US3741545A

US3741545A - Board game construction

Info

Publication number: US3741545A
Application number: US00188864A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Weisbecker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-10-13
Filing date: 1971-10-13
Publication date: 1973-06-26
Anticipated expiration: 1990-06-26

Abstract

A game board wherein a plurality of spaced areas are provided on a background, which spaced areas are marked differently from the background, and a plurality of separate elements are removably located on the background between selected areas, the separate elements being marked to visually blend with the background and also to present visual connections between the spaced areas.

Description

United States Patent [191 Weisbecker 1 June 26, 1973 BOARD GAME CONSTRUCTION [76] Inventor: Joseph A. Weisbecker, 1220 Wayne Avenue, Erlton, Cherry Hill, N.J. 08034 [22] Filed: Oct. 13, 1971 [21] App]. No.: 188,864

[52] US. Cl...... 273/131 B, 273/131 K, 273/137 D, 273/135 R [51] lnt. Cl. A631 3/00 [58] Field of Search 273/131, 134, 136, 273/156, 157

[56] 5 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,162,876 6/1939 Barton 273/131 B 3/1948 l-leuser 273/131 B 2/1952 Olsen 273/131 B Primary Examiner-Delbert B. Lowe Attorney-Robert K. Youtie ABSTRACT A game board wherein a plurality of spaced areas are provided on a background, which spaced areas are marked differently from the background, and a plurality of separate elements are removably located on the background between selected areas, the separate elements being marked to visually blend with the background and also to present visual connections between the spaced areas.

7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures BOARD GAME CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION As is well known to those versed in the art, there have been proposed innumerable board games, few of which have achieved wide acceptance, primarily because of relatively complex rules, appearance and structure, and lack of flexibility in manner of play or use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a board game construction which overcomes the above-mentioned difficulties, is extremely simple and attractive in appearance, structure and use, the rules being quickly and easily understand able by persons of widely varying ages and ability, and wherein the mode of play is highly flexible and readily variable to accommodate to many various situations and conditions.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a board game construction having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the preceding paragraph, wherein a variety of challenging and suspenseful games may be played bydifferent numbers of players of all ages. I

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a game construction of the type described which serves to develop skills in pattern perception and planning, is attention arresting for long periods of time, and may optionally be employed as a puzzle for solitary diversion, if desired.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OFTHE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view'illustrating the game board and other parts of the instant game construction.

FIG. 2 is a partial, enlarged top plan view showingthe game board of FIG. 1 in operative association with certain game parts to illustrate play of the game.

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view similar toFIG. 2.

' DESCRIPTION O THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to FIG. 1 thereof, a game board is there generally designated 10,-including a generally rectangular or square rigid sheet or panel 11 having opposite front and back sides or

faces

12 and 13, respectively.

The front or playing face 12 of the panel 11 includes a background 14 having a characteristic marking, say being suitably colored or otherwise characteristically marked. Provided on the playing face 12, arranged in spaced relation on the background 14, are a plurality of spaced locations or areas 15. The spaced locations or areas 15 are each provided with decoration or markings characteristically differentiated from the characteristic markings of the background 14. Thus, the

spaced areas or locations 15 are characteristically marked to visually differentiate from the background 14 which separates the spaced areas from each other. In practice, the spaced locations or areas may each be of a generally rectangular or square configuration, all similar or congruent to each other, and arranged in rank-and-file-like configuration so as to define parallel sets of rows extending transversely of each other. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the spaced areas or locations 15 are arranged in vertical and horizontal sets of rows.

The area of playing face 12 remaining outside of the spaced locations or areas defines the background 14, which is made up of the interarea regions. As best seen in FIG. 1, the background 14 remaining between the spaced areas 15 forms groups of parallel lines intersecting with each other, one group extending vertically and the other group extending horizontally, as illustrated.

The spaced areas or locations 15 are raised or relieved relative to the remainder or background 14 of the plain face 12. That is, the raised or relieved spaced areas 15 are generally coplanar and at a level spaced above that of the background 14, which is also coplanar.

While the spaced areas 15 are all marked so as to present visual appearances different from that of the background 14, certain of the spaced areas 15 are marked differently from each other. In the illustrated embodiment, each corner group of three raised areas 15 is marked a characteristic color, as indicated by graphic symbols in the drawings. For example, in FIG. I the upper left-hand corner group of spaced areas is indicated as red, the upper right corner group being indicated as green, the lower right corner group being indicated as yellow, and the lower left corner group being indicated as blue.

Additionally, an intermediate edge group of three spaced areas along each edge of the playing face 12 is characteristically indicated in correspondence with a diagonally spaced corner group. For example, the upper intermediate edge group of spaced areas 15 is graphically marked to represent yellow in correspondence with the lower right corner group pf spaced areas, the right-hand edge group being characteristically marked blue in correspondence with the lower left corner group, the lower edge group being characteristically marked red in correspondence with the upper left corner group, and the left intermediate edge group being characteristically marked green corresponding to the upper right comer group. Additionally, the intermediate edge groups of spaced areas 15 may be provided with further characteristic marking, such as a central dot for ready differentiation. As will appear more fully hereinafter, the corner groups of spaced areas 15 may provide starting locations, and the edge groups of spaced areas may provide end areas or spaces.

The remaining spaced areas 15 located inwardly of the edge areas may be marked the same as each other cylinders or other suitable configuration adapted for convenient placement on the various spaced areas 15. in the illustrated embodiment there are provided twelve playing pieces 20, each marked in correspondence with a respective corner group of spaced areas 15. For example, there may be three playing pieces 20 marked in the same color as the corner spaced area groups, there being three playing pieces red, three playing pieces green, three playing pieces yellow and three playing pieces blue.

The instant game construction further comprises a plurality of separate linking members or elements 25. The linking elements 25 are each generally planar and configured for removable conforming interposition between adjacent pairs of spaced areas 15. The linking elements or members 25 may also be generally flat and each of a thickness approximating the height of the spaced areas above the background 14.

Further, the linking members or elements 25 are of different outline configurations, see FIG. 1, certain of the linking elements being generally C shaped, others of the linking elements being S shaped, and still others of the linking elements being T shaped. in the illustrated embodiment there are twelve linking elements 25, there being four of each distinctive configuration or shape, and each sized for conforming interengagement between spaced areas 15 overlying the intermediate region of background 14.

The linking elements 25 are each provided on one face with markings having characteristics corresponding to that of the background 14, so that the linking elements on the background serve to visually blend with the latter. For example, the linking elements may be colored black on one face so as to blend with a black background 14. However, the linking elements are further provided with elongate or striped markings 26, which may be characteristic of and correspond to the markings of the inner spaced areas 15, for example white. The elongate or striped markings 26 of each linking element 25 extend transversely across the associated portion of the linking element. Thus, the C" shaped elements 25 are each provided with three elongate or striped markings 26, one extending transversely across each end portion and the remaining stripe extending across the medial portion. The T shaped elements 25 are similarly provided with three stripes or elongate markings, one extending transversely across each arm of the cross part, and the remaining stripe extending transversely across the leg of the T shaped element. Similarly, each S shaped element is provided with three striped or elongate markings, one extending transversely across each end portion of the element, and the remaining marking extending transversely across the medial portion of the element.

Thus, with the linking members or elements 25 selectively interposed between spaced areas 15 on intermediate regions of the background 14, say as seen in FIG. 2, it will be apparent that the several striped or elongate markings 26 provide visual links or apparent connections between adjacent pairs of spaced areas 15. This appearance is emphasized by marking the stripes 26 corresponding to the inner spaced areas 15, say being marked in white.

While the device of the present invention may be employed merely as a puzzle, say utilizing the various elements 25 in conjunction with the board 10 to produce a desired visual pattern of apparently linked spaced areas 15, the hereinbefore described apparatus may also be employed in the play of certain highly interesting and suspenseful games.

For example, a simple game uniquely attractive to persons of all ages and abilities starts by removing all the separate elements 25 from the board 10, and each player choosing a particular color and locating his playing pieces 20 on the correspondingly colored corner start areas 15. There may be any number of players between 2 and 4, inclusive. With the separate elements 25 all in a pile, each player picks one element at a time in succession until the players each have three, the remaining elements being set aside and not used. The object of the game is for a player to move his playing pieces onto the end spaces 15 first, the end spaces being those intermediate edge spaces marked with a dot.

The players take turns, and on each turn a player must do the following two things:

l. He must either put one of his elements 25 on the board or take any element 25 from the board; and

2. He must move one of his playing pieces 20. He

must not both take and put an element 25 on the same turn. The elements 25 must be placed on the board so that they fit into the recessed background areas between the raised areas 15. The elongate markings or stripes will then define paths connecting the spaced areas 15. No part of an element 25 may cover another element 25, and a player may never hold more than three elements 25 at one time. If he already has three elements 25 when it is his turn, he may not take an element 25 from the board, but must put one of his elements on the board. After putting or removing an element 25 with respect to the board 10, the player must move one of his playing pieces 20.

A playing piece can be moved any number of spaces connected by a marked linked stripe 26 in any direction, but cannot pass through or stop on another players start or end areas 15. Nor can a playing piece 20 pass through or stop on any area 15 already occupied by a playing piece. If a player cannot move any of his playing pieces in accordance with the above recited rules (even moving a playing piece out of an end space), he must return any one of his playing pieces to any one of his start areas.

Play continues in the above manner until one player gets all of his playing pieces 20 on his three end spaces 15 to win.

From the foregoing, it will now be appreciated that the device of the present invention provides a game construction which fully accomplishes its intended objects and is well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture, distribution and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A game construction comprising a game board defining a playing face having a background, said background being characteristically marked, a plurality of spaced areas on said playing face, said spaced areas being characteristically marked different from said background, a plurality of separate elements each specifically configured for removable location on a background region between selected areas, said separate elements each having markings corresponding to those of said background to visually blend the elements with the background when the elements are located on the background, and said separate elements each having additional markings corresponding to those of said spaced areas and contoured to visually present apparent connection therebetween.

2. A game construction according to claim 1, in combination with additional spaced areas on said playing face marked to define beginning and end areas, and a plurality of playing pieces for movement between said beginning and end areas along said first-mentioned spaced areas and connections therebetween.

3. A game construction according to claim 2, said first-mentioned and additional spaced areas being arranged in rank-and-file-like configuration so that the background forms groups of parallel lines intersectin with each other.

4. A game construction according to claim 3, said configuration and intersecting lines being generally rectilinear.

5. A game construction according to claim 1, said background being depressed relative to said spaced areas, for location of said separate elements in the depressed regions between said spaced areas.

6. A game construction according to claim 5, said spaced areas being relieved relative to said background substantially the thickness of each separate element, for location of the latter in said depressed regions substantially flush with said spaced areas.

7. A game construction according to claim 1, said separate elements each being of elongate configuration for disposition in-between said spaced areas, and said additional markings extending transversely across said elements.

Claims

3. A game construction according to claim 2, said first-mentioned and additional spaced areas being arranged in rank-and-file-like configuration so that the background forms groups of parallel lines intersecting with each other.