Combination system and question and answer matching game

• US 4,526,550 A
• Filed: 01/13/1984
• Issued: 07/02/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Don J. Lurito
• Original Assignee: Don J. Lurito
• Inventors: Lurito, Don J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US06/570,613
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 434/167, 434/169, 434/171, 434/172, 434/200, 434/201, 434/209, 434/334, 434/340, 434/345, 70/1, 70/266, 70/286, 273/157 R
• US Class Current: 434/340
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/066 with answer indicating cards, blocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7153 Combination

Abstract

A combination system such as may, for example, be embodied in a matching game or instructional device or in a set of locks and keys consists of a number of receivers and an associated number of plugs with both the receivers and the plugs having cooperable coding features coded according to unique rules, derivable from N-dimensional geometry, assuring a desired form of cooperation between a plug inserted in a receiver only when the code of such plug matches the code of the receiver.

Claims

1. A combination system comprising:

a set of first parts each having the same given number of coding features and a related given number of coding quantities providing each such first part with a combinational code, and

a set of second parts each having said same given number of coding features and a related number of coding quantities providing each such second part with a combinatoinal code,

said coding features of said first parts cooperating with said coding features of said second parts in such a way that when a selected first part is combined with a selected second part a given condition will be attained only if said combinational code of said first part matches said combinational code of said second part,

each of said first and second parts being coded according to the rules;

(a) each coding quantity has a value nL, where L is a unit quantity and n is an integer chosen from the set 0 to X and

(b) the sum of the coding quantities of a part is equal to a constant K.

2. A combination system as defined in claim 1 further characterized by X being greater than one.

4. A combination system as defined in claim 2 further characterized by X being greater than one.

3. A combination system comprising:

a plurality of plugs each having a plurality of separate coding portions each of which portions contains a discrete coding feature, and

means defining a plurality of receivers each adapted to insertably receive at least the part of any one of said plugs containing its coding portions, each of said receivers having a number of coding zones equal in number to the number of said coding portions of each of said plugs and each of which coding zones is capable of receiving a respective one of said coding portions of a plug when such plug is inserted into the receiver,

each of said coding zones having a coding means cooperable with the coding feature of a plug coding portion received therein,

said coding feature of said plugs being length coded according to the rules;

(a) the displacement of each coding feature from a given datum plane fixed relative to the plug is nL, where L is a unit of length and n is an integer chosen from the set 0 to X and

(b) the sum of the displacements of all of the coding features of the plug from the associated datum plane is equal to a constant K,

each of said coding means of said receivers having a feature with a related coding length and said coding lengths of the coding means of each receiver being length coded according to the rules;

(a) each of said coding lengths is nL, where L is the aforesaid unit length and n is an integer chosen from the set 0 to X, and

(b) the sum of said coding lengths of all of said coding means of the receiver is equal to said constant K.

5. A combination system as defined in claim 3 further characterized by said coding portions of a plug and said coding means of a receiver being adapted to be brought into cooperation with one another, if the length code of the plug matches the length code of the receiver, as a result of movement of the plug into the receiver in the plug insertion direction, and cooperating means on each plug and associated with each receiver for indicating when a plug has been inserted to a given degree into a receiver.

6. A combination system as defined in claim 3 further characterized by said receivers and said plugs all being part of a matching game wherein all of said receivers are contained in a gameboard, each of said receivers having a length code matching the length code of a respective one of said plugs, each of said receivers and its plug of matching length comprising a matched pair of coded parts one of which parts bears question indicia and the other of which parts bears correct corresponding answer indicia so that when a plug is inserted in a receiver the correctness of the correspondence between the related question and answer indicia can be determined by the existence or nonexistence of a match between the length code of the plug and the length code of the receiver.

7. A combination system comprising:

a plurality of plugs each having a plurality of prongs with each prong lug having an end wall and with all of said plugs having the same number of prongs, and

means defining a plurality of receivers each adapted to insertably receive at least the portion of any on of said plugs containing its said prongs, each of said receivers having a number of zones equal in number to the number of prongs on each of said plugs each of zones receives a respective one of the prongs of a plug when such plug is inserted into the receiver, and each of said zones having an end wall engageable with the end wall of a prong received therein provided the prong has sufficient length,

said prongs of said plugs being length coded according to the rules;

(a) the length of each prong from a given datum plane fixed relative to the plug is nL, where L is a unit of length and n is an integer chosen from the set 0 to X, and

(b) the sum of the lengths of all of the prongs of the plug is equal to a constant K,

said zone end walls of each of said receivers also being length coded according to the rules;

(a) the displacement of each of said zone end walls from a given datum plane fixed relative to said receiver is nL, where L is the aforesaid unit length and n is an integer chosen from said set 0 to X, and

(b) the sum of all of said end wall displacements of the receiver is equal to said constant K.

8. A combination system as defined in claim 7 further characterized by said plugs each being adapted to be inserted into a receiver in one direction along a first axis of insertion fixed relative to the plug when such axis is aligned with a corresponding second axis of insertion fixed relative to the receiver, said end walls of said prongs of each plug being located at the forward end of said prongs with rspect to said one direction and arranged generally perpendicular to said first axis of insertion, and said end walls of said receiver zones being arranged generally perpendicular to said second axis of insertion and facing rearwardly with respect to said one direction so that said end walls of said prongs are engaged by the corresponding end walls of said receiver if the length code of the prong of the inserted plug match the length code of the end walls of the receiver.

9. A combination system as defined in claim 8 further characterized by said plugs and said receivers being of such cross sectional shapes on planes perpendicular to said first and second axes of insertion respectively that each plug is inserted in a receiver only when oriented at a given angular position about said second axis of insertion.

10. A matching game comprising:

a gameboard having a plurality of receivers, and

a plurality of plugs each insertable in any one of said receivers of said gameboard,

each of said receivers having an indicia associated with it and each of said plugs likewise having an indicia associated with it, said indicia of said receivers being different from one another, said indicia of said plugs being different from one another, and said indicia of said receivers and said indicia of said plugs being so related that the indicia of each receiver matches the indicia of a respective one of said plugs with a "question-correct answer" relationship,

each of said plugs having a plurality of prongs all extending in the same direction relative to the plug and each terminating in a forward end wall,

each of said receivers having a number of zones equal in number to the number of prongs of each of said plugs and each of which zones receives a respective one of said prongs of a plug when a plug is inserted into a receiver, and each of said zones having an end wall engageable with the end wall of a prong received therein provided the prong has sufficient length,

said prongs of each plug being length coded according to the rules;

(a) the length of each prong is nL, where L is a unit of length and n is an integer chosen from the set 0 to X, and

(b) the sum of the length of all of the prongs of the plug is equal to a constant K,

the prong length code of each of said plugs being different from that of all other of said plugs,

said zone end walls of each of said receivers also being length coded according to the rules,

(a) the length of each zone from its said end wall to a given datum plane is nL, where L is said aforesaid unit of length and n is an integer chosen from said set 0 to X, and

(b) the sum of said lengths of all of said zones is equal to said constant K,

the length code of each of said receivers matching the prong length code of that plug which is associated with said receiver through the indicia associated with said prong and said receiver so that when the plug whose indicia matches with the indicia of a receiver is inserted in that receiver the prong length code of that plug will also match the end wall length code of the receiver.