# US 2026/0183646 A1 · Marble

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- Number: US 2026/0183646 A1
- Document ID: US20260183646A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 19/003,185
- Filed: 2024-12-27
- Published: 2026-07-02
- Earliest claimed: 2024-12-27
- Assignees: Placo Corporation Limited
- Inventors: Kimberly Bosarge Plagge
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260183646A1

## CPC

- A63F 7/40: Balls or other moving playing bodies, e.g. pinballs, discs
- A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A design for an improved marble is disclosed. The marble is pierced by tunnels that communicate at the center of the marble to reduce the chance that a child might suffocate after swallowing it. The innovations of additive manufacturing enable this design to be advantageously produced without requiring excessive handwork while still being robust against rough play.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A marble comprising a sphere pierced with at least 2 tunnels wherein each tunnel pierces the center of the sphere.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The marble of claim 1 wherein each said tunnel has a diameter of at least 25% of the diameter of the sphere.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The marble of claim 1 wherein the cross-section of tunnels is circular.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The marble of claim 1 wherein the cross-sections of the tunnels are not all circular.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The marble of claim 1 wherein the tunnels are of constant diameter.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The marble of claim 1 wherein the diameters of the tunnels are not all constant.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The marble of claim 1 further comprising: a chamber centered on the center of the sphere.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The marble of claim 7 wherein the diameter of the central chamber is at least 30% of the diameter of the sphere.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The marble of claim 7 wherein the central chamber is substantially spherical.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The marble of claim 1 wherein the sphere is pierced with 4 tunnels all through the center of the sphere; the first 2 tunnels are positioned to be mutually perpendicular in one plane; the remaining 2 tunnels are positioned to be mutually perpendicular in another plane; and the two tunnel planes are positioned to be mutually perpendicular.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The marble of claim 1 wherein additive manufacturing is used to manufacture the marble.

### Claim 12

A marble comprising a sphere pierced by 4 tunnels, wherein the first 2 tunnels are positioned to meet at the center of the sphere with a 90° angle between the said tunnels; the second pair of tunnels are positioned to meet at the center of the sphere with a 90° angle between the second pair of tunnels; and the two pairs of tunnels are further positioned to be at 90° with respect to each other.

### Claim 13

A marble comprising a sphere with an open central chamber having a diameter of at least 30% of the diameter of the sphere, and further comprising at least 4 tunnels from the surface of the sphere to the central chamber such that air can pass from any tunnel entrance to any other tunnel entrance through the central chamber.