GB2176410A - Cube puzzle - Google Patents

Abstract

The puzzle comprises 53 rectangular tiles, each having a bulbous spigot projecting therefrom, and 26 interconnected minor cubes. Each minor cube comprises keyhole slots which receive the bulbous spigots. The pattern on the surface of the puzzle may be varied by either sliding the tiles from minor cube to minor cube or by rotation of layers of minor cubes. The figures illustrate minor edge and corner cubes. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Amulti movable cubic novelty This invention relates to a Multi Movable Cubic Novelty.

Cubic Novelty are well known novelty about the size of tennis ball. On the six sides ofthe cube, each individual side are of a certain colour. The cube actually comprises of 26 smaller units, these units are specially design in such a way that when assembled together formed the actual cube. It's design also enable the cube to beturn in some particularmanner.

The assembled cube are ofthree layers view horizon tallyorvertically,each layercouldbeturn in aclockwise direction or in an anti-clockwise direction. In order to obtain the certain colour on the sides, colour stickers are stick onto the surface ofthe smaller units, a certain colour on a certain side and another colour on another side.

The game is that when the cube is being turn a few times the colour is being distorted. When another person is being asked to turn the cube so as to bring backtotheoriginal colour on the surfaces and if has not seen how the cube is being turn earlier, then this will be a very difficult and puzzling task for him as anybody who have come across this novelty will know. According to the present invention there are certain limitations to it, these limitations will be describe.

Further details ofthis invention will be describe in pages with drawings to refer to in which : Page 3 Gives details of the limitations of the present invention.

Page 4 Gives an example of the exterior design on the surface ofthe cube.

Page 5 Introduces a device, as this device will be describe often it will be referto as the'Peg'.

Page6 & age7 Gives details of the design ofthe smaller units needed to form the actual cube. This units will be refer to as the 'M inor Cubes'.

Page8 & age 9 Shows some ofthe movements in which the peg could be shifted around the fully assembled cube.

Limitations of the present invention Figure 1 Shows the fully assembled cube. There are three layers, view horizontally or vertically, and each layer contains nine pieces of specially designed smaller units. (The smaller unit shall be refered to as 'Minor Cubes' for easier reference.) Figure2 Shows the top layer ofthe cube being turned. It could be turn in a clockwise or in an anticlockwise direction.

Figure3Showsthemiddlelayerbeingturn.

Figure 4Shows the layer on the left being turn.

Figure 5Shows some ofthe minor cubes which is outlined in this figure. This minor cubes are the ones which is situated in these position which is either on the left or the right corner of the cube. They do not belong to the middle layer. There are altogether eight such minor cubes in the fully assembled cube. When the cube is being turned these minor cubes will only interchange their position with each other.

Figure 6Shows some of the minor cubes which is outlined in this figu re. These minor cubes are the ones which is situated in these position which is in the middle layers and they are in between, the left and right cubes as described in Figure 5. No matter how the cube is being turned in the manner allowed, this minor cubes will only interchange their position with each other. There are altogether twelve pieces ofthis minor cubes.

Figure 7Shows the centre minor cubes. It is situated on the extreme centre of each layer. There are six pieces ofthis cubes as there are six side inthefully assembled cube. These minor cubes will only interchange within this position, no matter howthe cube is being turn.

The exterior design on the surface ofthe cubic novelty This page covers the design on the surface ofthe cube. On the surface of the present invention each individual side of the cube are of a certain colour. On the other hand in this cube the design on the surface differs, the design on a side of the cube interlinkwith all the other sides, therefore it is a design forthe whole surface of the fully assembled cube. Awide variety of designs could be featured onto the surface such as :- The Solar System, Flags of Countries, A simplified version of the Map ofthe World, Drawings of Patterns.

Figure 8 Shows the cube withoutthe design on its' surface, it's comprises of 26 pieces of the specially designed minor cubes held together in the way similiarto that of the present invention.

Figure 9 Shows the cube with a typical design on it's surface.

Figure lOIn order to get a full picture of the design, a developmental view of the design is shown in the figure. In this figure is indicated. The purpose ofthis blankwill be elaborated in Figure 23 of page 8.

The peg It is a device designed the way it is shown in drawings Figure 11 and Figure 12. For easier reference it shall be referedto as the 'Peg'. The purpose forthe peg to be design in such away is shown in Figure 13, 14, 15and Figure 16.

Figure 11 Shows an isometric drawing of the peg consisting of a square block witch a cylindrical body with a sphere at it's end which is located at the centre of the block. The diameter ofthe sphere is greater than that of the cylinder.

Figure 12 Shows the peg with the design on it's surface, this design only form part of the design on the whole ofthe cube. The design could be pictured onto the peg by means of printed stickers or by any other methods.

Figure 13 Shows a cross-sectional view of the peg being mounted onto one ofthe 26 specia lly desig n cubes. The peg is design with the sphere so that it could slide within the hollows as shown in the drawing. The sphere at the end ofthe cylinder disallowthe peg to slip out of the specially design cube.

Figure 14Showsthe peg is being moved halfway up into the top of the minor cube. At this pointwhere the peg lies, it is noticed that the corner of this minor cube is angled in a way to enable the peg to make a 90 degrees turn to the top ofthe minorcube.

Figure 15Shows the peg being moved to the top of the minor cube.

Figure 16 Shows the peg to be slide to the minor cubes toe left of it.

The minor cubes Minor Cubes are the 26 smaller units specially designed so that when assembled formed the actual cube. It is refered as the 'Minor Cubes' for easier reference.

There are basically three differently designed Minor Cubes in this invention. They shall be refered to asTypeA,Type Band Type C.

TypeA Type A are the minor cubes which is outlined and as described in Figure 5.

Figure 17Shows an isometric view with it's hidden details ofthis minor cubes. It consists of'hollows' design in the way it is shown in the drawing. It is noticed thatthe hollows will meetanotherhollowin the middle of one side ofthe cube thus creating a four-waytrafficto enable the peg to slide vertically or horizontally in four directions on the minor cube.

Figure 18 Gives a general view ofthe minor cube withoutthe hidden details. As the pegs is to be slotted into the cubes a gap is created from the hollows to enablethe cylindrical shape of the peg to slide. It is noticed that on the edge ofthe cube a curvature is created to enable the peg to simulate a 90 degrees turn to the otherside ofthecube.

TypeB Type B are the minor cubes which is outlined and as described in Figure 6.

Figure 19 Shows the construction ofthe minor cube with the hidden details shown. As this minor cubes are situated in the position described, therefore it's design differfrom that oftype A. SinceTypeAcubes will either be on the top orthe bottom ofthis cube the hollows and the curvature on the edge ofthis minor cube are arranged in a way so as to form a link be tween them to enablethe peg to slide.

Figure2OShowstheconstruction ofthe minorcube withoutthe hidden details.

Type C Type C are the minor cubes which is outlined and as described in Figure 7.

Figure21 Shows the cubes with the hidden details shown, as the cubes are situated in the position described, therefore it's design differ from that of Type A and Type B. As Type B cubes will lies atthetop, bottom, left and the right side ofthe cubes two hollows are designed horizontally and verticallyto enable the peg to slide to the top and bottom cube and also to the left and rightcubes.

Figure22Showsthecubewithoutthe hidden de- tails.

Some movement which the pegs couldbeshifted around the fully assembled cube The following movements of the pegs with design on it's surfaces is to give a general idea howthefully assembled cube with the full design could be distorted, as the design on the individual peg onlyform part of the design on the whole surfaces of the cube.

Figure 23 Shows a surface of one of the six sides of the cube, as the side make up of nine pieces ofthe minor cubes. The middle centre piece is a blankwhich means that in this position the peg is left out ofthe minorcube. The purpose ofthis blank is to create a space so that other pegs could be shifted in to fill the position and when that particular peg has moved in, it create yet another space forthe other pegs to move.

This formes a continuous pattern of movements by which all the pegs could be moved all around the fully assembled cube.

Figure 24 Shows that the middle right peg has been shifted to the left to fill the middle centre position. It is able to to shift into this position because ofthe con- struction ofthe minor cube as described in pegs 7, Figure21 and Figure 22.

Figure 25Shows the bottom right peg has been shifted up to fill the middle right position andthe bottom centre peg has been shifted to the rightto fill the bottom right position.

Figure26Shows both thetop and middle centre pegs has been shifted down to fill both the middle and bottom centre position.

Figure 27 Shows the top left peg has been shifted to the rightto fill the top centre position.

Figure 28 Shows top surface bottom leftpiecehas been shifted down to the side surfaceAtop left position. It is able to shift into this position because ofthe curvature on the edge ofthe minor cube as described in pegs 5, Figure 14and page6, Figure 18.

Figure 29 Shows side surface B top right peg has been shifted up to the top surface bottom left position.

Figure30Showsthatthe middle right has been shifted upto the top right position.

Figure 31 Shows that side surface A middle left peg has been shifted to side surface B middle right position which is leftvacant by the previous movement. It is able to shift into this position because of the construction ofthe minor cube as described in page7, Figure 19 and Figure 20.

Claims (7)

1. A Multi Movable Cubic Novelty which compris- es of 26 minorcubes specially design in a way that when assembled form the actual cube. It also comprises of pegs designed in a way which it could be fitted into the minor cubes and is able to slide within the minor cubes as well as into other minor cubes of the fully assembled cube. Design is pictured onto the surface ofthe pegs. When the pegs is being shifted it will distortthe design on the surface ofthefully assembled cube.

2. A Multi Movable Cubic Novelty as claimed in claim 1 wherein there are 26 specially designed minor cubes. This minor cubes falls into three categories, wherein there are difference in the design between them, which is dependant on the position in which they are place in the fully assembled cube and also the way it will co-operate with the movement of the pegs.

3. A Multi Movable Cubic Novelty as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein pegs are fitted into the minor cubes and is able to slide horizontally orvertic allywithinthe cube and into other cube aswell,asthe minor cubes and the pegs are design two co-ordinate with each other.

4. A Multi Movable Cubic Novelty as claim in any preceding claims wherein a design is pictured onto the surface of the assembled cube, wherein various sort of other design could also be created and pictured onto it.

5. A Multi Movable Cubic Novelty as claimed in claim 4wherein the design on an individual peg surface only form part ofthe whole design on the surface ofthe assembled cube.

6. A Multi Movable Cubic Novelty as claimes in claim4orclaim Swhereinthereisa blankspace,so that other pegs could be shifted to fill the vacancy so as to form a pattern of movements to distorted the design on the surface ofthe assembled cube.

7. A Multi Movable Cubic Novelty substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 to Figures 31.