3D Maze

Abstract

To provide a transparent three-dimensional maze that can be made without using a mold. [Solution] The three-dimensional maze is made up of squares including U-shaped and L-shaped sections that are created by cutting and bending a transparent plate with vertical and horizontal lines or shallow grooves that form the sides of the grid squares, and includes a box 7 with three sides.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a transparent three-dimensional maze in which the passageways are invisible. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 2 describes a homemade transparent 3D maze using 27 U-shaped pieces. The 3D maze is created by combining straight passages, T-shaped passages, and right-angled passages that can be made with the U-shaped pieces. Patent Document 3 also provides pieces with three-way branches on the x, y, and z axes, pieces with four-way branches, pieces with five-way branches, and pieces with six-way branches at the branching points of the 3D maze. [Prior art documents] [Patent Document 1] Jikkai Showa 62-61279 [Patent Document 2] Patent application 2019-518129 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2020-179118 [Patent Document 4] Jipkaihei 01-135988 [Patent Document 5] Patent Publication No. 2006-000619 Summary of the study Problems that the device aims to solve

[0003] The 3x3x3 "self-made 3D maze" in Patent Document 2 can be made with 27 U-shaped pieces to create over 100 different mazes, but requires a mold to create uniform pieces. Patent Document 3 also uses molds to create various pieces. It would be great if a 3D maze could be made inexpensively without using molds. The present invention aims to solve the above problems.

[0004] This transparent three-dimensional maze uses a series of squares cut out of a transparent board to form a passageway, including a U-shaped section made by bending three squares lined up in a straight line, and an L-shaped section made by bending two squares, and also utilizes the surfaces of the three boxes it contains. This is the three-dimensional maze with the above features.

[0005] Since no molds are used, a variety of mazes can be created inexpensively. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a grid diagram of an example of a maze using a three-way T-shaped branch of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the development diagram for creating the maze of FIG. 1 of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of Figure 2 of the present invention, cut out and folded to create a passage. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the present invention stored in a three-sided box. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of a grid diagram showing an example of a maze of this invention that has a T-shaped branch in three directions, a branch in three directions on the x, y, and z axes, a branch in four directions, and a branch in five directions. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a front view of the development diagram for creating the maze of FIG. 5 of the present invention. [Figure 7] The lower, middle and upper sections of Figure 6 of this invention are perspective views of the U-shaped sections of the start and finish. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the present invention stored in a three-sided box. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. (i) A U-shaped section created by bending three squares arranged in a straight line at a right angle. (b) An L-shaped section created by bending two adjacent squares at a right angle. (c) A three-dimensional maze using a square including U-shaped and L-shaped sections and three sides of a box to store them. The present invention consists of the above. In this invention, the path of the 3x3x3 maze is first drawn on a grid diagram 1, and the maze's paths 4 are determined. Vertical and horizontal lines or shallow grooves 3a are carved into a transparent board 3 to form the edges of the squares of the grid. Continuous square surfaces for creating the maze's paths 4 are then drawn and cut out from the transparent board 3. The paths 4 are constructed from continuous square surfaces, including U-shaped and L-shaped sections, and the three outer box surfaces. The maze is constructed by dividing the 27 spatial sections that form the maze with square boards. The U-shaped sections can be drawn as straight sections, three-way T-shaped sections, or right-angled sections, similar to the U-shaped pieces in Figure 4 of Patent Document 2. When creating the paths, the 27 sections can be divided into upper, middle, and lower sections. There are various ways to create paths, depending on how the square surfaces, including the U-shaped and L-shaped sections, are arranged. The start and goal 2 of the path are made of different colored pieces. Alternatively, different colored stickers can be attached for simplicity. The balls 6 are placed in the passages 4, and the created passages 4 are housed in boxes 7 on three sides of the outer box and fastened with rubber bands or the like. They may also be fastened by welding. When using this device, the player holds the entire path with both hands and rotates it, moving the ball 6 back and forth between the start and goal 2. Because the maze is made of transparent material, it becomes difficult to distinguish between up, down, left, and right as the ball 6 moves forward, which helps train spatial awareness, allowing the player to recognize the path.

[0008] When the maze is divided into lower, middle, and upper sections, if there are few flat surfaces in the contacting areas, or if the elasticity of the transparent plate 3 causes deformation at the 90-degree bent portion, the path may not be able to be maintained. To stabilize the path through the maze, square surfaces for stabilization or adhesive surfaces may be provided.

[0009] Box 7, which has three sides of the outer box, has a square with a length three times that of one side of a cube that forms one of the 27 3x3x3 sections, and has squares of the same size on adjacent sides to form three sides, with the faces bent 90 degrees in the same direction on adjacent sides.

[0010] If the maze made with U-shaped pieces in Patent Document 2 were made with the U-shaped sections described in this invention, the walls of the U-shaped sections would be too thin to fit into each other, making it impossible to maintain the passageway 4. The passageway could be maintained by gluing the faces of adjacent squares together in about 10 places, but this would be time-consuming. When making a maze, all that is needed is a single partition wall between passageways, and the partition wall can be made from a series of squares. Bending consecutive squares in one place creates an L-shaped section, while bending a series of squares in two places creates a U-shaped section. [Example] [Example]

[0011] One embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. A transparent plate 3 is provided with vertical and horizontal lines or shallow grooves 3a in a grid pattern. In Figure 2, the squares of the cutout portion 3c are shown gray, with gaps between the squares. The cutout portion 3c is cut out and folded into squares, including L-shaped and U-shaped sections, to create a passageway 4. In this embodiment, the U-shaped section is divided into a lower passageway 4a, a middle passageway 4b, and an upper passageway 4c, with partial supplementary passage walls between the middle and lower sections. There are many ways to create the passageway 4 from the transparent plate 3; the easiest method is to use one that ensures the passageway 4 is stable and uses as little material as possible. In this embodiment, the maze is divided into three sections: the lower, middle, and upper sections. However, this division is not necessary if it is easy to create. [Example]

[0012] In this example, the maze was created using four locations and four types: a three-way branch 5a in the T-shape of the U-shaped section, a three-way branch 5b in the x, y, and z axes, a four-way branch 5c, and a five-way branch 5d. It is divided into two sections: a lower passage 4d and an upper middle section 4e where the middle and lower sections are joined. Branching sections can be created using squares, including U-shaped and L-shaped sections, to freely configure the maze. The upper middle section of Figure 7 shows only the maze walls. Therefore, squares for stability may be added. [Explanation of symbols]

[0013] 1 Grid diagram 2 Start or finish 2a The square that connects the start and finish lines 3 Transparent plate 3a Vertical and horizontal lines or shallow grooves that form the sides of a square on a transparent plate 3c Cut out the square part 4 aisles 4a Upper aisle of Example 1 4b Middle aisle of Example 1 4c Lower aisle of Example 1 4d Lower aisle of Example 2 4e Upper middle aisle of Example 2 5 Branch 5a Three-way T-junction 5b Three-way branching of xyz axes 5c Four-way branch 5d Five-way branch 6 balls 7 Three-sided box

Claims

[Claim 1] A three-dimensional maze made up of squares, including a U-shaped part made by bending three squares arranged in a straight line, and an L-shaped part made by bending two squares.

Images