IL48185A - Assembly game - Google Patents

Description

naain fmo ASSEMBLY GAME The present invention relates to games, and particularly ' to an assembly game which can be played by one, two, or racxE persons for amusements or recreational purposes .

A large number of assembly games, such as dominoes, are known. The present invention provides a new form of assembly game whose object is to fit the maximum number of playing pieces together according to a certain pattern.

According tona broad aspect ££ the present invention, there is provided an assembly game including a plurality of playing pieces of different configurations but all fittable within a grid consisting of a rectangular matrix of identical basic geometric units each being a closed plane figure bounded by four equal sides, with contiguous basic units of the grid having common sides; each of said playing pieces including a plurality of sides corresponding to those of one or more basic units but lacking at least one side of at least one basic unit, the junctures and free tips of the sides of the playing pieces being specially configured to permit them to be joined with those of other playing pieces such that the sides of one complement those of one or more others to form closed basic units having common sides between contiguous units.

A preferred form of basic geometric unit is the square, but other closed plane figures may be used as the basic unit as described below.

The game may be played by any number of players and already played; and that the player closing the most numbe of units, or alternatively, end up with the fewer number of playing pieces, when a basic unit can no longer be closed, is declared the winner.

The game may be played on a flat table surface.

Preferably, and in accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the game includes a board having a surface divided *fi¾to the grid of basic geometric units for receiving the playing pieces.

As indicated above the basic geometric unit is preferably in the form of a square, but conceivably it could be in other forms, such as an octagon. All the sides of the basic geometric unit should be equal so that each playing piece may be applied in any one of a number of positions. Preferably also, the inner edges of the sides defining the basic geometric unit trace the outline of a square, but other arrangements could be used, for example where they trace the outline of an octagon or ©£¾a circle, all of which forms are illustrated below for purposes of example.

The invention is described below, for purposes of example only, with respect to several preferred embodiments, wherein: Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of a board including a single playing piece applied thereto constructed^ in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional iew along lines II — II of Fig. 1; Fig.13 illustrates a plurality of the playing pieces that may be iised with the board of Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 illustrates of Fig. 3 may be fitted the game to form closed closed squares; Figs. 5a-5e illustrate various special configurations Bigs. 6a and 6b illustrate two variations in the basic geometric unit wherein each unit is a closed plain figure bounded by four equal (Sides which are not at right angles to each other as in the case of Figs. 1-5 j Fig..7 illustrates how the playing pieces may be varied to include a plurality of sides corresponding to those of various numbeis of basic geometric units (e.g. , squares) with each playing piece lacking at least one side of at least one basic unit; and Figs. 8a-8d illustrate further variations that may be made in the basic geometric unit.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1-4 the basic geometric unit is a square, having four equal sides at right angles to each other. In addition, each playing piece includes a plurality (at least three) sides corresponding to those of two squares but lacking at least one -side of at least one square. Further the junctures and free tips of the sides of the playing pieces are specially configured to but lacking at least one side of at least one square, and further including the specially configured tips and junctures.

Thus, playing piece,}: PI lacks one side (the right one) of the upper square; playing piece P2 lacks one side from each of both squares; playing piece P3 lacks one side of one (the upper) square, end two sides of the other (lower) square; playing piece P4 lacks one side of both squares, the sides being the right one of the upper square, and the lower one of the lower equare; and so on through all the remaining playing pieces, wherein it will be seen that the last one illustrated, playing piece P16, lacks the common side to the two squares, and also two further sides of the lower square.

It will further be seen that all the playing pieces are formed with special configurations at their tips and side junctures to permit them to be joined with those of other playing pieces such that the sides of one complemen those of one or more others to form the closed squares having common sides betweenccontiguous squares. Thus, with refeimce to playing piece PI, the free t½ps of each free side is formed with a bevelled configuration CI; the juncture of two sides is formed with a V-notch configuration C2 , and the juncture of three sides is formed with a U-notched configuration C3. The same configurations are present in the other playing pieces, this being shown for example in playing piece P2 including four configurations CI at the tip of each free side, and two configurations C3 at the two junctures of three sides. As indicated above, these special-configurations permit each playing piece to be joined to \\ others so that when squares are closed, contiguous closed squares have common sides, thereby avoiding double thicknesses with respect to contiguous sides and enabling all the playing pieces to fit within a grid consisting of a rectangular matrix of identical squares.

The foregoing is shown particularly in Fig. 4 illustrating a plurality of playing pieces w&ich have been individually applied, one after the other, with each playing piece closing at least one square. Assuming for example that the last playing piece applied is P9, In the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 4, it will be seen that this playing piece closes a square (SI) with one side (Plla) of a previously applied playing piece Pll, and with one side (P3a) of another previously applied playing piece P3. It will also be seen that double-wall thicknesses are avoided by the special tip and Juncture configurations CI, C2, G3, described above, since the free tip configuration CI of side P9a of placing piece P9 fits against the free t p configuration CI of side Plla of playing piece Pll, and the juncture configuration C2 of playing piece P9 fits in the juncture configuration C2 of playing piece P3. The manner of how the juncture configuration C3 (at the juncture of three sides of a playing piece) fits with the others is illustrated by the fitting of the juncture C3 of playing piece P4 with the free tip of side P12a of playing piece P12.

As indicated above, the game could be played on any flat table surface, Preferably, however, it is played on a board having a surface divided into the grid of the basic geometric units (i.e. squares, in the embodiment of Figs. 1-4) for receiving the playing pieces.

This is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 which illustrate a Board B having its upper surface divided into.;hie¾¾piid ' ; ' hf squires by means of a plurality of spaced horizontally-extending grooves HG and a plurality of spaced vertically-extending grooves PG. Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate one of the playing pieces, this being playing piece P6 of Fig. 3, positioned in the grooved upper surface of the playing board.

As indicated earlier, the game maybe played by any number of persons, (even by a single player), and according to any number of different rules. As one example, two persons can play the game by first dividing the playing pieces, and then each, in his turn, attempting to use one of the playing pieces for closing a square of the previously-played pieces. Thus, as shown in Fig. 4, if all the playing pieces therein illustrated had previously been played except for playing piece P9, the player may play P9 in order to close square SI. If in his turn the player does not have a playing piece capable of closing at least one square with respect to the previously-played places, that player skips his turn. The rules could provide that the player who closed the largesfc number of squares, or the player who remained with the fewest number of unplayed playing pieces at the end of the game ¾hen no further squares could be closed) , is declared the winner.

The embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1^4 may include a large number of variations and modifications. ons (C2a--C2e^ that could be provided at the juncture of two sides of the playing pieces, that could be provided the playing pieces. Configurations Cla, C2a, and C3a will be recognized as being those included in Fig. 4. These various special con igurations, as indicated above, permit the playing -pieces to be joined with other playing pieces such that the side of one complement those of the previously-played pieces to form closed squares having common sides between contiguous squares, i.e. without producing double-thickness walls and thereby enabling the playifg pieces all to fit within the grid of basic geometric units (i.e., squares, in Figs. 1-4).

Figs. 6a and 6b illustrateaa variation in the basic geometric unit wherein instead of its being a square as in Figs. 1-4, it is a closed plain figure bounded by four equal sides but not at right angles to each other.

Fig. 7 illustrates a further possible variation, wherein the playing pieces may include the sides of up to five, and even more basic units (i.e. , squares) rather than two, illustrated in Figs. 1-4. This variation substantially increases the permutations and combinations of playing pieces that may be provided, and extends the various possible configurations of the playing pieces and the manner of fitting them to the others. In all the arrangements illustrated in Fig. 7, it will be seen that the basic geometric unit is still a square , and that at least one side of one square in each playing piece is lacking.

Figs. 8a-8d illustrate further possible variations.

Thus, whereas in all the previously illustrated embodiments (except that of Figs. 6a and 6b) the inner edges of the sides defining the basic geometric unit (i.e., squares) trace the

Claims (6)

1. WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. An assembly game including a plurality ©£"¾J$¾$ng pieces of different configurations but all fittable within a grid consisting of a rectangular matrix of identical basic ^ . } geometric units each being a closed plane figure bounded by four equal sides, with contiguous basic units of the grid having common sides; each of said playing pieces including a plurality of sides corresponding to those of one or more basic units but lacking at least one side of at least one basic unit, the junctures and free tips of the sides of the playing pieces being specially configured to permit them to be joined with those of other playing pieces such that the sides of one complement those of one or more others to form closed basic units having common sides between contiguous units.

2. A game according to Claim 1, further including a board having a surface divided into the grid of basic geometric units for receiving the playing pieces.

3. A game according to Claim 2, wherein said divided surface of the board is formed by a plurality of horizontal and vertical grooves in accordance with said grid for receiving the playing pieces.

4. A game according to any one of Claims 1-3, wherein the inner edges of the sides of the playing pieces defining the basic geometric units trace the outline of a square.

5. A game according to any one of Claims 1-3, wherein the inner edges of the sides of the playing pieces defining the {jaslc geometric units trace the outline of an octagon,

6. A game according to any inner edges of the sides of the basic geometric units trace the - « » 'ι fr 8. A game including a plurality of fla in pieces and a board for supporting same substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in any¾of the figures of the accompanying drawings. " O. B. 39251 TEL-AVIV, ISRAEL