Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02252202 1998-11-09
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
Block puzzles assembly.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an entertainment device for
s children and more particularly to a block puzzles assembly.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Patents for block puzzles producing images when properly
assembled have been granted. U.S. patent No. 2,041,030 discloses a puzzle
comprised of a plurality of different types of blocks that are constructed to
fill the
~o space of a container and to produce a puzzle image when assembled. This
prior
art device provides for blocks to be properly assembled on a horizontal plane
in
order to produce a given single image, such blocks are not attached and can
easily fall out of their container if the container is shaken or moved.
Furthermore,
the prior art block puzzles do not provide for second images to be produced
when
~s turning the assembled blocks.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a plurality of
generally same shaped puzzle blocks that obviate the above mentioned
disadvantages.
2o Another object of the present invention to provide puzzle blocks that
can be easily and releasably stacked on top of each other and relatively
tightly
held together via attachment means.
A further object of the present invention to provide puzzle blocks
that when properly arranged in a stack assembly produce a first image along a
2s vertical plane.
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CA 02252202 1998-11-09
Still another object of the present invention to provide a stack
assembly that when properly arranged produces a second image when the
stacks of puzzle blocks of the stack assembly are turned 180° around
their
vertical axis.
s Still a further object of the present invention to provide a block
puzzles assembly that is easy to use and accessible to children of a very
young
age.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention consists of a block puzzles assembly that
to comprises four stacks of a plurality of blocks, each block with four side
faces,
each side face parallel to another side face, a top and a bottom face and
matching male and female attachment means, protruding from top face and
enclosed within bottom face respectively, for attaching blocks in a stack on a
support surface, with each side face caplanar and forming a set of side faces,
is and with a bottom face of a superposed block contiguous with the top face
of an
underlying block in any of a plurality of assembled positions of blocks. Each
stack having four sets of side faces and arranged side by side with one
exposed
pair and one concealed pair of sets of side faces, each set of an exposed pair
of
a stack being coplanar with one set of an exposed pair of a different stack so
as
2o to form an assembly of stacks. Each side face bearing a complementary
portion
of an image. The image being properly completed in only a first assembled
position of blocks and in a first and second arrangement of assembly of
stacks.
Preferably, all blocks have a similar thickness between their
respective parallel side faces and a similar height between their respective
2s bottom and top face.
CA 02252202 1998-11-09
Preferably the block puzzles further comprises top and bottom plate
blocks, having a width which is a multiple of the width of the blocks. The
width of
any given block being between its parallel side faces. The top and bottom
plate
blocks bridging assembly of stacks with the male attachment means of bottom
s plate block inserted into the female attachment means of the next superposed
blocks of the assembly of stacks and with the female attachment means of the
top plate block receiving the male attachment means of the next underlying
blocks of the assembly of stacks.
Preferably, the male attachment means are circular tenons.
to Preferably, with the block puzzles a first image is produced by the
first arrangement of assembly of stacks and a second image is produced by the
second arrangement of assembly of stacks.
Preferably, the second arrangement of assembly of stacks is
provided by each stack of an assembly is positioned such that the concealed
pair
~s of sets of side faces are revealed and the exposed pair of sets of side
faces are
concealed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the annexed drawings, like reference characters indicate like
elements throughout.
2o Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the
present invention having been properly arranged and producing a first puzzle
image;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment in a
disassembled position;
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CA 02252202 1998-11-09
Figure 3 is a perspective back view of same block puzzles
assembly of the preferred embodiment; and
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment similar
to Fig.1 producing a second puzzle image.
s DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference to the associated drawings the preferred
embodiment of the present invention will be herein described for indicative
purpose and by no means as of limitation.
Fig. 1 shows puzzle blocks 10 properly assembled in vertical
to columns or stacks 12 , shown more clearly in Fig. 2, which in turn are
properly
arranged in a generally rectangular shaped stack assembly 14. The foregoing
assembly of blocks 10 and arrangement of stacks 12 provide for a given puzzle
an image A to be produced along a vertical plane on each side 18 (only two
sides
shown here) of stack assembly 14. An image preferably refers to a drawing, a
~s picture, colors, numbers, letters or any combination thereof. As shown,
stacks 12
of a stack assembly 14 are preferably bridged together by top or bottom plate
blocks 20, the latter illustrated here in dotted lines, providing the present
invention with a sufficient degree of stability by keeping stacks 12 in
position.
Blocks 10 and 20 are preferably made aut of a plastic material, preferably of
the
2o same color.
Fig. 2 shows stack assembly 14 in a disassembled position. Each
puzzle block 10 has a generally rectangular shape with four side faces 22, a
closed top face 24 and an open bottom face 26 (see Fig. 3). Each side face 22
of
a block 10 is parallel to another side face 22 of the same block 10. All of
blocks
2s 10 have a similar thickness between their respective parallel side faces 22
and a
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CA 02252202 1998-11-09
similar height between their bottom face 26 and top face 24. Plate blocks 20
have four side faces 28, a top face 30 and a bottom face 32 (shown in Fig.3).
Furthermore, plate blocks 20 have a width and length which is a multiple of
the
width and length of blocks 10, preferably of two, the width and length of any
given
s block 10 and 20 being between its respective parallel side faces 22 and 28
respectively , so as to cover the top faces 24 of the next underlying four
blocks 10
or to cover the bottom faces 16 of the next superposed four blocks 10 of a
stack
assembly 14 as shown in Fig. 1.
Protruding from the top faces 24 and 30 of blocks 10 and 20 are
to male attachment means, preferably circular tenons 34. Each block 10 has
four
circular tenons 34 protruding from its top closed face 24, while each plate
block
20 has sixteen circular tenons 34 protruding from its top face 30.
Fig. 3 reveals the complementary female attachment means 36
enclosed within bottom face 26 of puzzle blocks 10. Female attachment means
is 26 are defined by a set of short, vertical ridges 38 inwardly projecting
along and
from side faces 22 and by one circular tenon 40 downwardly protruding from top
face 24 extending down to near the open extremity of bottom face 26 of block
10.
The female attachment means 42 of each plate block 20 is provided by nine
circular tenons 44 downwardly protruding from top face 30 extending down to
2o near the extremity of open bottom face 32 and by a set of short vertical
ridges 45
inwardly projecting along and from side faces 28.
When two of any blocks 10, 20 are assembled together via the
attachment means, the vertical ridges 45, 38 and circular tenons 44, 40 of
female
attachment means 42 and 36 of a top plate block 20 and of any upper block 10
2s respectively, releasably receive, in a tenon mortise type mutual
interference fit,
CA 02252202 1998-11-09
the circular tenons 34 of the male attachment means of a bottom plate block 20
or any given lower block 10 which engage therein.
Each block 10 has a complementary portion A2 of a first image A
(see Fig.1 ) on two non-parallel side faces 22 and a complementary portion B2
of
s a second image B (see Fig.2) on the twa other non-parallel side faces 22.
When
blocks 10 are properly assembled in a stack 12 their side faces 22 bearing
complementary portions of the same image are coplanar and form a set 46 of
side faces. Each stack 12 has four sets 46 of coplanar side faces 22. A puzzle
image A is properly completed when each of the four stacks 12 is arranged side
~o by side with an exposed pair of sets 46 and a concealed pair of sets 46.
Each
set 46 of an exposed pair of a given stack 12 (hereinafter referred to as a
"first
set" for convenience purpose only) is coplanar to only one complementary set
46
of another stack 12 (hereinafter referred to as a "second set" for convenience
purpose only) so as to form a generally rectangular shaped stack assembly 14
is with four sides 18 as shown in Fig. 1. Each complementary "first" and
"second"
sets 46 have coplanar side faces bearing complementary portions of the same
puzzle image hence, completing image A on each side 18 of the rectangular
shaped stack assembly 14.
When an image A has been completed with the stack assembly 14
2o being arranged in the foregoing manner a second puzzle image B may be
produced, as shown in Fig. 4, on each side 18 of the stack assembly 14 (only
two
sides shown here) by simply turning each stack 12 180° around its
vertical axis,
as shown in Fig. 2, so as to reveal the concealed pair of sets 46 and to
conceal
the exposed pair of sets 46. Each newly revealed "first" set 46 will be
coplanar to
2s only one newly revealed complementary "second" set 46 of another stack 12.
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The newly revealed complementary first and second sets 46 have coplanar side
faces 22 bearing complementary portions of the same image hence, completing
image B on each side 18 of the rectangular shaped stack assembly 14.
Hence, when properly stacking blocks 10 the image portions A2
s and B2 of a given stack 12 are simultaneously properly sequenced.
The present invention is not limited to the features of the
embodiment described and illustrated herein, but includes all variations and
modifications within the scope of the claims.
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