Interactive spherical game having lights and switches

• US 5,564,702 A
• Filed: 05/23/1995
• Issued: 10/15/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Uwe Meffert
• Original Assignee: Uwe Meffert
• Inventors: Meffert, Uwe
• Primary Examiner(s): Pierce, William M.
• Application Number:
  US08/448,232
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 273/138 A, 273/237, 273/153 R, 273/156, 273/157 R, 273/85 G, 273/58 G, 273/433, 273/454, 273/455, 273/460
• US Class Current: 273/153.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2408 Touch-sensitive buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2454 with LED
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0415 Details of dice, e.g. non-cuboid dice

Abstract

A puzzle having a substantially spherical housing comprising a plurality of lights disposed over the surface thereof, a plurality of switches operable by a user, and a control device operatively connected to the switches and to the lights for switching on and off the lights in response to operation of a respective switch.

Claims

1. A puzzle comprising:

a substantially spherical housing;

a plurality of lights disposed over a surface of said housing, said plurality of lights being arranged so that, regardless of an orientation of said spherical housing, at least one light is located on a hemisphere of said housing that faces a user of said puzzle;

a plurality of switches selectively operable by the user and disposed over an outer surface of said housing; and

control means operatively connected to said switches and to said lights for switching on or off a select one or more of said lights in response to operation of any one selected switch.

2. A puzzle according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of lights are evenly positioned over the surface of the housing.

3. A puzzle according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of lights comprise twelve lights evenly positioned over the surface of the housing.

4. A puzzle according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of lights each comprise a light emitting element, and each of said switches includes a region comprising a button depressible by a user to operate the switch and that is at least partly formed of light-translucent material, each said light emitting element being located beneath a respective button.

5. A puzzle according to claim 4, wherein each switch includes a generally cylindrical light-translucent actuator comprising an upper surface defining said button and lying generally co-incident with the surface of the spherical housing, and a lower region seated in a cylindrical socket to be movable with a degree of relative movement.

6. A puzzle according to claim 5, further comprising a contact switch positioned between the actuator and the cylindrical socket and being actuated by depressing the button.

7. A puzzle according to claim 4, wherein the light emitting element comprises a light emitting diode positioned within the button.

8. A puzzle according to claim 1, further comprising an audible indicator activatable in response to a signal from said control means.

9. A puzzle according to claim 1, wherein said control means comprises a microprocessor programmed to operate the lights to provide a predetermined game.

10. A puzzle comprising:

a housing having a three-dimensional shape, and having a surface divided into a plurality of regions;

p1 a plurality of lights disposed over the surface of said housing, said plurality of lights being arranged so that, regardless of an orientation of said housing, at least one light is located on a region of said housing that faces a user of said puzzle;

p1 a plurality of switches selectively operable by the user and disposed over an outer surface of said housing; and

p1 control means operatively connected to said switches and to said lights for switching on or off a select one or more of said lights in response to operation of any one selected switch.