The present invention is related to game scoring signals or indicators and, more particularly, to a euchre score indicator.
Euchre is a game played using conventional playing cards. Each game is traditionally played to a score of ten, requiring players to keep track of the score during play and is updated after each hand. Furthermore, one suit is selected as trump for each hand requiring the players to remember which suit is trump for each hand.
While it is usually not necessary to remind players what suit is designated trump for a given hand, there are often times during play when a player forgets, does not hear, or was not paying attention while trump was designated. To speed play and avoid both embarrassment to the heedless player and upsetting the other players, it is desirable to provide a visual marker showing all players the current trump suit.
The broad purpose of the present invention is to provide a combination score and trump indicating device for the game of euchre. The device includes a pair of scoring indicators and a central body having trump identifiers around its outer surfaces. The scoring indicators and body are configured such that the two scoring indicators can be removably coupled to the body. The body has a generally tubular shape and the scoring indicators are removably mounted to cap the open ends of the tubular body.
It is an advantage of the present invention that when the scoring indicators are in the stowed position, the scoring indicators and walls of the body define and enclose a storage compartment within the tubular body.
It is another advantage of the present invention that the means for displaying the score is mounted to a portion of the scoring indicator that is covered and protected by the body when the scoring indicator is placed in the stowed position.
It is still another advantage of the present invention that when the scoring indicators are coupled to the body in a stowed position, the outer surfaces of the body and scoring indicators present a substantially smooth, solid, and cube-like shape.
It is yet another advantage of the present invention to provide a combination euchre score and trump indicating device. The device comprising a tubular body having four distinct outer walls, each of the four walls including a marking of one of each euchre trump suit. The device further including a pair of end caps, each end cap having an inner face and an outer face. The inner face including means for displaying a score mounted thereon. Each end cap further including means for removably mounting the end cap to the body whereby the score displaying means is hidden by the body and the outer face.
Still further objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains upon reference to the following detailed description.
The description refers to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views; and in which:
Referring now to
Body 12 is preferably shaped as a generally cube-shaped tube having four flat walls 18, 19, 20, and 21 and two opposing open ends 22, 24. Each of the outer surfaces 18a-21a of walls 18-21 prominently displays one of the four card trump suits, i.e., a heart 26, spade 27, diamond 28, and club 29. The suit markings 26-29 are applied to the walls 18-21 in a conventional manner, such as painting, adhesive labels, and/or etching.
Walls 18-21 cooperate to define a central passage or chamber 25 that is accessible through openings in ends 22, 24. In one embodiment, walls 18-21 are sized such that chamber 25 accommodates a deck of playing cards. As will be discussed in greater detail below, each end 22, 24 includes means to mount the two end caps 14, 16 to the body 12.
The two end caps 14, 16 are preferably identical in configuration and any discussion of an element or feature of one end cap can be generally considered applicable to the other end cap. The end caps 14, 16 have a flat and square bottom or wall 30. Bottom 30 is preferably the same size as the combined walls 18-21, whereby each side of bottom 30 matches the four sides of ends 22, 24 in size and shape.
An inner face or surface 30a of the end cap includes a euchre scoring indicator 32. Indicator 32 preferably includes a pointer arm 34 pivotally mounted to a post or axle 36. Indicator 32 includes a plurality of markings 38 that radially surround post 36. These markings 38 preferably display the numerals zero to nine. The markings 38 are disposed relative to post 36 and pointer 34 to permit a user to quickly rotate the pointer 34 to point at the marking equal to the current score for his euchre team.
It should be appreciated that other scoring indicator 32 configurations and types can be readily adapted to be mounted to end cap inner surface 30a and the present invention should not be strictly limited to the embodiments disclosed herein.
In one embodiment, each end cap 14, 16 may also include a second indicator or counter 40 that utilizes markings 38 to show the players the number of games won by a team. In the embodiment illustrated, ten apertures 42 are formed into scoring indicator 32. Each aperture 42 is radially aligned with one of the numbers zero-to-nine comprising markings 38. In this embodiment, a peg 44, sized to fit within apertures 42, is provided to allow a user to keep track of the number of games won by his team. In other embodiments, a second pointer arm 34′, shown in phantom in
The end caps 14, 16 include mounting structures that are complementarily-shaped to and frictionally mate with the open ends 22, 24 of the body. In the embodiment illustrated in
Referring now to the embodiment illustrated in
Scoring indicator 32 on end caps 14, 16 has raised walls 52 extending from inner surface 30a. The walls 52 are offset from the outer edges 30c of wall 30 a distance that is approximately the same as the thickness of walls 18-21. In this manner, the wall's outer surfaces are sized to frictionally abut the body's inner wall surface to mate the end caps 14, 16 to body 12. The offset of walls 52 from edges 30c forms a shoulder 54 which abuts the body edges 50 when the end caps 14, 16 are placed in the stowed position.
Referring now to the embodiment illustrated in
In another embodiment, shown in
It should be appreciated that in all of the above-described embodiments of the present invention, the outer surface 30b and edges 30c of bottom 30 are substantially flat, such that when the device 10 is in the stowed position illustrated in
It should be appreciated that the frictional fit of the end caps to the body can be readily supplemented with additional means for retaining the end caps in the stowed position. That is, the frictional mating of the end caps to body may be supplemented with or replaced by other conventional interconnection structures or techniques, such as, but not limited to a radially outwardly projecting peripheral ridge 300 (shown in
From the foregoing description, one skilled in the art will readily recognize that the present invention is directed to a combination euchre score and trump indicator. While the present invention has been described with particular reference to various preferred embodiments, one skilled in the art will recognize from the foregoing discussion and accompanying drawings that changes, modifications, and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.
This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application filed Jul. 28, 2008 having Ser. No. 61/083,978.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20100019448 A1 | Jan 2010 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61083978 | Jul 2008 | US |