Shiftable cubic puzzle with superimposed slidable elements

Abstract

A cubic puzzle improves on the Rubik's Cube by adding slidable elements to exterior surfaces of the cube. The improved cubic puzzle has a plurality of cubic elements connected to an interior central element, the cubic elements of each of the six surfaces of the cube being grouped into six rotatable groups of cubic elements that can be rotatably shifted relative to the central element about one of the three orthogonal axes of the cubic puzzle. The cubic puzzle further includes a plurality of slidable elements slidably disposed on exterior faces of the cubic elements.

1 . A cubic puzzle comprising:
 a central core element;   a plurality of cubic elements connected to the central core element, the cubic elements of each of the six surfaces of the cubic puzzle being grouped into rotatable groups of shiftable cubic elements that can be rotatably shifted relative to the central core element about orthogonal axes of the cubic puzzle; and   a plurality of slidable elements slidably superimposed on the shiftable cubic elements.   
   
   
       2 . The cubic puzzle as claimed in  claim 1  wherein each group of shiftable cubic elements comprises at least one circular slideway around which a respective cluster of superimposed slidable elements can rotate. 
   
   
       3 . The cubic puzzle as claimed in  claim 2  wherein at least some of the shiftable cubic elements comprise arcuate grooves together constituting at least one circular slideway for engaging tongues that protrude downwardly from undersides of the superimposed slidable elements. 
   
   
       4 . The cubic puzzle as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the shiftable cubic elements comprise:
 a plurality of shiftable edge elements having arcuate grooves in two outer faces of each shiftable edge element for engaging tongues that protrude downwardly from undersides of the superimposed slidable elements;   a plurality of shiftable corner elements having arcuate grooves in three outer faces of each shiftable corner element for engaging tongues that protrude downwardly from undersides of the superimposed slidable elements; and   a plurality of rotatable center elements for rotationally receiving superimposed slidable center elements, wherein the arcuate grooves together form at least one circular slideway on at least one of the six surfaces of the cubic puzzle.   
   
   
       5 . The cubic puzzle as claimed in  claim 2  wherein at least some of the shiftable cubic elements comprise arcuate tongues together constituting at least one circular slideway that protrudes upwardly to engage grooves in undersides of the superimposed slidable elements. 
   
   
       6 . The cubic puzzle as claimed in  claim 5  wherein the shiftable cubic elements comprise:
 a plurality of shiftable edge elements having arcuate tongues on two outer faces of each shiftable edge element for engaging arcuate grooves in undersides of the superimposed slidable elements;   a plurality of shiftable corner elements having arcuate tongues on three outer faces of each shiftable corner element for engaging arcuate grooves in undersides of the superimposed slidable elements; and   a plurality of rotatable center elements for rotationally engaging superimposed slidable center elements, wherein the arcuate tongues together form at least one circular slideway protruding from at least one of the six surfaces of the cubic puzzle.   
   
   
       7 . The cubic puzzle as claimed in  claim 2  wherein at least some of the shiftable cubic elements comprise a combination of arcuate tongues and arcuate grooves, together constituting at least one circular slideway to engage the superimposed slidable elements. 
   
   
       8 . The cubic puzzle as claimed in  claim 1  comprising 26 cubic elements connected to the central core element to define a 3×3×3 cubic puzzle upon which are superimposed 54 square slidable elements dimensioned to correspond with each of the 54 cubic faces of the 26 cubic elements, wherein the 26 cubic elements comprise:
 six rotatable center elements for rotatably retaining six respective superimposed slidable center elements; and   twelve shiftable edge elements and eight shiftable corner elements for together defining six circular slideways, each circular slideway adapted for slidably retaining four slidable edge elements and four slidable corner elements to enable the slidable edge elements and the slidable corner elements to rotate with their respective slidable center element as a cluster over the group of shiftable cubic elements.   
   
   
       9 . The cubic puzzle as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the central core element comprises three orthogonally disposed pairs of tubular receptacles for rotationally connecting each one of the six rotatable center elements. 
   
   
       10 . The cubic puzzle as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the central core element comprises two mutually mating hollow semi-spherical core elements, each having three bores for rotationally connecting each one of the six rotatable center elements. 
   
   
       11 . The cubic puzzle as claimed in  claim 8  wherein each rotatable center element comprises a generally squarish body having a substantially flat top surface and a generally curved bottom surface, the generally squarish body further comprising either an upper bore accessible from the top surface for rotationally receiving a downwardly protruding member of a respective superimposed slidable element and a downward protrusion extending from the generally curved bottom surface for connecting to the central core element enabling the rotatable center element to rotate. 
   
   
       12 . The cubic puzzle as claimed in  claim 8  wherein each shiftable edge element comprises either at least one first arcuate groove or at least one first arcuate lip on a first outer face of the shiftable edge element for slidably receiving a superimposed slidable element and either at least one second arcuate groove or at least one second arcuate lip on a second outer face of the shiftable edge element for slidably receiving a different superimposed slidable element. 
   
   
       13 . The cubic puzzle as claimed in  claim 8  wherein each shiftable corner element comprises:
 either at least one first arcuate groove or at least one first arcuate lip on a first outer face of the shiftable corner element for slidably receiving a superimposed slidable element;   either at least one second arcuate groove or at least one second arcuate lip on a second outer face of the shiftable corner element for slidably receiving a different superimposed slidable element; and   either at least one third arcuate groove or at least one third arcuate lip on a third outer face of the shiftable corner element for slidably receiving yet a different superimposed slidable element.   
   
   
       14 . The cubic puzzle as claimed in  claim 8  wherein each slidable center element comprises a generally squarish body having a downwardly protruding cylindrical member for being rotationally received within a bore in a respective rotatable center element. 
   
   
       15 . The cubic puzzle as claimed in  claim 8  wherein each slidable edge element comprises a generally squarish body having at least one downwardly protruding arcuate tongue, or at least one upwardly recessed arcuate groove, for being slidably received within correspondingly sized arcuate grooves, or lips, of underlying shiftable edge and corner elements. 
   
   
       16 . The cubic puzzle as claimed in  claim 8  wherein each slidable corner element comprises a generally squarish body having at least one downwardly protruding arcuate tongue, or at least one upwardly recessed arcuate groove, for being slidably received within correspondingly sized arcuate grooves, or lips, of underlying shiftable edge and corner elements. 
   
   
       17 . The cubic puzzle as claimed in  claim 1  comprising 8 shiftable cubic elements connected to the central core element to define a 2×2×2 cubic puzzle upon which are superimposed 24 square slidable elements dimensioned to correspond with each of the 24 cubic faces of the 8 shiftable cubic elements, wherein the 8 shiftable cubic elements comprise eight shiftable corner elements defining six circular slideways, each circular slideway adapted for slidably retaining four slidable corner elements to enable the slidable corner elements to rotate as a cluster over the group of shiftable cubic elements. 
   
   
       18 . The cubic puzzle as claimed in  claim 1  comprising 56 shiftable cubic elements connected to the central core element to define a 4×4×4 cubic puzzle upon which are superimposed 96 square slidable elements dimensioned to correspond with each of the 96 cubic faces of the 56 shiftable cubic elements, wherein the 56 shiftable cubic elements comprise:
 twenty-four shiftable center elements arranged in two-by-two interior arrays on each of the six surfaces, each two-by-two array of shiftable center elements defining an inner slideway for slidably retaining four superimposed slidable center elements; and   twenty-four shiftable edge elements and eight shiftable corner elements together defining six outer circular slideways concentric with the inner circular slideways for slidably retaining forty-eight slidable edge elements and twenty-four slidable corner elements to enable the slidable edge elements and the slidable corner elements to rotate with their respective two-by-two arrays of interior slidable center elements as a cluster over the group of shiftable cubic elements.   
   
   
       19 . The cubic puzzle as claimed in  claim 1  comprising 98 cubic elements connected to the central core element to define a 5×5×5 cubic puzzle upon which are superimposed 150 square slidable elements dimensioned to correspond with each of the 150 cubic faces of the 98 cubic elements, wherein the 98 cubic elements comprise:
 six rotatable center elements for rotatably retaining six respective superimposed slidable center elements;   twenty-four shiftable inner edge elements and twenty-four shiftable inner corner elements arranged such that eight shiftable inner elements surround each of the six shiftable center elements to define an inner slideway for slidably retaining forty-eight respective superimposed slidable inner elements; and   twelve shiftable outer central edge elements and twenty-four shiftable outer side edge elements, and eight shiftable outer corner elements together defining six outer circular slideways concentric with the inner circular slideways for slidably retaining ninety-six slidable outer elements to enable the slidable outer elements to rotate with their respective slidable inner elements and their respective slidable center element as a cluster over the group of shiftable cubic elements.   
   
   
       20 . The cubic puzzle as claimed in  claim 1  wherein slidable elements are superimposed on fewer than all six surfaces. 
   
   
       21 . The cubic puzzle as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the slidable corner elements and the slidable edge elements comprise visual indicia not only on their square outer faces but also on their lateral faces.