WO1997048463A1

WO1997048463A1 - Jigsaw cube

Info

Publication number: WO1997048463A1
Application number: PCT/SK1997/000002
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter BALAS^¿OV
Original assignee: Balasov Peter
Priority date: 1996-06-20
Filing date: 1997-03-21
Publication date: 1997-12-24
Also published as: AU2420297A

Abstract

Jigsaw cube comprises the outer cage (1) in the shape of a prism, inside which cubicles (2) are arranged in a sliding way, while the cage (1) has openings (3) in its walls to shift and hold separate cubicles (2), whereas the number m of the cubicles (2) arranged in sliding way is given by the relation: m = a.b.c-1 where a, b and c, which can be the same or different and represent an integral higher than 1, indicating a number of openings (3) per row in the wall at three various edges of the prism crossing in one point. Separate wall of internal cubicles (2), margins (5) of openings (3) of individual walls and/or separate walls of the cage (1) are of a different colouring, while separate walls of inner cubicles (2) in the arranged condition have the same colour as the appropriate margin (5) of the opening (3) and/or an appropriate wall of the outer cage.

Description

Jigsaw cube

Technica Field

The inventiom relates to the jigsaw cube.

Background of the Art

There are many jigsaw toys. While DE 38 21 297 Al describes a puzzle consisting of two half-dishes rotable one against the other, rotating together on one axis. Each half-dish has four segments attached, that could be of various colours, with various information on both ends. Each half-dish has four semicircular openings, whereas two rotating segments are in each of them, pivoted as a quarterly segment. When rotating the half-dishes, they can intermesh in such a way that rotating segments of both half- dishes will become in the same position. This way, a slight turning of rotary segments of one half-dish into the other one is allowed. Hereby a still-stand position of the rotating segments occurs, enabling the half-dishes to be turned. Rotating one half-dish, two rotating segments are always displaced by 90° or by a multiple of 90°. The rotating segments contain various information enabling to create several combination options. A drawback of this jigsaw toy (puzzle) is that the solution of the task can be achieved by means of a single handling of each rotating segment, making a minimum efforts of thinking.

The Rubik's cube is known from the patent HTJ 170 062, developing logical thinking and plastic vision. The entire cube consists of 26 small cubicles, while visible outer surfaces are coloured in such way that nine equally coloured surfaces of small cubicles create one side of the cube in the correctly assembled condition, while each side of the cube is of a different colour. The whole volume of the cube is divided into thirds, whereas only these thirds are rotable, not individual small cubicles.

Disclosure of the Invention

The aim of the presented invention is to create a jigsaw cube (toy, puzzle) whose degrees of difficulty can be selected according to requirements and to reach many playing variants. The above mentioned is solved by the jigsaw cube according to the presented invention, whose substance rests on the fact that it consists of an outer cage in the shape of prism, inside which internal cubicles are placed in a shding way, while the cage has openings in its wall for shding and holding individual cubicles, whereas the number m of the cubicles arranged in a shding way is given by the relation

m = a . b . c - 1

where a, b and c, which can be the same or different and represent an integral higher than 1, indicating a number of openings per row in the wall at three various edges of the prism crossing in one point. Separate wall of internal cubicles, margins of the openings of individual walls and/or separate walls of the cage are of a different colouring, while separate walls of inner cubicles in the arranged condition have the same colour as the appropriate margin of the opening and/or an appropriate wall of the outer cage.

On terms of aesthetics it is convenient, if the outer cage and the cubicles arranged in a shding way have rounded edges. The openings in the walls can be of circular, rectangular or polygonal shape.

When putting the jigsaw cube into action, it is proceeded in such way that inner cubicles arranged in a shding way are shifted by shifting through the openings in the walls of the outer cage, thus reaching their arranged form, i. e. the mutual linkage (compliance) of indication of walls or margins of openings of the outer cage and walls of the inner shifting cubicles is reached. The degree of difficulty of the jigsaw cube is directly proportional to the number of inner cubicles or to the number of openings in the outer cage: the higher is the number of inner cubicles, the higher is the degree of difficulty.

Brief description of the Drawings

An illustrative example of the jigsaw cube according to the present invention is schematically depicted in the attached drawings, where Fig.1 shows the overall view of the jigsaw cube in the shape of a cube, Fig. 2 shaws a sectional view along the line A-A from the Fig. 1, Fig. 3 shaws a sectional view along the line B-B from the Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 illustrates the jigsaw cube in the shape of a prism with circular openings.

EXAMPLES

The jigsaw cube is shown in the enclosed Fig. 1 to 3, where a = b = c = 3, i.e. the jigsaw cube in the shape of a cube with the openings 3 of rectangular shape. It is created by the outer cage I (or by a grid cube) of cubic shape, having 3 openings per a row in the wall at three various edges 4, 4_, 4_, i.e. nine openings 3 in each wall. The margins (surface areas) 5 of the openings 3 in a wall are painted in the same colour, but separate walls have openings 3 of different colours. The number of m = a . b . c - l, i.e. 3 . 3 . 3 - 1, i.e. twenty-six inner cubicles 2 are inside the cage I, having separate walls coloured by the same colour as the margins 5 of the openings 3 on the individual walls of the cage L The openings 3 in the walls of the outer cage 1 enable to shift inner cubicles 2 until reaching the arranged condition, i.e. until „puzzling out".

Inner cubicles 2 of the jigsaw cube are shifted by moving inside the cage 1, which is enabled by one free place of a missing cubicle, the cube is considered to be constructed out (the task solved), when inner cubicles 2 are located in such way that their coloured walls comply with the colours of margins of openings 3 (or those of walls) of the cage j_..

Figure 4 shows the jigsaw cube according to the present invention, where a = 2, b = 3, c = 4, i.e. the cube is in the shape of a right parallelepiped, the number of inner cubicles 2 is 2 . 3 . 4 - 1, i.e. twenty-three, the openings 3 in the walls of the cage \ are of circular shape and separate walls of the cage (those of the right parallelepiped) \, including margins of the openings 3 are of different colours.

The jigsaw cube according to the present invention can be manufactured of wood or a plastic material.

Claims

1. Jigsaw cube characterized by the fact that it consists of the outer cage (1) in the shape of a prism, inside which cubicles (2) are arranged in a shding way, while the cage (1) has openings (3) in its walls to shift and hold separate cubicles (2), whereas the number m of the cubicles (2) arranged in shding way is given by the relation

m = a . b . c - 1

where a, b and c, which can be the same or different and represent an integral higher than 1, indicating a number of openings (3) per row in the wall at three various edges of the prism crossing in one point, wherethe separate wall of internal cubicles (2), margins (5) of openings (3) of individual walls and/or separate walls of the cage ( 1 ) are of a different colouring, while separate walls of inner cubicles (2) in the arranged condition have the same colour as the appropriate margin (5) of the opening (3) and/or an appropriate wall of the outer cage.

2. Jigsaw cube according to the Claim 1, characterized by the fact that the outer cage (1) and cubicles (2) arranged in shding way have the rounded edges.

3. The puzzle according to the Claim 1, characterized by the fact that the openings (3) in the walls are of circular shape.