WO1998052662A1

WO1998052662A1 - Three-dimensional puzzle

Info

Publication number: WO1998052662A1
Application number: PCT/ES1997/000226
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jesús Manuel DIAZ ESCAÑO
Original assignee: Diaz Escano Jesus M
Priority date: 1997-05-21
Filing date: 1997-09-17
Publication date: 1998-11-26
Also published as: JP2000515413A; ES2133234A1; AU9711698A; CN1230130A; CN1133474C; ES2133234B1; EP0931573A1

Abstract

Three dimensional-puzzle (1) of the educational games type designed for the development of imagination and perception of space, comprised of an assembly of n3 (n x n x n) pieces such as small cubes (2) which are similar between each other, n being an integer higher than 1, means being provided to join said small cubes (2) so as to form a main cubic piece comprised of n small cubes (2) per side edge and of which the ornamentation corresponds to a fraction or part which is distinct from ornamentations selected for the different bi-dimensional 6n puzzles which form the images of said three-dimensional puzzle (1).

Description

THREE-DIMENSIONAL PUZZLE

Description.

The object of the present invention refers, as its title indicates, to a three-dimensional puzzle, of the type of educational games designed for the development of imagination and the perception of space, and particularly the procedure for obtaining combinations for the omamentations of the faces of said three-dimensional puzzle, which presents some important advantages over the educational games currently on the market.

Currently, different types of educational games such as puzzles, puzzles and the like are known, consisting of a certain number of pieces that the player must place and / or fit properly to form a certain image such as, for example, a photograph, a drawing, etc. . The difficulty of this type of games grows, generally, as the number of pieces increases, also depending largely on the abstract nature of the image to be composed.

However, this type of educational games are solved in the plane, that is, in two dimensions, and, in most cases, they offer a single solution or image to obtain (six in the case of the puzzles), of such Once resolved, that is, once the image is composed, the player only has the possibility to undo the composition and repeat the construction process, if he wishes to continue playing.

In order to create a new educational game for the development of imagination and the perception of space, the three-dimensional puzzle object of the present invention has been developed.

A first object of the present invention refers to the development of an educational game for the development of imagination and the perception of space, while playing with two and three dimensions at the same time, in the search it remains of the situation and location of the pieces that make up said three-dimensional puzzle.

A second object of the present invention relates to the procedure for obtaining combinations for the ornamentation of said three-dimensional puzzle, understood as ornamentation as a manufacturing phase, in which the ornamentation of each of the pieces that make up the three-dimensional puzzle, as part of the different images to compose during the realization of the game.

More specifically, the three-dimensional puzzle object of the present invention refers to an educational puzzle game, consisting of a set of n ³ (nxnxn) cube-shaped pieces (hereinafter referred to as cubes) equal to each other, with n a number integer greater than 1, with joining means of said cubes suitable for defining by joining them a cube shaped piece of n cubes per edge. The ornamentation of said cubes is composed of 6n different two-dimensional puzzles, suitable for alternative visualization of n groups of six puzzles, one on each of the faces of said main piece in the form of a main cube.

The ornamentation of each of the cubes preferably consists of a printed, engraved or defined ornamentation using stickers, although any other known recording technique can be used, corresponding to each of the printed faces of each of said cubes to a different fraction or part of the ornaments chosen for the 6n different two-dimensional puzzles that make up the images of the three-dimensional puzzle object of the present invention, of any type and motif, such as photographs, artistic works, drawings, etc.

The joining means between the different cubes suitable for defining by joining them a main cube-shaped piece of n cubes per edge consists, in a first embodiment, in a set of small cylindrical bars, made of paper, plastic , cardboard, wood, metal or similar materials, insertable in corresponding holes made at the midpoint of each of the faces of each of said cubes, of dimensions suitable for receiving said small cylindrical bars, with depth preferably less than half an edge of said cube. The dimension of each of these holes must be small enough not to disturb the image of each of the two-dimensional puzzles that are displayed when composing the three-dimensional puzzle.

Said joining means between the different cubes suitable for defining by joining them a main cube-shaped piece of n cubes per edge consists, in a second embodiment, in a housing made of transparent material such as methacrylate, plastic or materials. similar, suitable to house all the cubes without gaps, as well as to allow the visualization from the outside of each of the ornamentations obtained when composing the three-dimensional puzzle.

However, said housing may be presented in its form, in several different models, provided that it meets the intended requirements set forth above.

The joining means between the different cubes suitable for defining by joining them a main cube-shaped piece of n cubes per edge consists, in a third embodiment, in a support, preferably constituted by a trihedron of perpendicular planes between yes, made of a transparent material, which preferably has means of transport such as a handle, handle or the like.

Finally, in a fourth embodiment, said joining means between the different cubes consist of magnetic means capable of holding together the faces of each of the cubes that form the three-dimensional puzzle.

In this way, the three-dimensional puzzle object of the present invention is constituted by placing each of the cubes in such a way that a cube of n cubes per edge is constructed, on each of whose surfaces a different image is represented, being able to compose the cubes in different ways until visualizing the 6n different images of the three-dimensional puzzle. The three-dimensional puzzle thus obtained is constituted in this way in an educational game whose complexity increases remarkably with the number of cubes and with the complexity of the designs, suitable for all ages, and that offers the player the possibility of entertainment and Fun through a game of more than one solution.

As indicated above, a second object of the present invention relates to the process for obtaining the combinations for the ornamentation of said three-dimensional puzzle, said ornamentation being understood as a manufacturing phase in which the ornamentation is defined of each of the cubes that make up the three-dimensional puzzle, once selected the 6n different images to compose during the realization of the game. Through this phase of ornamentation, each of the different fractions or parts of the ornaments chosen for the 6n two-dimensional puzzles that correspond to each of the faces of the cubes that make up the three-dimensional puzzle are defined, being essential to give solution to the game. Said procedure for obtaining the combinations for the ornamentations of the three-dimensional puzzle will be used for the manufacture or configuration of a prototype or model that later, for example, will be manufactured in series at the factory.

The procedure for obtaining the combinations for the ornamentation of said three-dimensional puzzle is preferably broken down into two different procedures, depending on the size of the three-dimensional puzzle, although the first one can be used for any size of three-dimensional puzzle.

More specifically, the procedure for obtaining the combinations for the ornamentation of said three-dimensional puzzle comprises the steps of: a) the construction of one of the main cubes of n cubes per edge representing one of the n solutions of the three-dimensional puzzle , hereinafter referred to as joint cubes; b) the division of the cube set of said joint cube into subconjun- cough characterized by the position that each of them occupies in the joint cube, such as: the subset of vertex cubes, which groups those cubes that occupy vertex positions in a joint cube; - the subset of edge cubes, which groups those cubes that occupy positions on the edges in the joint cube except those vertex cubes; the subset centered cubes, which groups those cubes that occupy positions centered on the faces seen of the joint cube; and the subset of inner cubes, which groups those cubes that occupy interior positions of the whole cube, and therefore, are not seen cubes; c) the ornamentation of the faces seen from the cubes belonging to the vertex, edge and center subsets of the whole cube; d) the construction of a second joint cube, from said division into subsets, moving one or more cubes of each subset to a different subset; e) the division of the set of cubes of said second set cube into said vertex, edge, centered and interior subsets; f) the ornamentation of the faces seen from the cubes belonging to the vertex, edge and centered sub-assemblies of the joint cube, it must be fulfilled that the ornamentation, simultaneous or not, that comprises two faces of the same cube form between them a dihedral, and the ornamentation, simultaneous or not, comprising three faces of the same cube form among them a trihedron; g) the successive construction of the different joint cubes by repeating steps (d) to (f) until completing the n joint cubes.

The procedure thus described is advantageously used for n less than or equal to 6, being substantially complicated for larger three-dimensional puzzles.

The procedure for obtaining the combinations for the ornamentation of said three-dimensional puzzle for n greater than or equal to 6, where n is the number of cubes per edge of the three-dimensional puzzle, comprises: a) the division of the set of cubes that make up the three-dimensional puzzle into subsets characterized by the position that each of these cubes occupies in each and every one of the joint cubes, such as: the subset of vertex cubes, which groups those cubes that they always occupy vertex positions in each of the joint cubes, consisting of 4n cubes; the subset of edge cubes, which groups those cubes that always occupy positions on the edges in each of the joint cubes except those vertex cubes, consisting of 4n * (n-2) cubes; and the subset centered cubes, which groups those cubes that always occupy positions centered on the faces seen of each of the joint cubes, consisting of n * (n-2) * (n-2) cubes; b) obtaining for each of said subsets of the division (ratio and remainder R) of the total number of cubes of a given subset between the number P of positions of said subset in a joint cube; d) for a division in step (b) not exact, that is, non-zero R, the determination for each of said subsets of the number G _PT of groups of R (remainder of the division of step (b)) cubes of said subset by three-dimensional puzzle, obtained by dividing the total number of cubes of said subset by the remainder R of the division made in step (b); c2) for a division in the exact step (b), that is, R equal to zero, the determination for each of said subsets of the number G _PT of groups of P positions (divisor of the division of the step (b)) cubes of said subset by three-dimensional puzzle, obtained by dividing the total number of cubes of said subset by the divisor P of the division made in step (b); d1) for a division in step (b) not exact, that is, non-zero R, the determination for each of said subsets of the number G _cc of groups of R (remainder of the division of step (b)) cubes of said subset by joint cube, obtained by dividing the number of positions of said subset into a given joint cube by the remainder R of the division made in step (b); d2) for a division in the exact step (b), that is, R equal to zero, the determination for each of said subsets of the number G _cc of groups of P positions (divisor of the division of the step (b) ) cubes of said sub- set by set cube, obtained by dividing the number of positions of said subset in a given set cube by the divisor P of the division made in step (b), that is, G _cc is the unit; e) in case that for one or more of the subsets the result of the divisions made in steps (d and c2) and (d1 and d2) is (one or both) a non-integer number, it is performed for each of said subsets: e1) the determination of a natural number m in increasing order and closer to (the) decimal numbers that multiplied by this result in another natural number; e2) the product of the number G _PT of groups of R (rest of the division of step (b)) cubes of said subset by three-dimensional puzzle, obtained in steps (d and c2), by said natural number m determined in step ( e1), obtaining a new number G _PT 'of groups of R / m (remainder of the division of step (b) divided by said natural number m, determined in step (e1)) cubes of said subset by three-dimensional puzzle; e3) the product of the number G _cc of groups of R (rest of the division of step (b)) cubes of said subset by joint cube, obtained in steps (d1 and d2), by said natural number m determined in step (e1), obtaining a new number G _cc 'of groups of R / m (remainder of the division of step (b) divided by said natural number m determined in step (e1)) cubes of said subset per joint cube; e4) the division of R (rest of the division of step (b)) cubed by said natural number m determined in step (e1), obtaining R '(= R / m); f) the successive ornamentation of the faces seen from the cubes that form each of said subsets defined in step (a), grouped into groups of G _PT groups of Gcc cubes, respectively G _PT 'groups of G _cc ' cubes, building successively each of the joint cubes, subdividing the set of cubes of each of said subsets into groups of G _cc cubes, respectively groups of G _cc 'cubes, it being necessary that the ornamentation of cubes, simultaneous or not, comprising three faces from the same cube they form a trihedron between them, and the ornamentation, simultaneous or not, of cubes comprising two faces of the same cube form a dihedral among them. By means of the procedure for obtaining the combinations for the ornamentations of the three-dimensional puzzle thus described, a prototype or model is obtained which, for example, will be manufactured in series at the factory.

Likewise, optionally, instead of the mass production of the three-dimensional puzzles from the prototype obtained, some sticker templates obtained from the development on the plane of each of the prototype cubes obtained in the ornamentation stage can be manufactured previously described, suitable for adhering to each of said cubes that make up said three-dimensional puzzle.

The gluing of each of said stickers on each of the cubes that make up said three-dimensional puzzle can be done at the factory or directly by the player, giving him the possibility that he himself builds the pieces of his three-dimensional puzzle, pasting the ornamentations For this, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the player is provided with gluing means consisting of a first centering means of a face of the cube on the sticker, preferably consisting of an L-shaped template having coupling means of the sticker and guiding means of the corresponding cube, as well as of a second gluing means capable of simultaneously adhering the sticker on four faces of the cube, once the sticker is centered on one of its faces through the previous means, preferably consisting of a means for guiding the cube through a hole of square section whose measurements correspond substantially to those of the cube with the sticker attached to its faces, and whose entry edges are preferably beveled suitable for not damaging the sticker.

From all of the above, the advantages provided by the three-dimensional puzzle object of the present invention are easily deduced, such as the fact of offering an educational game for the development of imagination and the perception of space, with multiple solutions that allow the Player create different constructions corresponding to each of these solutions. Optionally, the three-dimensional puzzle of the present invention can be constructed on the screen of a computer so that instead of being used manually, it can be used as an educational game through a computer program for which the user will have to use a keyboard, or mouse or similar objects.

Thus, a three-dimensional program with image treatment will be used to form the cubes on the computer screen, as well as faceting and mapping of said images, allowing the formation of various images and sizes. This program will have to include options for animation, reduction and enlargement of the images of the cubes, their respective faces, the main cube and their respective faces; as well as options such as: timing to time the time it takes to make a cube or other times of interest; score based on time spent and / or errors and successes; realization of a game script, an accompaniment music during the game, an alarm signal, attention call or error when the pieces are placed in incorrect positions; and that the script can offer other games within the main game.

In order to better understand the object of the present invention, a preferred practical embodiment of the three-dimensional puzzle, method for manufacturing it, and procedure for obtaining combinations for the ornamentations of the faces of said three-dimensional puzzle are described below, based on The attached figures. These figures show:

Figure 1 shows an example of a three-dimensional puzzle of 27 cubes (3 x 3 x 3) object of the present invention.

Figures 2a and 2b show a first embodiment of the means for joining the cubes that make up the three-dimensional puzzle shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of the means for joining the cubes that make up the three-dimensional puzzle shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 shows a third embodiment of the means for joining the cubes that make up the three-dimensional puzzle shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 shows an example of a template of stickers obtained from the development on the plane of each of the cubes of the prototype obtained in the ornamentation stage of the latter.

Figures 6a and 6b show respectively two examples of embodiment of centering means of a face of the cube on a sticker of the sticker template shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 shows an exemplary embodiment of a gluing means capable of simultaneously adhering the sticker on four faces of the cube, once the sticker is centered on one of its faces through one of the means represented in Figures 6a and 6b.

As represented in Figure 1, the three-dimensional puzzle (1) object of the present invention refers to an educational puzzle game, composed in the present practical embodiment by a set of 27 cubes (2) (3 x 3 x 3 ) equal to each other. Said cubes (2) have joining means suitable for defining by joining these a main cube-shaped piece of 3 cubes (2) per edge. The ornamentation of said cubes (2), consisting for example in a printed ornamentation, is composed of 18 different two-dimensional puzzles, which in the present practical embodiment correspond to geometric figures, suitable for alternative visualization of 3 groups of six puzzles, one on each of the faces of said main cube. Each of the printed faces of each of said cubes (2) corresponds to a different fraction or part of the ornaments chosen for the 18 different two-dimensional puzzles that make up the images of the three-dimensional puzzle (1).

Figures 2a and 2b, 3 and 4 represent, respectively, three embodiments of said joining means between the different cubes (2) suitable for defining these by joining a cube-shaped main piece of 3 cubes (2) per edge.

In a first embodiment, represented in Figures 2a and 2b, said joining means consist of a set of small cylindrical bars (3) insertable in corresponding holes (4) practiced at the midpoint of each of the faces of each of said cubes (2), of dimensions suitable for receiving without said said small cylindrical bars (3), of depth less than half of an edge of said cube (2). As seen in Figure 2a, the dimensions of said holes (4) are small enough not to disturb the image of each of the two-dimensional puzzles that are displayed when composing the three-dimensional puzzle d).

In a second embodiment, shown in FIG. 3, said joining means consist of a transparent housing (5), with sliding cover (6), capable of accommodating all the cubes (2) without gaps. ), as well as to allow the visualization from the outside of each of the ornamentations obtained by composing the three-dimensional puzzle (1), the lateral faces of said housing (5) being formed by removable lateral bands (6 ').

Multiple different embodiments of such a housing can be imagined, ranging from a simple transparent urn, to more complex embodiments such as that shown in Figure 3, provided that the intended requirements set forth above are met.

Finally, as shown in FIG. 4, in a third embodiment, said joining means between the different cubes (2) consist of a support (7), constituted by a piano tryron (8a, 8b, 8c) perpendicu - each other, made of a transparent material, which preferably has means of transport such as a handle or handle (9).

Likewise, in a fourth embodiment, not shown in the figures, said joining means between the different cubes can consist of magnetic means suitable to hold the faces of each of the cubes that form the three-dimensional puzzle, constituted, for example, by pieces or small metal sheets and ferrite cores embedded in the faces of the cubes or inside them.

As indicated above, a second object of the present invention refers to the process for obtaining the combinations for the ornamentation of said three-dimensional puzzle (1), said ornamentation being understood as a manufacturing phase in which the ornamentation of each of the cubes (2) that make up the three-dimensional puzzle (1), after selecting the images to compose during the realization of the game. By means of said ornamentation phase, each of the different fractions or parts of the ornaments chosen for the two-dimensional puzzles that correspond to each of the faces of the cubes (2) that make up the three-dimensional puzzle (1) are defined, resulting fundamentally mental to give solution to the game. Said procedure for obtaining the combinations for the ornamentations of the three-dimensional puzzle (1) is used for the manufacture or configuration of a prototype that later, for example, will be manufactured in series at the factory.

Optionally, instead of the mass production of three-dimensional puzzles (1) from the prototype obtained, sticker templates (10) can be manufactured, as shown in Figure 5, obtained from the development on the plan of each of the cubes (2) of the prototype obtained in the ornamentation stage of the latter. The size of said stickers (11) is adjusted to that of the cubes (2) to adhere to each of them.

The gluing of each of said stickers (11) on each of the cubes (2) that make up said three-dimensional puzzle (1) can be done at the factory or directly by the player, giving him the possibility that he builds himself the pieces of your three-dimensional puzzle (1), gluing the ornaments. In order to facilitate the realization of gluing with precision, suitable gluing means are offered at the factory or to the player. As shown in Figure 6a, said gluing means consist of an L-shaped template (12) arranged on a base (13), fixed thereto by means of thyme-nut sets (14) that pass through holes ( 15) interns. Said template (12) in L has on its long side a hole of dimensions substantially equal to those of a face of one of the cubes (2), suitable for attaching a first side of the sticker (11), and on its side short of a cut in its coupling plane with said base (13) of dimensions substantially equal to those of a face of one of the cubes (2), suitable for attaching a second side of the sticker (11). Likewise, the internal right angle of the template (12) in L is constituted in guiding means of the corresponding cube (2).

Figure 6b represents a simplified embodiment of the gluing means represented in the previous figure, consisting of a single piece (16), when defining in a single element the template (12) and the base (13) represented in the figure previous. The shapes and measures of said piece (16) correspond to those of the elements represented in said previous figure.

Once the sticker (11) is adhered on one of the faces of the cube (2), a second gluing means is offered, as shown in Figure 7, capable of simultaneously adhering the sticker (11) on four faces of the cube (2). Said means consist of a piece (17) that has a hole (18) of square section whose measurements substantially correspond to those of the cube (2) with the sticker attached on its faces. The entry edges (19) are beveled suitable for not damaging the sticker (11).

As indicated above, a second object of the present invention relates to the process for obtaining the combinations for the ornamentation of said three-dimensional puzzle, said ornamentation being understood as a manufacturing phase in which the ornamentation is defined of each of the cubes that make up the three-dimensional puzzle, once selected the 6n different images to compose during the realization of the game. The procedure for obtaining combinations for the ornamentation of a three-dimensional puzzle, for a three-dimensional puzzle of 27 cubes, that is, n = 3, is developed as an example.

Said process comprises firstly the construction of one of the 3 cube sets cubes per edge that represents one of the 3 solutions of the three-dimensional puzzle. In other cases of three-dimensional puzzles of different sizes, the number of solutions will be equal to n.

Next, the set of 27 cubes of said joint cube is divided into subsets characterized by the position that each of them occupies in the joint cube, such as: the subset of vertex cubes, which groups the 8 cubes that occupy the positions of vertex in the whole cube; - the subset of edge cubes, which groups the 12 cubes that occupy the positions on the edges in the joint cube except for said 8 vertex cubes; the subset centered cubes, which groups the 6 cubes that occupy positions centered on the faces seen of the whole cube; and - the subset of inner cubes, which groups the only inner cube that occupies the inner position of the whole cube, and therefore, is not a seen cube.

With the joint cube so constructed, the faces seen from the cubes belonging to the vertex, edge and center sub-assemblies of the joint cube are ornamented, corresponding to three faces seen for the 8 cubes of the vertex cube subset, two faces seen for 12 cubes of the subset of cubes edge, and a face seen for the 6 cubes of the subset of centered cubes.

Next, a second joint cube is constructed, from said division into subsets, moving one or several cubes of each subset to a different subset, according to the following table (Table 1):

Table 1

where:

"C" means the number of cubes in the corresponding subset; "CV" means expensive faces of each of the cubes of the corresponding subset; "-" means "of";"/'means" coming from ";and" / "means" matches in "; and where: expressions such as" 8 - 3 "are read as" eight cubes with three occupied faces "; the expressions of the" 6 - 4} A. - 2 "are read as" six cubes, with four faces occupied, from the edge position of! cube set 1, with two faces occupied "; and expressions of the type" 12 - 2 [. _? "They are read as" twelve cubes with two occupied faces, divided into six cubes with two occupied faces and six cubes with two occupied faces ".

More specifically, the 8 cubes of the vertex cube subset of the

HOÜA RECTIF ICADA (RULE 91) ISA / ES The first set cube is divided into three groups, such as a cube (with three occupied faces), which moves to a vertex position of the second set cube, showing its three faces not yet ornamented; six cubes (with three occupied faces), which move to six edge positions of the second set cube, showing two of its three faces not yet ornamented; and a cube (with three occupied faces), which moves to the inner position of the second set cube, not showing any of its three faces not yet ornamented.

In turn, the 12 cubes of the subset of edge cubes of the first joint cube are divided into two groups, such as six cubes (with two occupied faces), which move to six edge positions of the second joint cube; and another six cubes (with two occupied faces), which move to the six centered positions of the second set cube, showing one of its four faces not yet ornamented.

The 6 cubes of the subset of centered cubes (of an occupied face) of the first set cube move to vertex positions of the second set cube, showing three of its five faces not yet ornamented.

Finally, the cube of the subset of inner cubes (of no occupied face) moves to a vertex position of the second set cube.

The second set cube thus constructed exhibits in its six faces outward the respective non-ornate faces of the cubes that make up the three-dimensional puzzle, proceeding to the ornamentation of the faces seen of the cubes by means of six new images.

Once the second set cube is constructed and ornamented, the division of the set of cubes of said second set cube is carried out into said vertex, edge, centered and interior sub-assemblies, according to the characteristics established above.

Once this second set cube is ornamented, the third cube is constructed joint cube from said division into subsets, moving one or more cubes from each subset to a different subset, according to the following table (Table 2):

Table 2

where the same symbology is used as in table 1

As shown in Table 2, the 8 cubes of the subset of vertex cubes of the second set cube are divided into three groups, such as: - a cube (with three occupied faces), from the subset of inner cubes of the first cube set, which moves to a vertex position of the third set cube, showing its three faces not yet ornamented; a cube (of six occupied faces), coming from the subset of vertex cubes of the first joint cube, which moves to the inner position of the third joint cube; and six cubes (of four occupied faces), coming from the subset of centered cubes of the first joint cube, which move to edge positions of the third joint cube, showing its two faces not yet ornate.

RECTIFIED HOUSE (RULE 91) ISA / ES tadas

Likewise, the 12 cubes of the subset of vertex cubes of the second set cube are divided into two groups: - six cubes (of five faces occupied), coming from the subset of vertex cubes of the first set cube, which move to the six centered positions of the third set cube, showing its only face not yet ornamented; and six cubes (of four occupied faces), coming from the subset of edge cubes of the first joint cube, which move to six edge positions of the third joint cube, showing its two faces not yet ornamented.

The 6 cubes of the subset of centered cubes of the second set cube, coming from the subset of edges cubes of the first set cube, and which have three faces occupied, move to six vertex positions of the third set cube, showing their three faces not yet ornamented

Finally, the cube of the subset of inner cubes of the second set cube, coming from the subset of vertex cubes of the first set cube, and which has three faces occupied, moves to a vertex position of the third set cube, showing its three faces still not ornamented.

Again, the third set cube thus constructed exhibits in its six faces outward the respective faces not yet ornamented of the cubes that make up the three-dimensional puzzle, proceeding to the ornamentation of the faces seen of the cubes by means of six other different images.

As indicated above, the procedure thus described is advantageously used for puzzles of 6 cubes per edge or smaller, substantially complicated for larger three-dimensional puzzles.

For this reason, the present invention offers a second procedure to obtain the combinations for the ornamentation of the three-dimensional puzzle for n greater than or equal to 6, where n is the number of cubes per edge of the three-dimensional puzzle.

The procedure for obtaining combinations for the ornamentation of a three-dimensional puzzle, for a three-dimensional puzzle of 343 cubes, that is, n = 7, is developed by way of example.

Firstly, the division of the set of 343 cubes that make up the three-dimensional puzzle into subsets characterized by the position that each of these cubes occupies in each and every one of the joint cubes is performed, such as: the subset of vertex cubes, which groups those cubes that always occupy vertex positions in each of the joint cubes, consisting of 4n cubes (C _v ), that is, in this case, 28 cubes; the subset of cubes edge, which groups those cubes that always occupy positions on the edges in each of the joint cubes except those vertex cubes, consisting of 4n * (n-2) cubes (C _A ), that is, in this case , 140 cubes; and - the subset centered cubes, which groups those cubes that always occupy positions centered on the faces seen of each of the joint cubes, consisting of n * (n-2) * (n-2) cubes (C _c ), is say, in this case, 175 cubes.

The division (quotient (a _v , a _A , a _c ) and remainder (R _v , R _A , Re)) of the total number of cubes of a given subset (C _v , C) is then obtained for each of these subsets _A , C _c ) between the number of positions of said subset in a joint cube (P _v , P _A , P _c ).

Thus, for the subset of vertex cubes, where P _v = 8 and C _v = 28

^ - 3.5 (1)

P _v 8 with which a _v - 3 (2) and R _v - 4 (3) Similarly, for the subset of edge cubes, where P _A = 60 and C _A = 140:

° ^{A 140} 2,333 (4)

P _A ^" 60 whereby _A - 2 (5) and

R _A - 20 (6)

Finally, for the subset of centered cubes, where P _c = 150 and

whereby _c - 1 (8) and R _c - 25 (9)

Once these relationships are obtained, it is determined for each of said subsets of the number (G _PW , G _PTA , G _PTC ) of groups of R (R _v , R _A , R _c ) (rest of the division of the previous step) cubes of said subset by three-dimensional puzzle, obtained by dividing the total number of cubes of said subset (C _v , C _A , C _c ) by the remainder R (R _v , R _Al R _c ) of the division made in the previous step.

More specifically, for the subset of vertex cubes, since C _v = 28 and R _v = 4:

that is, seven groups of four cubes per three-dimensional puzzle.

Similarly, for the subset of edge cubes, since C _A = 140 and R _A = 20:

_GpTA - ^. 1 ^. 7 (11)

"* R _A 20 that is, seven groups of 20 cubes per three-dimensional puzzle.

Finally, for the subset of centered cubes, since C _c = 175 R _c = 25:

Q. ^ £. l. 7 (12)

"* R _c 25 that is, seven groups of 25 cubes per three-dimensional puzzle.

The number (Gcc. G _CCA . C _CCC ) ^of groups of R (R _v , R _A , R _c ) (rest of division one of the previous steps, according to equations (3) is determined for each of these subsets ), (6) and (9)) cubes of said subset per joint cube, obtained by dividing the number of positions of said subset into a given joint cube (P _v , P _A , P _c ) by the remainder R (R _v , R _A , R _c ) of the previous division.

More specifically, for the subset of vertex cubes, since P _v = 8 and R _v = 4:

G _ccv - -1 - ^ - 2 (13) ^ccv R _v 4 that is, two groups of four cubes per set cube.

Also, for the subset of edge cubes, since P _A = 60 and

R _A = 20:

_Q. £ a. 60 _ _{3 (14)}

^CCA R _A 20 that is, three groups of 20 cubes per set cube.

Finally, for the subset of centered cubes, since P _c = 150 and R _c = 25:

that is, six groups of 25 cubes per set cube

Once the number of cube groups per three-dimensional puzzle (G _PTV , G _PTA , G _PTC ) has been obtained for each of the cube subsets using the relationships indicated in equations (10), (11) and (12), as well as the number of groups of cubes per joint cube (Gccv. G _CCA . G _CCC ) by means of the relationships indicated in equations (13), (14) and (15), the successive ornamentation of the faces seen from the cubes that form each of said defined subsets, successively building each of the joint cubes

The following table schematically represents the configuration of the corresponding joint cubes, for the subset of vertex cubes

Table 3a

where C C means set cube

As shown in the 3rd table, first the _j daub cube apex subassembly (C _v = 28) is divided into seven groups (G _PTV = 7) of four cubes (R _V = 4) For successive construction of the different joint cubes two groups (Gec = 2) of four cubes (R _v = 4) are taken, whose faces are occupied successively Thus in the first joint cube two of the seven groups of four cubes are taken and occupy three of their faces, in the second set cube is taken | two other of the seven groups of four cubes and three of their faces are occupied, in the third set cube two of the seven groups of four cubes are taken and three of their faces are occupied, in the fourth set cube the group is taken remaining of the seven of

RECTIFIED HOUSE (RULE 91) ISA / ES four cubes and three of their faces are occupied, and one of the groups already ornamented in the first joint cube, and the remaining three faces not yet ornamented are occupied; in the fifth joint cube the second of the groups already ornamented in the first joint cube is taken, occupying the three remaining faces not yet ornamented and one of the groups already ornamented in the second joint cube, occupying the three remaining faces not yet ornamented; in the sixth set cube the second of the groups already ornamented in the second set cube is taken, occupying the three remaining faces not yet ornamented and one of the groups already ornamented in the third set cube, occupying the three remaining faces not yet ornamented; and in the seventh set cube the second of the groups already ornamented in the third set cube is taken, occupying the three remaining faces not yet ornamented and the group of four cubes of three ornate occupied faces in the room, occupying the three remaining faces still not ornamented.

Naturally, the cubes encompassed in groups of cubes that are not ornamented in the corresponding joint cube, become part of the interior of the joint cube, and are considered as neutral cubes, while the exact position they occupy inside is indifferent of the corresponding set cube.

Similarly, the cubes of the subset of edge cubes are used. The following table schematically represents the configuration of the corresponding joint cubes, for the subset of edge cubes:

Table 3b

H03A RECTIFIED (RULE 91) ISA / ES where CC means set cube.

As shown in Table 3b, the set of cubes of the edge subset (C _A = 140) is divided into seven groups (G _PTA = 7) of twenty cubes (R _A = 20). For the successive construction of the different joint cubes, three groups (G _CCA ⁼ 3) of twenty cubes (R _A = 20) are taken, whose faces are occupied successively. Thus: in the first joint cube three of the seven groups of twenty cubes are taken and two of their faces are occupied; - in the second joint cube, three of the seven groups of twenty cubes are taken and two of their faces are occupied; in the third joint cube the remaining group of the seven of twenty cubes is taken and two of its faces are occupied, and two of the three groups already ornamented in the first joint cube, occupying two of the remaining faces not yet ornamented; in the fourth joint cube the remaining group of the three groups already ornamented in the first joint cube is taken, occupying two of the remaining faces not yet ornamented, and two of the three groups already ornamented in the second joint cube, occupying two of the remaining faces not yet ornamented; in the fifth set cube the remaining group of the three groups already ornamented in the second set cube is taken, occupying two of the remaining faces not yet ornamented, the group of two ornate faces of the third set cube, occupying two of the remaining faces still not ornamented, and one of the two groups of four ornate faces of the third set cube, occupying its two remaining faces not yet ornamented; in the sixth set cube the other of the two groups of four ornate faces of the third joint cube is taken, occupying its two remaining faces not yet ornamented, and two of the three groups of four ornate faces of the fourth joint cube, occupying its two faces remaining not ornamented; and in the seventh set cube the other of the three groups of four ornate faces of the fourth set cube is taken, occupying its two remaining faces not yet ornamented, and the two groups of four ornate faces of the fifth set cube, occupying its two remaining faces not yet ornamented. As in the previous case, the cubes encompassed in groups of cubes that are not ornamented in the corresponding joint cube, become part of the interior of the joint cube, and are considered as neutral cubes, while the exact position is indifferent that these occupy inside the corresponding joint cube.

Finally, proceed with the cubes of the subset of centered cubes. The following table represents the configuration of the corresponding joint cubes, for the subset of centered cubes:

Table 3c

where C.C. means set cube.

As shown in Table 3c, the set of centered subset cubes (C _c = 175) is divided into seven groups (G _PTC = 7) of 25 cubes (R _c = 25). For the successive construction of the different joint cubes, six groups (Gcc ^ δ) of 25 cubes (¥ (¿= 25) are taken, whose faces are occupied successively. Thus: in the first joint cube six of the seven groups are taken of 25 cubes and one of its faces is occupied; in the second set cube the remaining group of the seven groups of 25 cubes is taken and one of its faces is occupied, and five of the six ornate groups on one of its faces in the first set cube, and another of its faces is occupied;

RECTIFIED HOUSE (RULE 91) ISA / ES in the third set cube the remaining group of the six ornate groups is taken on one of its faces after the first set cube, and another of its faces is occupied, the ornate group on one of its faces after the second set cube, and it occupies another of its faces, and four of the five ornate groups on two of its faces after the second set cube, and another of its faces is occupied; in the fourth set cube the remaining group of the five ornate groups is taken on two of their faces after the second set cube, and another of their faces is occupied, the two ornate groups on two of their faces after the third set cube, and another of its faces is occupied, and three of the four ornate groups on three of its faces after the third joint cube, and another of its faces is occupied; In the fifth set cube the remaining group of ornate groups is taken on three of their faces after the third set cube, the three ornate groups on three of their faces after the fourth set cube, and another of their faces is occupied, and two of the three ornate groups on four of their faces after the fourth set cube, and another of their faces is occupied; in the sixth set cube the remaining group of ornate groups is taken on four of their faces after the fourth set cube, the four ornate groups on four of their faces after the fifth set cube, and another of their faces is occupied, and one of the two ornate groups on five of their faces after the fifth set cube, and the last of their faces is occupied; and in the seventh set cube the remaining group of ornate groups is taken on five of their faces after the fifth set cube, and the five ornate groups on five of their faces after the sixth set cube, and the last of their faces is occupied .

It should be taken into account that, as in the previous cases, the cubes encompassed in groups of cubes that are not ornamented in the corresponding joint cube, become part of the interior of the joint cube, and are considered as neutral cubes, as that the exact position that they occupy inside the corresponding joint cube is indifferent.

Optionally, the three-dimensional puzzle of the present invention may be constructed by means of an appropriate software to be presented on a computer screen so that instead of being used manually, it can be used as an educational game through said computer program for which the user will have to use a keyboard, mouse or peripheral objects Similar.

This will make use of a three-dimensional (3D) program with image treatment with the following options:

- Shaping on the computer screen 3D cubes, as well as faceting and mapping them, allowing the formation of various images and sizes with different levels of difficulty;

- animation, both of the cubes and the main cube or even partial images of them, being able to move them from one position to another;

- reduction and enlargement of images of the main cube and cubes, and their respective faces and images;

- remove the pieces from the main hub and / or undo the latter;

- timing to time the time it takes to make a cube or other times of interest;

- score based on time spent and / or errors and successes;

- game script, so that the vision of images, pieces, etc. create a psychological state of confusion and disorder to create stimulation for the player, to order;

- an accompaniment music during the game;

- an alarm signal, attention call or error when parts are placed in incorrect positions; - Offering other games within the main game or suggestions to the player to be oriented towards the desired solution.

Once the nature of the present invention has been sufficiently described, as well as a way of putting it into practice, it only remains to be added that as a whole and its component parts it is possible to introduce changes in form, materials and arrangement, as long as said alterations do not substantially vary the characteristics of the invention claimed below.

Claims

1.- Three-dimensional puzzle (1) of the type of educational games designed for the development of imagination and perception of space, consisting of a set of n ³ (nxnxn) cube-shaped pieces, called cubes (2), equal with each other, with n an integer greater than 1, which has means of joining between said cubes (2) suitable for defining by means of joining these a cube-shaped piece or main cube of n cubes (2) per edge, whose ornamentation corresponds to a different fraction or part of the ornaments chosen for the 6n different two-dimensional puzzles that make up the images of said three-dimensional puzzle, characterized in that the procedure for obtaining combinations for ornamentation of said three-dimensional puzzle comprises the stages from: a) construction of one of the main cubes of n cubes per edge that represents one of the n solutions of the three-dimensional puzzle, hereinafter referred to as adelan you cubes together; b) division of the set of cubes of said joint cube into subsets characterized by the position that each of them occupies in the joint cube, such as: - the subset of vertex cubes, which groups those cubes that occupy vertex positions in a cube set; the subset of edge cubes, which groups those cubes that occupy positions on the edges in the joint cube except those vertex cubes; - the subset centered cubes, which groups those cubes that occupy positions centered on the faces seen from the whole cube; and the subset of inner cubes, which groups those cubes that occupy interior positions of the whole cube, and therefore, are not seen cubes; c) ornamentation of the faces seen from the cubes belonging to the vertex, edge and center subsets of the whole cube; d) construction of a second joint cube, from said division into subsets, moving one or several cubes of each subset to a different subset; e) division of the set of cubes of said second set cube into said vertex, edge, center and interior subsets; f) ornamentation of the faces seen of the cubes belonging to the vertex, edge and centered sub-assemblies of the joint cube, it must be fulfilled that the ornamentation, simultaneous or not, comprising two faces of the same cube form a dihedral between them, and the ornamentation , simultaneous or not, which comprises three faces of the same cube form among them a trihedron; g) successive construction of the different joint cubes repeating steps (d) to (f) until completing the n joint cubes.

2. Three-dimensional puzzle according to the first claim, characterized in that the procedure for obtaining the combinations for the ornamentation of said three-dimensional puzzle for n greater than or equal to 6, where n is the number of cubes per edge of the three-dimensional puzzle, comprises the stages of: a) division of the set of cubes that make up the three-dimensional puzzle into subsets characterized by the position that each of said cubes occupies in each and every one of the joint cubes, such as: the subset of vertex cubes, which groups those cubes that always occupy vertex positions in each of the joint cubes, consisting of 4n cubes; the subset of edge cubes, which groups those cubes that always occupy positions on the edges in each of the joint cubes except those vertex cubes, consisting of 4n * (n-2) cubes; and - the subset centered cubes, which groups those cubes that always occupy positions centered on the faces seen of each of the joint cubes, consisting of n * (n-2) * (n-2) cubes; b) obtaining for each of said subsets of the division (quotient and remainder R) of the total number of cubes of a given subset between the number of positions of said subset in a joint cube; d) for a division in step (b) not exact, that is, non-zero R, determination for each of said subsets of the number G _PT of groups of R (remainder of the division of step (b)) cubes of said subset by three-dimensional puzzle, obtained by dividing the total number of cubes of said subset by the remainder R of the division made in step (b); c2) for a division in the exact step (b), that is, R equal to zero, determination for each of said subsets of the number G _PT of groups of P positions (divisor of the division of the step (b)) cubes of said subset by three-dimensional puzzle, obtained by dividing the total number of cubes of said subset by the divisor P of the division made in step (b); d1) for a division in step (b) not exact, that is, non-zero R, determination for each of said subsets of the number G _cc of groups of R (remainder of the division of step (b)) cubes of said subset by joint cube, obtained by dividing the number of positions of said subset into a particular cube cube among the remainder R of the division made in step (b); d2) for a division in the exact step (b), that is, R equal to zero, determination for each of said subsets of the number G _cc of groups of P positions (divisor of the division of the step (b)) cubes of said subset by joint cube, obtained by dividing the number of positions of said subset into a given joint cube by the divisor P of the division made in step (b), that is, G _cc is the unit; e) in case that for one or more of the subsets the result of the divisions made in steps (d and c2) and (d1 and d2) is (one or both) a non-integer number, it is performed for each of said subsets: e1) the determination of a natural number m in increasing order and closer to (the) decimal numbers that multiplied by this result in another natural number; e2) the product of the number G _PT of groups of R (rest of the division of step (b)) cubes of said subset by three-dimensional puzzle, obtained in steps (d and c2), by said natural number m determined in step ( e1), obtaining a new number G _PT 'of groups of R / m (remainder of the division of step (b) divided by said natural number m, determined in step (e1)) cubes of said subset by three-dimensional puzzle; e3) the product of the number G _cc of groups of R (rest of the division of step (b)) cubes of said subset by joint cube, obtained in steps (d1 and d2), by said natural number m determined in step (e1), obtaining a new G _cc 'number of groups of R / m (rest of the division of step (b) divided by said natural number m determined swimming in step (e1)) cubes of said subset per joint cube; e4) the division of R (rest of the division of step (b)) cubed by said natural number m determined in step (e1), obtaining R '(= R m); f) successive ornamentation of the faces seen of the cubes that form each of said subsets defined in step (a), grouped into groups of Gpγ groups of Gcc cubes, respectively Gpγ 'groups of G _cc ' cubes, successively building each of the joint cubes, subdividing the set of cubes of each of said subsets into groups of G _cc cubes, respectively groups of G _cc 'cubes, it must be fulfilled that the ornamentation of cubes, simultaneous or not, comprising three sides of the same cube form among them a trihedron, and the ornamentation, simultaneous or not, of cubes comprising two sides of the same cube form among them a dihedral.

3. Three-dimensional puzzle according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said joining means between the different cubes (2) consist of a set of small cylindrical bars (3), made of paper, plastic, wood, metal or similar materials , and a set of holes (4) made at the midpoint of each of the faces of each of said cubes (2), of dimensions suitable for receiving, without gaps said small cylindrical bars (3), preferably smaller in depth than half an edge of said cube (2).

4. Three-dimensional puzzle according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said joining means between the different cubes (2) consist of a casing (5) made of transparent material such as methacrylate, plastic or the like, suitable to house without slack the all the cubes (2) as well as to allow the visualization from the outside of each of the ornamentations obtained by composing the three-dimensional puzzle (1).

5. Three-dimensional puzzle according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said joining means between the different cubes (2) consist of a support (7), preferably constituted by a trihedron of perpendicular planes (8a, 8b, 8c ) with each other, made of a transparent material, which preferably has means of transport such as a handle, handle (9) or the like.

6. Three-dimensional puzzle according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said joining means between the different cubes (2) consist of magnetic means suitable to hold together the faces of each of said cubes (2) that form the three-dimensional puzzle , preferably constituted by a set of pieces or small metal sheets and ferrite cores embedded in the faces of the cubes (2) or inside them.

7. Three-dimensional puzzle according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that it is constructed by means of an appropriate computer program on its screen so that the game is carried out through the use of peripheral computer elements such as keyboard, mouse, or similar.

8. Three-dimensional puzzle according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that sticker templates obtained from a development on the plane of each of the prototype cubes obtained in the ornamentation stage can be manufactured, suitable for adhering on each of said cubes that make up said three-dimensional puzzle.

9. Three-dimensional puzzle according to claim 8, characterized in that the gluing of each of said stickers on each of the cubes is done by means of gluing consisting of a first means of centering a face of the cube on the sticker, preferably consisting of a template whose geometries in part represent an L that has means for coupling the sticker and guiding means of the corresponding cube, as well as a second gluing means capable of simultaneously adhering the sticker on four faces of the cube, a once the sticker is centered on one of its faces through the anterior means, preferably consisting of a means for guiding the cube through a hole of square section whose measurements substantially correspond to those of the cube with the sticker attached on its faces, and whose entry edges are preferably beveled suitable not to damage the sticker.