Entertainment device

• US 6,652,347 B1
• Filed: 09/09/2002
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Saso Stevkovski
• Original Assignee: Saso Stevkovski
• Inventors: Stevkovski, Saso
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks, Derris H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, Bena B.
• Application Number:
  US10/236,979
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 446/85, 446/102, 446/104, 446/106, 446/108, 446/115, 446/116, 446/119, 446/120, 446/122, 446/124, 446/127, 434/211-214, 273/153.R, 273/156, 273/157.R, 273/153.S
• US Class Current: 446/102
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0838 with an element, e.g. invisible core, staying permanently in a central position having the function of central retaining spider and with groups of elements rotatable about at least three axes intersecting in one point
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0857 with elements slidably connected to a visible central body, e.g. beads in grooves

Abstract

An entertainment device comprising a plurality of rotational member divided into two groups: triangular members 10 and pentagonal members 20, a plurality of arcuate movable pieces 30 and a base for rotatably supporting said triangular and pentagonal members. The respective axes of rotation of said triangular and pentagonal members intersect at a common point representing the center of the exterior spherical surface of the device. The triangular and the pentagonal members are symmetrically disposed with regards to said center, wherein each triangular member is centrally positioned between three pentagonal members, and each pentagonal member is centrally positioned between five triangular members. Moveable pieces are disposed and slidably attached in the areas between a triangular and a corresponding neighboring pentagonal member, wherein a subsequent rotation of the triangular and pentagonal members results in changing the disposal of the moveable pieces relative to the center.

Claims

1. An entertainment device comprising:

(a) a plurality of pentagonal members, each of said pentagonal members having an axis of rotation and comprising an exterior face intersecting said axis at substantially right angle;

each of said pentagonal members further comprising five concave peripheral flanges symmetrically distributed around said axis and substantially normal to said exterior face;

(b) a plurality of triangular members, each of said triangular members having an axis of rotation and comprising an exterior face intersecting said axis at substantially right angle, each of said triangular members further comprising three concave peripheral flanges symmetrically distributed around said axis and substantially normal to said exterior face;

(c) a plurality of arcuate movable pieces;

(d) means for slidably attaching said arcuate movable pieces to said triangular members;

(e) a base for rotatably supporting said pentagonal and triangular members;

(f) means for securing the position of said pentagonal and triangular members after rotation in predetermined angular increments;

(g) wherein three of said pentagonal members are adjacent to and symmetrically disposed around each of said triangular members, wherein five of said triangular members are adjacent to and symmetrically disposed around each of said pentagonal members;

wherein said exterior face of each of said pentagonal members is substantially defined by five circular arcs of same radius, said five circular arcs having centers coincident to axes of rotation of corresponding five adjacent triangular members;

wherein said exterior face of each of said triangular members is substantially defined by three circular arcs of same radius, said three circular arcs having centers coincident to axes of rotation of corresponding three adjacent pentagonal members;

wherein each of said triangular and pentagonal members can independently rotate in predetermined angular increments about its own axis of rotation and relative to said base;

wherein the axes of rotation of each of said triangular and pentagonal members intersect each other at a common point;

wherein said arcuate moveable pieces are disposed in and substantially defined by areas between said triangular members and said pentagonal members;

wherein each of said arcuate moveable pieces is adjacent to one of said triangular members and one of said pentagonal members;

whereby three of said arcuate moveable pieces are slidably attached to and can simultaneously rotate with each of said triangular members;

whereby five of said arcuate moveable pieces can rotate simultaneously with each of said pentagonal members by sliding relative to the adjacent triangular members;

wherein the distribution of said arcuate moveable pieces can be changed by sequential rotations of said triangular and pentagonal members in predetermined angular increments.

2. The entertainment device of claim 1 wherein said exterior faces of said triangular and pentagonal members substantially describe a sphere.

3. The entertainment device of claim 1 wherein said means for slidably attaching said arcuate movable pieces to said triangular members comprise a peripheral tongue extruding radially from said three concave peripheral flanges of each of said triangular members;

said means further comprising a groove along each of said arcuate moveable pieces;

wherein said groove engages said peripheral tongue.

4. The entertainment device of claim 1 wherein each of said arcuate moveable pieces comprises an exterior face;

said exterior face being substantially defined by two concentric arcs with center coincident to the axis of rotation of corresponding adjacent pentagonal member and one arc with center coincident to the axis of rotation of corresponding adjacent triangular member;

each of said arcuate moveable pieces further comprising peripheral flanges substantially normal to said exterior face.

5. The entertainment device of claim 1 wherein each of said triangular and pentagonal members further comprises a split pin extruded along its own axis of rotation;

wherein said base comprises a plurality of holes, said split pin being inserted into corresponding hole on said base thereby enabling rotation of said triangular and pentagonal members relative to said base.

6. The entertainment device of claim 1 wherein said base comprises a spherical shell;

said spherical shell having a plurality of holes distributed around the center thereof;

said holes having axes coincident to the axes of rotation of said triangular and pentagonal members.

7. The entertainment device of claim 1 wherein said means for securing the position comprise a plurality of raised portions symmetrically distributed about said axis of rotation of each of said triangular and pentagonal members and a plurality of dimples on said base;

wherein said raised portions engage corresponding dimples after every incremental rotation of said triangular and pentagonal members.

8. The entertainment device of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of channels on said triangular and pentagonal members and said arcuate moveable pieces;

said channels having predetermined cross-sections;

said entertainment device further comprising a plurality of playing pieces slidably attached thereto;

said playing pieces having cross-sections corresponding to said cross-sections of said channels;

wherein said channels provide paths for moving said playing pieces;

whereby the pattern of said paths can be changed by rearranging the position of said triangular and pentagonal members and said arcuate moveable pieces.

9. The entertainment device of claim 1 comprising twelve pentagonal members, twenty triangular members and sixty arcuate moveable pieces;

wherein the axes of rotation of any two adjacent pentagonal members compose an angle of 63.44 degrees;

wherein the axes of rotation of any two adjacent triangular members compose an angle of 41.81 degrees;

wherein the axes of rotation of any adjacent pentagonal and triangular members compose an angle of 37.38 degrees.

10. The entertainment device of claim 1 wherein said device is adapted to permit said arcuate moveable pieces to be removed from said device or added by insertion.