GB2107998A - Game and educational device - Google Patents

Abstract

The device comprises a frame, a plurality of board-forming or information-displaying pieces 16 axially mounted on a plurality of supports 4 mounted on the frame, each piece being independently rotatable relative to the others and having a plurality of substantially planar visually and/or tactually different faces. On rotation of one or more of the pieces, either a desired game board may be formed, or information displayed on each face may be varied until a desired combination of information is shown. The supports may be arranged in parallel rows with an equivalent number of pieces so that, for example, a chess board arrangement is one of a number that can be produced, or twelve supports may radiate from a central point, each carrying at least one piece exposing information relating to a clock, i.e. hour, minutes past and minutes to the hour. A pair of hands 11 and 12, related by colour or texture to the hour and minute displays, are provided in the latter embodiment. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Game playing board or toy This invention relates to a game playing board or toy. More particularly it relates to a device on which or with which games may be played and in which the colour and arrangement of the areas on which the game is played may be varied.

Several games are known which require only a set of pieces particular to the game in question and a board. One frequent type of board used is a two-colour chequer board on which chess and draughts or variations thereof can be played.

Another type of board used is a single colour board divided into a number of areas, such as squares, on which noughts and crosses, Go, or other territorial games can be played. Such boards are seldom interchangeable however, thus necessitating separate purchases if different games are to be played.

I have now devised a game-playing board, which can also be used as a toy, which readily enables the selection of a number of different either game-playing areas or other arrangements, for example information displays. My board is suitable as a toy for children and, if tactually different faces or areas are present, my board is also suitable for use by the visually handicapped.

Viewed from one aspect, I provide a gameplaying board or toy comprising a frame, a plurality of board-forming or informationdisplaying pieces axially pivoted and arranged on a plurality of supports, said supports being mounted on the frame, each piece being independently rotatable relative to any other and having a plurality of substantially planar visually and/or tactually different faces, whereby on rotation of one or more of the pieces, either a desired game board configuration may be formed, or information displayed on each face may be varied until a desired combination of information is shown.

The board pieces may have any number of faces, depending on the size of the overall device, but generally three or four faces per piece will be satisfactory, i.e. the pieces may be triangular or square in cross-section. Any number of pieces per support may be present but it is generally preferred to have as many pieces per support as will, in combination with an appropriate number of supports, produce a suitable playing board or toy combination.

In one embodiment, supports of equal length may be arranged in rows parallel to each other. In this embodiment, three parallel supports each bearing three pieces are suitable for providing an arrangement for playing noughts and crosses, and eight parallel supports of eight pieces per support, with the faces appropriately chosen, will provide a chess board. Other variations, for example to produce a Go board with 361 spaces, will be selfevident.

In another embodiment, the supports may be arranged so as to radiate radially from a central point or hub. Such an embodiment might include, for example, twelve supports radially and regularly disposed with at least one board piece per support able to be rotated to expose information relating to a twelve- or twenty-four hour clock or the number of minutes past or to each hour. Such an embodiment might also include a pair of hands akin to those of a clock mounted on the central point, and such an embodiment would be very suitable as an educational toy.

The pieces will generally be pivoted on the supports and the fit of the pieces on each support will desirabiy be tight to hinder excessively free a rotation. If desired, means may be provided, for example a suitably shaped base plate or a cover plate, which will hinder undesired rotation of the pieces when a combination has been selected and a game is being played. In one embodiment using a base plate, the plate may be fitted with e.g.

strips of or a sheet of sponge rubber adapted to resist rotation of the pieces, or a locking template.

These and other embodiments may be more readily understood with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings. In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a game playing board of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section along a line A-A in Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 show cross-sections of alternative pieces with triangular cross-sections which may be used in the invention.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show perspective views of alternative rests adapted for use with pieces with triangular cross-sections in the device of the invention.

Fig. 8 shows a perspective view with a portion of a cover removed of an educational toy forming another embodiment of the invention.

In Fig. 9, a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of Fig. 8 is shown.

In Figs. 1 and 2, faces 1 a, in this embodiment sixteen in total number, are the upper substantially planar surfaces of board pieces 2 which in this embodiment are triangular in cross-section and therefore have two other faces 1 b and 1 c which may be different and distinguishable either visually or in surface texture or both. The board pieces may be made of wood, plastic or any other suitable material. Each board piece 2 is axially pivoted at 3 and is independently rotatable of each other piece around parallel supports 4. The supports 4 are secured to side walls 5 which provide a suitable rigid framework for the board. End walls 6 are also provided though are not strictly necessary.

Washers 7 provide spacing between adjacent board pieces or between board pieces and the side walls though in Fig. 1 they are over-exaggerated in size.

The board is provided with a base 8 having raised portions 9 which carry means for hindering the rotation of the pieces 2. In the embodiment of Fig. 2, the raised portions are topped with a layer of sponge rubber 10, the arrangement being shown in perspective detail in Fig. 5. Alternative arrangements such as a groove 11 as shown in Fig. 6 and a pair of ridges 12 as shown in Fig. 7 may also achieve the same result.

Much of the space 1 3 that lies between the board pieces and the base may be used for storage e.g. of playing pieces for use on the board.

Were the board pieces cubic in form or other shape then there would be less space but still sufficient for some storage.

In Figs. 3 and 4 alternative generally triangular cross-sections of board pieces are shown. These in particular show either ridges 14 formed on the pieces or recesses 1 5 cut into the pieces so that a playing piece may be retained on the board piece.

Alternatively, or in addition, the faces of the board pieces may carry relatively small holes for locating pegs mounted on the bases of certain playing pieces, but in a way which will not restrict the use of larger pieces.

In Figs. 8 and 9, a child's educational clock is shown. In Fig. 8 a portion of a covering face 9 is removed. Twelve supports 4 are radially disposed around a central point 10, which also carries a pair of clock hands 11 and 12. The supports are shown as radiating from a central hub 13, which may itself be supported by a base plate 14, and the supports are held at their other ends by a rim 1 5 which is engaged with or is integrally formed with the base plate 14.

Pivotally mounted axially on the supports near the rim 1 5 and pieces 16, square in cross-section, each having four trapezium-shaped faces 1 7a, 1 7b, 1 7c and 1 7d. These faces each bear different information relating respectively, for example, to the hour in a 12-hour clock, the hour in a 24-hour clock, the number of minutes past the hour, and the number of minutes to the hour. One or more of these faces is coloured or textured to match a similar colour or texture as the minute hand 11 or hour hand 12 of the clock so that a correspondence may be seen by the operator. The covering face 9 has apertures 18 corresponding to the positions of the pieces 1 6, and may also bear appropriate art work.

A locking template 1 9 in which the pieces 1 6 may be seated prevents unwanted rotation of the pieces once a defined position has been obtained, the template being deformable under pressure and in this embodiment forming a seat of sponge rubber to allow rotation of the block when desired.

Claims (7)

1. A game-playing board or toy comprising a frame, a plurality of board-forming or information displaying pieces axially pivoted and arranged on a plurality of supports, said supports being mounted on the frame, each piece being independently rotatable relative to any other and having a plurality of substantially planar visually and/or tactually different faces, whereby on rotation of one or more of the pieces, either a desired game board configuration may be formed, or information displayed on each face may be varied until a desired combination of information is shown.

2. A board or toy as claimed in claim 1 wherein the supports are arranged in parallel rows of equal length.

3. A board or toy as claimed in claim 1 wherein the supports radiate radially and regularly from a central point.

4. A board or toy as claimed in claim 2 wherein eight supports each bear eight pieces which may be rotated to produce an arrangement resembling a chess board.

5. A board or toy as claimed in claim 2 wherein nineteen supports each bear nineteen pieces which may be rotated to produce an arrangement resembling a Go board.

6. A board or toy as claimed in claim 3 wherein twelve supports radiate regularly from a central point and each bears at least one piece able to be rotated to expose information relating to a clock.

7. A board or toy substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.