U.S. patent application number 11/095143 was filed with the patent office on 2006-10-05 for board game apparatus and method of play.
Invention is credited to Fai Shing Alex Chung.
Application Number | 20060220314 11/095143 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37069405 |
Filed Date | 2006-10-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060220314 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chung; Fai Shing Alex |
October 5, 2006 |
Board game apparatus and method of play
Abstract
A game apparatus providing toy blocks which are used for both
building the game board and as game pieces for playing the game and
a method of playing a chess- or checker type board game where
building the game board is part of playing the game. Further more,
when not used in game playing, the toy blocks of the game apparatus
can be used as toys individually or in combination to build
interesting 3-D toy structures.
Inventors: |
Chung; Fai Shing Alex; (Tung
Chung, HK) |
Correspondence
Address: |
COOPER & DUNHAM, LLP
1185 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS
NEW YORK
NY
10036
US
|
Family ID: |
37069405 |
Appl. No.: |
11/095143 |
Filed: |
March 31, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/241 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 3/00214 20130101;
A63F 2003/00375 20130101; A63H 33/044 20130101; A63F 3/00176
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
273/241 |
International
Class: |
A63F 3/00 20060101
A63F003/00 |
Claims
1. A method for playing a board game, comprising the steps of: (a)
building a game board from board blocks which are 2-D objects, 3-D
objects, or a mix of 2-D objects and 3-D objects; and (b) playing a
board game where two or more players place or move game pieces on
said game board.
2. A method of claim 1, wherein said game pieces are 2-D objects,
3-D objects, or a mix of 2-D objects and 3-D objects.
3. A method of claim 2, wherein said board blocks are 3-D objects
and said game pieces are 3-D objects.
4. A method of claim 1, wherein said board blocks are of two or
more sets, members of one set assuming a shape suitable for
defining a point or a place of said game board and members of
another set assuming a shape suitable for defining a line or a
border of said game board.
5. A method of claim 1, wherein said game pieces are of two or more
visually distinguishable groups, each of said groups belonging to a
player.
6. A method of claim 5, wherein said game pieces in each of said
groups adapt various shapes suitable for being placed on various
playing positions on said game board, for providing visual appeals,
or for functioning as toys when not being used in playing game.
7. A game apparatus comprising a plurality of 3-D shaped blocks, a
first subset of said 3-D shaped blocks being adapted for
interconnecting with each other to form a 3-D game board, a second
subset of said 3-D shaped blocks being adapted for functioning as
game pieces for playing a game on said 3-D game board.
8. A game apparatus of claim 7, wherein said 3-D shaped blocks
assume one or more shapes which appeal to children as toys.
9. A game apparatus of claim 7, wherein said shapes are shapes or
profiles of animals, human beings, or natural or man-made
structures.
10. A game apparatus of claim 7, wherein there are two or more
types of 3-D shaped blocks in said first set, with one type
assuming a shape suitable for defining a point or a place on a game
board, with another type assuming a shape suitable for defining a
line or a border on a 3-D game board.
11. A game apparatus of claim 10, wherein there are two or more
types of 3-D shaped blocks in said second set, each assuming a
shape suitable for being placed on a different playing position on
a 3-D game board.
12. A game apparatus of claim 11, wherein there are two types of
3-D shaped blocks in said first set, one type assuming the shape of
a castle and the other assuming the shape of a wall; and there are
two types of 3-D shaped blocks in said second set, one type
assuming the shape of a panda and the other assuming the shape of a
tower.
13. A game apparatus of claim 7, wherein said 3-D shaped blocks are
of one or more shapes that appeal to children or young people as
toys.
14. A commercial package, comprising (a) a container; (b) a
plurality of 3-D shaped blocks of a game apparatus of claim 7
contained in said container and unaccompanied by a ready-made game
board inside said container; and (c) a label or sign indicating
that said container contains an apparatus for playing a board
game.
15. A commercial package of claim 14, further comprising (d) a
manual or information on how to build a game board and how play
game thereon with said game apparatus.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a board game apparatus. In
particular, the present invention relates to a board game apparatus
comprising a plurality of variously-shaped three-dimensional toy
blocks, some of the toy blocks being interconnectable with one
another to form a game board for a checker- or chess-type board
game while other toy blocks being used as playing pieces (or game
pieces). Furthermore, the toy blocks may assume such interesting
shapes that appeal to children to function as toys. The present
invention further relates to a method of playing board games using
the above board game apparatus wherein building the game board is
an integral part of playing the game.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Block toys are well known in the art. Such toys usually
include a plurality of blocks with interconnecting means for
selectively connecting the blocks together to form toy structures
of various configurations. Board games, such as chess and checker,
are also well known in the art. These well known block toys and
board games are played separately, i.e., either as a block toy
alone, or a board game alone.
[0003] U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,045 granted to Mermelstein on 3 May 1977
discloses a chess or checker board having individual blocks for
each square enclosed by a raisable but normally recessed lattice or
egg-crate structure. These individual blocks are not conventional
toy blocks and are not interconnectable with one another to form a
three-dimensional toy structure. In fact, these individual blocks
are all fastened to a base of the board.
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,027 granted to Escamilla-Kelly on 7 Sep.
1982 discloses a multi-level board game consisting of a chess or
checker board divided into a plurality of levels. The board is
separated into a central portion at one level and a plurality of
surrounding portions of square configuration separately supported
at least at one other level. The separate square portions supported
at another level are separately supported on support members
permitting rotation of each square portion about its center. This
is merely a board game and not a block toy.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,388 granted to Benn on 26 Aug. 1997
discloses a three-dimensional board game. This three-dimensional
board game comprises a three-dimensional game board and a set of
movable pieces for each player. The three-dimensional game board is
marked into a matrix of spaces forming a plurality of concentric
perimeters, the innermost perimeter surrounding a single central
space. Each perimeter comprises a separate level, the outermost
perimeter being the lowermost level, and the central space forming
the uppermost level. This three-dimensional game board is a
one-piece solid game board and is not formed by interconnecting toy
blocks.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,191 granted to Frost on 9 Dec. 1997
discloses a variation of an ancient Hawaiian konane game with a
pouch that opens into a playable flat surface. The game pieces are
in the form of black beach pebbles and white coral pebbles. Again,
this is purely a board game and does not consist of any toy
blocks.
[0007] U.S. Patent Application No. 2004/0108655 published on 10
Jun. 2004 in the name of Liu discloses a strategy game with
geometrical structure. This game has a geometrical structure or
game device which can be any structure of geometrical shapes with a
plurality of nodes formed by edges. The game device can be designed
as two-dimensional or three-dimensional, single-plane or
multi-plane, latticed or non-latticed geometrical structure. The
nodes of the game device are categorized by the degree of freedom
defined by the number of edges connected to the node. The game is
played with grooved spherical game pieces mountable on the nodes of
the game device. The geometrical structure discloses in Liu's
application is not in the form of a block-type structure. The
geometrical structure is not formed by directly interconnecting toy
blocks with one another. In fact, Liu's geometrical structure is
formed of interfitting wires and tubes. "Cathedral" is a board game
disclosed in the website http://www.cathedral-game.co.nz/frame.htm.
This board game comprises a game board having a plurality of square
playing areas and a plurality of game pieces. The game board
denotes a "city". The game pieces are in the form of "buildings" of
various shapes. The object of the game is to place all "buildings"
in the "city", while trying to prevent the opponent from doing so.
Again, this is purely a board game and is not a block toy. The
building-shaped game pieces serve only as game pieces for the board
game and are not designed as interconnectable toy building blocks
to form the game board.
[0008] Hence, this is a novel idea to have a game apparatus that
can provide the fun of both building a variable three-dimensional
game board and playing check-or chess-like game thereon.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a game apparatus comprising a plurality of toy blocks. The
toy blocks are of two types. The first type is "board block" which
refers to those toy blocks fabricated or configured to provide an
ability to reversibly interconnectable with one another and, when
interconnected together, to form a two- or three-dimensional game
board for playing the board game. The second type is "game block"
which refers to those toy blocks which serve as game pieces marked
for each player and adapted to be movable on the two- or
three-dimensional game board structure. All toy blocks may assume
one or more shapes that appeal to children or young people so that
they double as toys.
[0010] The term "toy block" means any two-dimensional or
three-dimensional object or structure of any materials such as, for
example, plastic, wood, bamboo, metal, glass, etc. Preferably, a
toy block may adopt a particular shape to appeal to a particular
group of players, such as the shape of animals and buildings. A
simple geometrical shape, such as cube, pyramid or sphere, may also
provide satisfactory results. As an illustration, a piece of
playing card or a piece of jigsaw puzzle, although seemingly a
two-dimensional object, all comes within the scope of the term "toy
block."
[0011] The term "interconnectable" means the capability of
reversibly attaching to each other among "board blocks" through an
interlocking mechanism provided by complementary structural shapes,
magnetic attraction or any other ways known to people skilled in
the art.
[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a game apparatus comprising a plurality of toy blocks,
which function either as "board block" or "game block" as described
above. This apparatus employs, however, a particular type of toy
block, referred to as "3-D shaped block" thereinafter. "3-D shaped
block" means a toy block which is shaped in all 3-dimemsions to
form a 3-D figure interesting to children or young people. Such toy
blocks therefore double as toys. By way of example, not limitation,
such interesting 3-D shape includes the shape of an animal, human,
plant, building or any other natural or man-made structure. On the
other hand, a jigsaw puzzle piece is not a 3-D shaped block because
it is shaped only in two dimensions.
[0013] In a particular embodiment of the game apparatus of the
present invention, there may be two sets of board blocks, a first
set and a second set. Each board block of the first set is
connectable to a plurality of board blocks of the second set. When
those two sets of board blocks are connected, they form a structure
generally in the form of a lattice structure suitable for being
used as a game board. For example, the board block of the first set
may be shaped in a way that they can define a point or a place
while the board block of the second set may be shaped in a way that
they can define a line or a border on a game board. When the points
and lines are connected, they define the positions that the game
piece movies to and from, and the areas that each player owns. Of
course, one does not have to use exact two sets of board blocks to
practice the present invention. Based on the above disclosure, one
may use just one set, or three or more sets to obtain satisfactory
results.
[0014] Furthermore, there may be two sets of game blocks used as
game pieces, one for marking or occupying a point or a place on the
game board, the other for marking or occurring an area enclosed by
the lines or borders. The game block bears indicia indicating the
player it belongs to. For example, each player's game blocks may be
of a particular color or a particular shape. Of course, one does
not have to use exact two sets of game blocks to practice the
present invention. Based on the above disclosure, one may use just
one set, or three or more sets to obtain satisfactory results.
[0015] According to another aspect of invention, there is provided
a novel way of playing a board game in that the game board is
variably built according to the wish of participating players and
may be built just prior to the start of game. The game board is
built from a plurality of board blocks, preferably, 3-D shaped
blocks. In other words, building the game board is part of playing
the game.
[0016] In a particular embodiment of the way of playing the game of
the present invention, the players are provides with two sets of
board blocks: a first set and a second set. When building the game
board, the players use the board block of the first set to define a
place of the game board and the board block of the second set to
define a border of the game board. The players are also provided
with two sets of game blocks: a first game piece set and a second
game piece set. Each of the two board block sets are further
divided into groups which are visually distinguishable by color,
shape or other indicia that comes to the mind of a person with
ordinary skill in the art. Each player is to choose one group of
game blocks with particular indicia to identify him or herself. The
players use the game piece of the first set to mark the ownership
of a place defined by a board block of the first set on the game
board, and use the game piece of the second set to mark the
ownership of an area defined by three or more board blocks of the
second set. The player who owns a game piece, owns the place or the
area marked by the game piece. At the end of the game, the player
who owns most areas on the game board wins the game. Two or more
players may participate in the game. To start the game, the players
must first build a game board with provided board blocks according
to a pattern or a plan that is agreed upon by all participating
players. After building the game board, each player then choose one
his or her game blocks (i.e., game pieces) which can identify this
particular player. Then, the players take turn to place a game
piece on, or move a game piece to or from, a point or place defined
by a board block of the first set (for example, a fortress-shaped
block), indicating they own the "fortress". When a player owns all
the adjacent points or "fortresses," the player can place another
game piece in the area enclosed by the adjacent castles, indicating
the player now owns the area. The object of game is to own as many
possessions as possible to win the game. However, there are rules
to challenge the players to fight for a place and an area. For
example, when it is Player A's turn and he realizes that only one
of the adjacent points encircling an area is owned by an opponent
and the point beyond this opponent's point is not owned by any
player, Player A can place a game piece of his own on this unowned
point whereby he seizes the possession of the point ahead of this
unowned point from his opponent. This rule is provided as an
example, not a limitation. Other rules can be readily adopted by
people skilled in the art.
[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a game apparatus kit suitable for transportation and
transaction in commercial activities. The kit include a packaging
box, a plurality of 3-D shaped blocks as defined above, a label or
sign indicating that the box contains a game apparatus. The kit
does not include any ready-made game board.
[0018] The various features of novelty which characterize the
invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed
to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better
understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, and
specific objects attained by its use, reference should be made to
the drawings and the following description in which there are
illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the
invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described
by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings
wherein:
[0020] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a three-dimensional board
block in the form of a castle tower in accordance with a particular
embodiment of the invention;
[0021] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another three-dimensional
board block in the form of a castle wall in accordance with a
particular embodiment of the invention;
[0022] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a basic unit of a
three-dimensional game board structure formed by a number of board
blocks of FIGS. 1 and 2;
[0023] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an expanded version of the
three-dimensional game board structure of FIG. 3;
[0024] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a panda-shaped game block or
game piece;
[0025] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a tower-shaped game block or
game piece;
[0026] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the triangular game board
structure of FIG. 3 with game pieces provided thereon for
illustration purposes; and
[0027] FIGS. 8 and 9 are illustrative top-view diagrams of a
portion of a game board for illustrating the rules of the board
game in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
and
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0028] In this particular embodiment, the game apparatus has two
sets of board blocks, one with a castle shape and the other with
wall like shape, two sets of game blocks, one shaped like a panda
and the other shaped like a tower. Each castle block is connectable
to six wall blocks. The six wall blocks are disposed equidistantly
radially and circumferentially about the castle block. Each castle
block is provided with slot means for snugly receiving the
complimentary structural extension of the wall blocks. The methods
of fabricating those blocks are well known in the art and it is
unnecessary to describe them in this disclosure.
[0029] The method of playing the chess- or checker-type board game
comprising the steps of (a) agreeing by the players to the
specifics about building a game board to play the game on; (b)
building a two- or three-dimensional game board structure by
connecting the plurality of board blocks provided; and (c) agreeing
by the players to the rule by which the game will be played; and
(d) using a plurality of game blocks provided to play the game on
the game board according to the agreed rule. The playing rule can
be readily designed by the players or provided by people skilled in
the art. The following rules of building the game board and playing
the board game are provided as an example.
A. Rules of Building the Game Board:
[0030] (A-1) Each cylindrical block possesses six slots and each of
them can connect to a quadrilateral board.
[0031] (A-2) Both ends of any board must be fitted in any slots of
the cylindrical blocks.
[0032] (A-3) Both ends of every board must be slid into the slots
of 2 cylindrical blocks during the construction.
[0033] (A-4) The slot(s) of a cylindrical block can be empty and
there is no requirement to fill up all the slots of a cylindrical
block.
[0034] (A-5) There is no limit of the size of the game board to be
built. It depends on how many connectable blocks the players got.
The bigger the game board, the more fun the game will be.
[0035] (A-6) During the game, the game board cannot be
re-constructed by any players except all players agree on it.
[0036] (A-7) The game activities are suspended when the
reconstruction of the game board is being done. The turn of play
should be given to the player who got a turn just before the
reconstruction.
[0037] (A-8) There is no limit to the size of the game board to be
re-constructed as well.
[0038] After building the game board, the player can start to play
the game on the constructed game board. Each player must need a set
of distinguishable playing figures and a set of distinguishable
blocks to play the game. During the game, the players take turn to
place a figure at the top of a cylindrical block.
B. Playing the Board Game:
[0039] (B-1) Two or more players can play the game. It depends on
how many distinguishable sets of playing figures (game blocks) the
game provided. It must require at least two distinguishable
sets.
[0040] (B-2) The players can take turn to place the playing figures
on the top of any un-possessed cylindrical block to claim the
possession of that cylindrical block. The un-possessed cylindrical
block is defined as the cylindrical block with no playing figure on
top of it.
[0041] (B-3) If there are three connecting cylindrical blocks at
the playing positions P2, P4, P7 respectively as shown in FIG. 8, a
player possessed cylindrical block at P2, the opponent possessed
cylindrical block at P4, and the cylindrical block at P7 is empty,
then the player can place one more figure on the top of the empty
cylindrical block at P7 and take out the opponent's figure from the
top of the cylindrical block at P4 to "seize" the opponent's
possession of cylindrical block at P4. However the opponent cannot
seize the possession of cylindrical block at P7 during the next
turn of play.
[0042] (B-4) If the opponent possessed a cylindrical block at P9 as
shown in FIG. 8, the opponent can put a figure at the top of
cylindrical block at P4 to gain back the possession of cylindrical
block at P4. However, the opponent cannot do so immediately after
the next turn of player's "seize" move. The opponent can take the
"seize" move during the other turn of play after the next turn.
[0043] (B-5) Beside the "seize" move described in (B-3), the player
can also take a "jump" move to remove the opponent's player figure.
As such, the player's figure at the P2 position will be moved to
the position P7 and the opponent's figure at position P4 will be
removed.
[0044] (B-6) If the area bounded by the connecting cylinders is
possessed by a player, the player must put a distinguishable block
in there to claim (mark) the player's possession of the bounded
area. As shown in the FIG. 9, the bounded area BA3 and BA5 are
possessed by the player while the bounded area BA1 is possessed by
the opponent. If the bounded area is not surrounded by the same
player as shown at BA2 and BA4, it will be left empty. The bounded
area can be in the shape of a triangle, parallelogram, or hexagon,
etc.
[0045] (B-7) If the possession of any one of the surrounding
cylinders is seized, the player's block at the bounded area must be
taken away.
[0046] (B-8) If a player tried to violate the playing rules
described as the above in (A) or (B), that player's violated
operation must be corrected and his/her next turn will be
suspended.
[0047] (B-9) The winner is the one who possessed the most bounded
areas.
[0048] Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference
numerals represent like parts throughout the drawings, FIG. 1 shows
a three-dimensional toy block 10 in accordance with an embodiment
of the present invention to be used as a board block of a first
set. The block 10 is substantially in the shape of a castle having
a cylindrical body 16, a base 18, and a top 20.
[0049] The base 18 of the toy block 10 is generally frusto-conical
in shape and has six elongated slots 22 provided thereon. The six
elongated slots 22 are disposed equidistantly radially and
circumferentially about the base 18. Slot 22 has an elongated
enlarged groove or channel 32 and provides a mechanism for
interconnecting with other toy blocks. It is understood that a
board block of the first set, i.e., toy block 10, can be of any
shape provided that it is suitable for defining a point or a place
on a game board 50. The castle-like shape is exemplary only.
[0050] FIG. 2 shows a three-dimensional toy block 12 used a board
block of a second set. The block 12 is substantially in the shape
of a rectangular parapet or a wall, having vertical side edges 26,
28. Each of the vertical side edges 26, 28 has an elongated
enlarged portion 30 adapted to snugly fit into a complementary
elongated enlarged groove or channel 32 of the elongated slot 22 of
a toy block 10. It is understood that a board block of the second
set, i.e., toy block 12, can be of any shape provided that it is
suitable for defining a line or a border on a game board 50. The
wall-like shape is exemplary only.
[0051] Thus, in this embodiment of the game apparatus of the
present invention,.there are a first set of board blocks, the
"castle" set and a second set of board blocks, the "wall" set. The
players may build a variety of three-dimensional game-board
structures by connecting board blocks of the first set (toy blocks
10) with board blocks of the second set (toy blocks 12). FIG. 3
shows an example of such connection between the first set board
blocks and the second set board blocks, whereby they form a basic
triangular toy structure: the basic unit of the game board. It is
contemplated that to practice the present invention, one may need
just one set of board blocks or one may use two or more sets of
board blocks. The two sets of board blocks are used in this
particular embodiment as an example and not as a limitation. When
only one set of board blocks is used, the blocks may be shaped in a
way to make them suitable for defining both a point (or a place)
and a line (or a border) on the game board. One the other hand,
when more than two sets are used, the players are offered
opportunities to build more complex and interesting game
boards.
[0052] FIG. 4 shows an example of an expanded three-dimensional
structure, or a larger portion of a game board, generally
represented by reference numeral 50. This expanded
three-dimensional structure 50 is formed by continuously connecting
three-dimensional toy blocks 10, 12 to the basic three-dimensional
toy structure 40 depicted in FIG. 3. The three-dimensional
structure 50 is generally in the form of a lattice structure or an
array of interconnecting triangular structures, and can be further
expanded as needed or desired.
[0053] It is understood that the toy blocks 10, 12 can be
selectively interconnected with one another to form toy structures
of various sizes and configurations. Although it has been shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4 that the basic toy structure 40 is triangular in
shape, it is appreciated that toy blocks 10, 12 can be selectively
interconnected with one another to form a basic toy structure of
other shapes including but not limited to parallelogram, trapezoid,
hexagon, and polygon. Of course, the toy structure may contain a
combination of toy structures of different shapes, to construct
various game boards appealing to different players.
[0054] Furthermore, although it has been shown in the present
embodiment that each toy block 10 has six elongated slots 22
adapted for interconnection with up to six toy blocks 12, it is
contemplated that the toy block 10 may have more or less than six
elongated slots 22. For example, the block 10 may have only four
elongated slots for interconnection with four toy blocks 12 which
may then be arranged perpendicularly to one another forming a
rectangular or square toy structure.
[0055] Structure 50 functions as a three-dimensional game board for
a chess- or checker-type board game. The interconnected toy blocks
10, 12 define a game path for the board game. The toy blocks 10
define thereon a plurality of playing surfaces or positions 34. The
encompassed triangular courtyard areas 42 define a plurality of
additional playing surfaces or positions.
[0056] In this particular embodiment, there are also two sets of
game blocks, a first set and a second set. FIG. 5 shows an example
of game block 60 of the first set, to be used to mark the ownership
of a place, such as a "castle." Game block 60 is preferably in the
form of a toy figure, such as, for example, a human being or an
animal. Here, game block 60 is shown in the shape of a panda. In
practice, it can be of any shape.
[0057] Game block 60 is adapted to be able to stay steadily in
playing positions 34 and be movable from one playing position 34 to
another playing position 34 on game board 50.
[0058] FIG. 6 shows a game block 70 of the second set, to be used
as a game piece to mark the ownership of an area encircled or
enclosed by adjacent "castles." Game block 70 is also in the form
of a toy figure, such as, a tower, as depicted. Game block 70 is
adapted to be able to stay steadily within a playing position 42
and be movable from one playing position 42 to another playing
position 42 on game board 50. In practice, game block 70 can be of
another shape.
[0059] Toy blocks 10, 12 and Game blocks 60, 70 are in the form of
toy figures. Therefore, it is contemplated that are used as toys
individually or played together in combination by children or young
people, when the game apparatus is not used for the purpose of game
playing.
[0060] Although it has been described in the present embodiment
that each player is given a first set of panda-shaped game pieces
60 movable on the three-dimensional game board structure 50, 80 and
a second set of tower-shaped game pieces 70 movable between the
three-dimensional game board structure 50, 80, it is appreciated
that the first and second sets of game pieces 60, 70 may be
identical in shape.
[0061] Toy blocks 10, 12 and game pieces 60, 70 may be made of any
suitable material, such as plastic, metal, glass, wood, bamboo,
etc, by any conventional methods such as injection molding.
Preferably, they are made of plastic.
[0062] FIG. 7 is the basic game board structure of FIG. 3 with game
blocks 60, 70 provided thereon for illustration purposes. Game
blocks 60 are adapted to be placed on the castle tops 20 of castle
14. Game block 70 is adapted to be placed within the courtyard area
or playing position 42 between the castle towers 14 and the castle
walls 24.
[0063] FIG. 8 is an illustrative top-view diagram of a portion of
the board game according to an embodiment of the present invention.
As shown here, structure 80 is formed by interconnecting ten toy
castle blocks 10 with nineteen toy castle wall blocks 12. The ten
toy castle blocks 10 define thereon ten playing positions P1-P10
respectively.
[0064] Also shown in FIG. 8 are two participants in the board game,
namely a "player" and an "opponent". Game pieces 60a of the player
are represented by solid circles whereas game pieces 60b of the
opponent are represented by solid triangles. The two participants
take turns to place their game pieces 60a, 60b on playing positions
P1-P10. Game pieces 60a of the player occupy playing positions P1
and P2, and the game pieces 60b of the opponent occupy playing
positions P3, P4, P5, P6, P8 and P9.
[0065] The game piece of the player at the playing position P2 may
"jump" or "seize" the opponent's game piece at the playing position
P4 if playing position P7 is empty and the playing positions P2, P4
and P7 are on a straight line. To make the "jump" move, the player
moves his game piece from the playing position P2 to the playing
position P7. The game piece of the opponent at the playing position
P4 should then be removed from the game board 80. To make the
"seize" move, the player places one more game piece at the playing
position P7 and the opponent's game piece at the playing position
P4 should be removed as well.
[0066] However, the player's game piece at the playing position P1
cannot make the "jump" move and capture the opponent's game piece
at the playing position P3 because the playing position P6 is not
empty. Moreover, the player's game piece at the playing position P2
cannot make the "jump" move and capture the opponent's game piece
at the playing position P5 because there is no playing position on
the same line behind the playing position P5.
[0067] It can be seen in FIG. 8 that the three playing positions
P4, P5 and P8 in a triangle are all occupied the opponent. In this
circumstance, the opponent can place one of his game pieces 70b in
the playing position 42 enclosed by three playing positions P4, P5
and P8 to indicate the possession of that part of the game board
80.
[0068] The method of playing the combined block toy and
checker-type board game of the present invention is described in
details hereinbelow.
[0069] Two or more players may participate in the combined block
toy and checker-type board game of the present invention. The
combined block toy and board game of the present invention is
divided into two stages. The first stage involves the building of a
toy structure 40, 50, 80 by connecting the toy blocks 10, 12
together. The second stage involves the playing of a checker-type
board game using the toy structure 50, 80 built in the first stage
as the game board.
[0070] In the first stage, the players may selectively build
three-dimensional toy structures of different sizes and
configurations using the three-dimensional toy blocks 10, 12. The
toy FIGS. 60, 70 may be added as toy pieces during this stage to
provide more fin. The players directly connect castle towers 10 to
castle walls 12 by sliding side edges 26, 28 of the castle walls 12
into the slots 22 of the castle towers 10. The players continue to
connect more castle towers 10 and castle walls 12 together until a
final toy structure is reached and agreed by the players. This
final toy structure becomes a three-dimensional game board
structure of the board game for use in the second stage.
[0071] In the second stage, each of two players is given a first
set of panda-shaped game pieces 60 and a second set of tower-shaped
game pieces 70. It is understood that these game pieces 60, 70 are
the same as the toy pieces 60, 70 in the first stage. As in any
conventional board game, game pieces 60, 70 of different colors are
assigned to different players.
[0072] According to the present embodiment, the board game is a
strategy checker-type game. The players take turns to place the
game pieces 60 on top of the castle tower 14. If the three castle
towers 14 at the corners of a courtyard area 42 are all occupied by
the same player, that player places one of his game pieces 70 in
the courtyard area 42 to denote possession of that area by that
player.
[0073] Although it has been disclosed hereinbefore that the game
board 50, 80 are to played with game pieces 60, 70, it is
contemplated that the game board 50, 80 may be played with a set of
game pieces of a conventional chess, checker, go, or like game. To
this end, the players build the game board 50, 80 from a game board
construction kit only consisting of toy blocks 10 and 12 without
the game pieces 60, 70. The players build the game board 50, 80 by
interconnecting the toy blocks 10, 12 with one another as described
hereinbefore. The players then play the board game using game
pieces of a conventional chess, checker, go, or like game. It
should be appreciated that two or more players may participate in
the game.
[0074] The players may disassemble the game board into a plurality
of individual toy blocks which then function as toys.
[0075] For the purpose of describing the present invention, the
terms "game piece," "playing piece," and "game block" are
interchangeable, and the term "board block" refers to a subset of
"toy block" and the two terms may be used interchangeably.
[0076] While there have been described and pointed out fundamental
novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred
embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions
and substitutions and changes, in the form and details of the
apparatus and methods illustrated, may be made by those skilled in
the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For
example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those
elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same
function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results
are within the scope of the invention.
[0077] The invention is not limited by the embodiments described
above which are presented as examples only but can be modified in
various ways within the scope of protection defined by the appended
patent claims.
* * * * *
References