even, for example, two and a half cubes, and other geometric forms, etc...

22. The adaptable puzzle as described in conclusion number 1 can be used as an educational and scientific school tool, as a toy, as a brain-teaser, as a construction tool, as a learning tool (e.g. chemical demonstrations), as a prize, as a game for young and not so young children, as a televised game, or at demonstrations, etc...