GB2430387A - Playing die - Google Patents

Abstract

A multi-sided playing die capable of indicating at least one of a plurality of symbols on sides of the die comprises an energy storage device (2) within the die and a trigger (9) for discharging energy from the energy storage device to cause rotation the die out of a position in which said at least one symbol is indicated. The die may comprise a casing (1, 14) formed from parts arranged to rotate relative to each other to cause said rotation of the die.

Description

PLAYING DIE

Background to the Invention

1] This invention relates to a playing die.

2] One or more multi-sided playing dice are widely used in games of chance, typically to generate a random number. A die is rolled or thrown and when it comes to rest, the number or symbol on a particular face of the die, typically the uppermost face, is noted.

Summary of the Invention

[00031 It is an aim of the invention to provide a die capable of operating in a new and surprising manner and allowing enhanced games. The die of the invention contains an energy storage device, such as a spring, which may be wound or loaded' prior to use. The die is then rolled like a conventional playing die before it comes to rest displaying a random number or symbol.

After a variable time delay, the energy in the energy storage device is discharged causing the die to spring up and usually to change its number or symbol at random.

[0004J The invention provides a multi-sided playing die capable of indicating at least one of a plurality of symbols on sides of the die and comprising an energy storage device within the die and a trigger for discharging energy from the energy storage device to cause rotation the die out of a position in which said at least one symbol is indicated.

5] The die may comprise a casing formed from parts arranged to rotate relative to each other to cause said rotation of the die. In particular, each part may form a half of the casing and where the die is a cube the parts may be divided at a plane coinciding with two diagonally opposite vertices of the die.

6] The energy storage device may comprise at least one helical spring.

7] The die may include a winder for winding the spring to store energy therein. In particular, the winder may comprise part of a casing of the die. One or more stops may be provided to limit winding of the winder e.g. after 360 of rotation.

8] The die may include a delay device for delaying activation of the trigger.

The operation of the die, and e.g. the difficulty of a game can be varied if said delay device is adjustable to change a time at which the trigger is activated. In one embodiment, the delay device includes a piston biased towards the trigger and movable in a cylinder into which air is admissible at a predetermined rate.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009J A particular embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [0010] Figure 1 shows a die according to the invention; [00111 Figure 2 shows the die of Figure 1 in a partially-unwound state; 10012] Figure 3 is an exploded view of the die; [0013J Figures 4a to 4e schematically show the winding of the die; [00141 Figures 5a and 5b show the operation of a trigger of the die; [0015] Figure 6 shows a piston of the die inside an annular catch; and [0016] Figures 7a to 7g show the operation of a piston of the die.

Detailed Description of Particular Embodiments

7] Figure 1 shows a die generally having the appearance of a conventional cubic die. A casing of the die is divided into two halfcasings 1, 14 at a plane coinciding with two diagonally opposite vertices of the die.

8] The die is wound by holding one of the casing halves and winding the other half relative to the held half through 360 about an axis running through the two furthest-apart apices of the halves. Once wound, the die can be rolled and will come to rest showing a value on its uppermost face. After a certain delay, the casing halves suddenly rotate relative to each other, causing the die to jump and then come to rest again, possibly with a different value uppermost.

Figure 2 shows the die in this process of unwinding.

9] Figure 3 is an exploded view of the die, certain parts being designated "left-hand" or "right-hand" with respect to the present drawings only for convenience. A main coil spring 2 is housed within the left-hand casing I and has a looped end 2a which engages with the casing 1. A second end 2b of the main spring engages a lug 3a of a disc-shaped spring drive plate 3. An end stop ring 4 is disposed between the spring drive plate 3 and a left-hand cover plate 5, which is screwed to the left-hand cover I by means of screws such as 6.

0] Spring drive plate 3 has two 90 -arcuate projections 3b, 3c, circumferentially spaced apart and of different radii, facing towards left-hand cover plate 5. End stop ring 4 has a 90 -arcuate projection 4a facing towards drive plate 3. Left-hand cover plate 5 has a 90 -arcuate projection 5a facing towards drive plate 3 and ring 4 at a radius coinciding with that of an outer part of the projection 4a, which has a radial width also coinciding with that of projection 3b on drive plate 3.

10021] Right-hand cover 7 is screwed to right-hand casing 14 and includes a cylindrical protrusion 7a extending through a circular aperture 5b in left-hand cover plate 5. An arcuate recess Th in the protrusion 7a engages projection 3c on drive plate 3.

[00221 When the casings 1, 14 are correctly aligned, small apertures 5c, 7c in respective cover plates 5, 7 are aligned. A ring-shaped catch 9 is journalled on a pin 9a at one side thereof relative to right-hand casing 14. A latch member 9b extends from this side of catch 9 through the apertures 5c, 7c when they are aligned, as shown in Figure 5a. The catch 9 is biased towards this engaged position by means of a catch spring 8 carried on a peg 9c and bearing against right-hand cover plate 7.

3] A piston arrangement of the die comprises a substantially cylindrical piston 12 arranged to slide in a cylinder 14a forming part of the right-hand casing 14. At its casing end, the cylinder has a needle valve 14b, shown in Figure 7a, arranged to admit air into the cylinder 14a slowly. A piston spring 13 arranged in the cylinder 14a and biases piston 12 towards catch 9, which has barbs 9d for engagement by the piston 12. A resilient annular seal 11 is arranged in an annular groove in the piston. The seal 11 has a tapering cross- sectional shape, shown in Figure 7a, that allows air to exit the cylinder 14a but not to enter it. The piston has an elongate key 12a along part of its length. On its inside, the piston has a small projection 12b adjacent an arcuate slit 12c.

4] An operating helix 10, located inside the piston, comprises a cylindrical body fitted on a rotatable around a shaft Ia, shown in Figure 7a, forming part of left-hand casing 1. A pin lb, shown in Figure 7b, on the shaft la, fits in an arcuate recess lOa on the helix 10 to restrict its relative rotation. The helix 10 has a helical track lOc communicating with a straight track lOd and art arcuate track We, shown in Figure 7c. The tracks lOc, lOd, lOe constrain the movement of projection 12b on piston 12 at different parts of the operating cycle.

5] Figures 4a to 4e schematically show left-hand cover plate 5 with its projection 5a and projections 3b and 4a of spring drive plate 3 and end stop ring 4 respectively, as the die is wound. In the starting position of Figure 4a, these projections abut each other as shown. Right-hand casing 14 is then turned counterclockwise, in the view shown, relative to left-hand casing 1, and protrusion 7a drives spring drive plate 3 counterclockwise, storing energy in main spring 2. Projection 3b travels to the position of Figure 4c where it lies inside projection 5a and abuts projection 4a. As right-hand casing 14 and spring drive plate 3 continue to rotate, projection 3b drives end stop ring 4 around by means of projection 4a until the latter abuts projection 5a of left-hand cover plate as shown in Figure 4e. Thus the two half-casings 1, 14 turn through 3600 relative to each other with a stop at each end of the travel. The half-casings are retained in the fully wound position by the catch 9 as shown in Figure 5a.

6] During the winding of right-hand casing 14, piston 12 is retracted into cylinder 14a as shown in Figures 7a to 7d. Starting from the position of Figure 7a, the piston rotates together with right-hand casing 14, due to key 12a, in the direction shown by the arrow in Figure 7c. Piston projection 12b moves along helical track lOc, moving piston 12 back and compressing piston spring 13.

During this movement, air escapes from cylinder 14a past seal 11.

[00271 When the die is fully wound, as shown in Figure 7d, projection 12b enters return track lOd of helix 10, and piston 12 can begin moving out of cylinder 14a with projection 12b sliding along return track lOd. As seal 11 does not admit air into cylinder 11, the rate of movement of the piston is governed by the needle valve 14b, which admits air at a predetermined rate. This gives sufficient time for the die to be thrown and to remain apparently at rest while its position is noted.

[00281 Eventually piston 12 reaches the position of Figure 7e, where an annular projection lid on the piston contacts barbs 9d of catch 9. This releases latch member 9b from aperture 5c, as shown in Figure 5b, freeing left-hand cover plate 5, allowing rapid relative rotation of half-casings 1, 14 and causing the die to jump up as main spring 2 unwinds.

9] During the unwinding, projection 12b travels along arcuate track lOe as shown in Figure 7f until it is forced up a ramp lOf, shown in Figure 7g, slit 12c allowing radially outward movement of projection 12b. Projection 12b then drops into helical track lOc, as shown in Figure 7a, with ramp lOf ensuring that on next winding the die, the projection follows helical track lOc rather then arcuate track We.

[00301 A simple game that can be played with the inventive playing die is for each player to take a die, wind it and then roll. Each player then will have seconds to decide whether to accept the value or to wait for the new value, calculating the odds based on both throws, what the other player is doing, and what the new value might be. Adding further dice expands the range of possible outcomes.

10031] For each die that is used the two numbers and the delay can be used to design and play new games of risk and chance and to play modified versions of standard games such as Snakes and Ladders or Monopoly .

[00321 Winding through 360 is preferred when the die has the conventional shape and symbols shown, but an alternative die, possibly with different symbols, could be arranged to have another winding angle, such as 1800.

100331 The die does not have to have the form of a cube or other regular polyhedron, but could have an irregular shape such as the shape of a human or animal figure with different sides on which the die can come to rest.

4] The die can be arranged to spring up and change value more than once, for example by winding the spring to a first wound position and beyond that to a second wound position.

Claims (12)

1. A multi-sided playing die capable of indicating at least one of a plurality of symbols on sides of the die and comprising an energy storage device within the die and a trigger for discharging energy from the energy storage device to cause rotation the die out of a position in which said at least one symbol is indicated.

2. A die according to claim 1, comprising a casing formed from parts arranged to rotate relative to each other to cause said rotation of the die.

3. A die according to claim 2, wherein each part forms a half of the casing.

4. A die according to claim 3, wherein the die is a cube and the parts are divided at a plane coinciding with two diagonally opposite vertices of the die.

5. A die according to any preceding claim, wherein the energy storage device comprises at least one helical spring.

6. A die according to claim 5, including a winder for winding the spring to store energy therein.

7. A die according to claim 6, wherein the winder comprises part of a casing of the die.

8. A die according to claim 6 or 7, including one or more stops to limit winding of the winder.

9. A die according to any preceding claim, including a delay device for delaying activation of the trigger.

10. A die according to claim 9, wherein said delay device is adjustable to change a time at which the trigger is activated.

11. A die according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the delay device includes a piston biased towards the trigger and movable in a cylinder into which air is admissible at a predetermined rate.

12. A playing die, substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.