# US 5,785,319 A · Re-arrangable three-dimensional picture display incorporating a picture puzzle

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- Number: US 5,785,319 A
- Document ID: US5785319A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/824,326
- Filed: 1997-03-26
- Granted: 1998-07-28
- Earliest claimed: 1997-03-26
- Inventors: Robert Frauhiger
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5785319A

## CPC

- A63F 9/1204: {Puzzles consisting of non-interlocking identical blocks, e.g. children's block puzzles}
- A63F 2009/0035: {on a pedestal or stand}
- A63F 2009/0884: {with means for immobilising or stabilising a configuration, e.g. the solution}
- A63F 2009/1236: {with a final configuration thereof, i.e. the solution, being packed in a box or container}
- A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A displaying device for displaying pictures of baseball players, or the like, includes a three-dimensional (3D) structure including identically sized cube elements, provided with a respective picture fragment of each of the face surfaces. Being solved, the 3D structure exposes meaningful pictures on each of its six external flats. The displaying device is re-arrangeable for exposing a larger number of the pictures by separating the 3D structure into blocks--layers, each of which exposes meaningful pictures of its both opposite planes.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A three-dimensional displaying device comprising a three-dimensional structure having three pairs of mutually perpendicular external flats and exposing a first predetermined number of respective meaningful and independent pictures thereon,
wherein said three-dimensional structure further has a second predetermined number of internal surfaces thereof each extending substantially in parallel to a respective one of said pairs of external flats, and
wherein said three-dimensional structure is rearrangeable to uncover a desired one of said internal surfaces thereof, each exposing respectively a meaningful and independent picture thereon, and wherein a predetermined arrangement of said structure defines a total number of said meaningful and independent pictures on said external flats and said internal surfaces, said total number corresponding to the sum of said first and second predetermined numbers of said external flats and internal surfaces, respectively.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The picture displaying device of claim 1, further comprising cube elements substantially identically sized and being provided with a respective picture fragment on each surface thereof, said cube elements being arranged in said three-dimensional structure,
wherein each of said external flats of the three-dimensional structure includes respective surfaces of a group of said cube elements, and thereby exposes a meaningful and independent picture compiled of the picture fragments on said respective surfaces, and
whereby said three-dimensional structure is rearrangeable by separation thereof into three sets of single blocks with the planes of each set of blocks being parallel to a respective one of said mutually perpendicular pairs of external flats, thereby uncovering said internal surfaces of the three-dimensional structure, each of said blocks having said cube elements arranged in an array thereof and being of a single cube element's width, wherein each of said blocks has a pair of opposite planes coinciding with respective ones of said internal surfaces and exposing a meaningful and independent picture comprising respective said picture fragments on each of said opposite planes.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The picture displaying device of claim 2, wherein said three-dimensional structure comprises a stacking picture puzzle, having N 3 said cube elements, with N>1, wherein each of said external flats and internal surfaces exposes N 2 cube elements, wherein said three-dimensional structure is separable into 3N blocks, with the planes of N blocks parallel to either one of said external flats, and wherein the total number of meaningful pictures exposable is 6N.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The three-dimensional structure of claim 3, wherein N equals four (4), and wherein the total number of meaningful pictures exposable is 24.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The three-dimensional structure of claim 1, wherein said pictures have sports thematic.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The displaying device of claim 3, wherein said three-dimensional structure is a master structure.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The displaying device of claim 1, further comprising a pedestal for supporting said three-dimensional structure and a transparent casing removably attachable to the pedestal and securing the three-dimensional structure therebetween.

### Claim 8

A method of displaying independent pictures, comprising the steps of:
providing N 3 cube elements substantially identically sized and provided with a respective picture fragment on each surface thereof, with N>1,
arranging said cube elements in a parallelepiped master structure having three pairs of opposite external flats thereof, so that each of said external flats includes respective surfaces of a group of said cube elements, thereby exposing a first predetermined number of meaningful and independent pictures compiled of the picture fragments on said respective surfaces, said master structure having a second predetermined number of internal surfaces arranged, respectively, in parallel with said pairs of external flats,
displaying said meaningful and independent pictures on said external flats, and
separating said parallelepiped master structure into single blocks, thereby uncovering at least one said internal surfaces of the master structure, each of said blocks comprising said cube elements arranged in an array thereof and being of a single cube element's width, wherein each of said blocks has a pair of opposite planes, at least one of which coinciding with a respective one of said internal surfaces of the master structure, and exposing a meaningful and independent picture on each of said opposite planes, and
displaying respective meaningful and independent pictures formed on said opposite planes of at least one of said blocks, and wherein a predetermined arrangement of said structure defines a total number of said meaningful and independent puzzle pictures on said external flats and said internal surfaces, said total number corresponding to the sum of said first and second predetermined numbers.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further including the steps of:
prior to arranging said cube elements into said three-dimensional master structure, selecting, in sequence, first, second, . . . N-1, and N th respective groups, each having N 2 of said cube elements, and arranging said N 2 cube elements of each of said first, second, . . . N-1, and N th groups, respectively, in first, second, . . . N-1, and N th blocks, each having a respective pair of opposite square planes, each of said first, second, . . . N-1, and N th blocks being of a single cube element's width; and
separably adjoining said first, second, . . . N-1, and N th blocks with said square planes of adjacent of said first, second, . . . N-1 and N th blocks facing each other, thereby forming the three-dimensional master structure.