EP1075862A1

EP1075862A1 - A team game set and anthropomorphic piece

Info

Publication number: EP1075862A1
Application number: EP99830525A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Enrico Quercioli
Original assignee: Universal SpA
Current assignee: Universal SpA
Priority date: 1999-08-12
Filing date: 1999-08-12
Publication date: 2001-02-14

Abstract

A team game set includes a playing surface (1) which defines a field having two half-fields (1a, 1b) each associated with a team, subdivided by a network of lines (11, 13) into squares (15), each of which corresponds to a playing position, a pair of target structures (19) suitable for being arranged in proximity to the field base lines (3), a plurality of anthropomorphic pieces (20, 20a) having an extended base (29) that can be placed in a playing position (15) and a cover part (30) similar to a shirt and intended to receive a coloration to distinguish the players of the two teams, and a movable game member (21). A piece (20, 20a) and/or the movable game member (21) can be moved on the field at each playing turn according to a sequence of moves, for the purpose of bringing the movable game member (21) within one of the target structures (19). The elements of the set are produced from a sheet material, such as cardboard or the like.

Description

The present invention relates in general to table games and in particular to a team game set that can be used to simulate a match between a pair of opposing teams, for example a football, basketball, hockey, or rugby match or the like.
In particular, the invention relates to a team game set, characterized in that it includes in combination:

a playing surface which defines a field formed of two adjacent half-fields each associated with a team, in which the field is bounded by a perimeter line which comprises a pair of field base lines and a pair of side lines, which are respectively opposed to one another, and is subdivided by means of a network of lines into a plurality of squares, each of which corresponds to a playing position,
a pair of target structures intended to be arranged in a predetermined position in proximity to each of the field base lines,
a plurality of substantially anthropomorphic pieces, each of which includes an extended support base capable of being placed in one of said playing positions, the pieces constituting the players of said teams and each having a cover part formed so as to simulate a shirt and intended to receive a coloration to allow the players of one team to be distinguished from those of the other team, and
a movable game member suitable for being placed in one of said playing positions or on a portion of a support base of a piece,

By means of the invention, a team game set is provided which is of a particularly simple and economical constitution and in which at least some of the game members can be both assembled and personalized by a user who can reproduce on them a coloration, so that the game is also capable of performing an educational function.
A further subject of the invention is an anthropomorphic piece for use in a team game set, characterized in that it comprises a body which substantially reproduces the shape of a player and which has, at the bottom, means for connection to a support base, the body being provided with a cover part which simulates a shirt and has a pair of faces, respectively front and back, the outer surface of which is prepared to be coloured by a user, the body and the support base of the piece and also the cover part of the body being produced from a sheet material, such as cardboard or the like.
Owing to such characteristics, any preferred coloration can be reproduced on the shirt of a piece, so that the user can exercise his imagination to design a coloration which is to his liking and can exercise his manual dexterity in carrying it out on the shirts of the pieces of his game team.
Preferably, the cover part is removable from the body of the piece and comprises two substantially symmetrical halves, separated from each other by a fold line along which is defined an opening which is suitable for permitting the introduction of the head of the body of the piece so as to allow a respective cover part to be associated with the piece.
The cover parts thus become interchangeable on the various pieces.
According to another preferred characteristic, the body has at the bottom a groove capable of allowing the insertion of the body in a cruciform arrangement in a corresponding groove formed in an upright part which protrudes from the support base, the body, in the state where the said two grooves are engaged in one another, being connected to the support base in a substantially resilient manner so that by deforming the body with respect to the support base about a general axis defined by said grooves, the body is subjected to a resilient return force sufficient to impart a movement to a movable game member resting on the support base.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following detailed description, provided by way of non-limiting example with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a general perspective view of a team game set according to the invention
Figures 2 and 3 are respectively a front, exploded perspective view and a front, perspective assembled view of one of the pieces forming part of the game set,
Figures 4 and 5 are respectively similar views of a variant of the piece illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, and
Figure 6 is a perspective view which shows diagrammatically the operation of the piece of Figures 4 and 5.

Referring first to Figure 1, a team game set according to the invention comprises a playing surface 1 which defines a field formed of two adjacent half- fields 1a, 1b, for example produced as two independent pieces of card or cardboard that can be brought next to each other, each of which is associated with a team. In the continuation of the description, for the sake of convenience, reference will be made to a set for the game of football as illustrated in the appended figures, but it remains clear that the principle of the invention is applicable to any game which can take place between two opposing teams on a playing field.
The field of the surface 1 is bounded in particular by a perimeter line formed of a pair of opposed field base lines 3 and of a pair of likewise opposed side lines 5, which define at the respective points of intersection four corners 7 of the field. At each of the corners 7 there is suitably arranged a flag 9 produced from cardboard as a result of the assembly of a pole part, provided with a triangular flag, and a corresponding pedestal.
On the playing surface is traced a network of lines 11 and 13 perpendicular to one another which subdivide it into a plurality of squares 15 identical to one another and arranged in a matrix arrangement, each square 15 corresponding to a playing position for a piece 20, 20a of the type described hereinafter, it being established that more than one piece cannot be placed in any one square 15 at the same time.
In a central portion of the field base lines 3 there are also defined respective restricted areas 18, or penalty areas in the case of the football game, adjacent to which are positioned outside the field respective target structures 19, or goal structures. Each structure 19 is produced from a member shaped out of cardboard or similar material on which are arranged a plurality of creases which constitute predetermined fold lines, so that by folding the respective shaped member along the creases and fixing its parts to one another other by means of gluing or other known connection systems, for example, of the tab and slot type (not illustrated in the drawings), a three-dimensional structure is obtained that can rest in a stable manner on a surface.
The set includes a plurality of pieces 20 and 20a, the number of pieces illustrated in Figure 1 being purely an indication.
Each piece 20 or 20a, illustrated in more detail in Figures 2 and 3, is substantially anthropomorphic inasmuch as it reproduces diagrammatically and in two dimensions the appearance of a player or of a goalkeeper and comprises a body 27 of cardboard or the like on which is traced the shape of the player with the head 27b above the trunk and in proximity to the shoulders 27c, and from which an appendage 27a extends at the bottom. The appendage 27a is intended to be introduced into a corresponding slot 29a defined in a support base 29, this also being of cardboard or similar material, having a substantially circular or elliptical shape of dimensions such as to be able to be contained within one of the squares 15 of the playing surface 1. The tab 27a may in particular be fixed in the slot 29a by interference or by means of another known connection system, for example by means of gluing.
According to the variant in Figures 4 and 5, in which the same references have been used as in Figures 2 and 3 to indicate identical or similar parts, the body 27 has at the bottom a groove 27d parallel to its general axis. The groove 27d is intended to be engaged in a cruciform arrangement in a corresponding groove 28a defined in an upright part 28 which extends upwards from the support base 29. In particular, the part 28 is bounded by a cutting line 29b formed on the base 29 and by a linear base crease which allows the part 28 to be folded perpendicularly to the base 29 in order to obtain its configuration illustrated in the figures.
When the grooves 27d and 28a are coupled to one another, they define a general axis about which the body 27 can rotate to a limited extent, causing a torsional elastic deformation of the part 28. On releasing the body 27 from the deformed state of the part 28, the body tends to return abruptly into a rest position which corresponds to the undeformed state of the part 28. If during its movement the body 27 meets an object arranged on top of the base 29 in the region of the radius of action of the body 27, the object is subjected to a sudden thrust which causes it to be moved away from the piece 20, as will be explained in more detail hereinafter.
The body 27 of each piece 20 is equipped with a cover part 30 which simulates a shirt for the player at the level of his trunk, and initially has a light or white outer surface of a material, for example, paper, suitable for receiving any coloration by a user, for example by means of common writing instruments such as felt-tipped pens or the like. On the back half 30b of the part a square can be arranged for the inscription of the name of the player and/or an area for the indication of the number of the player himself (not illustrated in the figures).
The part 30 is preferably produced as an element separate from the body 27 so as to be removable from the body itself. The part comprises two halves, a front portion 30a and a back portion 30b, substantially symmetrical and separated from each other by a fold line 32, for example defined by a corresponding crease. An opening 34, for example of elliptical shape, wide enough to permit the head 27b of the piece 20 to be introduced into it, is formed in a central position with respect to the line 32 so that the part 30 folded along the line 32 can be arranged to rest on the shoulders 27c of the body 27 of the respective piece 20 so as to be associated with the body 27 in a substantially stable manner.
The set further includes a movable game member 21, that is, in the case of the football game, a disc of cardboard or similar material representing a ball. The ball 21 has dimensions smaller than those of a square 15 so as to be able to be positioned within one of the squares of the surface 1 or rested temporarily on top of a portion of the support base 29 of one of the pieces 20, when the respective player is in possession of the ball.
The set further comprises a main dice 23, for example with six faces, bearing on the faces a plurality of symbols which identify a respective number, and an auxiliary dice 25, this also having for example six faces on which are represented respective graphic symbols, each of which corresponds to a possible state associated with a shot made with the ball 21, by a piece 20, towards a goal structure 19, for example a first state 25a of effective reaching of the goal structure 19 represented by a ball in the net, a second state 25b of stopping of the ball 21 by a goalkeeper 20a, and a third state 25c of missing of the goal structure 19 by the ball 21, represented by a flag similar to one of the flags 9.
Preferably, both the dice 23 and the dice 25 are also produced from a sheet material, for example cardboard, with the faces separated by crease lines, so as to be able to be assembled and, if required, coloured by a user by folding along the crease lines and then fixed, for example by gluing of their parts, in the assembled state.
When the game set is in use, the pieces 20, that is the players of the two teams, are first positioned randomly or in an order pre-established by a rule, at the respective squares 15, and the ball 21 is for example arranged in a square 15 close to the centre of the playing field.
The users of the set then take turns by throwing the dice 23 and moving one of the pieces 20 of their own team and/or the ball 21 according to a sequence of moves which correspond to the number obtained with the dice 23 for that playing turn, for the purpose of trying to get the ball into the target structure 19 of the opposing team.
When a piece 20 in possession of the ball is in a position close to the restricted area 18 of the opposing team, at the appropriate playing turn a shot at goal may be made with the ball 21 to try to score a point in the game. For this purpose, the number obtained by throwing the dice 23 must be such as to permit the ball 21 to be brought within the structure 19 by avoiding the square 15 in which the goalkeeper 20a of the opposing team is located. When the structure 19 has been reached with a shot, the auxiliary dice 25 can be used to verify that the target structure 19 has been effectively reached, or to verify the response of the opposing goalkeeper 20a to the shot made. In particular, if when throwing the dice 25 the latter falls with the face 25a upwards, the ball 21 has effectively reached the structure 19 and a point is then awarded to the team to which the piece 20 which has made the shot belongs, while if when throwing the dice 25 the faces 25b or 25c show, the shot has been stopped or has gone out of play, respectively.
Alternatively, by using the piece 20 in Figures 4 and 5, the phase of shooting the ball 21 towards a structure 19 or towards another piece 20 may be effected as shown diagrammatically in Figure 6, that is by resting the ball 21 on top of the base 29 and subjecting the upright part 28 to torsion by means of the application of rotation to the body 27 with respect to the base 29. In this way, on the release of the body 27, the latter will undergo a sudden movement owing to the resilient return of the part 28 towards its undeformed state, allowing the ball 21 to be struck, if the latter is correctly arranged in the radius of action of the body 27, and consequently bringing about the movement of the ball 21 on the playing surface 1.
Besides the pieces 20 and 20a corresponding to the players and the goalkeepers of the two teams, a further piece (not illustrated in the figures) may be present which represents a referee and which may be moved by one or other of the users of the game at his own turn to obstruct the movements of the pieces 20 of the opposing team or of the ball 21.

Claims

A team game set, characterized in that it includes in combination:

a playing surface (1) which defines a field formed of two adjacent half-fields (1a, 1b), each associated with a team, in which the field is bounded by a perimeter line which comprises a pair of field base lines (3) and a pair of side lines (5), which are respectively opposed to one another, and is subdivided by means of a network of lines (11, 13) into a plurality of squares (15), each of which corresponds to a playing position,

a pair of target structures (19) intended to be arranged at a predetermined position in proximity to each of the field base lines (3),

a plurality of substantially anthropomorphic pieces (20, 20a), each of which includes an extended support base (29) capable of being placed in one of said playing positions (15), the pieces (20, 20a) constituting the players of said teams and each having a cover part (30) formed so as to simulate a shirt and intended to receive a coloration to make it possible to distinguish the players of one team from those of the other team, and

a movable game member (21), suitable for being placed in one of said playing positions (15) or on a portion of a support base (29) of a piece (20),

wherein a piece (20, 20a) and/or the movable game member (21) are capable of being moved on the field at each playing turn according to a sequence of moves corresponding to a predetermined number of moves for that playing turn, for the purpose of bringing the movable game member (21) into one of the target structures (19), the elements of the set being produced from a sheet material, such as cardboard or the like.
A set according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a main dice (23) which bears on each of its faces a numerical indication corresponding to a number of moves that can be made on the field during a playing turn by one of the pieces (20, 20a) and/or the movable game member (21).
A set according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises an auxiliary dice (25) that can be used when the movable game member (21), as a result of its movement on the field, has reached the target structure (19) of the opposing team, for the purpose of confirming, or not, that the target structure has been reached (19), the auxiliary dice (25) having on its faces indications (25a, 25b, 25c) which correspond to states in which the target structure (19) has effectively been reached or has been missed by the movable game member (21).
A set according to claim 3, characterized in that the main dice (23) and the auxiliary dice (25) are both produced from a sheet material, such as cardboard or the like, and have a plurality of faces separated by means of crease lines, so that said dice (23, 25) can be assembled by folding their faces along said crease lines.
A set according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that in the field a pair of restricted areas (18) are defined adjacent to a respective target structure (19) and in that the use of the auxiliary dice (25) is correlated to the presence of a player (20a) of a team in the restricted area (18) of the respective half-field (1a, 1b).
An anthropomorphic piece for use in a team game set, characterized in that it comprises a body (27) which substantially reproduces the shape of a player and which has, at the bottom, means (27a; 27b) for connection to a support base (29), the body (27) being provided with a cover part (30) which simulates a shirt and has a pair of faces (30a, 30b), respectively front and back, the outer surface of which is prepared to be coloured by a user, the body (27) and the support base (29) of the piece (20) and also the cover part (30) of the body (27) being produced from a sheet material, such as cardboard or the like.
A piece according to claim 6, characterized in that the cover part (30) is removable from the body (27) of the piece (20) and comprises two substantially symmetrical halves (30a, 30b), separated from each other by a fold line (32) along which is defined an opening (34) which is suitable for permitting the introduction of the head (27b) of the body (27) of the piece (20) so as to allow a respective cover part (30) to be associated with the piece (20).
A piece according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that from the body (27) there extends at the bottom an appendage (27a) suitable for being embedded in a corresponding slot (29a) defined in the support base (29).
A piece according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the body (27) has at the bottom a groove (27d) capable of permitting the insertion of the body (27) in a cruciform arrangement in a corresponding groove (28a) formed in an upright part (28) which protrudes from the support base (29), the body (27), in the state where the said two grooves (27d, 28a) are engaged in one another, being connected to the support base (29) in a substantially resilient manner so that by deforming the body (27) with respect to the support base (29) about a general axis defined by said grooves (27d, 28a), the body is subjected to a resilient return force sufficient to impart a movement to a movable game member (21) resting on the support base (29).