Multi-functional game board with rotating mechanism

Details Multi-functional game board with rotating mechanism Multi-functional game board with rotating mechanism

2001-05-31

2003-03-25

Layno, Benjamin H. (Department: 3711)

Amusement devices: games

Board games, pieces, or boards therefor

Game board structure

C273S280000, C273S14200F

Reexamination Certificate

active

06536766

ABSTRACT:

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH—NONE
SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM—None
BACKGROUND—FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to board games, and in particular to a board game apparatus that produces random results and is the base for various derivative games.
BACKGROUND—PRIOR-ART
Board games in which the object is either to acquire the most wealth, bankrupting opposing players, or win the game by completing some object or goal first are well-known and replete with many versions. See, for example, the real estate trading game of Lizzie J. Magie in U.S. Pat. No. 748,626 (1904). Those games generally provide static playing fields and seldom provide play that is challenging or stimulating to the players.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,416 (1974) Jones et al. disclose a game having two playing boards, one mounted on top of the other. The object of this game is to move pegs from one board to another. The structure of this game is awkward in design and contributes unnecessary complications to a simple game.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,334 (1971) Pippin discloses a board game that includes rotatable discs. The board in Pippin's game is cluttered and difficult to understand.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,723 (1977) Robinson describes a three-dimensional, multi-level inverse chess board that is over-complicated.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,234 (1993) Bechier discloses a four-dimensional game and a three-dimensional apparatus used for playing the game that uses tokens. The game is difficult to play because it is complicated with numerous game pieces and structural elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,751 (1990) to Ching describes a multi-tier checkered game board for checkers in a cumbersome and awkward design and is a complicated way to play checkers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,749 (1983) to Charney discloses a game board that comes in several different pieces. Those pieces can be assembled in a variety of different combinations. The game requires substantial skill to play.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,585,233 to Wilson (1986) discloses an add-on board for a real estate trading game. It further complicates the game without improving it.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,476 to Eplett (1986) describes a multi-stepped game board in a checkerboard design and adds nothing to the game but complication.
While some games provide variable moves, they are often too complex to stimulate interest in younger participants. Other games are too simple to challenge the more intellectual players. All prior-art games provide only a single result for each move. The games are also require too long a period of playing time to determine the winner, thereby causing participants to lose interest. Many games are found to have too many game board parts and accessories and can become lost between the playing of games.
BACKGROUND—OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES
Accordingly several objects and advantages of the present invention are to provide an improved game board, to provide a game with simple, variable moves, with a play period of reasonable duration, and with a limited number of game board parts. Further objects and advantages are to provide a multi-functional game board with a rotating mechanism that provides a base for any number of games, ranging form simple to complex, a game with a methodology of play which has the advantage of providing multiple random results, which is challenging yet simple to play, which has hidden instructions beneath swiveling tiers that produce multiple and unexpected results for the game players, which uses no dice, and which produces unexpected changes in fortune that affect not only one but all of the players simultaneously. Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the ensuing description and accompanying drawings.
SUMMARY
In accordance with the present invention, a board game has one or more swiveling tiers. These tiers provide a basis for a set of games which utilize similar constructions, mechanisms, and play, providing numerous games of varying complexity which produce random and unexpected results. Since each move by another player can affect other players positively or adversely, every play by opposing players creates strong interest and excitement in the game play for all players. Additionally, since no dice are used in the games, interest in the activity and moves by other players is substantially increased by all players. This is due to the randomness of multiple results achieved by this device without the use of complicated mathematical calculations. The multiple results also offer challenging, easy to understand play.
The game tiers can be adapted to other media beside board games, for example, a television game show format, computer games, hand-held computerized games, online interactive games, and slot machine apparatuses, among others.
DRAWINGS—FIGURES
FIG. 1
shows an exploded, perspective view of a single-tier game in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 2
is a side view of the board in FIG.
1
.
FIG. 3
is a top view of the single-tier game of
FIG. 1
, showing game fields.
FIG. 4
is a top view of a multi-tier game according to the present invention.
FIG. 5
is a side view of the game in FIG.
4
.
FIG. 6
shows top and side views of a spacer used with rotating tiers.
FIG. 7
shows tiers of the game of
FIG. 4
, rotated to reveal hidden game fields.
FIG. 8
shows rotating disks hidden beneath the first tier.
FIG. 9
shows rotating disks in view as the first tier is rotated 45 degrees.
DRAWINGS-Reference Numerals
100
Game board
105
Tier
110
Knob
112
Logo
115
Swiveling mechanism
120
Pointer
125
Fastener
130
Mating fastener
135
Token
140
Game cards
145
Hole or recess
150
Recess
155
Fold line
300
Game field
301
Outer circle
302
Inner circle
304
Game field destination “Africa”
305
Number
306
Destination name
307
Price
310
Additional game field
314
Game field destination “Mexico”
319
Game field “Travel Ups & Downs”
320
Destination card
325
Travel Ups & Downs card
330
Voucher
335
Play money
336
Travel bonus corner
340
Starting point
400
Board of multi-tiered game
401
Hole
402
Spacer
404
Spacer
405
First tier
406
Game field on board
407
Spacer
410
Second tier
411
Game field on first tier
415
Third tier
416
Game field on second tier
420
Numeral
421
Game field on third tier
425
Pointer knob
430
Shaft
435
Token
436
Base camp #1
437
Base camp #2
438
Base camp #3
439
Base camp #4
440
Game field “Jump Up”
441
Game field “Jump Up”
442
Game field “Jump Up”
443
Game field “Short Cut Down”
444
Game field “Short Cut Down”
445
Game field “Short Cut Down”
446
Game field on first tier
447
Game field on first tier
448
Game field on board tier
449
Game field on board tier
460
Instruction Card
600
Ring
610
Hole
700
Hidden game field on board
701
Hidden game field on second tier
702
Hidden game field on first tier
703
Hidden game field on board tier
704
Hidden game field on first tier
705
Hidden game field on second tier
706
Hidden game field on board
707
Hidden game field on first tier
708
Hidden game field on second tier
709
Hidden game field on board
710
Hidden game field on first tier
711
Hidden game field on second tier
800
Disk
801
Disk
802
Disk
803
Disk
810
Cog
820
Slot
822
Shaft
900
Instruction
901
Instruction
902
Instruction
910
Instruction


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patent: 174168 (1876-02-01), Tros
patent: 1833793 (1931-02-01), Pfleger
patent: 2215696 (1940-09-01), Graves
patent: 3030112 (1962-04-01), Scharp
patent: 3397890 (1968-08-01), Newton
patent: 3606334 (1971-09-01), Pippin
patent: 3809407 (1974-05-01), Quigley
patent: 4099723 (1978-07-01), Robinson
patent: 4431195 (1984-02-01), Brand
patent: 4484749 (1984-11-01), Charney
patent: 4648601 (1987-03-01), Carmichael
patent: 4696476 (1987-09-01), Epplet
patent: 4778186 (1988-10-01), Dudley
patent: 4934707 (1990-06-01), Koster
patent: 4948145 (1990-08-01), Breslow
patent: 5013048 (1991-05-01), Turner
patent: 5033751 (1991-07-01), Ching
patent: 5388836 (1995-02-01), Foti
patent: 5409234 (1995-04-01), Bechier
patent: 5810359 (1998-09-01), Wilkins
patent: 5829747 (1998-11-01), Nebel
patent: 6189886 (2001-02-01), Moran
patent: 6217022 (2001-04-01), Astaneha

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