# US 5,407,201 A · Educational puzzle and method of construction

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- Number: US 5,407,201 A
- Document ID: US5407201A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/036,546
- Filed: 1993-03-23
- Granted: 1995-04-18
- Earliest claimed: 1993-03-23
- Inventors: Timothy D. Whitehurst
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5407201A

## CPC

- A63F 9/12: Three-dimensional [3D] jig-saw puzzles
- A63F 9/20: Dominoes or like games; Mah-Jongg games
- A63F 2009/1236: {with a final configuration thereof, i.e. the solution, being packed in a box or container}
- A63F 2009/124: {with a final configuration being a sphere}
- A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A puzzle is disclosed which consists of a three-dimensional geometric structure made up of a plurality of smaller three-dimensional structures, or pieces, that feature a plurality of indicia overlapping their edges. When correctly assembled, completed indicia appear on all surfaces, both exposed and non-exposed, as the portion of the indicium on each piece's surface matches the complementary portion of that indicium at the adjoining piece surface at the intersecting edge of the adjacent pieces. Construction consists of selecting a desired puzzle shape, selecting a set of smaller sub-division pieces which when assembled form the desired final shape, identifying the edges of the pieces which are adjacent to one another in the completed puzzle, selecting a desired set of indicia and overlapping the indicia over the edges such that completed indicia are observed on all adjoining faces.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A three-dimensional, geometric puzzle game apparatus comprising:
four regular four-sided puzzle pieces, each having six edges, each four-sided piece having at least six indicia thereon, wherein each edge of each said four-sided puzzle piece includes at least one of said indicia which overlaps each said edge; and,
six regular five-sided puzzle pieces, each having eight edges, each five-sided piece having at least eight indicia thereon, wherein each edge of each said five-sided puzzle piece includes at least one of said indicia which overlaps each said edge; and,
a base which includes at least eight indicia thereon onto which the puzzle pieces are assembled,
wherein said indicia are arranged in such a way that when all ten puzzle pieces are properly assembled on the base, abutting edges of adjacent puzzle pieces and edges on the base include matching indicia that complete a design, and, wherein, when any puzzle piece is removed, the indicia on the edges of the remaining puzzle pieces complete a design on the interior of said assembled puzzle.

### Claim 2

A three-dimensional, geometric puzzle game apparatus comprising:
a plurality of N regular four-sided puzzle pieces, each having at least X indicia thereon, wherein each edge of each said four-sided puzzle piece includes at least one of said indicia which overlaps each said edge; and,
a plurality of M regular five-sided puzzle pieces, each including at least Y indicia thereon, wherein each edge of each said five-sided puzzle piece includes at least one of said indicia which overlaps each said edge; and,
a base which includes at least Z indicia thereon onto which the puzzle pieces are assembled,
wherein said indicia are arranged in such a way that when all puzzle pieces are properly assembled on the base, abutting edges of adjacent puzzle pieces and edges on the base include matching indicia that complete a design, and, wherein, when any puzzle piece is removed, the indicia on the edges of the remaining puzzle pieces complete a design on the interior of said assembled puzzle.

### Claim 3

A three-dimensional, geometric puzzle game apparatus comprising:
a plurality of N regular four-sided puzzle pieces, each having at least X indicia thereon, wherein each edge of each said four-sided puzzle piece includes at least one of said indicia which overlaps each said edge; and,
a plurality of M regular five-sided puzzle pieces, each including at least Y indicia thereon, wherein each edge of each said five-sided puzzle piece includes at least one of said indicia which overlaps each said edge; and,
a base which includes at least Z indicia thereon onto which the puzzle pieces are assembled,
wherein said indicia are arranged in such a way that when all puzzle pieces are properly assembled, abutting edges of adjacent puzzle pieces include matching indicia that complete a design, and, wherein, when any puzzle piece is removed, the indicia on the edges of the remaining puzzle pieces complete a design on the interior of said assembled puzzle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein X equals at least 2 and Y equals at least 2.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein N equals at least 4 and M equals at least 2.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein N equals at least 4 and M equals at least 6.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising:
a base which includes at least 2 indicia thereon, onto which the puzzle pieces are assembled, wherein said indicia are arranged in such a way that when all puzzle pieces are properly assembled on the base, abutting edges of adjacent puzzle pieces and edges on the base include matching indicia that complete a design, and, wherein, when any puzzle piece is removed, the indicia on the edges of the remaining puzzle pieces complete a design on the interior of said assembled puzzle.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising:
a base onto which the puzzle pieces are assembled, wherein said indicia are arranged in such a way that when all puzzle pieces are properly assembled on the base, abutting edges of adjacent puzzle pieces include matching indicia that complete a design, and, wherein, when any puzzle piece is removed, the indicia on the edges of the remaining puzzle pieces complete a design on the interior of said assembled puzzle.

### Claim 9

A three-dimensional, geometric puzzle game apparatus comprising:
four regular four-sided puzzle pieces, each having six edges, each four-sided piece having at least six indicia thereon, wherein each edge includes at least one of said indicia which overlaps each said edge; and,
six regular five-sided puzzle pieces, each having eight edges, each five-sided piece having at least eight indicia thereon, wherein each edge includes at least one of said indicia which overlaps each said edge,
wherein said indicia are arranged in such a way that when all puzzle pieces are properly assembled, abutting edges of adjacent puzzle pieces include matching indicia that complete a design, and, wherein, when any puzzle piece is removed, the indicia on the edges of the remaining puzzle pieces complete a design on the interior of said assembled puzzle.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:
a base onto which the puzzle pieces are assembled, wherein said indicia are arranged in such a way that when all puzzle pieces are properly assembled on the base, abutting edges of adjacent puzzle pieces include matching indicia that complete a design, and, wherein, when any puzzle piece is removed, the indicia on the edges of the remaining puzzle pieces complete a design on the interior of said assembled puzzle.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10 in which the base includes at least 2 indicia thereon, onto which the puzzle pieces are assembled,
wherein said indicia are arranged in such a way that when all puzzle pieces are properly assembled on the base, abutting edges of adjacent puzzle pieces and edges on the base include matching indicia that complete a design, and, wherein, when any puzzle piece is removed, the indicia on the edges of the remaining puzzle pieces complete a design on the interior of said assembled puzzle.