Patent Publication Number: US-8523691-B2

Title: Combination structure for a labyrinth

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a combination structure for a labyrinth, particularly to one that is convenient to be assembled, disassembled and transported and can be changed and recombined to form different routes as one pleases, diversified in labyrinth play, safe in use and able to attain an effect of implying instruction in amusement. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Generally, a conventional labyrinth structure sets up outdoors for amusement or for teaching includes several separating plates and firm joint members combined together. The firm joint members of the conventional labyrinth structure are generally screws or iron nails, and the routes designed for the conventional labyrinth are fixed, impossible to be changed at will, and after played for several times, the fixed routes of the conventional labyrinth have been already memorized by the players and become familiar to them, thus losing pleasure and challenge of play in the labyrinth and failing to arouse public interest and in consequence, leaving the labyrinth structure deserted. Therefore, the labyrinth routes have to be changed frequently for continuously maintaining novelty of the labyrinth play; nevertheless, detaching the components of the labyrinth and then reassembling them together to set up a new labyrinth will take much time and require lots of troubles and in the course of detachment, the separating plates are apt to be damaged and impossible to be reused, not only wasting materials but also contaminating the environment as well. Further, the fixed type labyrinth components are extremely huge in volume, which are not easy to be moved about and will take too much space in transportation. Furthermore, after being assembled to make a labyrinth, the separating plates are in a closed condition and hence, the moving directions of the players in the labyrinth cannot be seen from the outside. Thus, when children are playing in the labyrinth, parents are unable to know where the children are, and the children inside the labyrinth may begin to cry because of panic and even worse, danger may occur to the children. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention is devised to offer a combination structure for a labyrinth, convenient in assembly and disassembly, applicable to any site, easy to be detached and recombined at will to make up a new labyrinth with different routes, diversified in labyrinth play and safety in use. 
     The combination structure for a labyrinth in the present invention includes lots of labyrinth units combined together to make up various labyrinths with different routes. Each labyrinth unit is composed of four frame rods, a reinforcing support bar and a plurality of fixing members. The four frame rods have their ends mutually and vertically butt jointed to form into a square, and each frame rod has two ends respectively formed with a connecting end that is lengthwise cut with a recess and bored with an insert hole and has its wall bored with plural insert holes. The reinforcing support bar is obliquely set inside the four frame rods and has two ends formed with connecting ends respectively bored with an insert hole and having two sides respectively and axially cut with a recess. The fixing members are inserted through the insert holes of the connecting ends of the four frame rods and in the insert holes of the connecting ends of the reinforcing support bar for firmly fastening the four frame rods and the reinforcing support bar together to make up a labyrinth unit. 
     Each frame rod of this invention has one connecting end axially cut with a one-half recess and another connecting end axially cut with a two-thirds recess, while the reinforcing support bar has two sides of each connecting end respectively and axially cut with a one-third recess. 
     The fixing members of this invention are tightening cords respectively having one end provided with female threads and another end provided with male threads. 
     Two labyrinth units of this invention can be firmly butt jointed together by means of the fixing members that are inserted in the mutually-aligned insert holes in the walls of the two frame rods of the labyrinth units. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       This invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a combination structure for a labyrinth in the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view of a frame rod and a reinforcing support bar in the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a magnified perspective view of a fixing member in the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a labyrinth unit in the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of having two labyrinth units butt jointed with each other in the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a first labyrinth made up by combining several labyrinth units together in the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is an upper view of the first labyrinth in the present invention; and 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a second labyrinth of another shape in the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A preferred embodiment of a combination structure for a labyrinth in the present invention, as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , includes several labyrinth units  1  combined together, and each labyrinth unit  1  is composed of four frame rods  10 , a reinforcing support bar  11  and a plurality of fixing members  12 . 
     The four frame rods  10  are vertically butt jointed and formed into a square, and each frame rod  10  has two ends respectively provided with a connecting end  100 ,  101 . The connecting end  100  is axially cut with a one-half recess  102  and bored with an insert hole  104 , while another connecting end  101  is axially cut with a two-thirds recess  103  and disposed with an insert hole  105 , and each frame rod  10  has its wall provided with a plurality of insert holes  106 . 
     The reinforcing support bar  11  is to be obliquely set inside the four frame rods  10  and has two ends respectively formed into a connecting end  110 , which is bored with an insert hole  112  and has two sides respectively and lengthwise cut with a one-third recess  111 . 
     The fixing members  12  are to be respectively inserted through the insert holes  104 ,  105  of the connecting ends  100 ,  101  of the four mutually butt jointed frame rods  10  and through the insert holes  112  of the connecting ends  110  of the reinforcing support bar  11  for securing the four frame rods  10  and the reinforcing support bar  11  together. The fixing members  12  are tightening cords respectively having one end provided with female threads  120  and another end formed with male threads  121 . In assembling, referring to  FIGS. 1-5 , firstly, the connecting ends  100  of two frame rods  10  are mutually butt jointed at a right angle, letting the connecting ends  100  of the two frame rods  10  received in the corresponding one-half recesses  102  and having the insert holes  104  of the connecting ends  100  of the frame rods  10  aligned to each other. Next, the fixing member  12  is inserted through two aligned insert holes  104  of the connecting ends  100  and has the male threads  121  at one end threadably combined with the female threads  120  at another end for stably fixing the two butt jointed ends  100  of the two frame rods  10 . Afterward, the two connecting ends  110  of one reinforcing support bar  11  are respectively positioned in the two-thirds recesses  103  of the connecting ends  101  of the frame rods  10  that are vertically butt jointed to have the insert hole  112  of the connecting end  110  of the reinforcing support bar  11  aligned to the insert holes  105  at the connecting ends  101  of the frame rods  10 . Subsequently, another two frame rods  10  are butt jointed at a right angle in another two frame rods  10  are butt jointed at a right angle in the same way as described above, respectively having another connecting end  101  lean on the connecting end  110  of the reinforcing support bar  11  and letting the insert hole  105  at the connecting ends  101  of the two frame rods  10  aligned to the insert hole  112  at the connecting end  110  of the reinforcing support bar  11 . Then, a fixing member  12  is inserted through the insert holes  105  and  112  and has the male threads  121  at one end screwed with the female threads  120  at another end and thus, four frame rods  10  and one reinforcing support bar  11  can be firmly combined together to form a labyrinth unit  1 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . To assemble two labyrinth units  1  together, simply have the two labyrinth units  1  contacting closely to let the insert holes  106  in the walls of two frame rods  10  respectively aligned to each other and then, have the fixing members  12  respectively inserted through the two mutually aligned insert holes  106  and tied up for securing two labyrinth units  1  together, as shown in  FIG. 5 . Hence, here completes an assembly of labyrinth unit 
     In using, referring to  FIGS. 6-8 , after several labyrinth units  1  are assembled in foresaid modes, these labyrinth units  1  can be butt jointed one by one to make up a labyrinth  2  according to the labyrinth routes designed in advance. The labyrinth units  1  mutually butt jointed are adjustable in angles and can be assembled into a labyrinth with various shapes, as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . 
     As can be understood from the above description, this invention has the following advantages. 
     1. The labyrinth of this invention can quickly and conveniently be assembled and disassembled, needless to employ any tool for help and can be adapted to any topography and set up at any site. 
     2. The labyrinth of this invention can easily be detached and reassembled into various labyrinths with different routes according to one&#39;s wish to make the labyrinth play diversified and maintain novelty of the labyrinth play, thus surely attaining an effect of performing teaching via amusement. 
     3. After being detached, the labyrinth units  1  are small in volume, taking less space, convenient to be transported and saving transportation cost further, the labyrinth units  1  will not be damaged and can be reused repeatedly. 
     4. After being assembled to make up a labyrinth, the labyrinth units  1  are hollowed so people outside the labyrinth  2  can directly observe the moving directions of the children playing in the labyrinth and clearly know where the children are, very safe in use. 
     While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications that may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.