Puzzle cuboid

Abstract

A cubic puzzle assembled from a number of separable component pieces is disclosed. Each of the component pieces can be made of one, two or more cubes linearly arranged. Component patterns are provided on at least some of the six sides of a component piece so that when all component pieces are assembled into a single bigger cube, the component patterns on the sides of the component pieces form at least one combined pattern, but preferably, five or six different combined patterns on five or six faces of the bigger cube. In some embodiments, there are two or more correct combinations for a player to assemble the component pieces into the puzzle. The combined patterns preferably are easily recognizable, such as photographs, images of animals, likeness of a subject or landscape and the like.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A puzzle comprising:
 a plurality of component pieces, each separable from another, wherein each of said plurality of component pieces is made up of one cube and having six square sides, or made up of more cubes joined together in a linear arrangement and having two square sides and four rectangular sides, wherein the sides of the component pieces are provided with a plurality of component patterns, and when all of said plurality of component pieces are assembled into a single body in one of a plurality of correct combinations, the single body has eight vertices, twelve edges and six faces of equal area, and the component patterns provided on the sides of at least some of said plurality of component pieces are arranged to form a set of N different combined patterns, each of the N different combined patterns arranged to appear on a different one of six faces, N being an integer greater than three but smaller than or equal to six, and each of the N different combined patterns is a predetermined design, and when all of said plurality of component pieces are assemble into the single body in a different one of the plurality of correct combinations, the component patterns provided on the sides of at least some of said plurality of component pieces are arranged to form a different set of N different combined patterns, wherein each of at least some of the component pieces is made up of two or more cubes, and each square side is bound by four straight lines of a unit length, and wherein each of the twelve edges of the single body has an edge length substantially equal to five unit lengths.   
     
     
         2 . The puzzle according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of spherical magnets, and   a plurality of substantially spherical cavities, each cavity associated with one of the plurality of spherical magnets, wherein each cavity is dimensioned to accommodate the associated spherical magnet and to allow the associated spherical magnet to rotate therein, and wherein each of the component pieces comprises at least six spherical cavities and six associated spherical magnets located inside the component piece.   
     
     
         3 . The puzzle according to  claim 2 , wherein each of the cavities and the associated magnet form a magnetic unit, and wherein some of said plurality of component pieces are made of two cubes, each of said some component pieces comprising ten magnetic units, and wherein one of the ten magnetic units is located near each of the two square sides, and two of the ten magnetic units are located near each of the four rectangular sides. 
     
     
         4 . The puzzle according to  claim 2 , wherein each of the cavities and the associated magnet form a magnetic unit, and wherein some of said plurality of component pieces are made of three cubes in a linear arrangement, each of said some component pieces comprising fourteen magnetic units, and wherein one of the fourteen magnetic units is located near each of the two square sides and three of the fourteen magnetic units are located near each of the four rectangular sides. 
     
     
         5 . The puzzle according to  claim 2 , wherein each of the cavities and the associated magnet form a magnetic unit, and wherein said plurality of component pieces include 25 two-cube pieces and 25 three-cube pieces, each two-cube piece made up of two cubes, each three-cube piece made up of three cubes in a linear arrangement, each of the two square sides of each component pieces associated with one magnetic unit, and wherein
 in each of the two-cube component pieces each of the four rectangular sides is associated with two magnetic units, and   in each of the three-cube component pieces, each of the four rectangular sides is associated with three magnetic units.   
     
     
         6 . The puzzle according to  claim 5 , wherein each of the square sides has a side center, and the associated magnetic unit is located near the side center. 
     
     
         7 . The puzzle according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of component pieces include 25 two-cube pieces and 25 three-cube pieces, each two-cube piece made up of two cubes, each three-cube piece made up of three cubes in a linear arrangement, and wherein said plurality of correct combinations include four and only four different combinations. 
     
     
         8 . The puzzle according to  claim 1 , wherein the sides of some of the component pieces provided with the plurality of component patterns comprise at least four of the six sides, and three of said at least four of the six sides are arranged to share one of the vertices. 
     
     
         9 . The puzzle according to  claim 7 , wherein N is equal to six. 
     
     
         10 . The puzzle according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined design is likeness of a subject or a landscape, or a recognizable graphic pattern. 
     
     
         11 . The puzzle according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of component pieces consist only of two-cube pieces and three-cube pieces, and wherein each of the two-cube pieces is made up of two cubes joined together and each of the three-cube pieces is made up of three cubes joined together in a linear arrangement. 
     
     
         12 . The puzzle according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of correct combinations include two to four correct combinations. 
     
     
         13 . The puzzle according to  claim 5 , wherein said plurality of correct combinations comprise four correct combinations and N is equal to six, and wherein each of the N different combined patterns is a predetermined design. 
     
     
         14 . The puzzle according to  claim 12 , wherein said plurality of correct combinations comprise at least a first correct combination and a second correct combination, and when of all of said plurality of component pieces are assembled into the single body in a first correct combination, a first set of N different combined patterns are arranged to appear on a different one of the six faces, and when all of said plurality of component pieces are assembled into the single body in a second correct combination, a second set of N different combined patterns arranged to appear on a different one of the six faces, wherein each of the first set of N different combined patterns is different from the each of the second set of N different combined patterns. 
     
     
         15 . The puzzle according to  claim 2 , wherein said plurality of correct combinations include four or more different combinations. 
     
     
         16 . The puzzle according to  claim 2 , wherein said plurality of component pieces include 25 two-cube pieces and 25 three-cube pieces, each two-cube piece made up of two cubes, each three-cube piece made up of three cubes in a linear arrangement, and wherein said plurality of correct combinations include four and only four different combinations. 
     
     
         17 . The puzzle according to  claim 2 , wherein said plurality of component pieces consist only of two-cube pieces and three-cube pieces, and wherein each of the two-cube pieces is made up of two cubes joined together and each of the three-cube pieces is made up of three cubes joined together in a linear arrangement. 
     
     
         18 . The puzzle according to  claim 2 , wherein said plurality of correct combinations include two to four correct combinations. 
     
     
         19 . A method for forming a puzzle, comprising:
 providing a plurality of component pieces, each separable from another, wherein each of said plurality of component pieces is made up of one cube and having six square sides or made up of more cubes joined together in a linear arrangement such that each component piece has six sides, and each of the component pieces made up of more cubes has two square sides and four rectangular sides;   providing a plurality of component patterns on the sides of the component pieces such that when all of said plurality of component pieces are assembled into one single body, the single body has eight vertices, twelve edges and six faces of equal area, and wherein all of said plurality of component pieces are arranged to be assembled into the single body in a plurality of correct combinations such that when all of said plurality of component pieces are assembled into the single body in one of the plurality of correct combinations, the component patterns provided on the sides of at least some of said plurality of component pieces are arranged to form a set of N different combined patterns, each of the N different combined patterns arranged to appear on a different one of six faces, N being an integer greater than three but smaller than or equal to six, and each of the N different combined patterns is a predetermined design, and when all of said plurality of component pieces are assemble into the single body in a different one of the plurality of correct combinations, the component patterns provided on the sides of at least some of said plurality of component pieces are arranged to form a different set of N different combined patterns, wherein each of at least some of the component pieces is made up of two or more cubes, wherein each square side is bound by four straight lines of a unit length, and wherein each of the twelve edges has an edge length substantially equal to five unit lengths.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , further comprising:
 providing a plurality of spherical magnets, and   making a plurality of substantially spherical cavities in the puzzle, each cavity associated with one of the plurality of spherical magnets, wherein each cavity is dimensioned to accommodate the associated spherical magnet and to allow the associated spherical magnet to rotate therein, and wherein each of the component pieces comprises at least six spherical cavities and six associated spherical magnets located inside the component piece.