US 7,980,560 B2 · Three-dimensional tube puzzle

Abstract

A three-dimensional tube puzzle is disclosed as a new modification of Rubik's Cube™. It consists of plurality of straight and curved cylindrical elements. The dimensions of each element are so that it fits into cubical cell. Assembled puzzle forms a continuous pipeline that fits into cubical space, wiggling from starting element to ending element. Elements are interconnected so that groups of nine elements, belonging to one of six side surfaces of the puzzle, can be rotated about spatial axes. Each element or layer of the puzzle can be made of the same one color or different colors or gray scale levels to define puzzle difficulty. The subject puzzle requires specific imagination skills to assemble a continuous pipeline based on elements' shapes and orientation. Cylindrical elements can be made hollow with opened ends so that the assembled puzzle forms a continuous tube path for an article of an appropriate size to pass through the puzzle.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A spatial manipulable puzzle toy, comprising:

a plurality of toy elements of exposed straight and curved cylindrical shapes, wherein each said toy element having equal maximal size in each of three dimensions, and said toy elements interconnected to form a rotatable three-dimensional structure with six sides, and said toy elements forming groups of toy elements at each of said six sides of said three-dimensional structure, and each said group of toy elements rotatable about a spatial axis going through each group central element and interior central point of said puzzle;
and
means for said toy elements interconnection to each other and to internal central connecting mechanism to form a rotatable continuous curved cylindrical structure in an undisturbed state of said puzzle with starting and ending said toy elements, and a gap in said continuous curved cylindrical structure is filled with one toy element of exposed spherical shape.

A spatial manipulable puzzle toy, comprising:

25 toy elements of exposed straight and curved cylindrical shapes and 1 toy element of exposed spherical shape, wherein each said toy element having equal maximal size in each of three dimensions, and said toy elements interconnected to form a rotatable 3×3×3 three-dimensional structure with six sides, and said toy elements forming groups of 9 toy elements at each of said six sides of said three-dimensional structure, and each said group of toy elements rotatable about a spatial axis going through each group central element and interior central point of said puzzle;
and
said toy elements are interconnected to each other and to internal central connecting mechanism to form a rotatable continuous curved cylindrical structure in an undisturbed state of said puzzle with starting and ending said toy elements, wherein interconnection is made by means of arm-and-cam connectors, wherein cam connectors having extension arms of specific shapes for different said toy elements attached to the unexposed parts of said toy elements that have flat side surfaces that are pyramidally cut-off.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Three-dimensional tube puzzle

Life of this patent

Three-dimensional tube puzzle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14