Three-dimensional puzzle with seven axes of rotation

Abstract

The present invention discloses a spherical puzzle whose visible segments are delimited by seven planar sections through the center of said sphere and may be permuted by rotations of hemispherical groups of visible segments with respect to any planar section of the puzzle about an axis perpendicular to said section through the center of said sphere. Three planar sections are parallel to the faces of a cube inscribed in said sphere, and the remaining planar sections are perpendicular to the diagonals of said cube. The visible segments comprise eight arcuate equilateral triangles and twenty-four arcuate right triangular triangles. As a novelty, this invention integrates an interlocking mechanism of the arcuate right triangular outer segments to a spherical center support with four axes of rotation, with a slidable spring activated interlocking mechanism of the arcuate equilateral triangular outer segments to their side neighbors.

Description

[0001]I hereby claim the benefit of the filing date of a copending Provisional Utility Patent Application, with Application Number 61765053, entitled “Three-dimensional Puzzle with Seven Axes of Rotation”, filed on Feb. 15, 2013.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention relates to three-dimensional logical puzzles which include a plurality of segments interlocked in a spherical shape, the segments being capable of adopting a plurality of positions relative to one another by a sequence of rotations of hemispherical groups of segments.DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART[0003]The art of three-dimensional logical puzzles that comprise a plurality of interconnected segments to be unscrambled by rotating some of the segments relative to each other sequentially along planes in space, gained popularity with the advent of Rubik's 3-D twisty puzzles in the early 1980s, including the Cube, Snake, and Pyramid. Since then, several similar puzzles have been invented giving birth to a brand new t...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]It is an object of the present invention to provide a puzzle in the shape of a sphere with seven axes of rotation and with increased entertainment value. The puzzle has thirty-two visible segments delimited by seven planar sections through the center of said sphere, which may be permuted by rotations along any said planar section. Three sections are parallel to the faces of a cube inscribed in said sphere, therefore the axes of rotation perpendicular to them will be called cubical axes. The remaining four sections are perpendicular to the diagonals of said cube, therefore the axes of rotation perpendicular to them will pass through the vertices of a regular tetrahedron inscribed in said sphere and will be called tetrahedral axes. There are eight visible segments with arcuate equilateral triangular faces and twenty-four visible segments with arcuate right isosceles triangular faces, forming fourteen different hemispherical groups rotatable relative to each other about said axes. The cubical axes are intended for hemispherical rotations of the segments of the puzzle by integer multiples of 90°, and the tetrahedral axes are intended for hemispherical rotations by integer multiples of 120°.

Problems solved by technology

Unfortunately, this invention is neither intended nor adaptable for puzzles with rotations of hemispherical groups of segments.

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