Abstract:
A building block system includes sphere assemblies of four predetermined shapes. Each of the predetermined shapes is formed by two or more spheres. To play with the building block system, the sphere assemblies totally include fourteen spheres are to be posed vertically or horizontally to form a three-layer pyramid on a square seat region composed of nine spherical recesses.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to playthings. More particularly, the present invention relates to a building block system designed for young children. The disclosed building block system comprises five kinds of different assemblies coming in pairs and another three kinds of different assemblies coming unpaired, wherein each of the assemblies is composed of two, three, four or five spheres immovably arranged into a particular geometric shape. These assemblies can be used to construct able to form two-dimensional isosceles right triangular or rectangular matrixes and pyramids. The disclosed building block system not only allows players to enjoy the pleasure of building blocks as the traditional building block systems do, but also enlightens children in thinking, comprehension, logical thinking, ratiocination, and unpuzzling. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    One instance in the prior art of building block systems is U.S. Pat. No. 6,220,919, titled “Assembled building block for forming various geometrical shapes with corners having angles 60 degrees, 90 degrees and 120 degrees”. This prior patent includes 19 unit assemblies. Therein, one said unit assembly is a single small unit while the other 18 unit assemblies are formed as diverse two-dimensional geometric shapes each composed of three, four, five or six small units. The prior patent also provides building block seats that respectively have 55, 56, 64, 65, and 83 round holes. To play with the assembled building block playing, a player may select some specific unit assemblies to fill up the round holes in one said building block seat. In addition, the prior patent also provided building block seats for forming pyramids of three, four and five layers. In playing, a player may select some specific unit assemblies to fill up the round holes of one said block seat as a first-layer array and then forms a second-layer array on the first-layer array, wherein the second-layer array contains less small units than the first-layer array does. In the same manner, a pyramid can be built. Furthermore, the prior patent provides building block seats for forming three-dimensional matrixes. The block seats have 14×2, 14×3, 14×4, 15×2, 15×3, 15×4, 16×2, 16×3, 16×4, 19×2, 19×3, 25×1 and 25×2 round holes, respectively. In playing, a player may select some specific unit assemblies to fill up the round hole of one said building block seat to form a first-layer array then forms a second-layer array on the first-layer array, wherein the second-layer array contains as much spheres as that of the first-layer array does. In the same manner, a three-dimensional matrix containing a certain number of layers can be formed. 
         [0005]    While comprising numerous of unit assemblies and requiring accomplishment of structurally complex pyramids or matrixes, the discussed prior patent presents a game that needs players&#39; deliberation and thus might be too difficult for children to play with joy. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Hence, the primary objective of the present invention is to provide a building block system designed for children, and especially for young children. 
         [0007]    The building block system comprises: five kinds of sphere assemblies coming in pairs and three kinds of sphere assemblies coming unpaired; 
         [0008]    The five kinds of sphere assemblies coming in pairs being: 
         [0009]    First sphere assembly: including four spheres arranged into a two-dimensional, non-equilateral “L” shape; 
         [0010]    Second sphere assembly: including two spheres connected; 
         [0011]    Third sphere assembly: including five spheres arranged into a two-dimensional          shape; 
         [0012]    Fourth sphere assembly: including five spheres arranged into a two-dimensional “+” shape; and 
         [0013]    Fifth sphere assembly: including five spheres arranged into a two-dimensional          shape; 
         [0014]    The three sphere assemblies coming unpaired being: 
         [0015]    Sixth sphere assembly: including five spheres arranged into a two-dimensional “W” shape; 
         [0016]    Seventh sphere assembly: including four spheres arranged into a two-dimensional           shape; and 
         [0017]    Eighth sphere assembly: including four spheres arranged into a two-dimensional straight-line shape. 
         [0018]    The building block system further comprises a seat box for collecting the sphere assemblies and helping the sphere assemblies to form pyramids and geometrical matrixes thereon. The seat box comprises: 
         [0019]    a body, having a isosceles right triangular seat region containing 55 spherical recesses and a first square seat region containing 25 spherical recesses arranged into a 5×5 array; and 
         [0020]    a cover for covering the body, having a rectangular seat region containing 55 spherical recesses arranged into a 5×11 array, and a second square seat region containing 9 spherical recesses arranged into a 3×3 array. 
         [0021]    As compared with the previously discussed prior patent, the present invention has some advantages. 
         [0022]    First, the present invention comprises eight kinds of sphere assemblies, wherein five come in pairs and the other three come unpaired. In respect of structure, the present invention reduces variation and complexity of the sphere assemblies and thus provides a game fits children players. 
         [0023]    In one puzzle presented by the disclosed subject matter, a player is required to use four particular types of the sphere assemblies to form a 14-sphere, three-layer pyramid on the square seat region containing 9 said spherical recesses. Different from the traditional games in which the building blocks can only be posed horizontally, the present invention allows players to assemble the sphere assemblies vertically or horizontally so as to introduce a novel playing style of assembling building blocks. Thus the present invention provides a game that looks simple yet is tricking, or in other words, the game is straight yet challenging. 
         [0024]    Further, a player may bottom the three-layer pyramid with a 4×4 two-dimensional matrix that is constructed from another four particular types of sphere assemblies so as to solve another puzzle where the eight particular types of sphere assemblies are formed into a 16-sphere, four-layer pyramid on the square seat region containing 16 said spherical recesses. 
         [0025]    Each of the sphere assemblies of the present invention is composed of two, three, four or five spheres and presents a simple and streamlined profile. Hence, children, particularly young children, can easily comprehend shapes of the sphere assemblies and further use the sphere assemblies to build various two-dimensional or three-dimensional objects. 
         [0026]    In the present invention, each of the puzzles has an exclusive, non-alternative solution. Therefore, the game relates to a relatively simple process and frees its players from complex conditional decision. 
         [0027]    The disclosed building block system not only allows players to enjoy the pleasure of playing building blocks as the traditional building block systems do, but also enlightens children in thinking, comprehension, logical thinking, ratiocination and unpuzzling. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0028]    The invention as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0029]      FIG. 1  provides plane views of all sphere assemblies of the present invention; 
           [0030]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of a seat box of the present invention; 
           [0031]      FIG. 3  is an assembled view of the seat box of the present invention; 
           [0032]      FIG. 4A  shows a 1 st  step for solving Puzzle 1-1; 
           [0033]      FIG. 4B  is a top view of  FIG. 4A ; 
           [0034]      FIG. 4C  shows a 2 nd  step for solving Puzzle 1-1; 
           [0035]      FIG. 4D  is a top view of  FIG. 4C ; 
           [0036]      FIG. 4E  shows a 3 rd  step for solving Puzzle 1-1; 
           [0037]      FIG. 4F  is a top view of  FIG. 4E ; 
           [0038]      FIG. 5A  shows a 1 st  step for solving Puzzle 1-2; 
           [0039]      FIG. 5B  is a top view of  FIG. 5A ; 
           [0040]      FIG. 5C  shows a 2 nd  step for solving Puzzle 1-2; 
           [0041]      FIG. 5D  is a top view of  FIG. 5C ; 
           [0042]      FIG. 5E  shows a 3 rd  step for solving Puzzle 1-2; 
           [0043]      FIG. 5F  is a top view of  FIG. 5E ; 
           [0044]      FIG. 6A  shows a 1 st  step for solving Puzzle 1-3; 
           [0045]      FIG. 6B  is a top view of  FIG. 6A ; 
           [0046]      FIG. 6C  shows a 2 nd  step for solving Puzzle 1-3; 
           [0047]      FIG. 6D  is a top view of  FIG. 6C ; 
           [0048]      FIG. 6E  shows a 3 rd  step for solving Puzzle 1-3; 
           [0049]      FIG. 6F  is a top view of  FIG. 6E ; 
           [0050]      FIG. 7A  shows how to solve Puzzle 1-4 basing on Puzzle 1-1; 
           [0051]      FIG. 7B  is an assembled view of  FIG. 7A , showing the solution of Puzzle 1-4; 
           [0052]      FIG. 8A  shows how to solve Puzzle 1-5 basing on Puzzle 1-2; 
           [0053]      FIG. 8B  is an assembled view of  FIG. 8A , showing the solution of Puzzle 1-5; 
           [0054]      FIG. 9A  shows how to solve Puzzle 1-6 basing on Puzzle 1-3; 
           [0055]      FIG. 9B  is an assembled view of  FIG. 9A , showing the solution of Puzzle 1-6; 
           [0056]      FIG. 10  is a top view showing the solution for Puzzle 2; 
           [0057]      FIG. 11  is a top view showing the solution for Puzzle 3; 
           [0058]      FIG. 12  is a top view showing the solution for Puzzle 4; 
           [0059]      FIG. 13A  shows a 1 st  step for solving Puzzle 5; 
           [0060]      FIG. 13B  is a top view of  FIG. 13A ; 
           [0061]      FIG. 13C  shows a 2 nd  step for solving Puzzle 5; 
           [0062]      FIG. 13D  is a top view of  FIG. 13C ; 
           [0063]      FIG. 13E  shows a 3 rd  step for solving Puzzle 5; 
           [0064]      FIG. 13F  is a top view of  FIG. 13E ; 
           [0065]      FIG. 13G  shows a 4 th  step for solving Puzzle 5; 
           [0066]      FIG. 13H  is a top view of  FIG. 13G ; 
           [0067]      FIG. 13I  shows a 5 th  step for solving Puzzle 5; and 
           [0068]      FIG. 13J  is a top view of  FIG. 13I . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0069]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a building block system of the present invention primarily comprises: 
         [0070]    five kinds of different sphere assemblies coming in pairs and three kinds of different sphere assemblies coming unpaired; 
         [0071]    the five sphere assemblies coming in pairs being: 
         [0072]    first sphere assembly  11  that includes four spheres arranged into a two-dimensional, non-equilateral “L” shape; 
         [0073]    second sphere assembly  12  that includes two spheres connected mutually; 
         [0074]    third sphere assembly  13  that includes five spheres arranged into a two-dimensional          shape; 
         [0075]    fourth sphere assembly  14  that includes five spheres arranged into a two-dimensional “+” shape; and 
         [0076]    fifth sphere assembly  15  that includes five spheres arranged into a two-dimensional          shape; 
         [0077]    the three sphere assemblies coming unpaired being: 
         [0078]    sixth sphere assembly  16  that includes five spheres arranged into a two-dimensional “W” shape; 
         [0079]    seventh sphere assembly  17  that includes four spheres arranged into a two-dimensional          shape; and 
         [0080]    eighth sphere assembly  18  that includes four spheres arranged into a two-dimensional straight-line shape. 
         [0081]    The building block system further comprises a seat box  20  for collecting the sphere assemblies and helping the sphere assemblies to form geometric matrixes thereon. The seat box  20  comprises: 
         [0082]    a body  21 , having an isosceles right triangular seat region  211  containing fifty-five spherical recesses  30  and a first square seat region  212  containing twenty-five spherical recesses arranged into a 5×5 array; and 
         [0083]    a cover  22  for covering the body  21 , having a rectangular seat region  221  containing fifty-five spherical recesses  30  arranged into a 5×11 array, and a second square seat region  222  containing nine spherical recesses  30  arranged into a 3×3 array. 
         [0084]    A positioning portion  213  is provided along a periphery of the body  21  for positioning the cover  22  on the body  21  so that a space is formed between the cover  22  and the body  21  for accommodating all the sphere assemblies  11  through  18 . 
         [0085]    The body  21  and the cover  22  serve not only to accommodate all the sphere assemblies  11  through  18  but also to provide four seat regions for present puzzles. 
         [0086]    At least the following puzzles can be presented through the subject matter of the present invention: 
         [0087]    Puzzle 1: particular types of the sphere assemblies (e.g. the second sphere assembly  12 , the third sphere assembly  13 , the fourth sphere assembly  14 , the fifth sphere assembly  15 , and the sixth sphere assembly  16 ) being used to construct a pyramid on the second square seat region  222 ; 
         [0088]    Puzzle 2: all of the sphere assemblies ( 11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15 ,  16 ,  17  and  18 ) being used to fill all of the spherical recesses  30  in the rectangular seat region  221 ; 
         [0089]    Puzzle 3: all of the sphere assemblies ( 11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15 ,  16 ,  17  and  18 ) being used to fill all of the spherical recesses  30  in the isosceles right triangular seat region  211 ; and 
         [0090]    Puzzle 4: all of the sphere assemblies ( 11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15 ,  16 ,  17  and  18 ) being used to construct a pyramid on the first square seat region  212 . 
         [0091]    The puzzles presented by the four seat regions  211 ,  212 ,  221 ,  222  can actually be solved by arranging all of the sphere assemblies ( 11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15 ,  16 ,  17  and  18 ) in different ways. Thus, a player gets trained in thinking, comprehension, logical thinking, ratiocination and unpuzzling. 
         [0092]      FIGS. 4A through 9J  are provided for diagrammatically illustrating solutions for the puzzles. Therein the thick dotted lines are for indicating the shapes of the sphere assemblies. 
       Puzzle 1-1: 
       [0093]    Two second sphere assemblies  12 , one fifth sphere assembly  15  and one fourth sphere assembly  14  are used to construct a pyramid on the second square seat region  222 . 
       Solution for Puzzle 1-1: 
       [0094]    As shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , all the spheres of the fourth sphere assembly  14  are such settled in the spherical recesses  30  of the second square seat region  222  that four spherical recesses  30  at four corners of the second square seat region  222  are left unoccupied. 
         [0095]    As shown in  FIGS. 4C and 4D , fifth sphere assembly  15  is stacked on the fourth sphere assembly  14  in the manner that the spheres at two ends of the fifth sphere assembly  15  are settled in the two unoccupied spherical recesses  30  of the second square seat region  222 . Described differently, the fifth sphere assembly  15  is now mounted on the fourth sphere assembly  14  like a bridge. At this time, the two left unoccupied spherical recesses  30  of the second square seat region  222  are located at two ends of a diagonal of the second square seat region  222 . 
         [0096]    As shown in  FIGS. 4E and 4F , the two second sphere assemblies  12  fill the last two unoccupied spherical recesses  30  and lean on the previously arranged fifth sphere assembly  15 , so as to form a pyramid and thus solve the present puzzle. 
       Puzzle 1-2: 
       [0097]    Two second sphere assemblies  12 , one fifth sphere assembly  15  and one sixth sphere assembly  16  are used to construct a pyramid on the second square seat region  222 . 
       Solution for Puzzle 1-2: 
       [0098]    As shown in  FIGS. 5A and 5B , all the spheres of the sixth sphere assembly  16  are settled in the spherical recesses  30  of the second square seat region  222  to leave four spherical recesses  30  unfilled and two of the four unoccupied spherical recesses  30  are located at two ends of a diagonal of the second square seat region  222 . 
         [0099]    As shown in  FIGS. 5C and 5D , the fifth sphere assembly  15  is stacked on the sixth sphere assembly  16  in the manner that the spheres at the two ends of the fifth sphere assembly  15  fill the spherical recesses  30  located at the two ends of the diagonal of the second square seat region  222  so that the fifth sphere assembly  15  is mounted on the sixth sphere assembly  16  like a bridge. At this time, two spherical recesses  30  of the second square seat region  222  are unoccupied. 
         [0100]    As shown in  FIGS. 5E and 5F , the two second sphere assemblies  12  fill the last two unoccupied spherical recesses  30  and lean on the previously arranged sixth sphere assembly  16  while being settled beside the fifth sphere assembly  15 , so as to form a pyramid and thus solve the present puzzle. 
       Puzzle 1-3: 
       [0101]    Two second sphere assemblies  12 , one fifth sphere assembly  15  and one third sphere assembly  13  are used to construct a pyramid on the second square seat region  222 . 
       Solution for Puzzle 1-3: 
       [0102]    As shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B , all the spheres of the fifth sphere assembly  15  are settled in the spherical recesses  30  of the second square seat region  222  to leave four spherical recesses  30  unoccupied forming a 2×2 array. 
         [0103]    As shown in  FIGS. 6C and 6D , the third sphere assembly  13  has two spheres filling the spherical recesses  30  at two ends of a diagonal of the 2×2 array and one sphere sitting on the three spheres at the corner of the fifth sphere assembly  15 . At this time, the second square seat region  222  has two spherical recesses  30  unoccupied. 
         [0104]    As shown in  FIGS. 6E and 6F , the two second sphere assemblies  12  fill the last two unoccupied spherical recesses  30  and lean on the previously arranged fifth sphere assembly  15  while being settled beside the third sphere assemble  13 , so as to form a pyramid and thus solve the present puzzle. 
       Puzzle 1-4: 
       [0105]    Two second sphere assemblies  12 , one fifth sphere assembly  15 , one fourth sphere assembly  14 , one eighth sphere assembly  18 , two first sphere assemblies  11  and one seventh sphere assembly  17  are used to construct a pyramid. 
       Solution for Puzzle 1-4: 
       [0106]    As shown in  FIGS. 7A and 7B , the eighth sphere assembly  18 , two first sphere assemblies  11  and one seventh sphere assembly  17  are used to construct a 4×4 matrix. 
         [0107]    Then the two second sphere assemblies  12 , one fifth sphere assembly  15 , and one fourth sphere assembly  14  are, as described in Solution for Puzzle 1-1, used to form a pyramid grounded on the 4×4 matrix so as to solve the present puzzle. 
       Puzzle 1-5: 
       [0108]    Two second sphere assemblies  12 , one fifth sphere assembly  15 , one sixth sphere assembly  16 , one eighth sphere assembly  18 , two first sphere assemblies  11  and one seventh sphere assembly  17  are used to construct a pyramid. 
       Solution for Puzzle 1-5: 
       [0109]    As shown in  FIGS. 8A and 8B , the eighth sphere assembly  18 , two fifth sphere assemblies  15 , and one seventh sphere assembly  17  are used to construct a 4×4 matrix. 
         [0110]    Then the two second sphere assemblies  12 , one fifth sphere assembly  15 , and one sixth sphere assembly  16  are, as described in Solution for Puzzle 1-2, used to form a pyramid grounded on the 4×4 matrix, so as to form a pyramid and thus solve the present puzzle. 
       Puzzle 1-6: 
       [0111]    Two second sphere assemblies  12 , one fifth sphere assembly  15 , one third sphere assembly  13 , one eighth sphere assembly  18 , two first sphere assemblies  11  and one seventh sphere assembly  17  are used to construct a pyramid. 
       Solution for Puzzle 1-6: 
       [0112]    As shown in  FIGS. 9A and 9B , the eighth sphere assembly  18 , two first sphere assemblies  11 , and one seventh sphere assembly  17  are used to construct a 4×4 matrix. 
         [0113]    Then the two second sphere assemblies  12 , one fifth sphere assembly  15 , and one third sphere assembly  13  are, as described in Solution for Puzzle 1-3, used to form a pyramid grounded on the 4×4 matrix, so as to form a pyramid and thus solve the present puzzle. 
       Puzzle 2: 
       [0114]    Two first sphere assemblies  11 , two second sphere assemblies  12 , one fourth sphere assembly  14 , one fifth sphere assembly  15 , one sixth sphere assembly  16 , one seventh sphere assembly  17  and one eighth sphere assembly  18  are used to construct a 5×7 rectangular matrix in a 5×7 rectangular seat region  28  formed by thirty-five spherical recesses. 
       Solution for Puzzle 2: 
       [0115]    The solution is as shown in  FIG. 10 . 
       Puzzle 3: 
       [0116]    All of the sphere assemblies ( 11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15 ,  16 ,  17  and  18 ) are used to fill all of the spherical recesses  30  in the rectangular seat region  221 . 
       Solution for Puzzle 3: 
       [0117]    The solution is as shown in  FIG. 11 . 
       Puzzle 4: 
       [0118]    All of the sphere assemblies ( 11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15 ,  16 ,  17  and  18 ) are used to fill all of the spherical recesses  30  in the isosceles right triangular seat region  211 . 
       Solution for Puzzle 4: 
       [0119]    The solution is as shown in  FIG. 12 . 
       Puzzle 5: 
       [0120]    All of the sphere assemblies ( 11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15 ,  16 ,  17  and  18 ) are used to construct a pyramid on the first square seat region  212 . 
       Solution for Puzzle 5: 
       [0121]    As shown in  FIGS. 13A and 13B , one third sphere assembly  13 , one sixth sphere assembly  16 , one first sphere assembly  11 , one fourth sphere assembly  14  and one seven sphere assembly  17  are used to form a first-layer matrix  41 . It is to be noted that the first-layer matrix  41  leaves two unoccupied spherical recesses  30  at two ends of a diagonal of the first square seat region  212 . 
         [0122]    As shown in  FIGS. 13C and 13D , one third sphere assembly  13 , one first sphere assembly  11 , and one fifth sphere assembly  15  are used to form a second-layer matrix  42  on the first-layer matrix  41 . 
         [0123]    As shown in  FIGS. 13E and 13F , one fourth sphere assembly  14  forms a third-layer matrix  43  on the second-layer matrix  42 . 
         [0124]    As shown in  FIGS. 13G and 13H , one fifth sphere assembly  15  forms a fourth-layer matrix  44  on the third-layer matrix  43 . It is to be noted that the fifth sphere assembly  15  is now having the spheres at its two ends mounted on two opposite ends of a diagonal of the fourth sphere assembly  14 . 
         [0125]    As shown in  FIGS. 13I and 13J , the two second sphere assemblies  12  are used to form a straight-line shape. The second sphere assembly  12  and the eighth sphere assembly  18  each have one end corresponding to one end of a diagonal of the fifth sphere assembly  15  on the fourth-layer matrix  44  and an opposite end corresponding to the spherical recess  30  left unoccupied in the first-layer matrix  41 . Consequently, the two second sphere assemblies  12  are posed slantwise at opposite sides of a diagonal of the finished pyramid. 
         [0126]    The present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment and it is understood that the embodiment is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Moreover, as the contents disclosed herein should be readily understood and can be implemented by a person skilled in the art, all equivalent changes or modifications which do not depart from the concept of the present invention should be encompassed by the appended claims.