Amusement devices: games – Chance devices – Dice
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-20
2003-12-09
Layno, Benjamin H. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Chance devices
Dice
C273S14800B
Reexamination Certificate
active
06659459
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a die (dice) used with board games, and the manufacturing method thereof, and further relates to a mold used for manufacturing the die.
Various types of board games have long been enjoyed, such as shogi, go, dominoes, Othello, and so forth. Among such board games, there are many games wherein dice are cast, and the results the dice roll are reflected in the subsequent game, such as Parcheesi. In such board game using dice, the rolling results of the dice greatly affects winning or losing the game.
On the other hand, recently, there are comic books portraying a fictional entertainment world, which describe a fictional board game called Dragon Dice & Dungeons (hereafter abbreviated to “DDD”). In the DDD, characters battle with each other in the comics. The DDD is at first specified by using multiple dice having markings different from those of standard dice. Each die is effective to cause effects and rolling results of the dice. In addition, the DDD is also specified by opening each of the dice in a two-dimensional manner on the board. In the case of this DDD, opening the dice two-dimensionally determines routes and encampments according to the two-dimensional polygonal form of the opened dice. That is to say, with DDD, not only the rolling results of the dice are used in the game, but also the dice are also used for determining routes and encampments by the opened dice. Further, with a fictional world described by the comic, monsters appear from the opened die on the board according to individual dice and battle with the other monster or monsters virtually.
However, there are many problems in realizing such a fictional board game described in the comics as an actual board game. For example, in the event that the above-described DDD is to be played by actual players, dice which can be two-dimensionally opened, i.e., opened and closed, by the players, are necessary, but conventionally there has never been a proposal made of dice capable of being opened out or opened and closed, and what configuration would allow this to be realized cannot be guessed from the comics. Also, the material of a die capable of being opened, the die configuration necessary for opening, and so forth, cannot be guessed. Further, there are problems, such as placing monsters or the like within dice capable of being opened would make the dice too large, and further, the monsters in the dice would throw the center of gravity of the dice off-center and change the probability of what the cast dice show, so this is not realistic.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to realize a fictional board game using dice which can be opened such as with DDD, as an actual board game.
It is another object of the present invention to realize a die which can be opened two-dimensionally by a player in a polygonal form.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a manufacturing method for a die which can be opened two-dimensionally, and a mold used for the manufacturing thereof.
According to one aspect of this invention, there is provided a die which is structured by a polyhedron having multiple planes (
11
through
16
) of a similar shape and which is opened into a continuous polygonal area on a plane, wherein, in the assembled state of the polyhedron, the die has outer planes (
11
o
through
16
o
) positioned on the outer side and inner planes (
11
i
through
16
i
) positioned on the inner side, and has boundary areas (Rb) having a predetermined inclination angle at boundaries of the polygonal area of the inner side, while boundary areas (Rb) of predetermined planes of the opened polygonal area have engaging portions (
21
a,
21
b,
24
a
,
24
b
,
25
a
,
25
b
,
26
a
,
26
b
) of a size not exceeding each boundary area (Rb).
According to another aspect of this invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a die which is configured of a polyhedron having multiple planes (
11
through
16
) of a similar shape and which can be opened into a continuous polygonal area on a plane, wherein a mold (
31
,
32
) is prepared, the mold (
31
,
32
) having the form of the opened polyhedron and comprising a portion equivalent to the opened polyhedron having a predetermined spacing in the thickness direction, and portions equivalent to boundaries (Rb) of the polyhedron having spacing narrower than the predetermined spacing, and wherein forming is performed by injecting a predetermined resin into the mold (
31
,
32
), thereby obtaining the die.
According to yet another aspect of this invention, there is provided a mold (
31
,
32
) for manufacturing a die which is configured of a polyhedron having multiple planes (
11
through
16
) each with mutually equal forms and which can be opened into a continuous polygonal area on a plane, the mold having the form of the opened polyhedron and comprising a portion equivalent to the opened polyhedron having a predetermined spacing in the thickness direction, and portions equivalent to boundaries (Rb) of the polyhedron having spacing narrower than the predetermined spacing.
According to yet another aspect of this invention, there is provided a die which can be opened in a polygonal configuration on a flat surface, which can be assembled three-dimensionally, and which is structured by a plurality of planes. When the die is three-dimensionally assembled, a gap is left between two of the planes, at least predetermined one of which is smaller in size than the remaining planes.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1292188 (1919-01-01), Wheeler
patent: 3359657 (1967-12-01), Hedberg
patent: 3450408 (1969-06-01), Hagerman
patent: 3547444 (1970-12-01), William
patent: 3774339 (1973-11-01), Swett
patent: 3940142 (1976-02-01), Hinz
patent: 4489946 (1984-12-01), Burges
patent: 2061853 (1990-09-01), None
patent: 2085676 (1991-10-01), None
patent: 8705084 (1988-04-01), None
patent: 2202159 (1988-09-01), None
patent: 7-112734 (1995-05-01), None
patent: 8-143034 (1996-06-01), None
JP Comic Strip Publication, pp. 95 and 96 -The structure of the dice is shown in the comic and is self-explanatory.
Dewa Shoji
Takatoku Akihiro
Konami Corporation
Layno Benjamin H.
Mendiratta Vishu K
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
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