Amusement devices: games – Card or tile games – cards or tiles therefor – Word – sentence – or equation forming
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-09
2003-06-24
Pierce, William M. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Card or tile games, cards or tiles therefor
Word, sentence, or equation forming
C273S272000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06581937
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mathematical skills games and more particularly pertains to a new mathematical game apparatus and method of playing the same for developing mathematical acuity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of mathematical skills games is known in the prior art. More specifically, mathematical skills games heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes Morales, U.S. Pat. No. 5.639,091; Williamson, U.S. Pat. No. 1,584,062; Hayes, U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,501; Druce et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,700; Finch, U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,754; and Vasquez U.S. Pat. No. Des. 351,624.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new mathematical game apparatus and method of playing the same. The inventive device includes a game board apparatus and method of playing a game for improving mathematical skills that includes a game board having a top surface. The top surface has indicia forming a grid thereon and the grid includes a plurality of boxes for positioning one of a plurality of game pieces thereon. The plurality of boxes further includes blank boxes, symbol boxes, chance boxes and bonus boxes. The apparatus also includes a plurality of game tiles comprising number tiles, symbol tiles, and joker tiles and blank tiles. The number tiles have the digits 0 through 9 marked thereon, the symbol tiles have arithmetic symbols marked thereon, and the joker tiles have the word “joker” marked thereon so that the are for representing any symbol or number indicated by a player. The apparatus further includes a plurality of chance cards for use when a player moves a game tile onto a chance box. The chance cards have point and explanation indicia.
The method of playing the game to improve mathematical skills includes selecting a color of tiles by each of the players for identifying each tile placed on the game board by each different player. Then, the method includes dispensing a plurality of sets of game tiles to each player. The method further includes starting the game with each player having a preliminary score of 150 points. Further, the method includes placing a series of tiles by a first one of the players on the game board in an order forming an equation of whole numbers from the plurality of sets of game tiles on the top surface of the board. The equation is formed of whole numbers from 1 through 99 and is formed of less than twelve tiles. Further, the equation includes at least two symbol tiles with one of the symbol tiles having the “=” symbol indicated thereon. Also, the equation is formed along either a horizontal axis or a vertical axis of the game board.
In these respects, the mathematical game apparatus and method of playing the same according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of developing mathematical acuity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of mathematical skills games now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new mathematical game apparatus and method of playing the same construction wherein the same can be utilized for developing mathematical acuity.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new mathematical game apparatus and method of playing the same apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the mathematical skills games mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new mathematical game apparatus and method of playing the same which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art mathematical skills games, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a game board apparatus and method of playing a game for improving mathematical skills that includes a game board having a top surface. The top surface has indicia forming a grid thereon and the grid includes a plurality of boxes for positioning one of a plurality of game pieces thereon. The plurality of boxes further includes blank boxes, symbol boxes, chance boxes and bonus boxes. The apparatus also includes a plurality of game tiles comprising number tiles, symbol tiles, and joker tiles and blank tiles. The number tiles have the digits 0 through 9 marked thereon, the symbol tiles have arithmetic symbols marked thereon, and the joker tiles have the word “joker” marked thereon so that the are for representing any symbol or number indicated by a player. The apparatus further includes a plurality of chance cards for use when a player moves a game tile onto a chance box. The chance cards have point and explanation indicia.
The method of playing the game to improve mathematical skills includes selecting a color of tiles by each of the players for identifying each tile placed on the game board by each different player. Then, the method includes dispensing a plurality of sets of game tiles to each player. The method further includes starting the game with each player having a preliminary score of 150 points. Further, the method includes placing a series of tiles by a first one of the players on the game board in an order forming an equation of whole numbers from the plurality of sets of game tiles on the top surface of the board. The equation is formed of whole numbers from 1 through 99 and is formed of less than twelve tiles. Further, the equation includes at least two symbol tiles with one of the symbol tiles having the “=” symbol indicated thereon. Also, the equation is formed along either a horizontal axis or a vertical axis of the game board.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the inventio
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