# US 10,369,457 B2 · Push button puzzle with internal locking mechanism, dual rotors, adjustable weights and a simplified reset > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,369,457 B2 - Document ID: US10369457B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/926,816 - Filed: 2018-03-20 - Published: 2018-09-20 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-20 - Applicants: Mark J Holmes - Inventors: Mark J Holmes - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369457B2 ## CPC - A63F 9/0826: {Three-dimensional puzzles with slidable or rotatable elements or groups of elements, the main configuration remaining unchanged, e.g. Rubik's cube (elements rotatable about just one axis, e.g. discs stacked as a cylinder A63F9/0811)} - A63F 9/34: Games using magnetically moved or magnetically held pieces, not provided for in other subgroups of group A63F9/00 - A63F 2250/24: with a lock, e.g. for a puzzle - A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract In a puzzle toy having a plurality of push buttons, a mechanism for latching push buttons to a rotor, where rotation of the rotor sets a predetermined order for pushing buttons to solve the puzzle, and a chance mechanism for rotating the rotor, an improvement that partitions a rotor shaft and the rotor into two segments that rotate independently, responsive to separate weights affixed to each shaft segment. A reset mechanism operates by shifting the rotor along the shaft axis. ## Claims ### Claim 1 In a puzzle solution method comprising presenting to a user a plurality of push buttons arrayed on the outer surface of a toy, providing a latching mechanism within said toy that latches each of said plurality of push buttons in a pushed-in position provided each of a selected subset of said plurality of push buttons is pushed by the user in a predetermined order, providing a reset mechanism for unlatching any latched push buttons when one of said selected subset of push buttons is pushed-in out of said predetermined order, and providing a chance mechanism that changes the predetermined order upon the occurrence of an event unknown to the user, said event relating to user operation of said toy, an improvement comprising: using a rotor at a spatial center of the toy for said latching mechanism, said rotor thereby being a latching rotor; and providing a shaft around which the latching rotor rotates, the shaft being partitioned in two segments along a common axis, with the latching rotor being separated into two portions along a plane running perpendicular to the shaft axis, each latching rotor portion rotating independently of the other with a respective shaft segment. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The puzzle method of claim 1, wherein said separating plane runs through a center of the latching rotor so that the two rotor portions are mirror images of one another. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The puzzle method of claim 1, wherein the event unknown to the user is user orientation of the toy in a particular direction, and wherein the outer surface of said toy is shaped symmetrically with respect to the spatial center of said toy. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The puzzle method of claim 3, wherein the latching rotor has magnets of one polarity in the direction of each push button, there being a magnet of the opposite polarity on the inner side of each said button. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The puzzle method of claim 3, further comprising attaching a weight to one respective shaft segment, wherein said user orientation of the toy causes the weight to rotate the respective latching rotor portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The puzzle method of claim 4, wherein user pushing in of a push button out of the predetermined order causes the latching rotor to rotate about an axis, thereby resetting any latched buttons. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The puzzle method of claim 5, further comprising attaching a weight to a second respective shaft segment, wherein said user orientation of the toy causes the weight to rotate the respective latching rotor portion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The puzzle method of claim 7, further comprising moving the shaft along its axis to implement said reset mechanism, said movement causing the latching rotor to move off center thereby decoupling the magnetic connection between each pushed-in push button and the latching rotor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The puzzle method of claim 8, wherein said movement along the shaft axis is initiated by pressing a reset button aligned along the axis of the shaft, said movement being operable to unlatch any latched push buttons without changing said predetermined order. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The puzzle method of claim 7, wherein the outer surface of the toy is a sphere and each of six push buttons is symmetrically spaced on the surface of the sphere, there being in addition a reset button located on the surface of the sphere. ### Claim 11 In a puzzle apparatus comprising a plurality of push buttons arrayed on the outer surface of a toy, a latching mechanism within said toy that latches each of said plurality of push buttons in a pushed-in position provided each of a selected subset of said plurality of push buttons is pushed by a user in a predetermined order, a reset mechanism for unlatching any latched push buttons when one of said selected subset of push buttons is pushed-in out of said predetermined order, and a chance mechanism that changes the predetermined order upon the occurrence of an event unknown to the user, said event relating to user operation of said toy, an improvement comprising: a rotor at a spatial center of the toy for said latching mechanism, said rotor thereby being a latching rotor; and a shaft around which the latching rotor rotates, the shaft being partitioned in two segments along a common axis, with the latching rotor being separated into two portions along a plane running perpendicular to the shaft axis, each latching rotor portion rotating independently of the other with a respective shaft segment. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The puzzle apparatus of claim 11, wherein said separating plane runs through a center of the latching rotor so that the two rotor portions are mirror images of one another. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The puzzle apparatus of claim 11, wherein the event unknown to the user is user orientation of the toy in a particular direction, and wherein the outer surface of said toy is shaped symmetrically with respect to a spatial center of said toy. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The puzzle apparatus of claim 13, wherein the latching rotor has magnets of one polarity in the direction of each push button, there being a magnet of the opposite polarity on the inner side of each said button. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The puzzle apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a weight attached to one respective shaft segment, wherein said user orientation of the toy causes the weight to rotate the respective latching rotor portion. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The puzzle apparatus of claim 14, wherein user pushing in of a push button out of the predetermined order causes the latching rotor to rotate about an axis, thereby resetting any latched buttons. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The puzzle apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a weight attached to a second respective shaft segment, wherein said user orientation of the toy causes the weight to rotate the respective latching rotor portion. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The puzzle apparatus of claim 17, wherein the shaft is moved along its axis to implement said reset mechanism, said movement causing the latching rotor to move off center thereby decoupling the magnetic connection between each pushed-in push button and the latching rotor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The puzzle apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a reset button aligned along the shaft axis for initiating said reset mechanism. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The puzzle apparatus of claim 17, wherein the outer surface of the toy is a sphere and each of six push buttons is symmetrically spaced on the surface of the sphere, there being in addition a reset button located on the surface of the sphere.