Peg Arrangement Puzzle

The present application claims the benefit of domestic priority based on United States Provisional Patent Application 63/763,022 filed on February 25, 2025, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The Rubik’s Cube was invented in the 1970’s, released in the 1980’s, and quickly became an international success. The Rubik’s Cube and its imitations and variations have created a genre of puzzles that nearly everyone is familiar with.

The Rubik’s Cube is a three dimensional cuboidal puzzle with six faces each made up of nine similarly colored pegs, sometimes referred to as tiles or pieces, arranged in three rows and three columns. An internal pivot mechanism allows each row and each column to turn independently, thus allowing the tiles to be scrambled. The puzzle is then solved by a user trying to unscramble the tiles so that all tiles of the same color are returned to each of the six sides. Imitations and variations of the Rubik’s Cube include changes in size, shape, and the number of pegs.

Though revolutionary and ubiquitous, the Rubik’s Cube has its limitations. For example, with the pivot mechanism of the Rubik’s Cube, an entire row or column must be rotated 90 degrees together. The result is that in order to move a particular peg, it must be rotated and shifted three positions at a time. It is not possible to shift a peg one or two spaces in a single movement. This limits the possibilities of peg arrangements during scrambling and/or solving the puzzle. In addition, a Rubik’s Cube solve is complete when all nine pegs of the same color are unscrambled so they are on the same face for all six faces of the Rubik’s Cube. There is no way to require that the pegs on a face be in a particular order or arrangement in order to add difficulty to the puzzle. Also, the Rubik’s Cube design requires that it be a three dimensional puzzle, and there is no way to maintain the concept of the puzzle in a simplified and/or two dimensional version that can allow a beginning user to practice or learn how to solve a similar puzzle. Furthermore, because of the planar rotational requirements of the Rubik’s Cube pivot design, there are limitations to the overall shape of the puzzle without employing unduly complex mechanisms.

Therefore, there is a need for an improved peg arrangement puzzle. There is a further need for a peg arrangement puzzle that offers improved peg movement capabilities. There is a further need for a peg arrangement puzzle where pegs are permitted to move one position at a time. There is a further need for a peg arrangement puzzle where all pegs are moveable to all positions in the puzzle. There is a further need for a peg arrangement puzzle that is easily adaptable to a variety of shapes and/or sizes of puzzles. There is a further need for a peg arrangement puzzle that is scalable in terms of its complexity and/or difficulty.

The present invention satisfies one or more of these needs. In one aspect of the invention, an improved peg arrangement puzzle is provided.

In another aspect of the invention, a peg arrangement puzzle is provided that has improved peg movement capabilities.

In another aspect of the invention, a peg arrangement puzzle is provided where pegs are permitted to move one position at a time.

In another aspect of the invention, a peg arrangement puzzle is provided where all pegs of the puzzle are permitted to move to all positions of the puzzle.

In another aspect of the invention, a peg arrangement puzzle is provided that is easily adaptable to a variety of shapes and/or sizes.

In another aspect of the invention, a peg arrangement puzzle is provided that is scalable in terms of its complexity and/or difficulty.

In another aspect of the invention, a peg arrangement puzzle comprises a plurality of intersecting loops with each loop including a plurality of peg members that move around the loop.

In another aspect of the invention, a peg arrangement puzzle comprises a plurality of intersecting loops with each loop including a plurality of peg members that move in unison around the loop.

In another aspect of the invention, a peg arrangement puzzle comprises a first loop and a second loop, wherein the first loop includes a plurality of peg members that move around the first loop, and wherein the second loop includes a plurality of peg members that move around the second loop.

In another aspect of the invention, a peg arrangement puzzle comprises a first loop and a second loop, wherein the first loop includes a plurality of peg members that move in unison around the first loop, and wherein the second loop includes a plurality of peg members that move in unison around the second loop.

In another aspect of the invention, a peg arrangement puzzle comprises a first loop and a second loop, wherein the first loop includes a plurality of peg members that move in unison around the first loop, wherein the second loop includes a plurality of peg members that move in unison around the second loop, and wherein the first loop and second loop intersect at one or more intersection nodes where a peg member from the first loop can become a peg member of the second loop.

In another aspect of the invention, a peg arrangement puzzle comprises a first loop and a second loop, wherein the first loop includes a plurality of peg members that move in unison around the first loop, wherein the second loop includes a plurality of peg members that move in unison around the second loop, and wherein a peg movement mechanism causes all peg members of the first loop to move when one of the peg members of the first loop is moved by direct manipulation by a user.

In another aspect of the invention, a peg arrangement puzzle comprises a puzzle body containing a peg track containing a first loop, a second loop, and optionally a third loop, the loops extending in two or three dimensions; a plurality of peg member are moveable, such as by being slideable, along the peg track in any of the loops.

In another aspect of the invention, a peg arrangement puzzle comprises a puzzle body; a plurality of peg members moveable on the puzzle body; and a peg track on the puzzle body, the peg track comprising: a first loop containing a plurality of first loop positional nodes; a second loop containing a plurality of second loop positional nodes; and one or more intersection nodes at an intersection of the first loop and the second loop, an intersection node being a shared first loop positional node and second loop positional node; and a peg movement mechanism adapted to move a peg member in the first loop to any first loop positional node and a peg member in the second loop to any second loop positional node; wherein a peg member at an intersection node can be selectively moved along the first loop to any first loop positional node or along the second loop to any second loop positional node, and wherein the peg arrangement puzzle can be solved by positioning the plurality of peg members in a desired arrangement.

In another aspect of the invention, a peg arrangement puzzle comprises a puzzle body; a plurality of peg members moveable on the puzzle body; and a peg track on the puzzle body, the peg track comprising: a first loop containing a plurality of first loop positional nodes; a second loop containing a plurality of second loop positional nodes; and one or more intersection nodes at an intersection of the first loop and the second loop, an intersection node being a shared first loop positional node and second loop positional node; and a peg movement mechanism adapted to move a peg member in the first loop to any first loop positional node and a peg member in the second loop to any second loop positional node; wherein a peg member at an intersection node can be selectively moved along the first loop to any first loop positional node or along the second loop to any second loop positional node, and wherein the peg arrangement puzzle can be solved by positioning the plurality of peg members in a desired arrangement, wherein the peg member at the intersection node can be moved by direct manipulation of the peg member or my indirect manipulation by the peg movement mechanism.

In another aspect of the invention, a peg arrangement puzzle comprises a puzzle body; a plurality of peg members moveable on the puzzle body; and a peg track on the puzzle body, the peg track comprising: a first loop containing a plurality of first loop positional nodes; a second loop containing a plurality of second loop positional nodes; and one or more intersection nodes at an intersection of the first loop and the second loop, an intersection node being a shared first loop positional node and second loop positional node; and a peg movement mechanism adapted to move a peg member in the first loop to any first loop positional node and a peg member in the second loop to any second loop positional node; wherein a peg member at an intersection node can be selectively moved along the first loop to any first loop positional node or along the second loop to any second loop positional node, and wherein the peg arrangement puzzle can be solved by positioning the plurality of peg members in a desired arrangement, wherein the peg movement mechanism comprises a first loop movement mechanism adapted to move a peg member at a first loop positional node to a different first loop positional node, wherein the peg movement mechanism comprises a second loop movement mechanism adapted to move a peg member at a second loop positional node to a different second loop positional node, and wherein a peg member at the intersection node can be selectively moved to another first loop positional node by the first loop movement mechanism or to another second loop positional node by the second loop movement mechanism.

In another aspect of the invention, a peg arrangement puzzle comprises a three dimensional puzzle body; a plurality of peg members moveable in three dimensions on the puzzle body; and a peg track on the puzzle body, the peg track comprising: a first loop containing a plurality of first loop positional nodes; a second loop containing a plurality of second loop positional nodes; a third loop containing a plurality of third loop positional nodes; and one or more first intersection nodes at an intersection of the first loop and the second loop the intersection node being a shared first loop positional node and second loop positional node; one or more second intersection nodes at an intersection of the second loop and the third loop the intersection node being a shared second loop positional node and third loop positional node; wherein a peg member at a first intersection node can be selectively moved along the first loop to any first loop positional node or along the second loop to any second loop positional node, and wherein a peg member at a second intersection node can be selectively moved along the second loop to any second loop positional node or along the third loop to any third loop positional node, wherein each peg member is positionable at any of the first loop positional nodes, the second loop positional nodes, and the third loop positional nodes by movement along the peg track, and wherein the peg arrangement puzzle can be solved by positioning the plurality of peg members in a desired arrangement.

In another aspect of the invention, a peg arrangement puzzle comprises a rectanguloid puzzle body having six sides; a plurality of peg members moveable in three dimensions on the puzzle body; and a peg track on the puzzle body, the peg track comprising a plurality of loops, the plurality of loops comprising: a first loop containing a plurality of first loop positional nodes, the first loop extending along a first plane; a first additional loop containing a plurality of first additional loop positional nodes, the first additional loop extending along a plane parallel to the first plane; a second loop containing a plurality of second loop positional nodes, the second loop extending along a second plane that is orthogonal to the first plane; a second additional loop containing a plurality of second additional loop positional nodes, the second additional loop extending along a plane parallel to the second plane; a third loop containing a plurality of third loop positional nodes, the third loop extending along a third plane that is orthogonal to the first plane and the second plane; and a third additional loop containing a plurality of third additional loop positional nodes, the third additional loop extending along a plane parallel to the third plane; wherein each side of the rectanguloid puzzle body contains an array of positional nodes, wherein each positional node in the array of positional nodes is an intersection of two of the plurality of loops, and wherein a peg member at a first loop positional node can be moved directly to any other first loop positional node without having to move along a different loop.

In another aspect of the invention, a peg arrangement puzzle comprises a rectanguloid puzzle body having six sides; a plurality of peg members moveable in three dimensions on the puzzle body; and a peg track on the puzzle body, the peg track comprising a plurality of loops, the plurality of loops comprising: a first loop containing a plurality of first loop positional nodes, the first loop extending along a first plane; a first additional loop containing a plurality of first additional loop positional nodes, the first additional loop extending along a plane parallel to the first plane; a second loop containing a plurality of second loop positional nodes, the second loop extending along a second plane that is orthogonal to the first plane; a second additional loop containing a plurality of second additional loop positional nodes, the second additional loop extending along a plane parallel to the second plane; a third loop containing a plurality of third loop positional nodes, the third loop extending along a third plane that is orthogonal to the first plane and the second plane; and a third additional loop containing a plurality of third additional loop positional nodes, the third additional loop extending along a plane parallel to the third plane; wherein each side of the rectanguloid puzzle body contains an array of positional nodes, wherein each positional node in the array of positional nodes is an intersection of two of the plurality of loops, and wherein a peg member at a first loop positional node can be moved directly to any other first loop positional node without having to move along a different loop, and wherein the rectanguloid puzzle body is a cuboid puzzle body, and wherein the peg track comprises two first additional loops, two second additional loops, and two third additional loops arranged so that each side of the cuboid puzzle body contains a three by three array of positional nodes, and wherein all peg members of the peg arrangement puzzle are positionable at all positional nodes of the peg arrangement puzzle.

In another aspect of the invention, a method of solving a peg arrangement puzzle comprises providing a peg arrangement puzzle as described herein and using the peg arrangement puzzle as described herein.

The present invention relates to a puzzle. In particular, the invention relates to a peg arrangement puzzle with one or more moveable peg members that move in or along one or more loops. Although the invention is illustrated and described in the context of being useful for a multi-dimensional physical puzzle, the present invention can be used in other ways, as would be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, the present invention should not be limited just to the examples and embodiments described herein.

1 FIG. 1 FIG. 1 FIG. 100 100 105 110 105 110 110 115 120 100 110 105 100 110 110 115 110 110 105 125 110 125 130 110 110 125 130 130 100 110 130 125 110 125 115 120 110 110 130 shows a peg arrangement puzzleaccording to one version of the invention. The peg arrangement puzzleincludes a puzzle bodythat contains, houses, and/or supports a plurality of peg membersthat are each moveable relative to the puzzle body. The peg memberscan be in the form of any moveable object, such as a tile, marker, pin, knob, handle, protrusion, member, brick, puzzle piece, game piece, and the like. In the version of, the peg memberseach include a peg headhaving a peg head surfacethat is visible to a user of the puzzle. The peg membersare moveable relative to the puzzle bodyby being manipulated directly or indirectly by the user of the peg arrangement puzzle. For example, a peg membercan be moved by direct manipulation of the user by the user applying a force to the peg member, such as by applying force directly to the peg head. A peg membercan be moved by indirect manipulation of the user by being caused to move in response to movement of another peg memberby the user, as will be explained. In the version of, the puzzle bodyalso includes or is associated with a peg trackthat guides, directs, and/or constrains movement of one of more peg members. Within the peg trackare one or more positional nodesat which a peg membercan be positioned. Each peg memberis positionable along the peg trackat a positional nodeand is moveable along the peg track to another positional node. The object of the peg arrangement puzzleis for a user to cause one or more peg membersto be located in a desired one or more positional nodesalong the peg trackand/or for a plurality of peg membersto be positioned in a desired orientation within the peg track. The peg headand/or the peg head surfacecan provide a visible indication to the user of the positioning of a particular peg memberso the user can determine if the peg memberis located at the desired positional node.

1 FIG. 1 FIG. 1 FIG. 1 FIG. 1 FIG. 125 100 135 140 145 140 130 145 140 145 150 150 130 135 150 130 140 145 150 130 130 125 110 130 140 130 110 130 130 110 110 140 130 130 130 130 145 As also shown in, the peg trackof the peg arrangement puzzleis a multi-loop trackthat comprises at least a first loop, a second loop, and optionally any number of additional loops, that intersect with one another. The first loopincludes a plurality of first loop positional nodes, and the second loopcontains a plurality of second loop positional nodes. The first loopand the second loopintersect at one or more intersection nodes. The intersection nodesare positional nodesthat lie on more than one loop of the multi-loop track. For example, in the version of, the intersection nodesare positional nodesthat are shared by the first loopand the second loop. Thus, each intersection nodeinis a first loop positional nodeand a second loop positional node. By loop it is meant a portion of the peg trackthat forms a continuous loop so that a peg memberthat starts at a particular starting positional nodecan move along the loop in one direction, such as by moving in a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction around the first loopwith respect to the top view of, and return to the starting positional node. While movement of a peg memberfrom one particular nodearound the loop and back to the starting nodeis an option, it is not the only possible movement of the peg member. For example, as can be seen in, a peg memberon the first loopcan move in a first direction from a starting positional nodeto a different positional node, can move in an opposite direction from a starting positional nodeto a different positional node, and/or can move along the second loopin either a first direction or a second direction.

100 155 110 155 160 110 140 140 110 130 140 115 110 140 160 110 140 110 140 110 140 155 165 110 145 145 160 165 110 140 110 140 110 145 110 150 110 140 110 110 145 110 1 FIG. 1 FIG. 1 FIG. The peg arrangement puzzleincludes a peg movement mechanismthat is designed to cause peg memberswithin a loop to move together substantially in unison. For example, in the version of, the peg movement mechanismcomprises a first loop movement mechanismthat causes the peg membersin the first loopto move in unison around the first loop. Accordingly, when one of the peg memberspositioned at a nodeon the first loopis caused to move by direct manipulation, such as by a user applying a force to the the peg headto cause the peg memberto move in a first direction within the first loop, the first loop movement mechanismcauses each of the other peg mechanismsin the first loopto move. In this regard the lengthwise spacing between peg memberswithin the first loopremains generally constant as the peg membersmove around the first loop. In similar manner, in the version of, the peg movement mechanismcomprises a second loop movement mechanismthat causes peg membersin the second loopto move in unison around the second loop. The first loop movement mechanismand the second intra-loop movement mechanismoperate independently from one another. As such, movement of the peg membersof the first loopdoes not cause movement of the peg membersnot located within the first loop, such as the peg membersof the second loopother than the peg memberat the intersection node. More specifically with regard to the version of, the top four peg membersshown in the figure can move clockwise or counterclockwise about the first loopwhile the bottom two peg membersremain motionless, and the bottom four peg memberscan move clockwise or counterclockwise about the second loopwhile the top two peg membersremain motionless.

150 125 100 110 150 140 145 110 150 110 150 140 145 110 150 110 150 140 110 140 160 110 145 110 145 165 110 145 110 110 150 110 140 150 110 145 145 110 140 145 110 130 1 FIG. The intersection nodesof the peg trackof the peg arrangement puzzleallow for loop-to-loop peg member exchange. As can be seen in the condition of, a peg memberthat is positioned at the intersection nodeis part of both the first loopand the second loop. Thus, a peg memberpositioned at an intersection nodecan be caused to move in a number of different manners and directions. For example, a peg memberat an intersection nodecan be moved by direct manipulation in either direction along the first loopor in either direction along the second loop. In addition, a peg memberat an intersection nodecan be moved by indirect manipulation. By indirect manipulation a peg memberat an intersection nodecan move in either direction along the first loopby causing another peg memberon the first loopto move, which will cause the first loop movement mechanismto move all of the peg memberin the first loop or can be moved in either direction along the second loopby causing another peg memberon the second loopto move, which will cause the second loop mechanismto move all of the peg membersin the second loop. This ability of a peg memberto move along either loop when the peg memberis located at an intersection nodeallows for loop-to-loop peg member exchange. By positioning a particular peg memberthat is initially part of the first loopat the intersection nodeand then causing the peg membersof the second loopto move about the second loop, the peg memberthat was initially part of the first loopbecomes part of the second loop. In this manner, each peg membercan be maneuvered to each positional nodeby a sequence of steps or movements.

135 100 100 140 145 140 145 125 105 115 110 170 105 170 100 105 105 140 145 140 145 100 1 FIG. 1 FIG. 1 FIG. 1 FIG. The multi-loop peg trackof the peg arrangement puzzlethus creates a multi-dimensional intersecting loops puzzle. In the particular version of, the peg arrangement puzzleis a 2-dimensional intersecting loops puzzle with the first loopbeing generally planar and the second loopbeing generally planar, and with the first loopand the second looplying in generally the same plane. In the 2-dimensional intersecting loops puzzle of, the peg trackis provided on, in, or near the puzzle bodyin a manner where the peg headof each peg memberextends on, above, or beyond an outer surfaceof the puzzle body. In the version of, the outer surfaceis a planar or substantially planar top surface. Also, in the version of, the peg arrangement puzzleis located on a single side or surface of the puzzle body. The puzzle bodycan be a single piece of material or multiple pieces of material. In an alternative arrangement, one or both of the first loopand the second loopand/or any other loop disclosed herein can be non-planar in shape and/or the first loopand the second loopcan lie in different non-parallel planes in order for the peg arrangement puzzleto be three dimensional, as will be described and embodied hereinbelow.

1 FIG. 140 145 140 145 In the version of, the first loopand the second loopare shown as being substantially circular. Alternatively, the first loop, the second loop, and/or any other loops described herein can take on any other suitable shape. For example, one of more loops can be a 2-dimensional geometric shape, such as oval, ovate, egg-shaped, rounded, triangular, square, rectangular, polygonal, rounded triangular, rounded square, rounded rectangular, rounded polygonal, and the like and combinations thereof. In another version, the one or more loops can be a 3-dimensional shape taking on the shape of at least a portion of the envelope of a 3-dimensional geometric shape, such as a sphere, ovoid, egg, rounded 3-dimensional object, cube, cuboid, rounded cuboid, rectanguloid, rounded rectanguloid, pyramid, rounded pyramid, cone, polygonoid, rounded polygonoid, and the like and combinations thereof.

2 3 FIGS.and 2 FIG. 1 FIG. 2 FIG. 2 FIG. 2 FIG. 3 FIG. 100 110 200 115 120 110 200 110 200 100 110 110 125 140 145 110 show another version of a peg arrangement puzzleof the invention. The version ofis similar to the version of. However, in the version of, one or more of the peg membershave an identifying indiciumon the peg head, such as by being printed or otherwise marked on the peg head surfaceor otherwise located. For example and demonstration purposes, in the particular version of, respective peg membersare shown as being marked with numbered identifying indicia, ranging from one to six in a scattered order. Accordingly, in this version, each of the peg membershas a different identifying indicium. To solve the peg arrangement puzzleof the version of, a user can be tasked with moving trying to arrange the peg membersso that the numbers increase in order from left to right and top to bottom. The user then moves the peg membersalong the peg trackand makes a series of moves of the first loopand the second loop. This causes peg membersto exchange loops as necessary until the peg member configuration shown in theresults. Alternatively, the user can be tasked with arranging the numbers in descending order or in any other order.

4 5 FIGS.and 4 FIG. 4 FIG. 5 FIG. 100 200 110 110 110 110 110 110 110 125 140 145 110 show another version of a peg arrangement puzzleof the invention. In this version, the identifying indiciumon the peg membersincludes groups of markings where a plurality of peg membersinclude the same marking. The markings can be, for example, colors, shades, shapes, textures, designs, and or the like. In the particular example of, two of the peg membersare marked with cross hatched, two of the peg membersare marked with diagonals, and two of the peg membersare marked with solids. To solve the puzzle of, a user can be tasked with arranging the peg membersso as to align the groupings. The user then moves the peg membersalong the peg trackand makes a series of moves of the first loopand the second loop. This causes peg membersto exchange loops as necessary until the peg member configuration shown in theresults.

2 3 FIGS.and 4 5 FIGS.and 100 125 The examples ofandrepresent beginner level examples. The tasks and/or the puzzle structure can then get progressively more difficult as the individual begins to master the tasks. For example, the peg arrangement puzzlecan also be made more difficult and/or interesting by changing the configuration of the peg trackand accordingly the loops.

6 FIG. 6 FIG. 1 FIG. 6 FIG. 7 FIG. 6 FIG. 6 FIG. 7 FIG. 100 145 130 140 145 110 140 130 145 140 140 145 130 130 shows another version of a peg arrangement puzzleof the invention. The version ofis similar to the version of, but in the version of, the second loopis provided with positional nodesthan the first loop. The second loopthus also has more peg membersassociated with it than does the first look.shows another version than, like, has more positional nodeson the second loopthan the first loop. In the version of, the first loopand the second loopare the same general size and the spacing of the positional nodesin each loop differs. In the version of, the spacing of positional nodesis the same in each loop, but the size of each loop differs.

8 FIG. 8 FIG. 100 805 810 110 805 160 165 125 150 140 145 150 145 805 110 140 805 110 145 150 140 145 145 150 145 805 110 805 shows another version of a peg arrangement puzzleof the invention. The version ofadds difficulty and complexity to the puzzle by adding a third loop. The third loop 805 has third loop positional nodes and a third loop movement mechanismto cause the peg membersin the third loopto move in unison in similar manner as the first loop movement mechanismand the second loop movement mechanism. In this version, the peg trackincludes a first set of intersection nodesthat are at the intersection of the first loopand the second loopand a second set of intersection nodesthat are at the intersection of the second loopand the third loop. As can be seen, to move a peg memberthat is in the first loopto a position in the third loop, that peg memberwould be transferred to the second loopat one of the intersection nodesat an intersection of the first loopand the second loopand would then me moved along the second loopto one of the intersection nodesat an intersection of the second loopand the third loopso that the peg memberof interest can become part of the third loop.

9 FIG. 8 FIG. 9 FIG. 100 805 810 140 145 805 150 110 140 145 805 140 145 805 160 165 810 shows another version of a peg arrangement puzzleof the invention that, like, has a third loopand third loop movement mechanism. In the version of, an overlapping arrangement of the first loop, the second loop, and the third loopis such that one of the intersection nodesintersects all three loops. Accordingly, a peg memberlocated at the intersection node that intersect the first loop, the second loop, and the third loopcan be caused to move about the first look, the second loop, or the third loopby actuation of the first loop movement mechanism, the second loop movement mechanism, or the third loop movement mechanism, respectively.

6 7 8 9 FIGS.,,, and 6 7 8 9 FIGS.,,, and 200 110 110 The concepts of each of the versions ofcan be interchanged with one another and/or otherwise altered. Though the identifying indiciaare not shown infor clarity, the peg membersin these versions can be marked in any of a variety of manners in order to create a puzzle to be solved by changing the arrangement of one or more of the peg members.

10 FIG.A 10 FIG.A 10 FIG.B 10 FIG.B 10 FIG.A 110 100 110 1000 115 1005 1010 115 1005 1010 115 1010 115 115 1005 125 110 125 105 125 1015 1020 140 1020 1025 1030 1005 1020 1030 1005 1020 1005 shows a version of a peg memberthat can be used with the peg arrangement puzzleof the invention. The peg memberof the version ofhas a peg bodycomprising the peg head, a peg baseand a peg stemconnecting the peg headand the peg base. Optionally, the peg stemcan be removed and the peg headcan be attached directly to the peg base. In the particular version shown, the peg headis dome shaped. Alternatively, the peg headcan take on any suitable shape, such as by being flat, tile shaped, pin shaped, or the like. The peg baseis sized, shaped, and adapted to be moveable along or within the peg track, as shown in.shows a cross section of a peg memberin accordance with the version ofwithin a version of a peg trackin or on a puzzle body. In this version, the peg trackis a recessthat forms a channelthat extends the length of or the entirety of a loop, such as the first loop. The channelis defined by a pair of sidewallsand a bottom wall. The peg baseis sized and shaped to fit within the channeland optionally rest on the bottom wall. The peg baseis adapted to slide or otherwise move along the channelso that the peg member can be guided along the length of a loop. In the version shown, the peg baseis rectanguloid but can be any other suitable shape, such as cylindrical.

11 FIG. 11 FIG. 11 FIG. 155 100 160 110 1020 140 125 130 1020 160 1105 1105 110 110 1105 1020 1105 1110 110 1115 1110 110 1105 1110 1115 130 140 1105 110 110 110 110 140 110 1110 1105 1105 1020 110 1115 1105 110 110 140 110 130 110 130 110 110 140 155 130 110 illustrates a portion of a peg movement mechanismaccording to one version of the peg arrangement puzzleof the invention. In, a portion of a first loop movement mechanismis shown. As can be seen, the adjacent peg membersare receivable with the channelof a first loopof the peg trackand are positioned at positional nodeswhen within the channel. In this version, the first loop movement mechanismcomprises an intermediate member. As can be seen, the intermediate memberis positioned between the adjacent peg membersto locomotively adjoin the adjacent peg members. In the version shown, the intermediate memberis also received within the channel. The intermediate memberhas a first endin proximity to a first peg memberand a second endopposite the first endand in proximity to an adjacent peg member. The intermediate memberhas a length from its first endto its second endthat corresponds to the distance between adjacent positional nodesin the first loop. The intermediate memberis slideable or otherwise moveable within the channel and is sufficiently rigid to transfer a movement force from a first peg memberto the adjacent peg member. Accordingly, when a first peg memberis caused to move in a direction towards the second peg memberin the first loop, the first peg memberpresses against the first endof the intermediate memberwhich causes the intermediate memberto move within the channeltowards the second peg member. This movement causes the second endof the intermediate memberto press against the second peg memberand thus causes the second peg memberto move within the first loop. The movement is continued until the first peg memberreaches the next positional node. In turn, the second peg memberwill correspondingly be positioned at its next positional node(not shown in). A peg memberthat is adjacent to the first peg memberin the opposite direction within the first loopwith be moved by the peg movement mechanismand will accordingly be positioned at the positional nodethat was originally where the first peg memberwas position before the movement started.

160 110 1105 1105 110 1105 110 140 130 1105 110 130 110 1105 140 130 1020 125 1105 125 1105 125 11 FIG. In this version, the first loop movement mechanismis made up of a plurality of peg membersand a plurality of intermediate memberswith an intermediate memberpositioned between each of the peg members. The intermediate membersthus serve as spacers that maintain the spacing of the peg membersaround the first loopor any other loop. In one version, the positional nodesof a loop are equally spaced apart around the loop and the intermediate membershave a length that corresponds to the positional node spacing to assure that when one peg memberis located at a positional node, an adjacent peg membersat the opposite end of an intermediate memberin the first loopis also positioned at a positional node. In, the channelof the peg trackis shown as being straight and the locomotion memberis also shown as being straight. For a curved peg track, the locomotion membercan be shaped to correspond to the curvature and/or can be sufficiently flexible to navigate the curves of the peg track, as will be discussed.

155 160 165 150 125 150 150 100 115 110 150 140 145 140 1020 145 1205 160 140 1105 165 145 1210 1215 1105 140 145 140 145 1205 110 140 110 110 1005 1110 1105 1105 140 1105 110 140 110 150 110 140 140 1105 110 150 1115 1105 1005 110 110 140 12 FIG. 12 FIG. 6 FIG. 12 FIG. 12 FIG. 11 FIG. 12 FIG. 12 FIG. The operation of the peg movement mechanism, and particularly the cooperation between the first loop movement mechanismand the second loop movement mechanism, at an intersection nodeis shown in.shows a top view of a peg trackin the region of an intersection node, such as an intersection nodeof the peg arrangement puzzleof. In, the peg headhas been removed for the sake of clarity of illustration. In, a peg memberis located at an intersection nodeat an intersection of a first loopand a second loop. The first loopincludes a first loop channel, and the second loopincludes a second loop channel. The first loop movement mechanismwithin the first loopcomprises first loop locomotion memberssimilar to the version ofbut shown in a curved configuration in. A second loop movement mechanismwithin the second loopcomprises second loop intermediate members. The second loop intermediate memberscan be the same as the first loop locomotion membersif the first loopand the second loopare the same size, shape, and positional node spacing. If the first loopand the second loopare different, the size and shape of the second intermediate memberscan be adjusted accordingly. To move the peg memberalong the first loopin a clockwise direction, the peg membercan be manipulated by the user to cause it to move downwardly with respect to the orientation of. The movement of the peg membercauses the peg baseto contact the first endof one of the first loop intermediate memberwhich causes the first loop intermediate memberto move in a counterclockwise direction within the first loop. This in turn causes all of the first loop intermediate membersand all of the peg membersin the first loopto move in a clockwise direction. Alternatively, instead of directly contacting the peg memberthat is at the intersection node, a different peg memberthat is in the first loopcan be manipulated and caused to move in a clockwise direction in the first loop. This will cause the first loop intermediate memberlocated above the peg memberin the intersection nodeto move, and the second endof the intermediate memberwill contact the peg baseto cause the peg memberto move by indirect manipulation. To cause the peg memberto move counterclockwise in the first loop, the above actions are applied in the opposite direction.

110 150 145 140 110 145 110 110 1005 1215 1210 1210 145 1210 110 145 110 150 110 145 145 1210 110 150 1220 1210 1005 110 110 145 12 FIG. 12 FIG. The peg memberin the intersection nodeincan also be made to move in the second loopinstead of the first loop. To move the peg memberalong the second loopin a clockwise direction, the peg membercan be manipulated by the user to cause it to move to the right with respect to the orientation of. The movement of the peg membercauses the peg baseto contact a first endof one of the second loop intermediate memberswhich causes the second loop intermediate memberto move in a clockwise direction within the second loop. This in turn causes all of the second loop intermediate membersand all of the peg membersin the second loopto move in a clockwise direction. Alternatively, instead of directly contacting the peg memberthat is at the intersection node, a different peg memberthat is in the second loopcan be manipulated and caused to move in a clockwise direction in the second loop. This will cause the second loop locomotion memberlocated to the left of the peg memberin the intersection nodeto move, and a second endof the second loop locomotion memberwill contact the peg baseto cause the peg memberto move by indirect manipulation. To cause the peg memberto move counterclockwise in the second loop, the above actions are applied in the opposite direction.

11 12 FIGS.and 1105 1105 1105 In one version, such as shown in, the intermediate memberis a single piece, incompressible but flexible cuboid. Alternatively, the intermediate memberscan be multiple pieces and/or differently shaped, as described below. Using multiple pieces can make it easier for the intermediate membersto navigate the corner and turns, making it less necessary for the material to be flexible.

13 FIG. 13 FIG. 12 FIG. 13 FIG. 13 FIG. 13 FIG. 100 1105 160 1210 1305 1020 1205 1305 1105 1020 110 1105 1305 110 1110 1305 110 1115 1210 1305 shows another version of a peg arrangement puzzleof the invention. The version ofis similar to the version of. However, in the version of, each intermediate memberof the first loop movement mechanismand/or each second loop intermediate membercomprises a plurality of separate components. For example, in the version of, the separate components are round components, such as discs or spheres, that contact one another within the first loop channeland/or second loop channel. Together the series of round componentsmake up an intermediate memberthat can navigate turns in the channelwhile still pushing on the peg membersto cause them to move. For the first loop intermediate membersthe round componentthat is contacted by peg memberwhen the peg member moves in a particular direction has the locomotion member first end, and the round componentat the opposite end of the series and that makes contact with the adjacent peg memberhas the intermediate member second end. The second loop intermediate membercan similarly also comprise separate round components, as shown in. The separate round components 1305 function like ball bearings and allow for smooth movement within the loops.

14 FIG. 14 FIG. 13 FIG. 14 FIG. 14 FIG. 14 FIG. 100 1305 1305 1405 1405 1305 1405 1105 1205 150 shows another version of a peg arrangement puzzleof the invention. The version ofis similar to the version ofbut in the version of, the round componentsare in the form of an elongated rounded component. For example, in the particular version of, the rounded componentsare in the form of barbell shaped components, with two round components connected together by a connector bar or the like. The elongation of the barbell shaped componentshelps prevent the separate round componentsfrom entering a channel of a different or unintended loop. More specifically, an elongated barbell componentthat makes up a part of the first loop locomotion memberis too long to enter into the second loop channelwhen it is passing through the intersection node, as can be seen in.

15 FIG.A 10 FIG.A 10 FIG.B 110 125 1000 115 115 1005 125 125 1015 1020 140 1020 1025 1030 1020 1505 1020 130 1505 1020 1005 1020 1510 1005 1020 1505 1020 1505 1515 1010 shows another version of a peg memberand peg trackconfiguration. In the version shown, the peg bodycomprises the peg headthat is flat. Alternatively, the peg headcan take on any suitable shape, as discussed above. The peg baseis sized, shaped, and adapted to be moveable along or within the peg track, as shown in. As with the version of, the peg trackis a recessthat forms a channelthat extends the length of or the entirety of a loop, such as the first loop. The channelis defined by a pair of sidewallsand a bottom wall. In this version, the channelis further defined by a channel cover memberthat is positioned or positionable at or near the top of the channelopposite the bottom wall. The channel cover membercovers at least a portion of the channelin a manner that helps to contain the peg basewithin the channel. A channel facing interior surfaceof the cover member can prevent the peg basefrom being removed from the channelwhen the channel cover memberis positioned at the top of the channel. In the version shown, the channel cover memberincludes a slotsized and shaped to allow the peg stemto pass through.

15 FIG.A 15 FIG.A 15 FIG.B 110 1105 1020 1505 105 170 105 110 1105 1030 1020 110 1105 1510 1505 105 110 1105 1025 1505 1005 115 1505 110 The version ofoffers several advantages. For example, in addition to more securely containing the peg membersand intermediate memberswithin a respective channel, the channel cover memberallows the puzzle bodyand the outer surfaceto be oriented any a variety of orientations, including non-horizontal configurations. Thus, when the puzzle bodyis oriented as shown in, the peg memberand any intermediate memberscan be supported by and move along the bottom wallof the channel. When the puzzle body 105 is turned up-side-down, the peg memberand any intermediate memberscan be supported by and move along the channel facing interior surfaceof the cover member. In similar manner, when the puzzle bodyis turned 90 degrees, the peg memberand any intermediate memberscan be supported by and move along a channel sidewall.shows an alternative arrangement when the channel cover memberis sandwiched between the peg baseand the peg headin a manner when the channel cover membersupports the peg memberin all orientations.

105 125 100 100 1600 1605 16 29 FIGS.through The ability to change the orientation of the puzzle bodyand/or the peg trackallows for additional relative orientations of respective loops in the peg arrangement puzzle. For example, as shown in the versions of, the peg track puzzlecan be a three dimensional puzzlewith non-coplanar loops.

16 FIG. 16 FIG. 16 FIG. 100 1600 1605 105 1610 105 1615 140 125 170 1615 145 125 170 1615 140 110 140 145 110 145 1605 shows a version of a peg arrangement puzzlethat is a three dimensional puzzlewith non-coplanar loops. In this version, the puzzle bodyis a three dimensional puzzle body. In the particular version of, the puzzle bodyis a round or spherical body. The first loopof the peg trackis generally circular or the like and extends along a generally vertical plane around the outer surfaceof the spherical body. The second loopof the peg trackis generally circular or the like and extends along a generally horizontal plane around the outer surfaceof the spherical body. Thus, in the version shown, the first loopand the peg membersin the first loopare arranged generally in a first plane, and the second loopand the peg membersin the second loopare arranged generally in a second plane. The first plane and the second plane are non-coplanar. While the non-coplanar loopsare shown inas being orthogonal, they can be angled otherwise relative to one another. Alternatively, the loops themselves can be non-coplanar.

17 FIG. 17 FIG. 16 FIG. 17 FIG. 17 FIG. 17 FIG. 100 1600 105 1700 1700 1705 1700 1710 1715 1720 1710 1715 1720 140 1705 1710 1720 1715 145 1710 1715 1710 140 150 1710 150 shows another version of a peg arrangement puzzlethat is a three dimensional puzzle. The version ofis similar to the version of, but in the version of, the puzzle bodyis non-spherical. In the version shown, the puzzle body is a rectanguloid bodyhaving six generally orthogonal sides. In the particular version shown, the rectanguloid bodyis a cuboid bodyhave six generally equally sized and shaped sides. The rectanguloid bodyincludes a front side, a left side, and a top side. The front sidehas an opposing rear side, the left sidehas an opposing right side, and the top sidehas an opposing bottom side. The rear side, right side, and bottom side are not visible in the view of. As can be seen, the first loopof the version ofextends generally vertically around the cuboid puzzle bodyand extends across the front side, top side, rear side, bottom side, and back to the front side. The second loopextends in non-coplanar manner across the front side, right side, rear side, left side, and back to the front side. The first loopand the second loop 145 intersect at an intersection nodeon the front sideand at an intersection nodeon the rear side.

18 FIG. 18 FIG. 17 FIG. 18 FIG. 18 FIG. 100 1600 100 805 110 1805 805 140 145 805 140 145 1715 1720 1715 140 145 150 1710 150 140 805 150 1720 145 805 1715 150 shows another version of a peg arrangement puzzlethat is a three dimensional puzzle. The version ofis similar to the version of, but in the version of, the peg arrangement puzzleincludes a third loopwith peg membersthat slide or otherwise move along or within a third loop channel. The third loopis non-coplanar with the first loopand the second loop. As can be seen, the third loopof the version ofextends generally vertically and orthogonal to both the first loopand the second loopand extends across the left side, top side, right side, bottom side, and back to the left side. The first loopand the second loopintersect at an intersection nodeon the front sideand at an intersection nodeon the rear side. The first loopand the third loopintersect at an intersection nodeon the top sideand an intersection node on the bottom side. The second loopand the third loopintersect at an intersection node on the left sideand an intersection nodeon the right side.

19 FIG. 19 FIG. 18 FIG. 19 FIG. 19 FIG. 100 1600 100 805 140 145 805 145 140 140 145 150 1710 150 145 805 1710 150 140 110 140 805 110 145 150 140 145 145 150 145 805 805 shows another version of a peg arrangement puzzlethat is a three dimensional puzzle. The version ofis similar to the version of, but in the version of, the peg arrangement puzzleincludes a third loopthat is non-coplanar with the first loopand the second loop. As can be seen, the third loopof the version ofextends generally vertically and orthogonal to the second loopand extends along a plane that is substantially parallel to the plane of the first loop. The first loopand the second loopintersect at an intersection nodeon the front sideand at an intersection nodeon the rear side. The second loopand the third loopintersect at an intersection node on the front sideand an intersection nodeon the rear side. The first loopand the third loop do not intersect. Accoringly, for a peg memberon the first loopto move to the third loop, the peg membermust first be transferred to the second loopat an interection nodeof the first loopand the second loopand then must be moved along the second loopto an intersection nodeof the second loopand the third loopwhere is can become part of the third loop.

20 FIG. 100 1600 1700 1705 shows another version of a peg arrangement puzzlethat is a three dimensional peg arrangement puzzlewith a rectanguloid puzzle body, such as a cuboid puzzle body.

18 FIG. 20 FIG. 20 FIG. 100 140 145 140 805 2005 2010 2015 2005 2010 2015 2020 160 165 810 As in the version of, in the version of, the peg arrangement puzzleincludes a first loopthat extends along a first plane, such as a vertical plane, a second loopthat extends along a second plane that is orthogonal to the first plane of the first loop, such as a horizontal plane, and a third loopthat extends along a third plane that is orthogonal to the first plane and the second plane. In addition, the version ofhas at least one additional loopthat is in a plane parallel to the first plane of the first loop, at least one additional loopthat is in a plane parallel to the second plane, and/or at least one additional loopthat is in a plane parallel to the third plane. Each of the at least one additional loops,,have an additional loop movement mechanism, which in one version is the same as the first loop movement mechanism, the second loop movement mechanism, and the third loop movement mechanism, respectively.

160 100 160 1105 1020 125 1005 130 130 105 2105 1015 1020 1205 1805 2005 2010 2015 2025 2105 2025 1505 170 105 20 FIG. 20 FIGS. 21 22 23 23 FIGS.,,A,B 21 FIG. 20 FIG. 22 FIG. 22 FIG. 20 FIG. A version of the first movement mechanismfor the peg arrangement puzzleofis shown inwith additional features shown in, and24.is a cross-section through plane A-A in, andis an enlarged view of a corner portion of. As can be seen, the first movement mechanismcomprises an intermediate memberthat is sufficiently flexible to be able to move through the angled corners of the first look channelof the peg trackwhile being sufficient rigid to be able to move a peg basefrom one positional nodeto the next positional node. As can also be seen, in the version of, the puzzle bodyis made up of an inner body, which can be hollow or solid, that contains the recessthat forms the first loop channel, the second loop channel, the third loop chanel, and the channels for the additional loops,,. An outer shellis positionable around the inner body. The outer shellserves as the channel cover memberand includes the outer surfaceof the body.

23 FIG.A 2105 105 110 155 2025 1015 2105 1020 1205 1805 110 155 1015 2305 2310 2315 shows a version of the inner bodyof the puzzle bodywithout the peg members, peg movement mechanism, and outer shettattached. As can be seen, a recessinto the inner bodyforms the first loop channel, the second loop channel, and the third loop channelthat will support the peg membersand peg movement mechanism. As can also be seen, the recessincludes one or more first additional loop channels, second additional loop channels, and/or third additional loop channels. In the version shown, all of the channels are similarly sized and shaped.

23 FIG.B 23 FIG.A 110 155 2305 155 160 1020 165 1205 810 1805 160 1105 130 110 140 165 1210 130 110 145 810 2320 130 110 805 1105 1210 2320 2005 215 2020 1105 1210 2320 140 145 805 shows the peg membersand a peg movement mechanismthat are positionable on the inner bodyof. The peg movement mechanismincludes a first loop movement mechanismthat is insertable into and moveable within the first loop channel, a second loop movement mechanismthat is insertable into and moveable within the second loop channel, and a third loop movement mechanismthat is insertable into and moveable within the third loop channel. The first loop movement mechanismincludes a plurality of first intermediate membersspaced between positional nodesand adapted to move peg membersin the first loop, as discussed above. The second loop movement mechanismincludes a plurality of second intermediate membersspaced between positional nodesand adapted to move peg membersin the second loop, and the third loop movement mechanismincludes a plurality of second intermediate membersspaced between positional nodesand adapted to move peg membersin the third loop. In the version shown, the first loop intermediate members, the second loop intermediate members, and the third loop intermediate membersare all the same design. Alternatively, they can be different from one another. As can also be seen, each of the one or more first additional loops, the one or more second additional loops 2010, and/or the third additional loopsinclude a additional loop movement mechanismsthat can also have intermediate members that are the same or similar to the intermediate members,,of the first loop, second loop, and third loop.

24 FIG. 21 FIG. 23 FIG.B 23 FIG.A 20 FIG. 2305 110 155 100 2025 110 155 2305 2025 100 2025 1505 1515 2305 shows the inner body, peg members, and peg movement mechanismof the version of the peg movement puzzleofwith the outer shellremoved. In this view, the peg membersand peg movement mechanismofis positioned on the inner bodyof. The outer shellcan be installed to complete the peg movement puzzleas shown in. The outer shellthus serves as the channel cover member, as discussed above, and includes slotsthat correspond with each of the channels in the inner body.

25 26 FIGS.and 20 FIG. 25 26 FIGS.and 21 22 FIG.and 155 1305 1305 155 100 1305 1405 show another version of a peg movement mechanismfor the version of the peg movement puzzle of. The version ofis similar to the version of, but with round intermediate components, such as ball bearings, being used at the intermediate members in place of the single piece flexible spacers. The round intermediate componentscan help the peg movement mechanismnavigate the corners of the peg movement puzzle. In another version, the round intermediate componentscan be connected to for elongated members, such as the barbell shaped intermediate componentsdiscussed above. The elongated shape helps to keep the components in their intended channel.

20 FIG. 140 2005 140 145 2010 145 805 2015 805 130 150 110 In the particular version shown in, there are nine sets of loops. The nine sets of loops include the first loopand two first additional loopsthat are parallel to the first loop, the second loopand two second additional loopsthat are parallel to the second loop, and the third loopand two third additional loopsthat are parallel to the third loop. In this version, each positional nodeis an intersection nodeso that in any position, a peg membercan move in either direction along one of at least two loops.

27 FIG. 20 FIG. 27 FIG. 27 FIG. 27 FIG. 100 110 110 140 145 805 2005 2010 2015 1705 130 150 2005 2010 2015 shows a particular version of the peg movement puzzleof. In the version of, each peg memberhas an identifying indicium in the form of one of six colors, shades, or the like, with nine peg membershaving one of the six colors, shades, or the like. In the version of, the first looplies in a first plane, the second looplies in a second plane orthogonal to the first plane, and the third looplies in a third plane orthogonal to both the first plane and the second plane. In addition, two first additional loopsare provided that lie in planes parallel to the first plane, two second additional loopsare provided that lie in planes parallel to the second plane, and two third additonal loopsare provided that lie in planes parallel to the third plane. The loops are arranged as shown into create an array of positional nodes on each of the side of the cuboid body. In the version shown, each side has a three by three array of positional nodeswith each node lying in two different loops and being an intersection nodefor the two different loops. Alternative designs can provide different arrays or array shapes on the sides, such as two by two, two by three, two by four, four by four, etc. by varying the number of first additional loops, second additional loops, and/or third additional loops.

100 110 110 100 1710 110 1715 110 1720 100 100 110 100 110 130 100 100 110 110 1705 27 FIG. 27 FIG. 27 FIG. The object of the peg arrangement puzzleofis to take the puzzle in a scrambled configuration and move the peg membersto arrange the peg membersso that each side of the peg arrangement puzzlehas the same colors, shades, or the like, as shown in the completed configuration ofwith the black peg members all arranged on the front side, the white peg membersall arranged on the left side, and the gray peg membersall arranged on the top side. In this regard, the peg arrangement puzzle ofis solvable in similar fashion to the way a conventional Rubik’s Cube is solved. However, the peg arrangement puzzleis advantageous over a conventional Rubik’s cube and includes functionality not possible with the Rubik’s cube. For example, in a Rubik’s cube, for a peg or tile to be moved, it must be rotated to a different face of the cube. A peg or tile cannot be moved directly to a different position on the same face of the cube. Similarly, the peg or tile in a Rubik’s cube cannot be moved one position but must instead be moved three positions whereas with the peg arrangement puzzleof the invention, a peg membercan be moved one position in one of several directions. Another limitation of. Rubik’s cube is the center tile on each face is locked in position relative to at least one other center tile and cannot be moved out of the center whereas with the peg arrangement puzzleof the invention, all peg membersare moveable to any position nodein the puzzle. These differences allow for increased functionality of the peg arrangement puzzleof the invention. For example, the peg arrangement puzzleof the invention can easily to adapted to different shapes or designs making the challenge levels more readily scalable and selectable. Also, the peg memberscan include additional indicia so that the particular peg membershave to be in particular order on a side of the cuboid puzzle body.

28 29 FIGS.and 28 FIG. 29 FIG. 100 100 140 145 805 2010 145 140 145 805 2015 illustrate design and shape possibilities for the peg arrangement puzzleof the invention.shows a version of the peg arrangement puzzlein a spherical shape. In this version, the first loopis provided on a vertical plane, and the second loopin provided on a horizontal place. One or more third loopsextend in longitudinal manner around the globe-like sphere. One or more additional second loopsextend in latitudinal manner parallel to the second loop.shows a doughnut shaped version with a first loopon the interior of the doughnut, a second loopon the exterior of the doughnut and with a third loopand one or more additional third loopsextended along a plane in vertical section of the doughnut.

30 FIG. 100 110 155 110 140 1105 110 110 110 145 1210 110 110 155 1105 115 115 130 100 shows a version of a peg arrangement puzzleof the invention in which peg membersserve as the peg member movement mechanism. In this version, each peg memberin the first loopserves as an intermediate memberfor peg memberson each side of the peg member. In like manner, each peg memberin the second loopserves as a second loop intermediate memberfor peg memberson each side of the peg member. Said another way, in this version, the peg member movement mechanismincludes one or more intermeditate membersthat include a peg head. A similar design can be applied to any of the above described designs, with a peg headadded to the intermediate members thus creating additional positional nodeson a given peg arrangement puzzle.

31 FIG. 31 FIG. 100 140 145 150 155 155 3105 140 110 150 110 150 3110 110 140 145 3110 1105 3115 110 1105 110 150 shows a version of a peg arrangement puzzlein which a two dimensional puzzle has a first loopand a second loopwith a single intersection node. In this version, the peg movement mechanismincludes a mechanism that encourages a moving peg memberto move into a desired loop. For example, as can be seen in, when a clockwise indirect forcefrom the first loopis applied to a peg memberin the intersection nodeto push the peg memberout of the intersection node, a first loop encouraging mechanismencourages the peg memberto move along the first loopinstead of moving into the second loop. This first loop encouraging mechanismcan be provided by the rotational movement of the intermediate memberin the direction of the arrowto create space for the peg memberto move. This encouragement can be further enhanced by having the intermediate memberbe fluid like. In one version, the intermediate member can be a fluid, such as water or the like, that is in a sealed loop. As a peg member 110 moves in a loop, backside pressure drops thus allowing a peg memberat the intersection nodeto move in the desired loop.

100 105 105 100 105 110 155 110 Various alterations and permutations of the above described peg arrangement puzzleand components are to be understood to be included as part of the invention. For example, the shapes and configurations of the puzzle bodycan be any geometric shape and the arrangement of one or more loops on the puzzle bodycan be any shape and placement. Also, though the peg arrangement puzzlehas been shown and descirbed as physical embodiments, the puzzle concepts are also applicable to electronic puzzles where the body, peg members, loops, and peg movement mechanismare adapted to become a virtual body, virtual peg members, virtual loops, and a virtual peg movement mechanism displayed on an electronic screen. In this version, the direct and indirect movement of peg membersabout a loop can be caused by electronic control.

Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with regard to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible, and alterations, permutations and equivalents of the versions shown will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the specification and study of the drawings. For example, the cooperating components may be reversed or provided in additional or fewer number, and all directional limitations, such as up and down and the like, can be switched, reversed, or changed as long as doing so is not prohibited by the language herein with regard to a particular version of the invention. Like numerals represent like parts from figure to figure. When the same reference number has been used in multiple figures, the discussion associated with that reference number in one figure is intended to be applicable to the additional figure(s) in which it is used, so long as doing so is not prohibited by explicit language with reference to one of the figures. Also, the various features of the versions herein can be combined in various ways to provide additional versions of the present invention. Furthermore, certain terminology has been used for the purposes of descriptive clarity, and not to limit the present invention. Throughout this specification and any claims appended hereto, unless the context makes it clear otherwise, the term “comprise” and its variations such as “comprises” and “comprising” should be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, limitation, or step but not the exclusion of any other elements, limitations, or steps. Throughout this specification and any claims appended hereto, unless the context makes it clear otherwise, the term “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” should be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, limitation, or step and the exclusion of any other elements, limitations, or steps or the exclusion of any other essential elements, limitations, or steps, respectively. Throughout the specification, any discussion of a combination of elements, limitations, or steps should be understood to include (i) each element, limitation, or step of the combination alone, (ii) each element, limitation, or step of the combination with any one or more other element, limitation, or step of the combination, (iii) an inclusion of additional elements, limitations, or steps (i.e. the combination may comprise one or more additional elements, limitations, or steps), and/or (iv) an exclusion of additional elements, limitations, or steps or an exclusion of essential additional elements, limitations, or steps (i.e. the combination may consist of or consist essentially of the disclosed combination or parts of the combination). All numerical values, unless otherwise made clear in the disclosure or prosecution, include either the exact value or approximations in the vicinity of the stated numerical values, such as for example about +/- ten percent or as would be recognized by a person or ordinary skill in the art in the disclosed context. The same is true for the use of the terms such as about, substantially, and the like. Also, for any numerical ranges given, unless otherwise made clear in the disclosure, during prosecution, or by being explicitly set forth in a claim, the ranges include either the exact range or approximations in the vicinity of the values at one or both of the ends of the range. When multiple ranges are provided, the disclosed ranges are intended to include any combinations of ends of the ranges with one another and to include zero and infinity as possible ends of the ranges. Therefore, any appended or later filed claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein and should include all such alterations, permutations, and equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.