GB2257050A - Target game. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a game comprising a board 2 and playing numbers. The board is in the form of a textile floor mat defining a coloured textile playing surface which is defined by a number of groups of squares. The playing pieces 16 are in sets of four and the sets are of the same number as the squares and correspond in colour to said squares. The playing pieces are designed to be pressed at 22 to a spring loaded position and released so that they jump from a start zone on the board with the objective of landing on the sectors. <IMAGE>

Description

Invention relating to a Game The invention of this patent application relates to a game which is designed to be played by any number of players but typically sufficient pieces are provided for four players to participate. The game is designed to be both educational and entertaining to the participants who may be of any age.

In existing games there is a tendency to cater for one of two markets. Those games which are activity games tend to require considerable physical effort but very little intellectual input and those games which require a higher level of intellectual activity but very little physical input. While both type of games can be popular and indeed are bought and played in great numbers, their appeal is limited by the fact that they can only provide one form of activity.

This fact leads to the appeal of such games diminishing quickly and it is often found that many games are never played soon after they are bought.

To increase the appeal of these games and especially amongst children, it is desirous to combine the requirement for both intellectual and physical activity within the game whilst ensuring that a high level of entertainment can be obtained by playing the game.

Additionally, to increase the potential number of purchasers of any game it is of advantage that the game appeals to as wide a range of ages as possible. Many games currently on the market cater for the ages of either 2-7 years or 7-15 years.

Any game which can appeal to both age groups above and also to people of age outwith that group will secure a larger potential market than those existing games.

It is the aim of the present invention to provide a game which requires both physical and intellectual activity and wherein the articles which are required for the game are so combined such that the game as a whole is inventive and novel when compared to existing games. In addition it is an aim of the invention to produce a game that is accessible and appealing to people of all ages and can accordingly be played with ease by players of any age. In a further aspect it is an aim of the invention to provide the game in a manner which shall allow the game to be played in many differing environments.

The present invention involves a playboard and playing members wherein the playboard is divided into sectors, the said sectors can be distinguished , the said playing members capable of manipulation by a force applied thereto such that they shall come to rest at least partially in one of the said sectors of the playboard.

Preferably the sectors of the playboard shall be distinguished by variation in colour thereof or the placing of symbols therein or by both methods.

In one embodiment said variation in colour of sectors shall be distributed throughout the board area in a manner which ensures an even distribution of sectors of each colour through the board area.

Preferably the said play members may be in the form of flipper members such that when force is applied thereto they are moved in the air.

Alternatively the said play members may be in the form of counters which are slideable along the playboard.

In one embodiment the playboard shall be of rectangular form having a series of square sectors defined thereon.

In a further embodiment the playboard shall have a defined area preferably at one end of the board which shall be used as a starting area for the said play members from where the play members are to be moved by the application of force thereon.

The symbols used to define the playboard sectors shall in one embodiment be numbers of varying value.

In a further embodiment it shall be possible to distinguish between the playboard sectors by variation in the colour of the sections and the said variations in colour shall match the colours of the play members.

Typically there shall be distributed throughout the playboard sectors a set of colour sectors of differing numerical values.

Typically there shall be provided a set of play members, with four in each set of play members each set distinguished by a different colour, said colours matching those used to distinguish the playboard sectors.

The invention provides in another aspect, a game comprising a play board and play members, the play board being in the form of a sheet material of sufficient flexibility to be rolled up for storage, said play board also having the said sectors as aforesaid.

The flexible playboard may in one embodiment be formed from a suitable fabric on the upper surface of the play board with backing material.

The said backing material of the playboard may be formed of a hard wearing rubberised material to ensure that the playboard is hard wearing.

In one embodiment the upper surface of the play board may be formed from needle felt.

In a further embodiment the play board may be formed from a suitable plastics material.

An embodiment of the invention shall now be described and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein; Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the articles of the invention as used; Figure 2 shows an end elevation of the playboard of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows an end elevation of one form of play member to be used in the invention; and Figure 4 is a front elevation of the play member of Figure 2.

With reference firstly to Figure 1 there is shown the articles of the game 2 of the invention. The game articles comprise a playboard 4 and a series of play members 6.

With reference to Figure 2 the playboard 4 has an upper surface 8 formed of fabric and a lower surface 10 formed of a rubberised material. Figure 1 illustrates that on the upper surface 8 there are defined a series of sectors 12 and a second area 14. The series of sectors 12 consist of a number of squares 16 of eevenly distributed colours each with a numerical symbol 18 therein. The second area 14 designated is placed at one end of the playboard 4.

A play member 6 is shown in Figures 3 and 4. The said play member is formed of plastics material and said play members can be of differing colours. They are of the form of two sections 16 and 18 arranged angularly to each other having one common edge 20. The upper section 16 is of smaller area than the base section 18. The upper section 16 has formed thereon a lip 22 which indicates the point at which a force is to be applied to effect movement of the play member 6.

Typically in a game 2 there is provided the playboard 4 and sixteen play members 6 formed of four each of four colours.

To play, the playboard 4 is laid onto a flat surface. Each player having selected one colour proceeds to place the playing member into area 14 on the playboard 4. In this area the player aims the playing member towards the area 12 and the particular sectors 16 and numbers 18 therein.The player then applies downward pressure on the lip 22 of the playing member 6. At a critical point the player releases the pressure on the playing member and this release of force moves the playing member in the direction of the sector to which it is aimed. Each player repeats this process for each of their playing members.

Upon landing on the sectors 16 and numbers 18 the value of the numbers for each player are added. The player with the largest total gains the maximum number of points for that round. There are subsequently further rounds until a predetermined target number of points is reached by one player who is the winner.

Alternatively variations may be made where the colour of the sector is relevant. If a red playing member lands on a red coloured sector then the numerical value thereon is doubled.

Alternative uses of the playboard 4 may be attempts by the players to land on the numbers 18 and colours in the sectors 16 in sequence.

In a further embodiment of the game the player has to preselect a sector 16 or number 18 prior to moving the play member 6.

As has been illustrated there are many possible variations in the utilisation of the playboard 4 and playing members 6.

This flexibility of use serves to increase the entertainment level to the players in that the variety of games which can be played serves to increase the appeal of the game.

The use of numbers in the game and the addition of the said numbers provides an educational facet to the game in that children can be taught to identify and add numbers as part of an enjoyable game.

The appeal of the game however is not limited to any particular age group as the play members can be used by people of any age.

The playboard and play members are both formed of hard wearing materials which are resistant to damage which is of great advantage in games of this nature which require a degree of physical activity.

The manufacture of the play board in a flexible form greatly enhances the adaptability of the playboard in that the board is hard wearing and easy to carry. Additionally the playboard details are protected from damage when not in use by the fact that the playboard can be rolled up during non-use.

Claims (14)

1. A game comprising a playboard and playing members wherein the playboard is divided into distinguished sectors, and the playing members are capable of propelling by a force applied thereto with the objective of having the playing members come to rest in said sectors.

2. A game according to Claim 1, wherein said playboard is in the form of a floor mat which is capable of being rolled up for storage.

3. A game according to Claim 2, wherein the floor mat has a front textile surface on which the sectors are defined.

4. A game according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the rear of the mat is defined by a layer of rubberised material.

5. A game according to any preceding claim, wherein the playing members each comprise a spring loadable plastics component having two sections which can be spring loaded together and released to cause the component to jump from a start position onto the board wherein said sectors are defined.

6. A game according to Claim 6, wherein of each of said components, the first section comprises a pair of legs lying in one plane and a finger pressing section lying in a second plane lying at an angle to the first plane.

7. A game according to any preceding claim, wherein the board has a start section from which the playing members are initially propelled.

8. A game according to any preceding claim, wherein the sectors of the playboard are distinguished by variation in colour or the placing of symbols therein or by both methods.

9. A game according to Claim 8, wherein the variation in colour is used and is distributed throughout the board area providing an even distribution of sectors of each colour throughout the board area.

10. A game according to any preceding claim, wherein the board is rectangular and the sectors are square.

11. A game according to any preceding claim wherein there are a number of groups of sectors defined within the sectors by colours and there are a similar number of sets of playing members of similar colours.

12. A game according to Claim 11, wherein of each of the sectors in each group of sectors, they are consecutively numbered.

13. A game substantially as hereinbefore described.

14. For a game according to any one of Claims 1 to 13, the game board thereof.