Push button puzzle with internal locking mechanism
OwnerMark J. Holmesinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A puzzle toy that includes a plurality of push buttons that normally project from the surface of a cubic or spherical body. As the buttons are pushed in one at a time a latching mechanism residing within the body holds the buttons in a pushed-inwardly state, given a correct sequence of a subset of the buttons was pushed, deduced by logic and memory and including a chance mechanism. However if an incorrect sequence of the selected subset of button pushing is employed the user is unable to continue until all the buttons so far pushed are reset, either manually or automatically, forcing the player to start all over. The puzzle is solved when all buttons are pushed in flush with the body of the toy.
Claims20
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, said selected subset corresponding to a degree of difficulty selected by the user;
- 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 unlatches any latched push buttons upon the occurrence of an event unknown to the user, said event relating to user orientation of said toy.
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 said plurality of push buttons is pushed-in out of said predetermined order, said selected subset corresponding to a degree of difficulty selected by the user;
- and
- a chance mechanism that unlatches any latched push buttons upon the occurrence of an event unknown to the user, said event relating to user orientation of said toy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.