Preprogrammed Solitaire Board Game Apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a game device including a board having position indicators associated therewith and a carrier movable along the board to positions indicated by the indicators. The carrier is provided with windows exposing markings on the board, and playing pieces are removably positionable over the windows for determining a relationship between a marking covered by a playing piece and carrier movement. The instant game device may be employed in the play of tic-tac-toe, an individual playing against the preprogrammed game.

Description

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a game device for solitary play which is extremely simple in structure and operation, wherein the user plays against the game and the game may be programmed to permit the user to play the game, and provide all variations in difficulty to the user.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a solitaire tick-tack-toe game having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the preceding paragraph, which is simple enough for young children and provides a challenge to mature adults, being totally attention absorbing throughout long periods of time, and capable of an infinite variety of game plays.

While the device of the present invention has been illustrated and described hereinafter with particular reference to a solitaire tick-tack-toe game, it is appreciated that the instant game device may be employed in the play of other games, all of which are intended to be comprehended herein.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawing, which forms 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 OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a game device of the present invention in an early position of game play, a carrier being illustrated in phantom for clarity.

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken generally along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a partial plan view similar to FIG. 1, but showing a later stage in play of the instant game.

FIG. 4 is a partial plan view similar to FIGS. 1 and 3, showing still a later stage in play of the game.

FIG. 5 is a partial plan view showing a final stage in game play.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, and specifically to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, a holder or body is there generally designated 10, and may be formed of a generally flat boardlike member or plate of generally rectangular outline configuration, having on one face a longitudinally extending relatively large recess 11. The body 10 may be additionally provided with a relatively small longitudinally extending recess 12, disposed parallel to and on the same body side as the recess 11.

Resting in the relatively small elongate recess 12 may be a plurality of playing pieces, spheres or marbles 13, advantageously of different colors, say certain marbles being white and the remainder being black. The differently colored playing pieces 13 represent different teams in play of the game, and may be otherwise characteristically indicated, if desired.

Resting in the relatively large recess 11, conformably seated on the lower wall thereof, is a generally rectangular board 15. The board 15 has its underside resting on the bottom surface of the recess 11, and the upper surface 16 of the board 15 provides a playing area, as will appear presently.

Arranged along the board 15, as by imprinting along the left-hand margin thereof, is a series of position indicators designated 17. The position indicators 17 in the illustrated embodiment are numerical indicia progressing upward from the numeral 10 in the lower left-hand corner, to the numeral 38 adjacent to the upper left-hand corner. Certain of the numerical indicators 17 are further marked, as with colored circles 18, or other suitable characterizing indicia. As will appear by example hereinafter, the the colored circles 18 indicate the final carrier position or end of a game.

In addition, the playing area 16 of board 15 is further provided with a plurality of rows of markings, the rows being respectively designated from left to right as rows 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27. Thus, there are eight rows of markings 20--27. Each row of markings 20--27 includes numerical markings, as indicated, and additional markings, as at 28, say in the form of a black dot.

Thus, the position indicators 17 are arranged in a series or row extending longitudinally of the board 15, and the rows of markings 20--27 are arranged in parallelism with each other and with the row of position indicators 17.

An additional row 30 of markings is provided along the right-hand margin of playing area 16, just rightward of the rightmost previously described row 27. The markings of row 30 may be alphabetical, as illustrated, or otherwise to indicate, say by abbreviation, the conclusion of a game, the abbreviation LS indicating LOSE, the abbreviation DR indicating DRAW, and the abbreviation WN indicating WIN. In addition, the rows of markings 21 and 22 are spaced apart slightly more than the remaining rows of markings 20--27, and a single marking 31 may be provided between the rows 21 and 22 at the lowermost region thereof.

Resting on the playing surface 16 of board 15 is a carrier 33, which may be a generally rectangular card loosely received in the recess 11 and resting on the playing surface 16, for free sliding movement longitudinally along the recess on the playing surface. The carrier or card 33 is thus of generally rectangular configuration for its free sliding movement longitudinally along the playing area 16, and may be formed with a plurality of through openings or windows. In particular, the carrier 33 may be formed with three rows of windows each row having three windows each. There may be windows 34, 35 and 36 in one row, windows 37, 38 and 39 in another row, and windows 40, 41 and 42 in another row. The several rows are parallel to each other, and advantageously formed in a generally parallelogramlike array, the window 38 being positioned centrally of the parallelogram.

In addition, the carrier 33 may be formed with a start indicator window 43 in the lower left-hand corner thereof, and a result window 44 in the upper right-hand corner of the carrier. The windows 34--44 may be defined by through openings or holes formed in the carrier 33, or otherwise suitably formed, as desired.

More specifically, the window 36 is located in alignment with the row of markings 20, the window 35 being located in alignment with the row of markings 21, the window 34 being located in alignment with the marking 31, the window 39 being located in alignment with the row of markings 22, the window 38 being located in alignment with the row of markings 23, the window 37 being located in alignment with the row of markings 24, the window 42 being located in alignment with the row of markings 25, the window 41 being located in alignment with the row of markings 26, and the window 40 being located in alignment with the row of markings 27. In addition, the window 43 is located in alignment with the row of position indicators 17, and the window 44 is located in alignment with the row of result indicators 30.

Thus, the markings of the several rows 20--27, and indicators 17 and 30, are respectively visually accessible through the several carrier windows upon shifting movement of the carrier to different positions along a path of movement longitudinally of the board 15. The parallelogramlike arrangement of windows 34--42 is such that the lowermost line of windows 34, 37 and 40 is in a row extending generally normal to the several rows of markings and the direction or path of carrier movement. The row of windows 35, 38 and 41 is parallel to the row of windows 34, 37 and 40, and the row of windows 36, 39 and 42 is similarly parallel to the row of windows 34, 37 and 40. The several windows 34--42 may be connected by lines imprinted on the carrier 33, in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 3--5, if desired.

In play of the game, the white playing pieces 13 may be considered as those of the player, and the black playing pieces 13 may be considered as those of the game. In the instant embodiment, the object is to place three white playing pieces 13 in a row on the carrier 33, as in tick-tack-toe.

The game is started by placement of the carrier 33 in the lowermost position illustrated in phantom in FIG. 1 on the playing area 16 of board 15. Of course, a multitude of boards 15 may accompany the instant game device, only one being employed at a time, and each utilizing different programming, as provided by the position indicators 17, rows of markings 20--27, and result indicators 30.

The initial position is that where the position indicator 10 appears through the position-indicator opening or window 43. The user initially places a black or game piece 13 over the indicated opening or window, that being window 34 in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1. It is now the player's turn and he may place his white playing piece over any desired opening or window remaining uncovered. The numeral exposed through the window which is covered by the palyer's white marble directs the player to move the carrier 33 to that position indicated by the numeral. In the illustrated embodiment, the player selected the upper right-hand window 42 to be covered by a white marble 13, which window exposes marking 17. Therefore, the carrier 33 is shifted to position 17, as indicated through window 43, the condition of FIG. 3. Again, the window exposing a black spot 28 is closed or covered with a black playing piece, being window 40 in FIG. 3, and it is again the player-- s turn to cover or close a selected window.

In this illustration the player selects the window 37 to be closed, which exposes marking 25, so that the carrier 33 is moved to position 25, as indicated through window 43 in FIG. 4. In this condition, the window 36 exposes a black dot 28 to be covered by a black marble 13, and the player then elected to cover window 35 with a white marble, which window directs carrier movement to position 30, see FIG. 5. It will there be apparent that a black marble 13 must be placed over the central window 38, so that the player loses. This result is indicated through window 44 in FIG. 5, being an appropriate one of the markings 30.

In addition, the colored spots 18 on certain position indicators 17 also indicate the game to be over when presented through window 43.

The play of the game may be repeated by removing all of the playing pieces 13, and returning the carrier 33 to its lowermost position on the playing area 16. If desired, the same board 15 may be employed, or the board may be changed and a different board placed in the recess 11, either on the board 15 or after removing the latter board.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides a game device 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 and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A game device comprising a board adapted to rest on a generally horizontal support and having its upper surface providing a playing area, a carrier on said board movable along a path on said playing area, there being a series of position indicators associated with said board for indicating the position of said carrier along said path, a specifically configured array of windows in said carrier affording visual access therethrough to portions of said playing area, said playing area being provided with markings for exposure through said windows when said carrier is in said positions, said markings corresponding to respective position indicators, and a plurality of playing pieces each locatable on said carrier for movement therewith in predetermined relation with a selected window, carrier movement to positions along said path being directed by the markings of selected windows to the carrier positions indicated by the markings, said position indicators being so related to said markings and said windows that the marking exposed through a selected window in each carrier position indicates the next successive carrier position and by placement of a playing piece in said predetermined relation with each window selected at the respective carrier position there is provided a game pattern of decreasing nonselected windows for exposure of markings therethrough.

2. A game device according to claim 1, said carrier comprising a card slidable on said playing area, and said windows being defined by openings through said card adapted to hold said playing pieces in said predetermined relation.

3. A game device according to claim 2, said playing pieces comprising marbles selectively engageable in closing relation with respect to said window openings.

4. A game device according to claim 1, said windows being arranged in a parallelogram configuration having one pair of sides generally normal to said path of carrier movement.

5. A game device according to claim 1, said markings being arranged in a plurality of rows extending in substantial parallelism with said path of carrier movement for respective exposure through said windows.

6. A game device according to claim 1, said windows being arranged in three rows of three windows each to represent spaces in a game of tick-tack-toe.

7. A game device according to claim 6, said windows being arranged in a parallelogram configuration having one pair of sides generally normal to said path of carrier movement.