Article and Puzzle

Abstract

A puzzle of the cuboid mechanical type having six faces forming a closed surface, wherein in the solved state the puzzle has a geometry in which each face comprises a non-planar surface formed from a set of interconnected elements rotatable about one of three mutually perpendicular and intersecting axes to convert the puzzle to/from the solved state geometry. In the preferred form each non-planar face is a hyperbolic-paraboloid or saddle-like surface.

1 . A puzzle having six faces forming a closed surface, wherein in a solved state of the puzzle has a geometry in which each face comprises a non-planar surface formed from a set of interconnected elements rotatable about one of three mutually perpendicular and intersecting axes to convert the puzzle to/from the solved state geometry. 
     
     
         2 . A puzzle according to  claim 1  wherein each element in each face has a geometry that forms a portion of the non-planar surface. 
     
     
         3 . A puzzle according to  claim 1  wherein each face has a convex curve profile along a first axis and a concave curve profile along a second axis to form the non-planar surface. 
     
     
         4 . A puzzle according to  claim 1  wherein the elements forming the sets of two adjacent faces share edge elements, the edge elements being rotatable about either of the respective axes of the respective faces. 
     
     
         5 . A puzzle according to  claim 3  wherein the non-planar surface is a hyperbolic paraboloid surface. 
     
     
         6 . A puzzle according to  claim 5  wherein the elements are rotatable in respective sets about respective axes to change the geometry of respective face to/from a hyperbolic parabloid surface, and/or change the puzzle to/from the solved state geometry. 
     
     
         7 . A puzzle according to  claim 1  wherein each face is formed from a three by three set of interconnected elements. 
     
     
         8 . A puzzle according to  claim 1  wherein at least one ninety degree rotation of at least one of the sets alters the geometry of the puzzle. 
     
     
         9 . A puzzle comprising a plurality of elements that can be arranged to form a closed surface having six faces, wherein each one of the six faces comprises a convex curve profile along one axis and a concave curve profile along a second axis and wherein the elements can be manoeuvred relative to each other to alter the geometry of at least one face of the puzzle. 
     
     
         10 . A puzzle comprising a plurality of elements arranged to from a closed surface having six faces, wherein each one of the six faces comprises a convex curve profile along one axis and a concave curve profile along a second axis, and wherein each face comprises nine elements arranged in a 3×3 array such that the convex and concave profiles of each face are bounded by a first and second pair of opposed edges respectively, and each edge from the first pair is formed from 3 elements that also form a corresponding edge from the second pair of edges of an adjacent face. 
     
     
         11 . A puzzle comprising a plurality of elements and a core structure having six limbs extending in three intersecting and mutually perpendicular axes, each limb rotatably retaining one of six centre elements of the plurality of elements at an outer end of the limb, wherein remaining elements of the plurality of elements interlockingly engage the centre elements about the core structure to surround the centre elements and form a closed surface bounded by six faces, each face defined by one of the centre elements and the elements surrounding the centre element and being rotatable about the respective limb of the centre element, and wherein the elements are shaped such that when they are interlocked each face is a surface having a concave curve along a first axis and a convex curve along a second axis. 
     
     
         12 . A puzzle according to  claim 11  wherein the remaining elements have protrusions for interlockingly engaging one another about the core structure. 
     
     
         13 . A puzzle according to  claim 11  comprising eight corner elements each arranged to engage behind a back face of two adjacent centre elements, and twelve other elements each arranged to fit between the corner elements and engage a back face of one of the two adjacent centre elements. 
     
     
         14 . A puzzle comprising a plurality of elements and a core structure having six limbs extending in three intersecting and mutually perpendicular axes, each limb rotatably retaining one of six centre elements of the plurality of elements at an outer end of the limb, and wherein remaining elements of the plurality of elements fit into the core structure about the centre pieces to rotate in sets with a respective centre piece and to form a closed surface bounded by six faces having a concave curve along a first axis and a convex curve along a second axis is formed. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled)