Educational toy
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to educational aid devices and particularly to a device that can be utilized as a toy and/or an educational device which enables self-taught association between an object and, for example, its identifying name or symbol. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A number of educational devices, particularly for children, have been proposed such as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,619,160 issued Mar. 1, 1927 to Herbert H. Steele, U.S. Pat. No. 3,303,580 issued Feb. 14, 1967 to Virginia L. Stinar, U.S. Pat. No. 3,455,035 issued July 15, 1969 to Jack L. Breneman and U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,884 issued Sept. 6, 1977 to Frances Lee Zand. 
     Typically, these devices require complicated mechanical and electrical mechanisms for actuating its informational display. The complexity and cost of such devices generally necessitate limiting or dedicating use of the device to that of an educational aid. 
     Another problem which may be encountered by use of these prior art devices is that of child rejection due to association of the device only as an educational (work) device. 
     Typically, the prior art devices also require instructional guidance, correction, supervision and (frustrating) trial-and-error actuation to utilize the device. 
     In contrast to the prior art, the present invention provides a device having a simple, robust and relatively inexpensive structure which combines the capabilities and advantages of both a toy and an educational device, enables manipulation and varied arrangement of its constituent parts, is adapted for ease of use, provides feedback to enhance self-taught learning and involves a minimum of associated parts. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Generally speaking, in accordance with the invention, an educational and/or toy device is provided having at least two columns of independently operable drums, each rotatably mounted in a housing. Each drum in a column is disposed adjacent a drum in another column to form rows of drums. Each drum has at least one pictorial representation and/or intelligence on its circumferencial surface which is associated or integrated with a coding scheme, for example, a color pattern, on said drum. By aligning the correspondingly coded areas/items on the adjacent drums, association between pictorial representations, objects, words, intelligence or symbols having interrelationship can, thereby, be recognized and developed. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved educational and/or toy device. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus to enhance learning by identifying items having associative meaning. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide an educational/toy device which develops an awareness or sense of perspective, for example, for associating and/or grouping items, symbols etc. of like kind and for appreciating/recognizing the interrelationship between the items, indicia, symbols and figures. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide an educational/toy device which develops and improves the sequential and progressional thinking/memory ability of a person. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide an educational toy which enables manipulation and/or varied arrangement of its constituent parts, e.g., its drums, to thereby stimulate interest, exploration and logical thinking. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide an educational device which enables self-taught recognition of items having associative significance. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide an educational device which developes recognition of intelligence, words and pictorial representations having associative significance. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide an educational device which enables self-correction by means of a coding system. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide an educational device which utilizes visual and tactile association between items having associative significance. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide an educational device which developes the concept of sequencing and/or placement of items in a predetermined order or arrangement. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved toy. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide a manipulative type toy or game. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide a toy or game which involves the systematic arrangement of colors and/or indicia. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other objects and advantages of this invention may be seen more clearly from the following description when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Like numerals refer to like parts throughout. 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the preferred embodiment of the educational/toy device according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side-view of the preferred embodiment of the housing assembly of the educational/toy device according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view of an embodiment of a fastener for detachably mounting the tactile figures onto the top cover member of the educational/toy device; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative construction of the drums; 
     FIG. 5 is an edge view of the drum band shown in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6a is a plan view of the circumferencial surfaces of the drum band and drums 6a through 6e in open condition; 
     FIG. 6b is a plan view of the circumferencial surfaces of the drums 5a through 5e in open condition; and 
     FIG. 7 is a partially exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     Referring to the drawings, particularly FIGS. 1 and 7, the invention comprises a housing assembly 1 which includes a top cover 2 and a base member 3, tactile figures or structures 4a through 4e and a plurality of drums 5a through 5e, 6a through 6e. The constituent parts of the educational/toy device may be formed of metal, glass, wood, plastic, polystyrene or from various resins including acrylic or vinyl resins. 
     The top cover 2 of the housing assembly 1 is divided into five horizontally functional rows 7 through 11, each visually distinguishable, for example, by a color of the rainbow. The upper edge of the top cover 2 is made visually distinguishable from the other rows by forming a separate and differently colored horizontal row 12. The rows 7 through 11 and 12 are each colored in the preferred (color of the rainbow) order orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and red respectively. 
     The top cover 2 is provided with two columns 13, 14 of vertically aligned spaced viewing windows 15a through 15e and 16a through 16e respectively. Each of the rows 7 through 11 have two longitudinally aligned viewing windows provided therein. For example, row 7 contains viewing windows 15a and 16a. 
     The viewing windows forming column 13 are rectangularly configured and positionally aligned to enable viewing, for example, of the words one, two . . . five provided on the circumferencial surfaces of each drum 5a through 5e. Column 14 comprises five rectangular viewing windows also positionally aligned and of slightly different shape or size, for example, smaller, than the viewing windows forming column 13 so as to be readily distinguishable therefrom and to enable viewing therethrough of the corresponding symbols/indicia, for example, 1, 2 . . . 5 provided on the circumferencial surfaces of each of the drums 6a through 6e. 
     The box-like base member 3 comprises a bottom wall 17, four drum mounting walls 18, 19, 20, 21, a front wall 22, a back wall 23 and a divider wall 24. The drum mounting walls 18, 19, 20, 21 each have five spaced bifucated or semicircular cut-outs 25a through 25e, 26a through 26e, 27a through 27e and 28a through 28e respectively. Each cut-out in a mounting wall is substantially aligned with a cut-out in each of the other mounting walls. For example, cut-out 25a is aligned with cut-outs 26a, 27a and 28a to form horizontally aligned support mountings for the axially aligned shafts of the drums 5a and 6a. The divider wall 24 is provided between the inner mounting walls 19, 20 and functions as an abutment wall for the drums. The divider wall 24 may also serve as a means of aligning the drums vertically. The drums are rotatably and removably mounted within the cut-outs and between the two pairs of drum mounting walls 18 and 19, 20 and 21. The divider wall 24 is positioned between the inner drum mounting walls 19, 20 such that when the drums are mounted as illustrated in FIG. 7, but in the preferred arrangement as illustrated in FIG. 1, i.e., drums 5a through 5e being vertically aligned with column 13 and drums 6a through 6e being vertically aligned with column 14, the differently sized drums 5a through 5e and 6a through 6e align with the corresponding viewing windows 15a through 15e and 16a through 16e respectively for mating therewith to enable viewing of the drums through the viewing windows as shown in FIG. 1. Thus, the constituent parts of the device, in accordance with the invention, are configured to encourage, suggest, imply or coerce assembly/arrangement of the drums as shown in FIG. 1 so as to obtain vertical (group) alignment of the word-drums and numbered-drums in the preferred columns. In this manner, the child is encouraged and/or taught to associate/group items which are of similar nature, e.g., which have word markings and/or have similar physical characteristics such as size. 
     It should be recognized, however, that each drum may be mounted between either pair, i.e. 18-19 and 20-21, of the drum mounting walls as illustrated in FIG. 7 by drums 5d and 6d. This feature may be provided to enable the child to experiment and play with the arrangement of the drums. 
     The circumferential surface of each drum is divided into five sectors or areas 31 through 35, or 36 through 40. The number of sectors correspond to the number of horizontally functional rows 7 through 11. Each sector 31 through 35, 36 through 40 has an indicia provided thereon. For example, each of the drums 5a through 5e have the words one, two . . . five provided on the sector 31 through 35 respectively. And each drum 6a through 6e has the corresponding numbers 1, 2 . . . 5 provided on its sectors 36 through 40 respectively. FIGS. 6a and 6b show a plan view of the circumferencial surfaces of the drums 6a through 6e and 5a through 5e in open condition. Each sector which has a corresponding indicia provided thereon is color (coded) by a similar color. Alignment of similarly color (coded) sectors results in alignment of the corresponding indicia or intelligence. For example, sectors 31 through 35 and 36 through 40 are both color (coded) orange, yellow, green, blue and purple and also provided with the indicia one, two . . . five and 1, 2 . . . 5 respectively. 
     A tactile figure or object 4a through 4e is disposed between two viewing windows in each of the rows. Each tactile figure is configured to correspond to one of the five indicia provided on the surface of each drum. For example, the five pointed star corresponds to the indicia five and 5. The tactile figures are each color (coded) to correspond to one of the horizontal rows and a sector of each drum. In addition, each tactile figure may be provided with a marking or symbol which also corresponds to the same indicia that the tactile figure so marked corresponds to. For example, a plurality of dot markings 55 on the tactile figures may be used to correspond to the corresponding indicia. The tactile figures are removably mounted or affixed to the top cover 2 by any conventional fastener means 41 such as is sold under the trademarks &#34;LEGO&#34; and &#34;VELCRO&#34; or by a snap fastener means. 
     Since fasteners are well known such as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,397,801 issued Apr. 2, 1946 to Alexander R. Mitchell, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,210,820 issued Oct. 12, 1965 to J. H. Humiston, they, therefore, will not be described in detail herein to avoid prolixity. Briefly, however, and with reference to FIG. 3, one embodiment of the mounting means 41 may comprise a snap fastener of the type having complementary male or stud 42 and female or socket 43 members. The socket member 43 comprises an elastic plastic material which affords sufficient rigidity to enable the slightly enlarged head of the stud 42 to be releasably inserted into and readily detached from the socket 43 provided in the plastic tactile figures. In this manner, the tactile figures can be affixed to the top cover 2 in releasable engagement therewith to permit varied placement of each tactile figure for alignment with a selected row/indicia. 
     Referring to FIGS. 2 and 7, the side walls 44, 45 of the top cover 2 are contoured by cut-outs 46, 47 which enable the top cover 2 to be fitted over the bottom member 3 while the shafts 48 (shown in phantom outline in FIG. 2) and turning knobs 49 extend or protrude outwardly from the side openings of the device to thereby permit manual rotation/actuation of the drums. The cut-outs 46, 47 have a drum retaining ledge 50, 51 which, with the top cover 2 fitted over the bottom member 3, rests on the shafts 48 to support the top cover 2 and, thereby, provide frictional contact between the drum retaining ledges 50, 51 and the shafts 48. In this manner, the drum/shafts may be retained in a manually selected rotational position at a desired sector/indicia. 
     With reference to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, an alternative construction of the drums is shown. The drum assembly shown in these drawings is similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 7 with the exception that a cartridge or cylinder is provided for being removably mounted onto or for forming a sheathing over a cooperating receptacle drum or roller. The color (coded) surface of the cylinder is provided with indicia, for example, as shown in FIGS. 6a or 6b, spaced circumferencially around its surface. By means of this drum construction, additional or replacement cartridges containing varied and/or progressional indicia formed on their surfaces can be provided along with replacement and corresponding tactile figures. In this manner, the child&#39;s interest may be increased or maintained by the provision of replacement cartridges/drums containing different symbols or indicia. For example, the bands or drums having the indicia 1 through 5 may be replaced by bands/drums having the indicia, for example, 5 through 9 on their surface. Thus, after learning the associative significance between the first set of indicia, i.e., between the words one, two . . . five and the numbers 1, 2 . . . 5 and the progressional significance/interrelationship between these indicia, the learning experience can be extended by substituting drums containing the sector indicia, for example, 5 through 9 and five through nine which are color (coded) for suggesting association/alignment with the rows 7 through 11 respectively. In this manner, progressional memory and/or extended learning can be effected by the provision of substitution bands/drums. 
     OPERATION 
     If the drums are properly positioned within the housing assembly 1, rotation of the drums within a color (coded) row to that sector of its surface which is correspondingly color (coded) horizontally aligns two symbols, indicia or intelligence having associative/significance. Similar actuation of the drums in a column vertically aligns symbols, indicia or intelligence having progressional and/or sequential significance. 
     The tactile figures are removably affixed to the housing assembly 1 to permit manipulation thereof and arrangement in a desired order. The tactile figures are color (coded) to imply association/alignment with the correspondingly color (coded) rows and drum sectors. 
     Thus, in accordance with the invention, the educational/toy device provides a new and improved educational aid and a toy/game which enables learning under a low pressure play situation and, thereby, may develop the feeling that it is fun to learn. 
     It is to be understood that the above described arrangements are illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Other arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the drums may comprise a pentahedron with each plane face or surface forming a sector. 
     Therefore, the term &#34;indicia&#34; shall mean any pictorial representation, word, number, symbol, item, marking, printed intelligence or the like. The term &#34;drum&#34; as herein used shall mean any object, figure etc. suitable for displaying indicia on its peripheral surface. And the term &#34;associative significance&#34; and &#34;corresponding&#34; shall mean a generally recognized or assigned or desirable interrelationship between the referred to indicia.