GB2347089A

GB2347089A - Soccer ball puzzle

Info

Publication number: GB2347089A
Application number: GB9904474A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Bourne
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-02-26
Filing date: 1999-02-26
Publication date: 2000-08-30
Also published as: GB9904474D0

Abstract

A three-dimensional puzzle is based on the structure of the geometrically patterned surface of a standard, 32-piece hand-sewn soccer ball. The 32 pieces comprise 20 hexagonal and 12 pentagonal shapes. By dividing the surface of a soccer ball into eight parts so that each part contains four geometrical shapes, eight puzzle-pieces are produced. The eight puzzle-pieces, each shaped to assume the curvature of a spherical base, are the puzzle components. In the process of play, they are affixed together on to the surface of the base, eg, by magnetic adhesion, so as to produce a representation of a football. In total, twenty different puzzle-pieces may be derived from the surface of a soccer ball. From these, and with the application of contrasting colors, a multiplicity of other puzzle versions within the same concept may be produced.

Description

SOCCER BALL PUZZLE TOY This invention relates to a three-dimensional puzzle toy.

The soccer ball puzzle is a recreational toy intended to give give amusement. In the process of play, shapes are arranged and fitted in a logical or fortuitous manner to produce a solution to the puzzle.

In its completed state, this puzzle toy is three-dimensional and takes the form of a standard 32-piece hand-sewn soccer ball. The eight playing pieces, (called herein puzzle-pieces), each comprise four geometrical shapes that derive from the twenty hexagonal and twelve pentagonal shapes that make up the surface of the above ball and that are shaped to assume the curvature of a spherical base. In the process of play, the puzzle-pieces are affixed by magnetic adhesion to the base.

The preferred material for the pieces would be of plastic composition.

The components of the puzzle toy are now described together with an embodiment of the invention through the example of one version of the puzzle toy that uses an appropriately selected set of puzzle-pieces, and with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each of the Figures the puzzle-pieces are illustrated in a flattened, two-dimensional form.

Figure 1 shows the twenty different puzzle-pieces that derive from the surface of a 32-piece hand-sewn soccer ball; Figure 2 relates to an embodiment of the invention and the depiction of a set of eight puzzle-pieces for playing-use in one version of the puzzle toy.

Figure 3 points to the change of state of adjacent pentagon and hexagon shapes when a puzzle-piece assumes a curved state; The three-dimensional puzzle toy is derived from the structure of the geometrically patterned surface of a standard, handsewn 32-piece soccer ball. These 32 pieces comprise 20 hexagonal shapes and 12 pentagonal shapes. The surface of a soccer ball, so patterned, may be divided into a variety of eight segments so that each segment contains four geometrical shapes. Any of these eight separate segments, divided as above, form the puzzle-pieces that are used as the main elements for play with the puzzle toy.

In dividing the surface of the soccer ball to extract puzzlepieces each comprising four geometrical shapes, a total of twenty different kinds of puzzle-piece may be obtained. These twenty are-eight comprising 2 hexagons and 2 pentagons, eight comprising 3 hexagons and 1 pentagon, one comprising 1 hexagon and 3 pentagons and three comprising 4 hexagons only, (numbered 1 to 20 in Figure 1).

In Figures 1,2 and 3, each puzzle-piece is illustrated in a flattened two-dimensional state. In reality, the shape of the each puzzle-piece assumes the curvature of the spherical base.

Any space, as in the space 21 (Figure 3), between a pentagon and an adjacent hexagon within a puzzle-piece, is closed and the borders become contiguous when the puzzle-piece is in a curved state.

Drawing upon a base of twenty kinds of puzzle-piece, a multi plicity of different versions of the puzzle toy, within the same basic concept, may be derived, either by using eight different, appropriately selected puzzle-pieces, or by using six different, appropriately selected puzzle-pieces together with two puzzle-pieces that are identical.

Each set possesses its own individual solution. As an aid to play the pentagonal and hexagonal shapes of the pieces in a set have contrasting colours, e. g. white and black. Other puzzle versions/sets are distinguished from one another by applying different, contrasting colours to each of their pentagonal and hexagonal shapes, e. g. white and red, yellow and blue.

The aim during play is to affix to a spherical base the eight separate puzzle-pieces in such a way that, on completion, the whole is a representation of a 32-piece hand-sewn soccer ball.

Figure 2, by way of example, shows a particular set of eight puzzle-pieces, (2,3,4,10,14,16,17 and 19 as numbered in Figure 1), for one version of the puzzle toy. To commence play, any one of these puzzle-pieces may be affixed on to any part of the surface of the spherical base. This first piece determines the correct positioning of the remaining pieces. In the process of play, a second is placed so as to adjoin the first, and so on with the remaining pieces in an attempt to affix all pieces in the required correct positions to obtain a solution. The puzzle-pieces, which are affixed by magnetic adhesion, may be removed and re-positioned, at will.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A three-dimensional puzzle toy having eight puzzle-pieces, each comprising four geometrical shapes, that are derived from the twenty hexagonal and twelve pentagonal shapes that make up the surface of a standard 32-piece hand-sewn soccer ball, and which employs, in the process of play, a spherical base upon which the puzzle-pieces, each of which are shaped to assume the surface of the base, are affixed by magnetic adhesion.
2. A three-dimensional puzzle toy as claimed in Claim 1 wherein a hollow spherical base is employed and to which the puzzle-pieces are affixed.
3. A three dimensional puzzle toy as claimed in Claim 1 wherein any one puzzle version using a set of eight puzzlepieces may be selected from a multiplicity of versions that are obtainable from the twenty different puzzle-pieces as described in Claim 1, and which, thereby, possesses its own solution.
4. A three-dimensional puzzle toy as claimed in Claims 1 and 3 wherein, as an aid to play, the pentagonal and hexagonal shapes in a set of puzzle-pieces are each distinguished by contrasting colours.
5. A three-dimensional puzzle toy as claimed in Claim 1,3 and 4 wherein a variety of distinguishing, contrasting colour combinations is applied to each of any other set of puzzlepieces within the basic concept.