Patent ID: 7918457

Claim:
Ball-shaped puzzle comprising a spherical support element ( 1 ; 31 ) and a plurality of movable puzzle elements ( 16 ; 33 ) which all have substantially the same size and shape, the movable puzzle elements ( 16 ; 33 ) being slidably engaged in a trajectory ( 2 ; 32 ) on the outside of the spherical support element ( 1 ; 31 ), the trajectory ( 2 ; 32 ) defining a plurality of predetermined positions on the outside of the spherical support element ( 1 ; 31 ) between which the puzzle elements ( 16 ; 33 ) are movable, the predetermined positions being formed by the corners of a regular dodecahedron, characterised in that the spherical support element ( 1 ; 31 ) comprises a core and a plurality of trajectory forming elements ( 15 ; 45 - 46 ) which form the trajectory ( 2 ; 32 ), the trajectory forming elements ( 15 ; 45 - 46 ) being fixed onto the core ( 13 ; 43 - 44 ) by a first snap-fitting arrangement ( 40 - 41 ); in that the movable puzzle elements ( 16 ; 33 ) each comprise a top part ( 19 ; 49 ) for forming the outer surface of the puzzle and a bottom part ( 21 ; 50 ) for engaging in the trajectory ( 2 ; 32 ), the top and bottom parts being fixed to each other by a second snap-fitting arrangement ( 51 - 52 ); and in that the puzzle further comprises at least one removable puzzle element ( 17 ; 34 ) which is removably mountable on all of said plurality of predetermined positions for providing an empty position when removed and for fixing the position of the movable puzzle elements when mounted.