WO1992011071A1

WO1992011071A1 - Multiple maze puzzles

Info

Publication number: WO1992011071A1
Application number: PCT/AU1991/000586
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dugald James Keith
Original assignee: CRYSTAL LINES PTY Ltd
Current assignee: CRYSTAL LINES PTY Ltd
Priority date: 1990-12-21
Filing date: 1991-12-18
Publication date: 1992-07-09
Anticipated expiration: 1993-06-21

Abstract

A maze puzzle (1) includes at least two maze fields (2, 3, 4, 2', 3', 4') each having an associated cursor (8, 6, 10, 11, 9, 7) movable only within the passages of its associated field, the movement of each cursor being at least partially dependent upon the movement of at least one other cursor. The design and relative location of the maze fields is such that movement of any selected cursor from one predetermined point (13, 12, 14) to another (16, 15, 17) requires movement of each other cursor between predetermined points.

Description

MIITIPLE MAZE PUZZLES

This invention relates to maze puzzles and provides several alternative forms of puzzle, each of which incorporates two or more mazes which must be solved simultaneously in order to pass from a starting point in each respective maze to a subsequent or finishing point in each respective maze.

Simple mazes are known in which a person wishing to solve the maze must follow a path along the passages defined by walls which interrupt a direct pathway between a starting point and a subsequent or finishing point in the maze. Such simple mazes are normally constructed or otherwise laid out on a two dimensional field. Depending on the nature of the maze, the two dimensional field may be, for example, an area of land on which the walls defining the passageways are constructed from an appropriate building material such as brick, stone or timber, or may be formed by hedges of appropriate shrubs or trees. Alternatively, a two dimensional maze field can be represented on paper with lines to indicate the walls and the clear spaces between the lines, the passages.

Two dimensional field mazes are fairly simple to solve by following a selected side wall from the start to the finish, provided one starts at a wall which is not part of an "island" isolated by passageway from any other wall and does not encounter an "island" as one moves through the maze. It is possible to create "islands" within a maze structure when the walls have a solid base. Any maze construction which does not have a solid base cannot incorporate this feature which will normally increase the complexity of the maze and the difficulty presented to the person wishing to solve the maze.

The object of the present invention is to provide maze puzzles of increased complexity.

The present invention provides a maze puzzle including at least two maze fields each having an associated cursor, wherein each maze field includes a plurality of interconnected passages defined by walls and

UBSTITUTE SHEET the associated cursor is movable only within the passages, characterised in that the movement of each cursor is at least partially dependent upon the movement of at least one other cursor and the maze fields are designed and located relative to each other so that movement of any selected cursor from one predetermined point to another in its associated maze field requires the movement of each other cursor between predetermined points in its associated maze field. One form of maze puzzle made in accordance with this invention consists of at least three two dimensional maze fields arranged mutually perpendicular to each other with a cursor device having three mutually perpendicular cursor arms, a different arm being located in a passage of each different maze field. Preferably this form of puzzle has substantially identical maze fields forming each opposite face of a cube, the passages in each field being cut from the walls of the cube and the cursor arms having three mutually perpendicular axes which intersect within the hollow interior of the cube, for example, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The complexity of the puzzle in this form is preferably increased by marking selected start and end points for the cursor arms on each face, and requiring the solver to move the cursor from one point to another.

Further complexity may be added by designating additional points in the three dimensional matrix within which the cursor can move. For example it can be designated that the cursor's centre should be moved sequentially from one corner to another as indicated by numbers or other symbols on the cube. Furthermore, the solver may be required to move the cursor to each position in succession in a minimum time or with a minimum number of cursor moves. In this way, instead of simply moving the cursor from the "start" to the "end", it must instead rapidly follow a certain designated path during which it may repeatedly cross through positions which it has already previously occupied. This adds greatly to the interest and complexity of the puzzle.

SUBSTITUTE SHEE A maze puzzle as described in the preceding paragraph as being of hollow cubic construction, does not allow the incorporation of the "island" complexity factor. However, this additional factor can be introduced by forming three mutually perpendicular maze fields having passages cut into the apex of a solid triangular pyramid. This proposed construction can be understood by picturing the removal of a block containing the apex of a triangular pyramid, the removal being effected by making a cut into the interior of the pyramid from each of the three side edges of the pyramid. Each of these cuts should be made commencing a selected equal distance from the apex of the pyramid and extending from each side edge so as to cut the side surfaces of the pyramid perpendicular to the edge where the cut is commenced, and thereby extending parallel to the remaining two side edges of the pyramid. The selected distance from the apex of the pyramid at which the cuts are commenced will preferably be the same distance on each side edge, so that the block containing the apex of the pyramid which is removed will be a cube.

With the removal of the block containing the apex of the pyramid, three mutually perpendicular faces are exposed in the upper portion of the triangular pyramid, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. Each of these faces forms a maze field and the passages for each maze are cut into the material forming the triangular pyramid and extend perpendicular to the exposed face on which each particular maze field is formed. The remaining material of the pyramid surrounding the passages so cut constitutes the walls defining the maze passages. It will be appreciated that with this form of maze construction, each maze wall has a solid base portion, so that stable "islands" can be incorporated in the maze pattern.

Each face of the block containing the apex of the pyramid has extending from it a rod which extends perpendicular to each face corresponding to the faces remaining in the pyramid on which the maze patterns are formed. The three cursor rods thus provided are mutually perpendicular to each other but do not necessarily diverge from a common point within the block which, with the rods, forms a cursor device.

In this form of maze device, the three maze patterns are designed so that the cursor block and the cursor rods which are retained within their associated maze patterns can be moved to trace related passageways through the three mazes whereby the cursor block can be moved from a starting point to a finishing point in solving the maze puzzle. This form of maze puzzle is constructed with the cursor rods at least partially inserted in the relevant passages and one preferred starting (and/or finishing) point is that at which the cursor block is fully nested within the remnant of the pyramid to complete the pyramidal form of the puzzle block as a whole. Preferably at least one of the cursor block and the pyramidal base portion of the puzzle is formed from a transparent plastics material which enables the respective maze patterns and the location of the respective cursor rods to be visible to the user of the puzzle. The hollow cubic construction of puzzle is also inhibited by constructional constraints, in designing for increased complexity. Thus for a cube of practicable size, the passageways cannot be made too complex as this will make the relatively thin sheets, needed to form the walls defining the maze passages, too weak. On the other hand, if the thickness of the walls is increased to compensate for the lack of strength in thinner walls, relatively fine cursor arms must be provided. In a further embodiment of the present invention, complex maze patterns including "islands" may be formed but the puzzle still requires the simultaneous solution of two or more mazes.

In this further embodiment, a single base plate is provided on or in which two or more maze coplanar fields are defined, for example as shown in Figure 5. Thus, a maze field may be formed by engraving passageways into the base plate. Alternatively, the walls defining the maze passages can be raised above the surface of the base plate, for example, by cutting the desired pattern of passages into a thin sheet of material and affixing that sheet of material to the base plate so that the remaining material of the thin sheet constitutes the maze walls. It will be appreciated that in this way relatively thin maze walls can be formed and that the maze pattern can include "islands" but that the integrity of the maze field will be maintained by the underlying base plate.

This form of maze device further includes a cursor member for each maze field, freely movable within the maze passages of its associated field, apart from the constraint offered by at least one cursor track with which each cursor member is operatively associated. Each cursor member is able to move freely within the limits defined by the or each associated cursor track, apart from the constraint offered by the walls defining the passages within which the cursor member may move. Each cursor track is capable of restricted movement in relation to its associated maze field or fields. Thus, a cursor track may be capable of either transverse or longitudinal movement from side to side of a maze field. However, the movement of the cursor track is dependent on the ability of the or each associated cursor member to move within the maze passages.

Each cursor track is preferably substantially straight and extends longitudinally in alignment with one direction of the maze passages in the associated maze patterns. The remaining sections of the maze passages (apart from the interconnecting corner sections) extend parallel with one of the cursor tracks. Thus, the preferred form of maze pattern has passages in which any change of direction of the passage is substantially at right angles to the direction previously followed. Thus for example in such maze patterns, some passages will have a generally north-south alignment while the remaining passages will have a generally east-west alignment. The cursor track or tracks for such maze patterns will therefore have either north-south or east-west alignment.

Preferably at least two cursor tracks are mounted substantially perpendicular to each other. It is further

SUBSTITUTESHE preferred in such a situation to locate a cursor member at the intersection of two cursor tracks so that the movement of this cursor member is dependent on the location of each intersecting cursor track as well as the maze passage which the cursor member is following.

In a modification of the embodiment of the invention last discussed, the movement of the several cursor members relative to each other can be constrained, not by cursor tracks as described above, but by interconnection of two or more cursor members with a flexible connecting medium such as a cable or cord. The length of each cable or cord will be such that no one cursor member can move throughout its associated maze field without some corresponding movement of the other cursor member or members to which it is connected.

In yet another modification of the last described embodiment, a single maze field can be formed in or on the base plate and a plurality of cursor members provided with the ability to move only within restricted areas of the common maze field. The area of movement for each cursor member can be restricted by imposing a further constraint on the movement of the cursor member allowed by the cursor track or connecting medium. For example, each length of cursor track may include one or more barriers preventing movement of the cursor member and/or cursor track beyond the constraint imposed by the barrier. Where the cursor members are connected by a flexible connecting medium, the connecting medium can itself be fixed at one or more points between its associated cursor members to provide an additional constraint on the movement of the cursor members and of the flexible connecting medium.

The preceding description has referred briefly to the accompanying drawings. These drawings are given by way of example only to illustrate various forms of multiple maze devices which may be made in accordance with the present invention. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of maze device;

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the device of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of another form of maze device without its associated cursor block;

Figure 4 is an expanded side view of the device of Figure 3 but also including the associated cursor block; and

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of yet another form of maze device.

Figures 1 and 2 show a hollow cubic maze block 1 having complementary maze fields cut through its opposed sides 2, 2', 3, 3* and 4, 4' and a cursor 5 with mutually perpendicular cursor arms 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. The outer side faces can carry markings as at 12, 13 and 14 and at 15, 16 and 17 indicating "start" and "end" points for one suggested procedure in "solving" the puzzle. The outer side faces can also carry figures identifying the corners of the cube for use in another suggested "solving" procedure.

Figures 3 and 4 show a pyramidal solid base 20 from which a cubic block has been removed at its apex to form cursor block 21. Maze fields are perpendicularly cut into the inner surfaces of the base exposed by the removal of the apex. Cursor rods 22, 23, 24 extend perpendicularly from the faces of the cursor block 21 which have been exposed by removal of the apex. In use, the maze device is assembled with each cursor rod retained within the passageways of its associated maze field and able to move to a limited extent depending on the relationship between the respective maze patterns. As the maze passageways are cut into the solid base material, the maze patterns can include "islands" of solid material surrounded by passageway, thus increasing the difficulty of "solving" the maze.

The device of Figure 5 includes a solid base 30 carrying four different maze fields. Maze passageways are cut into base 30 and cursor points A, B, C and D are movably retained within the passageway pattern of their respective maze fields. Cursor points A, B, C and D are also movably retained at the junction of two

SUBSTITUTESH perpendicularly related beams. The beams 31, 32, 33 and 34 are mounted for movement transversely of the base with beams 31 and 32 running perpendicular to beams 33 and 34.

The movement of each cursor point A, B, C and D is thus constrained both by the passageway in which the cursor point is retained and by the movement which the intersection of the beams holding the cursor point can make. Thus, for example, point A cannot move to the left in maze field 1 unless point C can move to the left in maze field 3, while point C cannot move upwards unless point D can also, and so on. The points in the respective maze fields by the corners marked S may act as the starting points in a suggested puzzle solving procedure which is completed when the cursor points are moved to the points by the corners marked F.

SUBSTITUTESHEET

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A maze puzzle including at least two maze fields each having an associated cursor, wherein each maze field includes a plurality of interconnected passages defined by walls and the associated cursor is movable only within the passages, characterised in that the movement of each cursor is at least partially dependent upon the movement of at least one other cursor and the maze fields are designed and located relative to each other so that movement of any selected cursor from one predetermined point to another in its associated maze field requires the movement of each other cursor between predetermined points in its associated maze field.

2. A maze puzzle as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that three different maze fields are arranged mutually perpendicular to each other and the associated cursors are formed as mutally perpendicular cursor arms of a single cursor device.

3. A maze puzzle as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that substantially identical maze fields form each opposite face of a cubic structure and the cursor arms intersect within the cubic structure, each pair of opposite faces including a designated star point and a designated end point for the respective cursor arms.

4. A maze puzzle as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that each pair of opposite faces includes additional designated points enabling the partial but not complete definition of a pathway to be followed by the respective cursor arms in solving the puzzle.

5. A maze puzzle as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the passages in at least one maze field form at least one closed pathway thus defining an island surrounded by passage.

6. A maze puzzle as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that each of the three maze fields is

SUBSTITUTESHE formed by cutting its passages into a face remaining near the apex of a solid triangular pyramid after removal of a cubic solid containing the apex of the pyramid, and the cursor arms extend from the removed cubic solid to form the cursor device.

7. A maze puzzle as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that two or more coplanar maze fields are defined on a base plate, and at least one cursor track with which at least one of the cursors is operatively associated is capable of restricted movement in relation to its associated maze field or fields dependent on the ability of the or each associated cursor to move within the maze passages.

8. A maze puzzle as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that two substantially straight cursor tracks are mounted substantially perpendicular to each other and to some sections of the passages in each maze field, the remaining sections of the passages in each maze field (apart from the interconnecting corner sections) lying parallel with one of the cursor tracks.

9. A maze puzzle as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that two pairs of parallel cursor tracks are mounted so that each track is able to lie and move perpendicular to the tracks in the other pair, and a cursor member is mounted at each intersection of the cursor tracks thus providing four cursors, and each cursor is movable within the passages of a different maze field lying coplanar on the base plate.

10. A maze puzzle as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that two or more coplanar maze fields are defined on a base plate, and two or more cursor tracks each operatively associated with at least one of the cursors are capable of restricted movement constrained by their interconnection with a flexible connecting medium.