U.S. patent number 3,674,274 [Application Number 05/106,058] was granted by the patent office on 1972-07-04 for board game apparatus.
Invention is credited to Barbara Ellen Schur.
United States Patent |
3,674,274 |
Schur |
July 4, 1972 |
BOARD GAME APPARATUS
Abstract
A game apparatus comprising a game board and game pieces. The
game board has a flat top surface divided into a plurality of areas
with some of the areas bearing distinctive colors. The game pieces
are cubical and at least some of the game pieces have faces with
colors thereon corresponding to those on the distinctive areas.
Each of the remaining faces of the game pieces has a color
corresponding to that on at least one other game piece face. The
game is played by a number of players who alternately place game
pieces on the board and try to register the colors on the faces of
their game piece with those of previously placed game piece faces
and/or board distinctive areas.
Inventors: |
Schur; Barbara Ellen (Forest
Hills, NY) |
Family
ID: |
22309251 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/106,058 |
Filed: |
January 13, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/273; 273/241;
273/280 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F
3/00 (20130101); A63F 2003/00268 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63F
3/00 (20060101); A63f 003/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;273/130,134,135,136 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Lowe; Delbert B.
Claims
Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:
1. A game comprising in combination:
a game board having a top surface divided into a plurality of
generally equal areas, at least some of said areas being
distinctively colored, and certain of said colored areas being
divided into differently colored major and minor portions; and,
a plurality of cubical game pieces, each face of each of said cubes
colored to correspond to at least a part of a face of another cube
or at least a part of a distinctive area of said game board,
certain of said faces being divided into major and minor portions,
said portions of said certain faces being colored differently, and
at least some of said major portions being colored to correspond to
said game board major portions and at least some of said minor
portions being colored to correspond to said game board minor
portions.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a game and, more particularly, to
a game which may be played and enjoyed by children and adults
alike.
In accordance with the above, a principal object of the present
invention is to provide a game which is simple on its face, so that
children may readily grasp the rules of play while, at the same
time, the game is based on a sophisticated game theory so that
adults can enjoy vigorous competition. A further object is to
provide game board and game pieces which may be produced relatively
inexpensively so as to further its appeal to large numbers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above and other objects and advantages are attained in
accordance with the present invention by providing a game
comprising in combination a game board and a plurality of game
pieces. The game board has a flat top surface divided into a
plurality of generally equal areas, at least some of the areas
being provided with distinctive indicia. The game pieces are
cubical in shape and some of the game pieces have faces bearing
indicia identical to at least portions of the distinctive areas of
the game board. The remaining faces of each of the game pieces have
indicia corresponding to the indicia on at least portions of one
other game piece face.
The game is played by a number of players who alternately place
game pieces on the board and try to register the indicia on as many
as possible faces of their game pieces with the indicia on the
distinctive areas of the board and/or on already placed game
pieces. This results in the creation of a three-dimensional
structure formed from the played game pieces with the abutting or
aligned faces of the various game pieces bearing identical
indicia.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a game board and game pieces in
accordance with the present invention; and
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along reference lines 2--2 of FIG.
1 in the direction indicated by the arrows.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Reference is now made to the drawings and to FIG. 1 in particular
wherein the game board and game pieces of the present invention are
illustrated. The game board 10 comprises a generally flat square
member having a top surface 12 defining the playing field. To this
end, a grid formed of equispaced, mutually perpendicular lines 14
and 16 is imposed over the top surface. The grid thus subdivides
the top surface into a plurality of equal areas. In the
illustrated, preferred embodiment, the grid divides the playing
field into seven horizontal and seven vertical rows of equal
dimension squares 18.
As shown in FIG. 1, certain of the squares 18 bear distinctive
indicia. For example, squares 20, 22 and 24 are each colored with a
different color. Also, squares 26, 28, 30 and 32 each contains a
circle 34 in the center thereof. The color of circles 34 differs
from square to square.
The game pieces 36 of the present invention comprise cubes, the
faces of which are substantially equal in area to squares 18. As
shown, each face of each cube is distinctively colored. Also,
certain of the cube faces, as for example 38, contain a circle 40,
the color of which differs from that of the remainder of that cube
face. The circle 40 constitutes a minor portion of the face and the
remainder of the face constitutes a major portion.
The game is played with a plurality of cubes 36. At least one face
or a circle on a face must correspond in color to a distinctive
area or circle on the game board. In this preferred embodiment, the
center square of the board 42 is marked with the letter "X" and one
face of one cube is similarly marked. The center square and
corresponding cube provide a convenient starting point for the play
of the game.
The present game is played by a number of players, each of whom is
given a plurality of randomly chosen cubes. In turn, after the
first cube (i.e. the one with the letter "X" on one face) has been
placed in the center square, the remaining cubes are placed on the
board or on a previously played cube. As each cube is placed, at
least four of its corners must touch four exposed corners of at
least one other cube that has already been played. Scoring is based
on the number of faces of the played cube which either register
with the four corners of, or are aligned horizontally or vertically
with, a face or faces of a previously played cube or cubes of
similar colors or having portions of similar color.
In the illustrated example (wherein the cubes have been shifted off
the center square for simplification), points would be gained in
connection with cubes 46 and 48 if faces 52 and 54 were at least in
part of the same color. Similarly, in connection with cubes 48 and
50, points would be gained if faces 54 and 56 bore corresponding
indicia. In the illustrated example, only two horizontally aligned
cubes and two vertically aligned cubes are shown. In actuality, the
structure formed during the playing of the game may assume a very
complex shape so that the placement of any particular cube may
result in the gaining of many points in the manner described
above.
Because the game is contemplated for play by several players and
the structure may grow in any direction outwardly from the center,
the playing board 10 of the present invention is pivotally mounted
on a base member 58 for rotation about pivot 60. The board 10 is
supported through rollers 62. This arrangement allows a player to
rotate the board in any desired manner to enable him to view the
structure from all different angles without getting up from his
seat.
In the above description, only the preferred embodiment of my
invention has been disclosed and illustrated. Various modifications
may be made in the described embodiment, particularly with regard
to the rules of play and scoring of the present game without
departing from the scope of my invention, which is defined by the
claims appended hereto.
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