Patent Application
20080122174
“Not Applicable”.
“Not Applicable”.
“Not Applicable”.
In the US, the game of bingo is primarily staged by churches or charity organizations. Commercial bingo games in the US are primarily offered by casinos (and then only in the state of Nevada), and by Native American bingo halls, which are often housed in the same location as Indian run casinos.
Bingo is a table game, that is played in rounds, which can be pretty long. Bingo is a game of chance and concentration where randomly-selected numbers are drawn from a rotating bin from which the host or caller would pull balls marked with numbers in a fashion that is very akin to lottery. Players are given a 25-number card appearing on 5×5 matrices marked with a grid containing a unique combination of numbers ranging from 1 to 75 printed on it, except for the center square, which is considered filled, or marked “free.” These cards are usually printed on non-reusable paper or electronically represented. The columns are marked with the words “bingo”, from left to right, each letter corresponding to a column. Each column will contain 5 random numbers to the following arrangement: Each space in the “B” column contains a number from 1-15. Each space in the “I” column contains a number from 16-30. Each space in the ‘N’ column contains a number from 31-45. Each space in the “G” column contains a number from 46-60. Each space in the “O” column contains a number from 61-75.
Your aim is to try and daub the required pattern on your cards in the least amount of numbers called or “calls” as possible. If a player has the drawn number on his or her bingo card, they would mark it. The first player to complete a certain pattern of numbers wins. This is when you shout “BINGO!”
There are many games played when you play bingo. Usually there are 15 or 20 regular games in a pack. Also, there are warm up games, specials, bonanzas, jackpots, and getaways.
Bingo is a fast paced environment. Players often play multiple cards for each game; thirty is not an unusual number. Because of the large numbers of cards played by each player, most halls have the players sit at tables which they often fasten their cards with adhesive tape. To mark cards faster the players use special ink markers called daubers or dabbers. After the bingo number ball is drawn it is displayed on a television monitor for approximately 15-20 seconds then read aloud by the caller. After calling the number the caller then displays the next number. Bingo cannot be called until that number is called aloud. The numbers already called and the patterns being played are also displayed on electric signs. Bingo games can lasts 4 hours. Bingo tournaments can last for 8 hours or even days.
Bingo players tend to arrive at least 1-2 hours early so that they can pre-daub their patterns because many can be difficult to follow.
One popular method used by bingo players is to mark out (daub) all unnecessary numbers on the bingo sheet. This leaves an open or clear “pattern” for the game that is being played, and all the bingo player sees (or has to watch) are the numbers that are needed for BINGO. When the paper is completely blacked out, the player knows he has won.
The downside to this technique is that it is time-consuming and uses up a lot of ink.
The purpose of the easy dauber bingo stamper is to lessen the amount of time needed to pre-daub your papers. What would usually take 1-2 hours would minimize to about 15-20 minutes. Also, using the stamper would also help decrease your fingers from cramping and getting sore; and your arms from hurting.
The stamper is a square type box with 25 individual ink daubers that present the B-I-N-G-O rows that you can push open and close like a retractable pen. How it works is, all you need to do is push in the each dauber pen that you need to, to form either the exact pattern that you are playing, or push in the pens that form around your pattern, and simply stamp down onto your card.
a. This picture shows a front view of a completed look of how the stamper looks. You can see the top and bottom, and the pens. The white buttons represents the depressed pens and the shadowed buttons represents the pressed pens. If you look closely you can see that it is an outside pattern of a Christmas tree.
b. This is a front view and whole view of the dauber pen. From the top, it is the button to open and close the pen. The two inside lines represent where the ink goes. The outer lines is the outer shell of the pen. The two spaces on the outer part of the pen is the space where the sliding plate moves in and out from. (It is circular all the way around). And at the bottom of the pen it shows the dauber marker as if the pen was in an open position.
c. This shows a front view of the hollow inside look of the top of the stamper.
d. This is a front view of the outside and inside look of the bottom part of the stamper. Inside the box shows the caps for which the pens sit inside of them.
a. This shows a front view of the inside of the top box and the inside functions. On top of the box shows the function for the open/close button. This picture shows the button in the open position. Right beneath it in the inside is the top track. This picture does not show the stationary plate, but it sits right behind the sliding plate. You can see the sliding plate that sits on the tracks. The five holes are just a partial view of all twenty-five holes. On the sides in the inside on each side is the locks for the sliding plate. And on the bottom inside is the second track.
b. These two figures are a front view of the stationary plate, sliding plate, and track. The stationary plate is sitting behind the sliding plate. And the track is at the bottom. There are five holes on pictured on each of the plates but they are only a partial view shown out of twenty-five.
c. This shows a front view of the inside of the top box and the inside functions. On the top of the box shows the function for the open/close button. This picture shows the button in the closed position. Right beneath it in the inside is the top track. This picture does not show the stationary plate, but it sits right behind the sliding plate. You can see the sliding plate that sits on the tracks. The five holes are just a partial view of all twenty-five holes. On the sides in the inside on each side is the locks for the sliding plate. And on the bottom inside is the second track.
The outside of the stamper consists of four parts:
1. Box: The box is square shaped and is made of plastic. There is a top half, and a bottom half. The top half of the box is approximately 4″×4″. There are also twenty-five individual holes in the top of the box that are used to put the pens through. It has five rows of five. Each hole is approximately 1½ cm. round. (See
1. Box: The Easy Dauber Bingo Stamper is a 4″×4″ square-shaped box that consists of an upper and a lower section. The upper section (the marker) is made up of twenty-five holes that are approximately 1½ cm in diameter, that each hold individual stamps. The middle hole holds a release button, which resets the surrounding markers to their starting positions.
The bottom cover is approximately 4″×4″. On the inside surface there are twenty-five individual cups (caps) for the pens to fit in. They do not snap in, but fit in comfortably. (See
The reason for this is so that they can be easily removed when replacing the refill pens. The top and bottom box both fit snuggly together, but easy to open and close.
2. Open/Close slide button: The slide button can sit either on the top side of the top box, or on the bottom side of the top box, opposite of the finger impressions side. This button is connected to the sliding plate. Its function is to move the sliding plate back and fourth. (See
3. Finger Impressions: There are four finger impressions on both sides of the top of the box. This is to help allow a better grip on the stamper. (See
4. Handle: The bingo stamper is accompanied by a detachable handle that can be used in place of the reset button. This handle makes the gripping of the invention easier for players who have smaller or more fragile hands. At the top of this handle is an extension of the reset button to make the starting of a new pattern easier.
The inside of the stamper consists of six parts:
1. Stationary Plate: The stationary plate sits almost in the middle of the top half of the box. It has twenty-five individual holes, five rows of five. Its purpose is to help keep the pens in place, and also is used to help support the sliding plate to help lock and unlock the pens. (See
2. Sliding Plate: The sliding plate sits just below the stationary plate. It has twenty-five individual holes, five rows of five. Its function is to keep the pens locked into place. When the sliding plate goes to one side it will become uneven with the stationary plate and the top of the box and lock the pens into place. (See
When it is moved to the opposite side, it becomes even with the stationary plate and the top of the box so that the pens can be removed from the stamper. The ends of the plate are rounded at the end so that it can fit securely in the lock. (The female part.) (The lock has flexible sides and is also rounded at the tip so it is able to secure the plate. The male part.) (See
3. Track: The purpose of the track is to help slide the sliding plate back and fourth, and keep it in place. (See
4. Locks: There are two locks, one on each side. The purpose of the locks is to lock the sliding plate into place. It is approximately ? in. long, and is curved on the sides. The sides are also flexible to allow the sliding plate to move in and out. Also, the locks are rounded at the tip to hold the plate into place. (The end of the sliding plate is also rounded to help secure it in place and not slide out so easily.) (See
5. (Refill) Pens: The individual dauber stamps are replaceable cylinders that either hold normal bingo dauber ink or regular stamp ink. The stamp ink marker is available because of its lack of messiness, whereas the ink in a bingo dauber is susceptible to leakage, dryness and runniness. Bingo players can choose from a variety of colors and can mix and match the ink pens. The pens are very similar to that of retractable pens, except these are not refillable.
6. Middle Hole: The middle hole (on a bingo sheet this would be the “free space”) carries a reset button as opposed to a stamp. The purpose of the reset button is to allow the player to simultaneously move the individual markers to their starting upward position after the required pattern is no longer needed.
Starting from the top of the pen and working downward, you have your push button. Next, is the mechanics function, which what makes the dauber come in and out of the bottom of the pen. Below that a piece of the outer part of the pen that is inverted. This space is used to hold the pen in place by the stationary plate. And at the bottom of the pen is the spring which is also used to help make the dauber come in and out of the pen. The outside of the pen is made of plastic, and dauber ink is in a separate inner plastic within the pen. (See
OPTIONAL: Bingo helper cards: These pre-named and pre-marked cards can be placed on top of the stamper as a guide to make it easier for the player to look at the pattern and automatically push the necessary buttons without having to refer back and fourth to their paper, if the bingo hall provides examples. On the card it is marked with color to show exactly which button to push. Also, if there is a certain pattern that is not available, you can make your own by taking color stickers and placing them on the card and then you can write the name of your pattern at the top of the card. This is also good if no examples are provided.
Handle: The bingo stamper is accompanied by a detachable handle that can be used in place of the reset button. This handle makes the gripping of the invention easier for the players who have smaller or more fragile hands. At the top of this handle is an extension of the reset button to make the starting of a new pattern easier.
