Geomag

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An icosahedron constructed with Geomag rods and spheres Mathieu 12 icosahedron.jpg
An icosahedron constructed with Geomag rods and spheres

Geomag, stylized as GEOMAG, is a magnetic construction toy consisting of a collection of bars, each set with a neodymium alloy magnet at both ends, connected by a magnetic plug coated with polypropylene, and nickel-coated metal spheres. These elements interlock using magnetism, allowing for them to be assembled in various ways.

Contents

Geomag was created in May 1998 by Claudio Vicentelli. Geomag products are manufactured by Geomagworld SA, based in Novazzano, Switzerland. To align with the 2009/48/EC law's nickel content regulations for toys, the design was adjusted[ when? ] to feature spheres coated with a bronze alloy.

Invention and Patent

In May 1998, Claudio Vicentelli, a specialist in practical applications of permanent magnets, [1] patented the concept of Geomag.

The patented design outlines the setup of the Geomag bars, which incorporate a metal pin that connects two magnets positioned at opposite ends, along with metallic spheres. The primary objective of this configuration was to minimize the use of magnetic material, thereby reducing production expenses.

Global Expansion of Geomag

Geomag made its debut in the Italian toy chain store Città del Sole in 1999.[ citation needed ] In 2000, Geomag appeared in several toy fairs in Milan, Nuremberg, and New York. Differences in vision for the development of the toy led to Vicentelli and toy company Plastwood[ who? ] ending their partnership in the same year.[ citation needed ]

In January 2003, the Swiss company Geomag SA was created in Ticino, with a license to produce Geomag.[ citation needed ] This company introduced more elements to the toy, such as panels made of semi-transparent colored polycarbonate (triangular platforms, rhombi, squares, and pentagons), used for decorative and structural support purposes. Vicentelli patented these new elements in Europe in 2004. [2]

In 2004, the G-Baby line, aimed at younger children, was introduced, featuring magnetic cubes and half-spheres with magnetic faces.[ citation needed ]

International regulators such as ASTM USA and the European Commission instituted a rule[ when? ] dictating that products small enough to fit within a test cylinder could only be sold to children aged 14 and above. Consequently, the original Geomag bars were elongated to 58 mm from their initial 27 mm length. The original Geomag variant was renamed to Geomag PRO, with an age designation of 14 and above.[ citation needed ]

Geomag SA ceased operations in November 2007, but was revived by entrepreneurs[ who? ] in 2008, who established Geomagworld SA.[ citation needed ] In 2009, Geomagworld SA began to produce 58 mm magnetic bars in compliance with the European Standard EN71. These bars formed the foundation for the product lines targeted to small children (ages +3), and incorporated colour variations (bars and spheres) and panels (bars, spheres, and reinforcement panels for both decorative and structural use).[ citation needed ]

The original 27 mm bars, still in production, were rebranded as the Geomag PRO line, comprising pro-colour, pro-metal, and pro-panel variants.[ citation needed ]

Awards

See also

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References

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