Article moveable between two positions and a method of combining two or more of the same

• US 10,639,561 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2016
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boti Global Limited
• Original Assignee: Boti Global Limited
• Inventors: Moore, Steven, Whitehead, Brian, Rowe, Tim, Morris, Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Niconovich, Alexander R
• Application Number:
  US16/065,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20180369708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 446129, 446130, 446131, 446132, 446487, 446 71
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/24 with a lock, e.g. for a puzzle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/06 Patience; Other games for self-amusement
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/003 Convertible toys, e.g. robots convertible into rockets or vehicles convertible into planes
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/26 Magnetic or electric toys electric drives A63H29/22 ; indoor games played with small balls using magnetic power A63F7/0088, A63F7/068

Abstract

There is provided an article being moveable between a first position and a second position and biased to the second position. The article is retained in the first position by retaining means until a predetermined condition is met, wherein when that predetermined condition is met, biasing means exert a biasing force to move the article from the first position to the second position. The predetermined condition is met when at least one formation, located on at least one face of the article, is moved from a first position to a second position, thereby releasing the retaining means and permitting movement of the article from the first position to the second position. Also provided is a group of at least two articles provided to interact with one another, with one article meeting the predetermined condition for moving the other from the first position to the second position.

Claims

1. An article, said article being moveable between a first position and a second position and biased to the second position,

said article being retained in the first position by retaining means until a predetermined condition is met,

wherein when said predetermined condition is met biasing means exert a biasing force to move the article from the first position to the second position, said predetermined condition being met when at least one formation, located on at least one face of the article, is moved from a first position to a second position, thereby releasing said retaining means and permitting movement of the article from the first position to the second position, and

wherein said at least one formation is one of a plurality of formations which are movable from first to second positions, by being urged inwardly of the article.

2. An article according to claim 1, wherein said at least one formation is provided to be urged substantially inwardly of the article, thereby releasing said retaining means.

3. An article according to claim 1, wherein only one of the formations, when urged inwardly of the article, is capable of release of the retaining means and the movement of at least some of the formations has no impact on the retaining means.

4. An article according to claim 1, wherein the article includes at least one formation which may be urged inwardly of the article and at least one formation provided as a substantially rigid formation, such that it cannot be urged inwardly of the article.

5. An article according to claim 1, wherein a removable body is provided associated with at least one face of the article.

6. An article according to claim 5, wherein said body is removably located within an aperture in one of the said faces of the article.

7. An article according to claim 5, wherein the removable body, when located with the article, forms at least part of the face of article in which it is located.

8. An article according to claim 1, wherein at least one magnet is provided associated with the article, said at least one magnet provided to align the article substantially with a second article.

9. An article according to claim 1, wherein the article further includes reset means, which include one or more string or thread members and/or the like, provided to connect two or more faces or panels provided on the article, wherein upon activation by a user, said reset means are provided to at least partially return the article to the first position from the second position.

10. A group of articles including at least two articles as claimed in claim 1 movable between first and second positions and biased to the second positions,

said articles retained in their respective first positions by retaining means until a predetermined condition is met, wherein said predetermined condition is met for a first of said at least two articles when the articles are brought into contact or within a predefined distance, at which point said first articles moves from the first position to the second position under the influence of biasing means, characterized in that said predetermined condition is met when at least one formation, located on at least one face of said first articles, is moved from a first position to a second position, thereby releasing said retaining means and permitting movement of the first article from the first position to the second position.

11. A group of articles according to claim 10, wherein said at least one formation is arranged to be urged substantially inwardly upon contact with a corresponding formation on the second of the at least two articles, wherein said corresponding formation, located on the said second article, is provided as a substantially rigid formation, such that it cannot be urged inwardly of the article on which it is located, but is arranged to urge the first formation on the first article inwardly, such that the predetermined condition is met for the first article.

12. A group of articles according to claim 10, wherein the first formation on or associated with, a first article corresponds to a second, substantially rigid formation on or associated with, a second article, and wherein when the first formation on or associated with, the first article contacts the second substantially rigid formation on or associated with, the second article, the first formation is urged inwardly of the first article and the predetermined condition is met for the first article.

13. A group of articles according to claim 10, wherein at least one magnet is provided associated with each article, located on or associated with the same a face of the articles with which the formations are associated, and arranged to align two articles with one another.

14. A group of articles according to claim 10, wherein at least two magnets are provided on substantially opposing sides of the same face of the articles, so as to be arranged to align the first article with corresponding magnets located on the second article.

15. A group of articles according to claim 10, wherein the articles further include reset means including one or more string or thread members and/or the like, wherein said one or more string or thread members are provided to connect two or more faces or panels provided on the articles, and upon activation by a user, said reset means are provided to at least partially return an article to the first position from the second position.

16. A method of causing interaction between at least two articles, said method comprising the steps of:

providing at least two articles as claimed in claim 1 in respective first positions and moveable between said first position and respective second positions;

moving the at least two articles towards each other until a predetermined condition for either or both of the first and/or second articles is met and wherein once said predetermined condition is met in an article, biasing means exert a biasing force to move that article from the first position to the second position, characterized in that said predetermined condition is met when at least one formation, located on at least one face of that article, is moved from a first position to a second position, by a corresponding formation on the other article, thereby releasing said retaining means and permitting movement of that article from the first position to the second position.