Transformational toy

Abstract

A transformational toy comprises at least six polyhedron bodies, at least one connection strip for connecting the polyhedron bodies in a chain, wherein the connection strip provides hinges between every pair of adjacent polyhedron bodies of the chain, wherein the hinges facilitate movement of the polyhedron bodies between at least two different geometric transformations of a combined body of all polyhedron bodies, wherein at least one of the connection strips is connecting at least three adjacent polyhedron bodies.

Claims

1. A transformational toy, comprising: at least six polyhedron bodies; a single connection strip connecting the at least six polyhedron bodies in a chain, wherein the single connection strip forms a plurality of hinges comprising a hinge between every pair of adjacent polyhedron bodies of the chain, wherein the plurality of hinges facilitates movement of the at least six polyhedron bodies between at least two different geometric transformations; and a plurality of magnets configured to stabilize the at least six polyhedron bodies in the at least two different geometric transformations.

2. The transformational toy according to claim 1, wherein the at least six polyhedron bodies are connected in a closed loop configuration by the single connection strip.

3. The transformational toy according to claim 1, wherein the at least six polyhedron bodies comprise twelve polyhedron bodies.

4. The transformational toy according to claim 1, wherein the single connection strip has a beginning portion and an end portion connected by one of the at least six polyhedron bodies.

5. The transformational toy according to claim 1, wherein two connectable parts of at least one of the at least six polyhedron bodies enclose the single connection strip.

6. A transformational toy, comprising: at least six polyhedron bodies; at least one connection strip connecting the at least six polyhedron bodies in a loop, wherein the at least one connection strip forms a hinge between every pair of adjacent polyhedron bodies of the loop; wherein each polyhedron body of the at least six polyhedron bodies comprises two connectable parts and the at least one connection strip is between the two connectable parts of each of the at least six polyhedron bodies, and wherein a beginning portion of the at least one connection strip and an end portion of the at least one connection strip are disposed between the two connectable parts of one of the at least six polyhedron bodies.

7. The transformational toy according to claim 6, wherein a hinge between a first polyhedron body and a second polyhedron body of the at least six polyhedron bodies is formed by a first portion of the at least one connection strip disposed between the two connectable parts of the first polyhedron body and a second portion of the at least one connection strip disposed between the two connectable parts of the second polyhedron body, wherein a connecting edge of the first polyhedron body and a connecting edge of the second polyhedron body lie adjacent to each other and are pivotably connected by the at least one connection strip.

8. The transformational toy according to claim 6, wherein the two connectable parts comprise connection strip fixing parts.

9. The transformational toy according to claim 8, wherein the connection strip fixing parts comprise pins and holes.

10. The transformational toy according to claim 6, wherein the at least one connection strip comprises a single connection strip.

11. The transformational toy according to claim 1, wherein the at least six polyhedron bodies comprise twelve tetrahedron bodies.

12. The transformational toy according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least six polyhedron bodies comprises at least one magnet of the plurality of magnets.

13. The transformational toy according to claim 6, further comprising a plurality of magnets configured to stabilize the at least six polyhedron bodies.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) Preferred further embodiments of the invention are explained in detail in the following description of the Figures. It is shown:

(2) FIG. 1A, B, C, D schematic drawing of a first embodiment in a first and second geometric configuration;

(3) FIG. 2A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K schematic drawing of a second embodiment in different geometric configurations;

(4) FIG. 3A, B, C, D, E schematic drawing of different polyhedron bodies;

(5) FIG. 4A, B, C, D, E schematic drawing of different connection strips;

(6) FIG. 5A, B, C, D, E, F schematic drawing of the attachment of a polyhedron body to the connection strip; and

(7) FIG. 6 schematic drawing of the attachment of polyhedron bodies to the connection strip to build a transformational toy.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(8) In the following, preferred embodiments are described by means of the Figures. The same, similar or similar-acting elements in the different Figures are identified by identical reference signs, and a repeated description of these elements is partly omitted to avoid redundancies.

(9) In FIG. 1A, a transformational toy 1 is schematically shown in a first geometric configuration.

(10) The transformational toy 1 of this embodiment comprises six polyhedron bodies 2. In this embodiment, all faces of the polyhedron bodies 2 are provided as flat, isosceles triangles. In case each face of a polyhedron body 2 is shaped as an equilateral triangle, such a polyhedron body 2 would also be referred to as a regular tetrahedron.

(11) Each polyhedron body 2 is connected to at least one other polyhedron body 2, where the connection between adjacent polyhedron bodies 20, 22 is provided by a connection strip 3 (described below) to which the polyhedron bodies 2 are fixed. In such a configuration, an edge of a first polyhedron body 20 and an edge of an adjacent polyhedron body 22 lie next to each other while the connection strip 3 serves as a hinge 30 between the two polyhedron bodies 20, 22. Hence, due to the presence of the hinge 30 the first polyhedron body 20 can be rotated around the edge of the adjacent polyhedron body 22 and vice versa. The rotation is facilitated by the hinge 30 and results in a rotation about a rotation axis R which is typically situated parallel to the adjacent edges of neighboring polyhedron bodies 20, 22.

(12) This requires the connection strip 3 to be at least partially flexible, facilitating the rotation of the polyhedron bodies 20, 22 relative to one another.

(13) The connection strip 3 may connect at least three of the polyhedron bodies 2, preferably all of the polyhedron bodies 2, in a chain-like fashion as is shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1A. In the embodiment of FIG. 1A the chain of the polyhedron bodies 2 is not closed such that the polyhedron bodies 2 form a linear succession of geometrical bodies. The polyhedron bodies 2 are rotatable with respect to one another about their respective rotation axes R which are situated between two adjacent polyhedron bodies 2.

(14) In FIG. 1B another geometric configuration of the transformational toy 1 of FIG. 1A is schematically shown. This second geometric configuration, which is a closed loop configuration, is obtained by connecting the upper polyhedron body 2 with the lower polyhedron body 2 of FIG. 1A. This option for providing a closed configuration is schematically shown by the black arrow in FIG. 1A.

(15) The geometric configuration forms a kaleidocycle which can be twisted around its ring axis R* (see FIG. 1C). By continuous twisting of the kaleidocycle around the ring axis R* it is possible to subsequently move all four sides of the polyhedron bodies 2 to the top surface. The different arrangements of the respective sides of the polyhedron bodies 2 in the ring are referred to as different transformations.

(16) In FIG. 1C the twisting motion is schematically shown. The polyhedron bodies 2 are turned about the ring axis R* in such a way that every polyhedron body 2 is locally rotated clockwise (or counterclockwise) about the ring axis R*. By twisting the polyhedron bodies 2 about the ring axis R*, different transformations of the geometric configuration can be obtained.

(17) The transformational toy 1 can be stabilized in its different geometric transformations as shown in FIG. 1D.

(18) Every polyhedron body 2 may comprise at least one magnet (located inside the polyhedron bodies 2 and shown, for example, in the cross-section of FIG. 5A at reference numeral 4), which produces a magnetic field 40. By arranging the magnets accordingly, the magnetic fields 40 are oriented in such a manner that adjacent polyhedron bodies 20, 22 can be attracted to each other when the magnets 4 of the adjacent polyhedron bodies 20, 22 have an attractive polarity. If the magnets have a repulsive polarity, the polyhedron bodies 2 cannot be stabilized in the specific transformation.

(19) In FIG. 2A another transformational toy 1 is shown. The transformational toy 1 comprises twelve identical polyhedron bodies 2 and twelve hinges 30, which in a first geometric transformation form a cube.

(20) Each polyhedron body 2 may be obtained from a polygon net shape as shown in FIG. 2B. The shape consists of an upper isosceles rectangular triangle, where two sides have similar length, e.g. unit length 1. The base of the isosceles triangle thus has a length of ?2 unit lengths. This base is also the base of another isosceles triangle, which has however two sides with a similar length of ?3/2 unit lengths. Each side of the lower base triangle, however, is also the side of two isosceles side triangles, which have again a base length of 1 unit length.

(21) When the outer sides of the shape are folded together a polyhedron body 2 as shown in FIG. 2C can be obtained.

(22) The polyhedron bodies 2 can also be obtained by cutting the cube diagonally, as shown in FIG. 2A.

(23) In FIG. 2D one initial geometric transformation G of the transformational toy 1 is shown, which has the shape of a cube. A second geometric transformation G of the transformational toy 1 is shown in FIG. 2E. This second geometric transformation G can be obtained from the initial cube when a corner of the cube is moved towards the opposite corner of the cube. As the different polyhedron bodies are pivotally coupled using hinges 30 provided by the connection strip 3, the polyhedron bodies cannot be moved independently from each other. If one polyhedron body 2 is moved, other polyhedron bodies will be moved as well. This allows to perform a full geometric transformation from G to G of the transformable toy 1 with the movement of a limited number of polyhedron bodies 2.

(24) FIGS. 2E-2K illustrate various other potential configurations for the transformational toy 1. With the specific positioning and orientation of the magnets 4 and the connection strip 3 as described below in detail, the transformational toy 1 can be maintained in any of the other potential configurations as disclosed and/or illustrated.

(25) More particularly, FIG. 2F is a perspective view of the transformational toy 1 illustrated in FIG. 2A, the transformational toy 1 being in a third configuration; FIG. 2G is a perspective view of the transformational toy 1 illustrated in FIG. 2A, the transformational toy 1 being in a fourth configuration; FIG. 2H is a perspective view of the transformational toy 1 illustrated in FIG. 2A, the transformational toy 1 being in a fifth configuration; FIG. 2I is a perspective view of the transformational toy 1 illustrated in FIG. 2A, the transformational toy 1 being in a sixth configuration; FIG. 2J is a perspective view of the transformational toy 1 illustrated in FIG. 2A, the transformational toy 1 being in a seventh configuration; FIG. 2K is a perspective view of the transformational toy 1 illustrated in FIG. 2A, the transformational toy 1 being in an eighth configuration.

(26) During use of the transformational toy 1, the individual polyhedron bodies 2 can be quickly and easily moved and manipulated relative to one another to enable the user to form the transformational toy 1 into any of the disclosed configurations. Moreover, as noted, the positioning, orientation and polarity of the magnets 4 within each of polyhedron body 2 enables the transformational toy 1 to be stably maintained in any such configurations. As such, the transformational toy 1 and the polyhedron bodies 2 can be viewed as an educational device for the study of polygonal solids, as a puzzle or toy that can be used for entertainment or amusement, and/or as a work of art that can be displayed for others to see.

(27) In FIG. 3 different possible geometries of the polyhedron bodies 2 are shown. In FIG. 3A a polyhedron body 2 is shown which is obtained as shown in FIG. 2B. This polyhedron body 2 can be regarded as the outer limit or the outer boundaries for all other polyhedron bodies which can be used to produce a cuboidal transformational toy 1.

(28) Another possible polyhedron body 2 is shown in FIG. 3B. It can be obtained by cutting off the tip of the polyhedron body 2 from FIG. 3A. The cutting plane can be parallel to the outer plane of the cube, however it can also be tilted as shown in FIG. 3C.

(29) FIG. 3D, E schematically illustrate a representative embodiment of a polyhedron body 2 having a single moving magnet 4 that is diametrically magnetized. The polyhedron body 2 has four polygonal faces 200A, 200B, 200C, and 200D, with face 200 B hidden from the view. In some embodiments, the 200A and D faces (i.e., a first face and a fourth face) form a right angle relative to each other, with one of the 200A or 200D faces being relatively larger than the other, and the 200B and 200C faces being substantially the same size as each other. In the illustrated embodiment, the magnet 4 is positioned inside the polyhedron body 2 in such a manner that it can rotate about its longitudinal axis 400.

(30) Generally, the magnet 4 is not permitted to move in an uncontrolled manner inside the polyhedron body 2. Rather, the polyhedron body 2 is provided with one or more internal structures, e.g., a cradle, a cord, a suspension, a gimbal or the like, that retain the moving magnet 4 adjacent to two or three faces while allowing the moving magnet 4 to move within a controlled region. For example, in some embodiments, the polyhedron body 2 is provided with an internal cradle, track, slot, compartment, cavity, support, and/or the like. Representative structures for enabling the magnet 4 to move within a controlled region are described below.

(31) As shown in FIGS. 3D, E the moving magnet 4 is positioned adjacent to faces 200A and 200D such that it can move relative to the outer shell of the polyhedron body. In FIG. 3D, the north portion of the magnet 4 is adjacent to face 200A. By comparison, in FIG. 3E, the magnet 4 has rotated about the axis 400 such that the north portion is adjacent to face 200D. As a result of this movement of the magnet, both the north and south sides of the magnet 4 can be positioned adjacent to either face 200A or 200D. Accordingly, the magnet 4 can alternatingly exhibit a first polarity (e.g., a positive or negative polarity) through either face 200A or 200D. By alternatingly, the present disclosure intends that the magnet 4 exhibits the first polarity through one face at a time. Advantageously, this enables a single moving magnet 4 to simulate a plurality of fixed magnets 4 as shown in FIG. 5A.

(32) The embodiment of 3D and 3E is representative, not limiting. In some embodiments, the magnet 4 is a cylinder magnet, a disc magnet, a spherical magnet, or another magnet type. In some embodiments, the magnet 4 translates, shifts, slides, or tumbles relative to polygonal faces 200A-D in order to alternatingly exhibit the first polarity through face 200A or face 200B. In some embodiments, the magnet 4 rotates in more than one direction, e.g., in the case of a spherical magnet 4, about a center. This advantageously enables the magnet to alternatingly exhibit a polarity through more than two faces, e.g., three faces. In some embodiments, the magnet 4 is positioned adjacent to different faces, e.g., to adjacent to faces 200A and 200C, 200A and 200D, 200B and 200C, 200B and 200D, or 200D and 200C. In some embodiments, the magnet 4 is positioned adjacent to more than two faces, e.g., adjacent to faces 200A, 200B, and 200C. In some embodiments, the magnet 4 is positioned adjacent to a vertex where three faces meet (e.g., where faces 200A, 200B, and 200C meet).

(33) In some embodiments, transformational toys 1 of the present disclosure include one or more moving-magnets 4 such as shown in FIGS. 3D, E, to provide enhanced entertainment, to reduce manufacturing cost, and/or for other benefit. In some embodiments, transformational toys 1 include two or more different types of moving magnets (e.g., a first type and a second type), each type having a different moving magnet configuration configured to alternatingly exhibit a magnet polarity through different faces. As shown above, in some embodiments, the moving magnets are arranged to enable a magnetic coupling of polyhedron bodies in one or more configurations, e.g., any one or more of the configurations shown in FIGS. 2D-2K.

(34) In FIG. 4A a connection strip 3 is shown, whereas FIG. 4B shows a detailed view on a portion 32 of the connection strip 3. The connection strip 3 is shaped in such a way that it allows to connect all twelve polyhedron bodies 2 and provide hinges 30 at all edges of a cube. Hence this particular connection strip 3 can be used for connecting all polyhedron bodies 2 of a cuboidal transformational toy 1.

(35) Every portion 32 of the connection strip comprises openings 37 for positioning fixing pins 26 of the polyhedron bodies 2, as shown later. Furthermore, every portion 32 can comprise openings 37 for magnets 4, which are used to stabilize the current geometric transformation G of the transformational toy 1. The openings 37, 37 in the portion 32 of the connection strip 3 are located symmetrically to a symmetry axis, which will be used as the rotational axis of the hinge 30.

(36) In FIG. 4B a very schematic representation of a footprint of a polyhedron body 2 in form of a flat, isosceles triangle is included which is intended to demonstrate the position of the polyhedron bodies 2 with respect to the connection strip 3. The shape of the polyhedron bodies 2 may, of course, vary and is to be understood as an example only.

(37) In order to close the loop and to connect all polyhedron bodies in a closed-loop configuration, in one embodiment, the beginning portion 302 and the end portion 304 of the connection strip 3 are placed on top of each other and are connected by means of a polyhedron body 2 connected to the connection strip 3 in the manner as described below with reference to FIG. 5A. In other words, closing the loop does not require the connection strip 3 to be loop-shaped but a linear connection strip 3 suffices which will be connected on both ends to form the loop-configuration for the polyhedron bodies 2 to form a kaleidocycle.

(38) The connection strip 3 can be made of leather or flexible plastic, which allows the portion 32 of the connection strip 3 to be bent around the symmetry axis. The material can withstand this mechanical stress without breaking, cracking or becoming brittle during the lifetime of the transformational toy 1.

(39) To further prevent any damage due to mechanical stress, a fraying-prevention hole 38 is inserted to strongly stressed areas of the connection strip. In this way a propagation of a crack or a tear along the direction of the hinge 30 will be prevented.

(40) In FIG. 4C another embodiment of a connection strip 3 is shown. The connection strip 3 provides for example the same arrangement of openings 37, 37 as in FIG. 4A. However, the connection strip 3 comprises a larger surface area, which allows for a more secure connection of the polyhedron bodies 2.

(41) In FIGS. 4D and 4E yet embodiments of a connection strip 3 are shown which are similar to the one shown in FIG. 4A but the beginning portion 302 and the end portion 304 are shaped such that a loop can be closed in a manner in which the beginning portion 302 and the end portion 304 can be placed with a reduced overlap. The connection between the beginning portion 302 and the end portion 304 is effected again by two polyhedron bodies which connect the two portions together like a chain joint. Note that only the openings 37 are shown as a guide to the eye. The connection strip 3 can comprise openings 37 as well.

(42) In FIG. 5A, 5B it is shown how the polyhedron bodies 2, 2 can be fixed to the connection strip 3. Every polyhedron body 2, 2 comprises two connectable parts 24, 26. The connection is realized using pins 27 and holes 29, where the pins of one connectable part 24, 26 can be inserted into the respective hole 29 in the corresponding connectable part 26, 24. The pins 27 can be interlocked in the holes 29 or glued into the holes 29 or can be locked in the holes 29 due to friction between the outer surface of the pin 27 an the inner surface of the hole 29. Furthermore, the connectable parts can comprise cavities 25 into which a magnet 4 can be inserted in order to stabilize the geometric transformations of the transformational toy 1.

(43) The pins 27 and holes 29 and cavities 25 of the connectable parts 24, 26 are arranged in such a manner that the pins 27 can be placed through the openings 37, 37 of the connections connection strip 3. Furthermore, the openings 37 in the connection strip 3 allow the magnet 4 to be placed in the center of the polyhedron body. This is advantageous for the stabilization mechanism of the geometric transformations, as the magnet can be placed in the center of mass of the polyhedron body 2.

(44) The connectable parts 24, 26 of the first polyhedron body 2 are connected to each other using the aforementioned pins 27 and holes 29 where they enclose a first half 320 of the first portion 32 of the connection strip 3. The second half 322 of the first portion 32 of the connection strip 3 is enclosed by the connectable parts 24, 26 of a second polyhedron body 2. The first and second polyhedron bodies 2, 2 lie adjacent to each other, where the connection edge 28 of the first polyhedron body 2 is parallel to the connection edge 28 of the second connection body 2. The connection edges 28, 28 can touch each other, however, they can also be positioned in a slight distance of for example less than 5 mm. In this way the connection strip 3 is barely visible, but the length scale is small enough to provide a stable rotation of the polyhedron bodies 2, 2 around the rotation axis of the hinge 30, which is provided by the connection strip 3.

(45) In other words, each polyhedron body 2 is composed of at least two connectable parts 24, 26 and the connection strip 3 is placed between the connectable parts 24, 26.

(46) A hinge 30 between a first and a second polyhedron body 2, 2 is formed by inserting a first half of a first portion of the connection strip 320 between the two connectable parts 24, 26 of the first polyhedron body 2 and a second half of the first portion of the connection strip 322 between the two connectable parts 24, 26 of the second polyhedron body 2. Accordingly, the connecting edge 28 of the first polyhedron body 2 and the connecting edge 28 of the second polyhedron body 2 lie adjacent to each other and are pivotably connected by the first portion 32 of the connection strip 3.

(47) In FIG. 5C a geometric transformation is shown, where the polyhedron bodies 2, 2 are rotated towards each other about the rotation axis provide by the hinge 30. In other words, the connection strip 3 provides a hinge 30 about which the polyhedron bodies 2, 2 can be rotated.

(48) The magnets 4 in the polyhedron bodies 2, 2 provide a magnetic field 40, which can stabilize the geometric transformation G when the magnetic force between the magnets 4 is attractive. When the magnetic force is repellent the geometric transformation is not stabilized and the polyhedron bodies 2, 2 will try rotated in order to increase the distance between the magnets 4.

(49) In FIG. 5D another possible fixation mechanism between the connectable parts 24, 26 is shown. A snap-in connection can be used, where the pin 27 comprises a hook-like structure 270 which can be locked with the protrusion 290 of the hole.

(50) In FIG. 5E, F an embodiment of the disclosure is schematically shown, where the magnet 4 can move within the cavity 25, which is formed by the connectable parts 24, 26. The cavity 25 has for example a tubular shape, where the length of the cavity 25 perpendicular to the plane of the connection strip 32 is much larger than the size of the magnet 4. This allows the magnet 4 to move in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the connection strip 32. For example, the magnet 4 can have a spherical shape such that it can roll towards the ends of the cavity 25, where the magnet 4 can then align its magnetic field 40 according to the surrounding magnetic fields from the transformational toy 1.

(51) However, the magnet 4 can also have a cylindrical form, such that it also can move in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the connection strip 32. Furthermore, a cylindrical magnet 4 can be polarized along the length direction of the cavity. The movement of the magnet then only regulates the field strength through as least one polygonal face 200 of the polyhedron body. Alternatively, the cylindrical magnet 4 can be polarized perpendicularly to the length direction of the cavity 25. With this the magnet 4 also has a rotational degree of freedom, which allows the magnet 4 to align its magnetic field 40 according to the surrounding magnetic field of the transformational toy 1.

(52) In FIG. 6 it is shown that all connectable parts 24, 26 of the polyhedron bodies 2 are connected to one single connection strip 3. In this way the connection strip provides a base to which all polyhedron bodies 2 can be attached. Only at the final production stage, the first and the last polyhedron bodies 2 in the shown chain of polyhedron bodies 2 are connected to each other. This allows to speed up the production process of the transformational toy 1. By connecting the first and last polyhedron body 2 of the polyhedron body chain, transformational toy 1 forms.

(53) As far as applicable, all individual features shown in the embodiments can be combined and/or exchanged without leaving the field of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(54) 1 transformational toy 2 polyhedron body 20, 22 adjacent polyhedron bodies 200 polygonal face 24 first connectable part 25 magnet cavity 26 second connectable part 27 pin 270 hook 28 connection edge 29 hole 290 protrusion 3 connection strip 30 hinge 32 portion of the connection strip 320 first half of portion 322 second half of portion 37 opening 38 frying-prevention hole 4 magnet 40 magnetic field G, G geometric transformations R rotation axis R* ring axis