Novel educational toy

A case and question and answer combination cards having notches in various depths on both longitudinal sides. Question setting and answer setting plates with releasable fixing levers and an indication mechanism is provided on the case. A pair of ropes extend between the card and the question setting and answer setting plates and are connected to the indication mechanism. The ropes are pressed by the plates against both notched sides of the card to determine a correct or incorrect answer in accordance with the depth of the notches. The results are indicated by the indication mechanism.

The present invention relates to a novel educational toy, and more 
particularly, to further improvement in the educational toy as disclosed 
in our co-pending applications Ser. Nos. 653,789; 613,519 and 602,964 
filed Jan. 30, 1976; Sept. 18, 1975 and Aug. 8, 1975, respectively. 
The novel educational toy according to the present invention comprises a 
case, a plurality of changeable question and answer combination cards 
having notches in various depths from both longitudinal sides thereof, a 
series of question setting means with respective releasable fixing means, 
a series of answer setting means with respective releasable fixing means, 
an indication mechanism to indicate either an affirmative or a negative 
answer is made, a pair of ropes extending along the longitudinal direction 
between a card and said question setting means as well as said answer 
setting means, respectively, and connecting to said indication mechanism, 
thereby the said rope will be separately pressed by said question setting 
means and answer setting means against both said notched sides of said 
card to determine the answer either affirmative or negative in accordance 
with corresponding depths of said notches pressed against from said both 
setting means, so that the result will be indicated by said indication 
mechanism. 
It is, accordingly, the main object of the present invention to provide an 
aforementioned educational toy of novel construction.

Now, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 of the drawings, first embodiment of 
the novel educational toy according to present invention mainly comprises 
a case 1, a question and answer combination card 2, a series of question 
setting means 3a to 3d, a series of answer setting means 3'a to 3'd, a 
pair of ropes 4 and 4', and an indicator 5. 
The case 1, as shown in FIG. 1, has an elongated box configuration, but 
other variable types are also available, it is not necessary being limited 
to the illustrated model. The case 1 provides a drawer 11 which can be 
drawn out, as indicated by the dash line, for placing the card 2 thereon. 
The said drawer 11 has a longitudinal extended guide rib 12 to mate with a 
groove (not shown) on the bottom of case 1. At the inner end of the drawer 
11, there is a positioning protrusion 13 (FIG. 2) to mate with a recess on 
the card 2 for the aid of positioning the card 2. 
The question and answer card 2 is removably placed on the drawer 11 then 
pushed into the place as illustrated. The card 2 as shown is only one of 
the unlimited variation, each of which is well designed and printed with a 
number of questions, for example, at left column, and corresponding 
answers, at right column. The said questions and answers may be expressed 
by means of illustration, character, mathematic calculation etc. The card 
2, as best shown in FIG. 2, has notches 21a to 21d and 21'a to 21'd with 
different depths from both longitudinal sides of the card 2. For example, 
the depths of the notches 21d and 21'b designated as one scale, 21c and 
21'd as two scales, 21b and 21'a as three scales and 21a and 21'c as four 
scales. 
Both the question setting means 3a to 3d and answer setting means 3'a to 
3'd are in the form of elongated plates arranged along both longitudinal 
sides of the case 1. Take the question setting means 3b for example, as 
well as other setting means including 3a to 3d and 3'a to 3'd, the 
elongated plate 3b is provided at one end with a sector 31b having a 
plurality of teeth 32b at the peripherial outer rim thereof. The elongated 
plate 3b is connected by means of a shaft 33b to a knob 34b arranged on 
the case 1. The plate 3b can be turned by operating the knob 34b and is 
associated with releasable fixing means 35b which is in the form of 
pivotable lever biased by a compression spring 36b. The fixing means 35b 
has an inwardly hooked tooth 37b meshed with said teeth 34b of the sector 
33b. 
The ropes 4 and 4' are secured at one end on a stud 41 and 41', 
respectively, extended therefrom along the longitudinal direction between 
said card 2 and said question setting means 3a to 3d as well as said 
answer setting means 3'a to 3'd, passing by a plurality of guide rods 42 
and 42' and secured at other end to slidable chambers 54 and 55, 
respectively. 
The indication mechanism comprises a pair of top closed hollow transparent 
columns 51 and 51' each receiving a floatable small balloon 52 and 52', 
and a transverse housing 53, in which a pair of superposed chambers 54 and 
55 are contained. The upper chamber 54 is divided into two compartment 54a 
and 54b, wherein the rear compartment 54a is communicated to the column 51 
via a flexible tube 56 and has only one opening 57a on bottom, while the 
front compartment 54b is communicated to another column 51' via housing 
flexible tube 56' and has a plurality of openings 57b in series on bottom 
provided that the position corresponding to said only one oening 57a is 
blocked. The upper chamber 54 is connected with the rope 4 at one end and 
biased by a tension spring 6 at the other end. Provided with two openings 
58a and 58b in parallel on top, the lower chamber 55 is connected with the 
rope 4' at the one end and biased by a compression spring 7 at same end or 
by a tension spring (not shown) at the other end. The said lower chamber 
55 is communicated with an air source, such as, a resilient air pump 8 via 
a flexible tube 81. The said chamber 54 and 55 are slidable with respect 
to each other within the housing 53. 
In operation, one first of all draws out the drawer 11 and selects one card 
2 to place thereon mating the recess on the card 2 with the protrusion 13, 
then pushes the drawer 11 into place. 
Now, in order to answer the question, for example, "Which one is his 
house?" on card 2 as illustrated, suppose one turns the knob 34b making 
the question setting means 3b to press against the rope 4 into the notch 
21b of three scales and fixed by meshing of the hooked tooth 37b with 
teeth 32b. At this time, the upper chamber 54 is pulled leftwards by the 
rope 4 to an extent corresponding to three scales as shown by 
dotted-and-dash line in FIG. 2, namely, the position of opening 57a is 
displaced to that as shown by imaginary opening 57'a. 
Subsequently, when one turns the knob 34'd making the answer setting means 
3'd to press against the rope 4' into the notch 21'd of two scales and 
fixed by meshing of the hooked tooth 37'd with teeth 32'd, at the same 
time, the lower chamber 55 is pulled rightwards by the rope 4' to 
an-extent corresponding to two scales as shown by dotted line in FIG. 2, 
namely, the position of opening 58a is displaced to that identical at 
57'a. So that, the opening 58a communicates with the opening 57a, while 
the opening 58b is blocked. Then squeeze the pump 8. The air will be 
passed through lower chamber 55, opening 58a, opening 57a rear compartment 
54a, tube 56, into column 51 to blow the balloon 52 up, as indicated by 
the dash line in FIG. 1. Thus, the affirmative answer "Yes" is indicated 
by the indicator 5. 
On the contrary, when any one of the knobs 34'a, 34'b and 34'c is turned, 
the lower chamber 55 will be displaced other than two scales, that means, 
the opening 58a will not communicate with the opening 57a, while the 
opening 55b will comunicate with any one of the openings 57b. So that when 
the pump 8 is squeezed, the balloon 52' inside the column 51' will be 
blown up to indicate a negative answer "No" by the indicator 5. 
When the fixing means 35b is pressed down, as shown by the status of 35d, 
against the spring 36b to release the setting means 3b, the upper chamber 
54 will be pulled back by the tension spring 6 to its original position 
thereby the rope 4 will be tensioned to make the setting means 36 return 
to its original position. Similar operation is also made to release the 
answer setting means 3'd. Then a new quiz procedure can be repeated as 
mentioned above. 
FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a second embodiment according to the present 
invention. For simplification, the same symbols are indicated to show the 
members similar to the first embodiment, and the description of such 
members will be omitted. 
It is apparent from this embodiment in comparison with the first embodiment 
that the question and answer setting means 130'a to 130'e and 3'a to 3'e 
are in the form of a push rod provided with a plurality of recesses 131a 
to 131e and 131'a to 131'e which are associated with a spring trigger 132a 
to 132e and 132'a to 132'e respectively, as fixing means. 
The indication mechanism comprises a pair of non-conducting bars 151 and 
152. The rear bar 151, as best shown in FIG. 6b, is provided with two 
inwardly protruded conducting points 153 and 153' in parallel at upper and 
lower ends. The said bar 151 is connected to the rope 4' at one end and 
biased by a tension spring 154 at the other end. The front bar 152 is 
provided with an inwardly protruded conducting point 155 at its upper end 
and an inwardly protruded conducting strip 155' at its lower end, or vice 
versa, while the strip 155' is interrupted at the place corresponding to 
said conducting point 155, as best shown in FIG. 6a. The said bar 152 is 
connected to the rope 4 at one end and biased by a tension spring 156 at 
the other end. 
The conducting point 153 is electrically connected to one terminal of a 
power source, such as, a dry cell 160 by the wire 161, while the 
conducting point 155 is electrically connected by wire 162 to one terminal 
of affirmative signal lamp 163 which is in turn electrically connected at 
another terminal to the other terminal of dry cell 160 by wire 164. On the 
other hand, the conducting point 153' is electrically connected to another 
terminal of the dry cell 160 by wire 165, while the conducting strip 155' 
is electrically connected by wire 166 to one terminal of switch 167. The 
switch 167 is normally off and may be switched on by the tension of a 
spring 168, which is engaged with rope 42', to be electrically connected 
to one terminal of negative signal lamp 169 upon the operation of rope 4'. 
The lamp 169 is electrically connected to one terminal of the dry cell 160 
by wire 170. Thus two separate circuit systems are constructed. 
In operation, when the question setting means 130d is pressed in three 
scales and fixed by the trigger 132d in corresponding recess 131d, the 
front bar 152 will be pulled by rope 4 leftwards for a distance 
corresponding to three scales. Subsequently, when the answer setting means 
130'b is pressed in three scales and fixed by the trigger 132'b in 
corresponding recess 131b too, then the rear bar 151 will be pulled by 
rope 4' rightwards for a distance corresponding to three scales. At this 
time, the conducting point 155 is in contact with the conducting point 
153, and the affirmative circuit system including wires 161, 162 and 164 
is energized, so that the lamp 163 is lighted to indicate that an 
affirmative answer is made. On the contrary, when any one of the other 
answer setting means 130'a and 130'c to 130'e is pressed, it results that 
the conducting point 153' is in contact with conducting strip 155', and 
the negative circuit system including wires 165, 166, 170 and switch 167 
is energized, so that the lamp 164 is lighted to indicate a negative 
answer is made. 
The above embodiments are given only for illustrative purpose and not by 
the way of limitation. Any variations and modifications evident to those 
skilled in the art will fall within the scope of the attached claims.