AU2006326858B2 - Inflatable game system - Google Patents

Abstract

A game maze for playing war games, combat games and the like is erected from a series of inflatable wall modules which can be deflated for transportation and storage. The wall modules are grouped together as desired to form passageways or cells within the maze. Some of the modules are formed with door openings through which game players can pass and window openings through which game players can view other parts of the maze and other participants.

Description

C:\NRPOrbrDCCALM44336535 I DOC-22/15/20 12 INFLATABLE GAME SYSTEM AND GAME MAZE FORMED FROM SAME The present invention relates to a game system from which can be formed a game maze for playing war games, combat games, and the like, which is capable of being set up in different, and easily 5 changeable, configurations. According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided game system comprising wall modules which are separately erectable from a flattened state by inflation and able to be assembled on a surface in any one of multiple configurations to form a respective game maze in which there 10 are walls arranged substantially at right angles, the modules comprising ones which can be interconnected whereby said walls are defined. A game maze can thereby be set up in a desired form using a group of such modules to provide pathways for the game players. 15 In the preferred embodiments of the invention, the wall modules comprise ones which are inflatable to form a free-standing wall structure comprising at least two walls directed transversely one to the other. 20 In one embodiment of the invention, some or all of the modules consist of a single wall whereby two or more modules can be releasably connected after inflation to form a free-standing structure of L-shaped configuration, T-shaped configuration, or rectangular configuration. It is preferred that some of the modules have a window-like opening to permit viewing from one 25 side of the wall to the other. In one particularly preferred form, the module consists of an inflatable core within a separate outer cover which protects the core and provides a relatively flat appearance for the opposed surfaces of the or each wall of the module. 30 Preferably the exposed surfaces of the modules are printed with, or otherwise carry, indicia to provide a visual rendition applicable to a game situation.

C .NRPonblC AZM\4343655_J DOC-22/0N512 -2 The exposed surface of each module is preferably low-reflective with respect to infra-red light to facilitate the use of infra-red toy weapons during game play. Other toy weapons which can be used during game play include paintball markers and airsoft toy weapons. 5 The game system also preferably includes scenery props of inflatable structure to be secured to the ground within the maze, these props simulating, for example, fallen trees, pipes or sandbags. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the game system includes roof sheeting to be applied across some or all of a maze formed by the assembled wall modules. The roof sheeting is 10 preferably a combination of two or more of the following: light-transmitting, non light transmitting, or restricted light-transmitting, so as to provide the possibility of different illumination levels in different parts of the maze. Roof sheeting applied across a rectangular cell or a passageway for example, may be partially or wholly of non light-transmitting form or of restricted light-transmitting capacity. Roof sheeting for outside use will include drain holes to 15 permit drainage of rain into the maze and when setting up the maze the drain holes can, if appropriate, be located in positions to enhance the sense of reality through the use of dripping or running rain water. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game maze as defined 20 above, being formed from said system and comprising said walls extending substantially at right angles. According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game maze comprising the modules of the game system as defined above, inflated and assembled on said surface, the maze 25 defining pathways for game players, wherein there are walls arranged substantially at right angles which are defined by interconnected ones of the modules. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the maze defines cells into which the players can enter, and some of the pathways may be blocked to prevent passage and some of the cells may 30 or may not have a separate exit. The invention will now be further described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure I shows a basic wall module of L-shape; C \NRPonbl\DCC\AZNW1655 I DOC-22M5/21012 -3 Figure 2 shows a wall module of L-shape but configured to replicate a partially demolished wall; Figure 3 shows a wall module of T-shape and configured to replicate a partially demolished wall; 5 Figure 4 shows an example of indicia which can be applied to the external surface of the wall module of Figure 2 for added realism; Figures 5 A and 5B illustrate different forms of roof sheeting; Figure 6 shows an inflatable barrier which replicates a stack of sandbags; Figure 7 shows a range of basic modules each providing a single, straight, wall; 10 Figure 8 shows how modules of the type shown in Figure 7 can be connected to form a rectangular cell; and Figures 9 and 10 are examples of different forms of maze which can be set-up from modules of the type shown in Figure 7. 15 The game system of a first embodiment is composed of a range of wall modules formed from flexible sheet material which are erected by being inflated to form free-standing units. In their deflated states each module can be collapsed "flat" and can be folded into a low volume configuration for transportation and storage. The modules when inflated include ones which provide at least two walls, one transverse to the other, preferably one at right angles to the other, so 20 that the wall module is freestanding. Each wall is composed of sheets of robust plastic material impervious to air, vinyl for example, and welded or otherwise fused or sealed together and including internal reinforcement so that when the wall is inflated it will assume a predetermined shape with opposed front and rear sides and a wide edge connecting those sides so that in appearance the wall portion can replicate a wall of brick or stone, for example. A standard form of 25 wall module I is shown in Figure I and is of L-shaped configuration to provide two walls 2, 4. A wall module of this shape can be incorporated in a game maze either to stand on its own or to be assembled to other similar modules, for example to form a rectangular cell or room. Within its interior, each wall defines one or more air chambers which may be interconnected with the air chamber(s) of the other wall, or the air chambers of the two walls may be separate. Figure 1 30 illustrates schematically internal webbing 6 extending between the opposite sides of each wall and internal reinforcement 7 at their inside faces, to maintain the shape of the wall when inflated. The lower half of each wall can also be formed of material of increased thickness for greater stability. This internal structure is given by way of example only and many variations are possible. As the technology for constructing inflatable structures of WO 2007/070970 PCT/AU2006/001979 -4 predetermined shape is itself well known it does not need to be described in detail here. The modules for use in the game system may be of different configurations to provide versatility in the design of a game maze which can be assembled from the modules. 5 However a basic module will either be of L-shaped configuration such as that shown at I in Figure 1 or T-shaped configuration to provide a long wall and a shorter wall extending at right angles from the mid point of the longer wall. At least some of the walls of at least some of the modules are formed with an opening which is either a window opening 8 or an opening at window height and/or a door-like opening 10 to enable a participant in the game 10 to move from one side of the wall to the other. Some of the modules might not include any opening in their walls. Although some of the L-shaped and T-shaped modules may have rectangular walls of the same height (as shown in the module of Figure 1) to facilitate the mounting of a roof as 15 will be described, in some of the modules the walls may be shaped to replicate a wall that has been partially demolished or destroyed (see the L-shaped module la in Figure 2, and the T-shaped module 11 in Figure 3). The opposed surfaces of the wall may be printed with indicia for added realism, for example bricks, bullet holes, camouflage and so forth. This is illustrated, by way of example, in Figure 4 with reference to the module of Figure 20 2. The game system will be provided with a multiplicity of the L-shaped and T-shaped modules which can be laid out and combined in almost an infinite variety of different ways to create a maze of rooms/cells and passages through which participants can move into, out 25 of, and through when playing the game; the window-like openings permit participants to view other sections of the maze to see their allies and adversaries. The walls of each module are provided with a series of rings or loops 12 adjacent their side edges to permit adjacent modules to be coupled together, for example by elastic or other 30 ties. This will be required, for example, when two modules are assembled together to form a rectangular room or cell or other structure. Alternatively, the side edge of the module WO 2007/070970 PCT/AU2006/001979 -5 can include a short projecting flap with eyelets for receiving an elastic or other tie for coupling two modules together. Similar fittings are provided along the upper edges of the walls for securing a roof sheet across the walls and at the lower edges of the walls for securing the modules to the ground. In an alternative, adjacent wall modules can be 5 coupled or connected by high strength zips and a similar method of connection can be used for connecting roof sheeting to the modules. A maze formed by a group of modules can either be erected outside, on grass for example, or inside in which case it is erected on a floor, for example of heavy duty multi-purpose 10 matting possibly faced with an artificial grass layer. When used outside it is preferred that the modules are anchored against the ground by weighted bags, for example by sand bags, to which the lower edges of the walls are tied by elastic or other ties. The weighted bags can themselves be covered with a skin which is printed with indicia to replicate an appearance appropriate to the battle situation, for example fallen debris, camouflage 15 netting and so forth. For inside use, the flooring is itself provided in modules, for example ten metres by two metres, which are laid on the ground and tied together to provide a playing field of a required size which might typically be tens of metres long by tens of metres wide. Each 20 floor module is provided with fixing holes distributed over its length and width to enable the wall modules to be arranged on the flooring at desired locations and secured thereto by elastic or other ties extending between the fixing holes on the flooring and the fixings 12 provided along the lower edges of the walls of the modules. 25 When roof sheeting is applied across the tops of the walls it is secured in a similar way by elastic or other ties between the sheeting and the fixings 12 along the upper edges of the walls. For inside use, the roof sheeting may be used just over selected parts of the maze to darken some sections, for example to create a dark room or dark passage. However it is possible for the entire maze to be covered to heighten the sense of reality to those playing 30 the game, by obscuring the roof or ceiling structure of the building. In that case the roof sheeting is likely to include both light-transmitting and non light-transmitting portions.

WO 2007/070970 PCT/AU2006/001979 -6 The roof sheeting is preferably provided in a range of different sizes and types (ie. light transmitting, non light-transmitting, or both) to enable the desired effects to be achieved. Figure 5A shows by way of example light-transmitting roof sheeting and Figure 5B shows roof sheeting of different size to that of Figure 5A and which is predominantly non light 5 transmitting but with an insert 20 of light-transmitting material so that when placed over a room, cell or passageway defined by the modules it will darken the interior space but reduced illumination will still be present. For outside use the roof sheeting will also be used to provide a degree of protection of inclement weather. The inclusion of roof sheeting to an outside structure not only helps protect against inclement weather it also 10 renders the structure more stable to resist wind. Each sheet is provided with drain holes 22 for rainwater and although the water will drain from the sheet into the maze itself, this will add to the realism. If appropriate, the drain holes can be positioned over sections of the maze which simulate passageways or outside pathways, to further add to the sense of reality. 15 A wide range of different game mazes can be set up, principally defined by the L-shaped and T-shaped wall modules which can be configured in any desired way. Barriers of inflatable construction can be placed on the playing surface and secured in position to further refine the maze; for example an inflatable barrier of cylindrical form may be 20 configured to simulate a fallen tree or a large pipe - Figure 6 shows an inflatable barrier 24 which replicates a wall of sandbags. These are held to the ground in the same manner as the wall modules. A further barrier can be formed by a low wall which is straight (rather than of angled configuration as shown in Figure 6); in that case, to ensure that the wall is free-standing, it widens progressively from the top to the bottom, and for added stability 25 ballast can be added to a flap at the bottom of the wall; the flap with ballast may be tucked beneath the bottom of the wall. The wall modules are also provided with small fixing loops or rings 30 (see Figure 1) distributed over their surface for attaching items to the surfaces to further "theme" the 30 maze, for example signs, debris, and curtains over the windows.

WO 2007/070970 PCT/AU2006/001979 -7 Although each module includes internal webbing and internal reinforcement to maintain the shape of the walls when the module is inflated, as a result of the inherent flexibility of the material from which the module is formed, there will inevitably be a degree of bulging or ballooning of the material in zones between adjacent internal webs and as a result the 5 walls will not be entirely flat but instead will have the shape of a series of alternating shallow troughs and ridges. While this still provides a satisfactory product particularly when the module is printed with theming indicia, nevertheless for added realism it is preferred for the walls to have a substantially flat appearance. For this purpose it is preferred that each module is of two layer construction comprising an inflatable inner layer 10 or core corresponding to the modules previously described and which fits loosely within an outer layer of a tough material such as canvas and which forms a cover for the core. When the module is erected by inflating the inner core, the cover will provide the opposed sides of the wall and the edges of the wall with the cover being supported in the required shape by the inflated core; however as the cover is not itself inflated, its opposed sides which 15 form the opposed sides of the module will tend to hang substantially flat to provide a more realistic appearance of a solid wall. The outer surface of the cover may be of a plain colour or printed with or otherwise carry a design which has versatility for use in many simulated battle situations, particularly by 20 "theming" the set up by attachment of signs and other articles to the walls in a similar manner to that previously described except that the attachment points will be provided on the cover. The use of the cover, which is of a robust material, is of further advantage as it tends to protect the inflatable core and can readily be replaced if damaged. 25 When the covers are provided, as is preferred, the covers carry eyelets, loops or other fittings for connecting adjacent modules in the maze. It is to be noted that these fittings and also the corresponding fittings provided on a basic inflatable module absent the cover can be used also as an anchor point to tie the module to an external anchorage which could be formed by a tree, a fence, or a vehicle for example and this is of particular benefit when 30 the maze is set up for outdoor use and will be subject to the effects of wind. The outer surface of the basic wall module and also that of any covers therefor is such as to minimise WO 2007/070970 PCT/AU2006/001979 -8 reflection of infra-red light which is of significance when the game players are using infra red weapons. The maze can be erected and dismantled relatively quickly and can easily be transported 5 from one venue to the next; when outer covers are provided as discussed above, the core when deflated will remain within the cover to facilitate easy erection of the entire module when next required. The ease of erection also means that the layout can easily be changed from one game to the next in the same venue. Depending on the design, the entire pathway through the maze can be changed just by changing the configuration of relatively few of 10 the wall modules within the maze. Although the invention has been described thus far with reference to the use of basic modules of L-shape or T-shape and thereby free-standing and connectable to provide a variety of different configurations, some or all of the modules consist of just a single 15 straight wall whereby, after inflation, two or more such modules can be releasably connected to form free-standing structures of L-shape, T-shape or rectangular, for example. The use of a simplified module of this form reduces the carrying weight of the module which is desirable in many situations. Figure 7 shows a range of simplified modules and comprising a module 30 with a door-like opening, a module 32 with a 20 window-like opening, a module 34 providing a tall wall of a height corresponding to that of the modules 30 and 32, and a module 36 providing a low wall. The wall modules 34 and 36 may be produced in a range of different lengths including a length equivalent to that of the modules 30 and 32 so that rectangular cells can be produced using any combination of the four modules. It is to be understood that the modules 30 and 32 can 25 also be produced in a range of different lengths and for modules longer than those shown in Figure 7, for example twice that length, the door or window openings can either be centrally located or located closer to one end. The opposed sides and ends of each module are provided with rings, loops or other fixing 30 points to permit adjacent modules to be coupled together, for example by elastic or other ties. When the modules are of two layer construction consisting of inflatable core and WO 2007/070970 PCT/AU2006/001979 -9 outer cover as previously described, the fixing points are provided on the covers. For security of coupling, the fixing points are arranged adjacent the upper and lower edges of each module and for the taller modules such as the modules 30, 32, 34 a further set of fixing points may be arranged at an intermediate point along the height of the module. For 5 versatility in setting up the modules to form a maze it is envisaged that each module will usually have sets of fixing points along its end edges and at each of its sides adjacent to each of the end edges so that the end edge of one module can be abutted against and releasably secured to the side of an adjacent module at right angles thereto. Longer wall modules may also have a set of fixing points at each side midway along its length to permit 10 two modules to be releasably connected in T-shaped relation. In any given set up, there will be unused fixing points available by which the module can be tied to external fixed structure such as previously described. Figure 8 shows a series of four modules which could be longer versions of the modules 32 15 - 36 assembled to form a rectangular cell. The fixing points at which the adjacent modules are attached are shown schematically as loops 40; it will be seen that in this form, sets of fixing points are also provided at intermediate positions along the length of each module. Figures 9 and 10 show by way of example different mazes which can be set up using the 20 modules of Figure 7. It is to be understood that these are illustrative of many different maze set ups which can be provided. The embodiments have been described by way of example only and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention. 25 Throughout this specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. 30

Claims (21)

1. A game system comprising wall modules which are separately erectable from a flattened state by inflation and able to be assembled on a surface in any one of multiple configurations to form a respective game maze in which there are walls arranged substantially at right angles, the modules comprising ones which can be interconnected whereby said walls are defined.

2. A game system according to claim 1, wherein the interconnectable modules are provided with connectors, each connector being able to be coupled to a said connector of another module, such that modules the connectors of which are so coupled form ones of said walls.

3. A game system according to claim 2, wherein said connectors are positioned to be coupled in a manner such that a side portion of one said wall adjoins an end portion of another said wall.

4. A game system according to claim 4, wherein ones of said connectors are provided on said side and end portions to be able to be coupled in said manner.

5. A game system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the modules comprise ones which when inflated have at least one wall with an opening therein to permit passage of a game player from one side of that wall to the other in the game maze.

6. A game system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the modules comprise ones each of which when inflated comprises only a single wall which is generally planar and can be releasably connected to another of the wall modules when inflated to form therewith a free-standing structure in which it extends transverse to a wall of the other wall module, the free-standing structure defining ones of said walls arranged at right angles.

7. A game system according to claim 6, wherein ones of the modules comprising said single wall when inflated can be releasably interconnected to form a free-standing structure in which structure the single walls of those modules extend transverse one to another, the free-standing structure defining ones of said walls arranged substantially at right angles. C NRPorblDCC\AZA141655_1 DOC-2215/2012 - 11

8. A game system according to claim 7, wherein ones of the modules consisting of a single wall when inflated can be releasably interconnected to form a free-standing structure which is of L-shaped configuration and defines ones of said walls arranged substantially at right angles.

9. A game system according to claim 7 or 8, wherein ones of the modules consisting of a single wall when inflated can be releasably interconnected to form a free-standing structure which is of T-shaped configuration and defines ones of said walls arranged substantially at right angles.

10. A game system according to claim 7, 8 or 9, wherein ones of the modules consisting of a single wall when inflated can be releasably interconnected to form a free-standing structure which is of rectangular configuration and defines ones of said walls arranged substantially at right angles.

I1. A game system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the modules comprise ones each of which when inflated forms a free-standing wall structure which comprises at least two walls directed transversely one to the other.

12. A game system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the modules comprise ones each of which when inflated forms a free-standing wall structure which comprises two walls directed transversely one to the other so as to have an L-shaped configuration.

13. A game system according to any one of claims I to 10 and 12, wherein the modules comprise ones each of which when inflated forms a free-standing wall structure which comprises two walls directed transversely one to the other so as to have a T-shaped configuration.

14. A game system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the modules comprise ones each of which has at least one wall with a window opening to permit viewing from one side of the wall to the other in the game maze.

15. A game system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wall modules comprise ones which carry indicia to provide in the game maze a visual rendition appropriate to a C:\RPonblDCC\Z?.M343655 L DOC-22/15/21112 - 12 game situation.

16. A game system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the modules comprise ones each of which has an inflatable core and a separate outer cover of flexible material received over the core when inflated such the cover is supported by the core and provides, in the game maze, opposed sides of the module which are substantially flat.

17. A game system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wall modules comprise ones shaped at upper ends thereof such that each when inflated replicates a wall partially demolished wall of the game maze.

18. The game maze recited in any one of the preceding claims, being formed from the system according thereto, comprising said walls extending substantially at right angles.

19. A game maze comprising the modules of the game system according to any one of claims I to 17 inflated and assembled on said surface, the maze defining pathways for game players, wherein there are walls arranged substantially at right angles which are defined by interconnected ones of the modules.

20. A game system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

21. A game maze substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.