A regular octahedron-shaped puzzle made up of spheres

Abstract

In the past, puzzles were made by combining pieces that were shaped like joined spheres to complete a solid object. Conventionally, however, such puzzles have been known to be completed by stacking them in a mountain shape, but because the bottom apex of such a solid object is sharp, there was a problem in terms of entertainment in that there was little freedom in how the pieces were arranged around the apex. In addition, because the puzzles included pieces with complex three-dimensional structures, there were problems in terms of manufacturing the pieces and in terms of structural strength. [Solution] We improved the ease of production and structural strength of the pieces by using only pieces that can be made by arranging four spheres two-dimensionally in a close-packed structure. In addition, by making the solid body that is completed by combining the pieces into a regular octahedron, the degree of freedom in arranging the pieces around the vertices of the solid body has increased.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This invention relates to a puzzle in which pieces shaped like multiple joined spheres are combined to complete a regular octahedron. [Background technology]

[0002] So far, puzzles have been published in which pieces made up of multiple joined spheres are combined to complete a regular tetrahedral solid with several spheres on each side (Patent Document 1). Puzzles have also been published in which pieces made up of multiple joined spheres are combined to complete a regular square pyramid or other solid (Non-Patent Document 1). These solids have a structure called close sphere packing, and the cross-sections of spheres arranged in a triangular or square lattice appear, giving them a sense of regularity and surprise.

[0003] However, all of the previously known puzzles that combine pieces that are shaped like joined spheres have been stacked in a mountain shape to complete a solid object. Since such a solid object has a pointed bottom apex, there is a problem in terms of entertainment in that the degree of freedom in arranging the pieces around the apex is low. In addition, since some pieces have complex three-dimensional structures, there are problems in the manufacturing of the pieces and in the structural strength. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Publication No. 3241034 [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] Keiichiro Ishino, "A Little Puzzle", [online], [Retrieved October 16, 2024], Internet<url:https: / / puzzlewillbeplayed.com / - / polysphere.xml> Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Conventional puzzles, in which pieces shaped like multiple joined spheres are combined to complete a solid shape, have a low degree of freedom in how the pieces can be positioned around the vertices, and contain pieces with complex shapes that are spheres arranged in a three-dimensional manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This invention solves the problems related to the arrangement and shape of the pieces by selecting 11 different shapes that can be made by arranging four spheres in a two-dimensional close-packed structure, and combining the 11 pieces to create a puzzle to assemble a regular octahedron-shaped solid. Effect of the Invention

[0008] This invention uses only pieces that are spheres arranged two-dimensionally, making the pieces easier to make and structurally strong. In addition, the vertices of the regular octahedron are not as sharp as the vertices of a regular tetrahedron or the vertices of the base of a regular square pyramid, so there is a high degree of freedom in how the pieces are arranged around the vertices of the solid. As a result, there are an extremely large number of combinations for the number of pieces, and the puzzle can be enjoyed for a long time. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of pieces 1a to 1k (hereinafter referred to as "each piece") in one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view and an elevation view of the case 2, the case stand 3, and the three-dimensional object 1 supported by the case 2 and the case stand 3. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an example of a procedure for combining the pieces. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Each piece is made by joining four spheres arranged in a triangular or square lattice as shown in Figure 1. Solid 1 is made by combining the pieces into a regular octahedron.

[0011] In this embodiment, the solid object 1 is supported by a case 2 and a case stand 3 to prevent it from collapsing. As shown in Fig. 2, the case 2 is made of four congruent equilateral triangular plates, and the case stand 3 is made of four congruent isosceles trapezoidal plates, each with their hypotenuses joined together. The tip of the case 2 is inserted into the top of the case stand 3, and the solid object 1 is placed on top of it to be used.

[0012] Cube 1 can be completed by combining the pieces in the steps shown in Figure 3. In Figure 3, the pieces added in each step are shaded. The combination method shown in Figure 3 is just one example, and 7,482 different combination methods have been discovered so far. [Industrial Applicability]

[0013] This invention can be used as a three-dimensional puzzle for entertainment, and can also be expected to serve as a teaching material for understanding the structure of close packing and the structure of regular polyhedrons. [Explanation of symbols]

[0014] 1a~1k pieces 1 A regular octahedron-shaped object formed by combining each piece 2 Cases 3 Case Stand

Claims

[Claim 1] This is a regular octahedral puzzle made by combining 11 different pieces, each of which is made up of four spheres arranged two-dimensionally in a close-packed structure.

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