Abstract:
This invention generally relates to a set of parallelepipedal bodies (cubes) capable of matingly compatible engagement for interconnection with substantially similar cubes or matingly conformed rails, so as to allow up to three degrees of freedom in the sliding movement of an individual cube or grouping of cubes about a grouping of other interconnected cells from the set. Each cube is constructed from six plates with an interior physical configuration adapted for connection and that lends itself to monolithic injection molding. The exterior physical configuration of all plates are substantially similar. When a number of cubes are assembled into a cubic array, there can be slab movement, row movement or solo cube movement.

Description:
This application is a continuation-in-part of application claiming benefit under 35 U.S.C. §121 U.S. non-provisional application Ser. No. 11/801,904 filed May 11, 2007. The benefit of which is claimed, is considered to be a part of the disclosure of the accompanying application and is hereby incorporated herein its entirety by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention generally relates to a set of cubes, or generally parallelepipedal bodies and matingly conformed rails, capable of sliding engagement so as to allow variable single cube movement and placements within an array of substantially similar cubes and or rails. These cubes form excellent building blocks for hand puzzles and structural construction sets as well as lending themselves to adaptation for a plethora of other uses including slidingly engagable housings for electromagnetic motor drives. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a set of unique parallelepipedal cubes, capable of a hollow core construction. Each cube has six plates, the internal faces of which may matingly interlock in a synergistic design for assembly. In its simplest form, there is only one plate used in the assembly of each cube. This plate can be injection molded in one piece. In another embodiment only two different plates are required to form a cube. The exterior faces of the two plates are substantially similar in physical configuration and are rectangular, however the interior faces differ in the arrangement and number of linear members and slots used for the assembly of the cube. 
     The exterior face design is such that all exterior faces matingly interlock for sliding engagement. In this manner the cubes are free to move about each other individually or in groupings, generally with three degrees of freedom, i.e., movement is allowed in each of the X, Y and Z axis. 
     The interlocking design on the interior face of each face plate maximizes the amount of hollow interior space while providing for a rigid unibody design wherein the strength of the cell is a synergistic function of all six face plates. The ease of fabrication and plethora of applicable uses are some of this invention&#39;s stronger features. 
     When a multitude of cubes are assembled into an array, preferably cubic, there can be slab movement, row movement, or solo cube movement. 
     This invention&#39;s design overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art in that it greatly simplifies the mass fabrication of the cubes as well as the ease of arranging cube groupings about another cube or cube grouping. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the invention, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved, enclosed hollow body cube, constructed with a minimum of generally planar plates. 
     It is another object of this invention to provide a cube for use in a portable puzzle where each of the cube&#39;s six faces can be cheaply and simply fabricated and assembled. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide a set of enclosed body parallelepipedal cubes that is comprised of a single cube exterior face orientation yet still allowing each cube kinematic compatibility in up to three degrees of freedom. 
     It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a hollow body parallelepipedal cube constituting a minimum use of different components. 
     The subject matter of the present invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. However, both the organization and method of operation, together with further advantages and objects thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like elements. Other objects, features and aspects of the present invention are discussed in greater detail below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of the basic assembly concept; 
         FIG. 2A  shows the front, right, and top views of a single base face plates; 
         FIG. 2B  shows the front, right, and top views of two joined base face plates; 
         FIG. 2C  shows the front, right, and top views of three base face plates joined to make half a cube; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the preferred embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is set of arranged drawings showing the first plate&#39;s exterior face, interior face, end views, and side views; 
         FIG. 5A  shows the front, right, and top views of a single face plate in the first alternate embodiment; 
         FIG. 5B  shows the front, right, and top views of two joined face plates in the first alternate embodiment; 
         FIG. 5C  shows the front, right, and top views of three face plates joined to make half a cube in the first alternate embodiment; 
         FIG. 6A  shows the front, right, and top views of a single face plate in the second alternate embodiment; 
         FIG. 6B  shows the front, right, and top views of two joined face plates in the second alternate embodiment; 
         FIG. 6C  shows the front, right, and top views of three face plates joined to make a half cube in the second alternate embodiment; 
         FIG. 7A  shows the front, right, and top views of a single face plate illustrating a possible variation of the second alternate embodiment; 
         FIG. 7B  shows the front, right, and top views of two joined face plates illustrating a possible variation of the second alternate embodiment; 
         FIG. 7C  shows the front, right, and top views of three face plates joined to make a half cube illustration a possible variation of the second alternate embodiment; 
         FIG. 8  shows a dovetail configuration of the T post and ½ T posts on four matingly engaged cubes. 
         FIG. 9  shows a perspective view of a base plate with dovetail configuration of the T post and ½ T posts and a click-stop area; 
         FIG. 10  shows a perspective view of a base plate with the T post and ½ T posts and an offset button in the click-stop area; 
         FIG. 11  is an exploded view illustrating the partial assembly of a third alternate embodiment; 
         FIG. 12  is an exploded view illustrating the partial assembly of a fourth alternate embodiment; 
         FIG. 13  is an exploded view incorporating the fourth alternate embodiment on the interior faces and the T post and ½ T posts on the exterior faces; 
         FIG. 14  illustrates an assembled cube with L posts and linear posts on the exterior faces. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     Looking at  FIG. 1 , an exploded view of the basic assembly concept of a cube can best be seen. (Here the exterior faces  12  have had all T posts  8  and ½ T posts  10  removed for visual clarity.) The physical configuration of the interior faces  20  are identical. Here base cube  1  can be seen as assembled from six substantially similar base face plates  3 . The interior faces  20  of the base face plates  3  have two substantially similar linear assembly members  24  extending normally therefrom. Assembly members  24  are parallel and reside on opposite peripheral edges of interior face  20 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2  A-C it can be seen that both linear assembly members  24  of one base face plate  3  are designed to contact one linear assembly member  24  of all four adjacent base face plates  3  at 90° (with respect to the linear axes of the members) so as to allow for a surface for adhesion (or other method of affixation) between the adjacent plates. In this manner the linear assembly members  24  of six base face plates  3  can be engaged to form a cube  1  as illustrated.  FIG. 2A  shows the front, right, and top views of a single base face plate  3 .  FIG. 2B  shows the front, right, and top views of two joined base face plates  3 , and  FIG. 2C  shows the front, right, and top views of three base face plates  3  joined to make half a cube  1 . 
     Looking at  FIG. 3 , an exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the cube  2 , it can best be seen that in this design there is a first face plate  4  and second face plate  6 , which, when viewing their exterior faces  12 , are mirror images. (This is an assembly requirement because of stearic hindrance caused by the overhang of the T posts  8  and ½ T posts  10 .) It is to be noted that the arrangement of all first face plates  4  is such that there is a common corner shared by all three of these and at the diagonal corner of the cube resides the common corner for the three second face plates  6 . 
     In  FIG. 4 , looking at all six views of a face plate (either of  4  or  6 ) it can be seen that each face plate has one T post  8  and ½ Tee post  10  (formed upon the exterior face  12  thereof so as to form an inverted T slot  14  and an inverted ½ T slot  16  respectively adjacent the ½ T post  10  and T post  8 . The inverted T slot  14  is complementary to the T post  8 , while the inverted ½ T slot  16  is complementary to the ½ T post  10 . This configuration allows for sliding engagement between all face plates when they are oriented correctly. When matingly engaged the off-set design of the face plates allows the plates to slide parallel to the longitudinal axis of the posts or slots. The longitudinal axis of the posts and slots on any exterior face on an assembled cube lies perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the posts and slots on any and all adjacent faces. 
     It is known that the Ts and ½ T posts (See  FIG. 13 ) can be tapered to further facilitate the sliding engagement between face plates of neighboring cubes. 
     It is to be noted that both ends of the T post  8  are cantilevered or extend beyond the edges of face plate  4  or  6 . The amount of cantilever of each end is not equal. It is this feature of the design that forces the use of two sets of three each, mirror image plates. If there were no cantilever, the assembly of the cube  2  would require but six substantially similar face plates. It is this cantilever feature that allows for a truer alignment between the faces of adjacent cubes. In this fashion, sliding cubes will always remain guided by the T posts thereby avoiding jamming. 
     Since the first face plate  4  and the second face plate  6  are mirror images of each other, they have substantially similar length and width dimensions and are rectangular, but are not square. The length of each face plate is defined as the dimension parallel to the longitudinal axis of the slots and Ts thereon and is the largest single physical dimension of the face plates. The width of each face plate is defined as the dimension perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the Ts and slots thereon. The width of each face plate is shorter than the length of each face plate by two times the thickness of the face plate. This allows for the cube  2  to be a regular hexahedron with each visible face having a square configuration when all face plates are assembled into a monolithic structure as the length dimension of each face plate resides adjacent to the width dimension of each adjacent face plate at all edges of the cube  2 . 
     The alternate embodiments have differing methods of connection and alignment dictated by the different configurations of their interior faces. All cube embodiments have substantially similar exterior faces and are virtually indistinguishable when assembled. 
     The interior face of the face plates of the first alternate embodiment as illustrated in  FIG. 5A-5C  deviates from the preferred embodiment face plates with two structural differences. On the interior face  23  of first alternate embodiment plates  9  and  11  resides a raised rectangular platform  26  having a smaller surface area than the exterior face  13 . In the platform  26  there are two detents  28  formed on opposite sides of the rectangular platform  26  non-adjacent to the modified linear members  30 . Each modified linear member  30  has a tab  32  located at the member&#39;s midpoint that is matingly conformed to the detent  28 . In assembly, the tabs  32  are engaged into the detents  28  in the following manner: from each first plate  9  one tab  32  is inserted into a detent  28  of an adjacent first plate  9  and one tab  32  is inserted into the detent  28  of an adjacent second plate  11 ; and from each first plate  9  one detent  28  is filed with a tab  32  from an adjacent first plate and one detent is filled with a tab  32  from an adjacent second plate  11 . Although discussed as rectangular in shape so as to maximize the gluing surfaces, the platform  26  may be of any shape that supports a detent configuration of a modified linear member  30 . As discussed earlier, if the exterior configuration uses T posts that cantilever beyond the edge of the exterior face, then it will be necessary to have a cube assembled wherein half of the plates have mirror image exterior post configuration. If the T post ends even with the plate edge or less than the plate edge then all six of the plates used to assemble the cube will be identical. 
     The interior face of the face plates of the second alternate embodiment as illustrated in  FIG. 6  differs from the preferred embodiment with one structural difference. On the interior face  21  of second alternate embodiment plates  5  resides a raised lip rectangular platform  34  with an exterior lip  36  formed about its perimeter so as to create a groove  38  between the lip  34  and the plate&#39;s interior face  21  on two parallel sides. This groove  38  is dimensioned (in depth and width) to accept the linear assembly members  25 . The rectangular platform  34  has a smaller surface area than the exterior face  15 . There still are two parallel linear members  25  that reside along the edges of the plate ( 5  or  7 ) in a similar fashion to that of the preferred embodiment. These linear members  25  reside perpendicular to the grooves  38 . In assembly, four of the second alternate embodiment first plates  5  are assembled to form a right cylinder (two of these plates have mirror image exterior face configuration) and one of each of the mirrored image preferred embodiment plates  5  and  7 . 
     It is to be noted that the length of linear assembly members  25  may be varied in this second alternate embodiment for ease of assembly or material costs as illustrated in  FIGS. 7A-7C . 
     The interior face of the face plates of the third alternate embodiment as illustrated in  FIG. 11  employs an offset raised platform  31 . On the interior face  33 , of third alternate embodiment plates  17 . The offset raised platform  31  has a smaller surface area than the exterior face  19 . The offset raised platform  31  and third alternate embodiment plate  17  share a common edge  35  such that there is symmetry about their width axis. Assembly of a complete cube requires six plates  17 . 
       FIG. 13  illustrates the offset raised platform interior design of the third alternate embodiment with T posts and ½ T posts on the exterior faces. 
     The interior face of the face plates of the fourth alternate embodiment is illustrated in  FIG. 12 . The fourth alternate embodiment employs the same offset design of the third alternate embodiment but instead uses offset parallel linear members  37  instead of an offset raised platform  31 . On the interior face  41  of the fourth alternate embodiment plates  39  reside a first offset linear member  37  extending normally from interior face  41  and a second offset linear member  49  also extending normally from interior face  41 . Said first offset linear member shares a common edge  43  with fourth alternate embodiment plate  39  such that there is symmetry about their width axis. Assembly requires six plates  39 . 
     The following table explains the plate types and their assembly. 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                   
                   
                 Plate B 
                   
                   
               
               
                 Cube Type 
                 Plate A Interior Face 
                 Interior Face 
                 Plate C 
                 Assembly 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 PE #1 
                   
                   
                   
                   
               
               
                 conventional 
                 two parallel 
                 N/A 
                 N/A 
                 6 of PE#1 
               
               
                 T and ½ T 
                 linear members 
                   
                   
                 Plate A 
               
               
                 posts with 
                 on opposing 
               
               
                 or without 
                 edges of 
               
               
                 click stops 
                 rectangular 
               
               
                   
                 plate 
               
               
                 cantilevered 
                 two parallel 
                 N/A 
                 No Change but 
                 3 of PE#1 
               
               
                 T post 
                 linear members 
                   
                 Exterior face is 
                 plate A &amp; 
               
               
                   
                 on opposing 
                   
                 the Mirror image 
                 3 of PE#1 
               
               
                   
                 edges of 
                   
                 of PE plate A 
                 plate C 
               
               
                   
                 rectangular 
               
               
                   
                 plate 
               
               
                 AE #1 
               
               
                 conventional 
                 raised 
                 N/A 
                 N/A 
                 6 of AE#1 
               
               
                 T and ½ T 
                 platform with 
                   
                   
                 plate A 
               
               
                 posts with 
                 two detents on 
               
               
                 or without 
                 two parallel 
               
               
                 click stops 
                 platform edges 
               
               
                   
                 &amp; two parallel 
               
               
                   
                 linear members 
               
               
                   
                 with mating 
               
               
                   
                 tabs on two 
               
               
                   
                 face edges 
               
               
                 cantilevered 
                 raised 
                 N/A 
                 No Change but 
                 3 of AE#1 
               
               
                 T post 
                 platform with 
                   
                 Exterior face is 
                 plate A &amp; 
               
               
                   
                 two detents on 
                   
                 the Mirror image 
                 3 of AE#1 
               
               
                   
                 two parallel 
                   
                 of AE#1 plate A 
                 plate C 
               
               
                   
                 platform edges 
               
               
                   
                 &amp; two parallel 
               
               
                   
                 linear members 
               
               
                   
                 with mating 
               
               
                   
                 tabs on two 
               
               
                   
                 face edges 
               
               
                 AE # 2 
               
               
                 conventional 
                 raised 
                 two parallel 
                 N/A 
                 4 of PE#2 
               
               
                 T and ½ T 
                 platform with 
                 linear members 
                   
                 plate A &amp; 
               
               
                 posts with 
                 upper lip and 
                 on opposing 
                   
                 2 of PE#2 
               
               
                 or without 
                 groove thereon 
                 edges of 
                   
                 plate B 
               
               
                 click stops 
                 all four sides 
                 rectangular 
               
               
                   
                 and two 
                 plate &amp; no 
               
               
                   
                 parallel 
                 platform 
               
               
                   
                 linear members 
               
               
                   
                 on two face 
               
               
                   
                 edges 
               
               
                 cantilevered 
                 raised 
                 two parallel 
                 Exterior Mirror 
                 4 of PE#2 
               
               
                 T post 
                 platform with 
                 linear members 
                 image of Plate 1 
                 plate A &amp; 
               
               
                   
                 upper lip and 
                 on opposing 
                 and Plate 2 
                 2 of PE#2 
               
               
                   
                 groove thereon 
                 edges of 
                   
                 plate B &amp; 
               
               
                   
                 all four sides 
                 rectangular 
                   
                 1 of each 
               
               
                   
                 and two 
                 plate &amp; no 
                   
                 AE#2 mirror 
               
               
                   
                 parallel 
                 platform 
                   
                 image plates 
               
               
                   
                 linear members 
               
               
                   
                 on two face 
               
               
                   
                 edges 
               
               
                 AE #3 
               
               
                 conventional 
                 raised offset 
                 N/A 
                 N/A 
                 6 of AE#3 
               
               
                 T and ½ T 
                 platform 
                   
                   
                 Plate A 
               
               
                 posts with 
               
               
                 or without 
               
               
                 click stops 
               
               
                 cantilevered 
                 raised offset 
                 N/A 
                 No Change but 
                 3 of AE#3 
               
               
                 T post 
                 platform 
                   
                 Exterior face is 
                 plate A &amp; 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 the Mirror image 
                 3 of AE#3 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 of AE#3 plate A 
                 plate C 
               
               
                 AE #4 
               
               
                 conventional 
                 two offset 
                 N/A 
                 N/A 
                 6 of AE#4 
               
               
                 T and ½ T 
                 parallel 
                   
                   
                 Plate A 
               
               
                 posts with 
                 linear members 
               
               
                 or without 
               
               
                 click stops 
               
               
                 cantilevered 
                 two offset 
                 N/A 
                 No Change but 
                 3 of AE#4 
               
               
                 T post 
                 parallel 
                   
                 Exterior face is 
                 plate A &amp; 
               
               
                   
                 linear members 
                   
                 the Mirror image 
                 3 of AE#4 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 of AE#4 plate A 
                 plate C 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     With the aforementioned design and embodiments, it is possible to fabricate the face plates as monolithic components with such methods as injection molding. This greatly reduces the cost of fabrication as compared to prior art designs. 
     It is also known that a matingly engageable dovetail formation of a dovetail T post  50 , dovetail ½ T post  52 , dovetail T slot  54  and dovetail ½ T slot  56  may be utilized as an optional embodiment to any of the plates illustrated and described herein (See  FIG. 8 ). 
     Looking at  FIG. 8  the effect of having a T post that is cantilevered can be seen, as adjacent plate&#39;s T posts create a unitary linear member therein reducing jamming was the cubes are slidingly engaged along that longitudinal direction. This provides and overlapping joint when two, three, or four cubes meet at their common edge. This overlap means that the cubes are already aligned with each other before they begin to move. 
     Looking at  FIG. 14 , it can be seen that a matingly engageable L post  62  formation with linear post  64  is another optional embodiment to any of the plates illustrated and described herein. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates another optional embodiment click stop exterior face plate configuration that can be utilized with any of the interior face plate configurations discussed herein. This click stop design has the same effect of alignment of the cube that is accomplished utilizing a cantilevered T post. The click stop face plate  44  employs at least one (preferably two) sets of complimentary alignment buttons  40  and recesses  42  on the two edges  46  of the click stop face plate  44  that reside perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the dovetail T post  48 . When the adjacent cubes are closely aligned, the recesses  42  will tightly draw the buttons  40  into a precise location that finely tunes or aligns the cubes edges and longitudinal axes of T posts, therein eliminating the need for cantilevered T posts. In this embodiment the click-stop would serve as the primary bearing surface for movement. 
     As another embodiment of the click stop,  FIG. 10  illustrates an offset button  60 . This facilitates the sliding of cubes without interference between buttons. In the previous embodiment, the cubes must separate slightly as the buttons pass over each other. 
     The above description will enable any person skilled in the art to make and use this invention. It also sets forth the best modes for carrying out this invention. There are numerous variations and modifications thereof that will also remain readily apparent to others skilled in the art, now that the general principles of the present invention have been disclosed.