FOLDABLE BODY WITH MAGNETS AND OBJECT COLLECTOR

Abstract

A single piece body foldable along hinges between a three-dimensional generally closed configuration and a generally rectangular two-dimensional configuration. The body includes a plurality of components. The components are foldably interconnected through lateral and longitudinal hinges. A display face is provided on one side of body. A number of separate permanent magnets are embedded within the body Some of permanent magnets are positioned to magnetically interengage one another when the body is in the three-dimensional generally closed configuration. Some or all of the permanent magnets serve to retain objects in various predetermined locations on the display face when the body is in the generally rectangular two-dimensional configuration. An object collector is provided for collecting magnet containing playing pieces from the display face. The object collector is designed to be grasped by a user and dragged across the display face to magnetically collect the playing pieces. The so collected playing pieces may then be reused or stored.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention provides its benefits across a broad spectrum of foldable game, puzzle, information presentation boards, or the like, and game piece and/or object scrapers. While the description which follows hereinafter is meant to be representative of a number of such applications, it is not exhaustive. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the basic apparatus taught herein can be readily adapted to many uses. This specification and the claims appended hereto should be accorded a breadth in keeping with the scope and spirit of the invention being disclosed despite what might appear to be limiting language imposed by the requirements of referring to the specific examples disclosed.

Referring particularly to the drawings for the purposes of illustrating the invention and its presently understood best mode only and not limitation:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of the game face side of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view taken along section 2-2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic exploded view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 showing the various components of the single piece body separated from one another.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 in a partially folded configuration.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 showing an embodiment of the present invention at a fold, but in the unfolded configuration.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 showing an additional embodiment of the present invention at a fold, but in the unfolded configuration.

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 5 showing the folded configuration.

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 5 showing the folded configuration.

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic view of the embodiment of FIG. 4 showing a somewhat further advanced partially folded configuration.

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic plan view of the game face side of a preferred embodiment of the invention similar to FIG. 1 showing the embodiment slightly exploded along certain hinge lines and cuts for ease of illustration.

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic view of the embodiment of FIG. 10 in a partially folded configuration.

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic view of the embodiment of FIG. 11 in a further but still partially folded configuration.

FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic isometric view of the embodiment of FIG. 12 in a fully folded three dimensional configuration.

FIG. 14 is a diagrammatic plan view of a further embodiment similar to FIG. 10 including additional extended components.

FIG. 15 is a diagrammatic plan view of an embodiment showing the placement of a variety of different permanent magnets in a game board.

FIG. 16 is a diagrammatic plan view of a further embodiment showing the invention as applied to a backgammon game board.

FIG. 17 is a diagrammatic plan view of the back of the embodiment of FIG. 16 with some of the components slightly exploded for purposes of illustration.

FIG. 18 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the obverse side of a game piece that is suitable for use in practicing the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the reverse side of the game piece of FIG. 18.

FIG. 20 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a game piece scraper according to the present invention.

Claims

1. A single piece body foldable along hinges between a three-dimensional configuration that is substantially closed, and a generally two-dimensional configuration, said single piece body comprising: a plurality of components, said components being foldably interconnected through a plurality of lateral and longitudinal hinges;a display face area on a front side of said plurality of components;a plurality of fastening elements situated substantially within said single piece body, said fastening elements being spaced from one another and located substantially within said display face area, at least some of said fastening elements being positioned to magnetically interengage one another in said three-dimensional configuration, whereby said single piece body is maintained in said three-dimensional configuration by said magnetic interengagement.

2. A single piece body of claim 1 including a board game pattern in said display face area and said fastening elements being located substantially within said board game pattern at locations substantially determined by said board game pattern.

3. A single piece body of claim 1 wherein said fastening elements are permanent magnets.

4. A single piece body of claim 1 wherein said fastening elements are substantially undetectable by touching said display face area.

5. A single piece body of claim 1 including a board game pattern in said display face area, and at least some of said fastening elements being positioned to magnetically engage various objects in said generally two-dimensional configuration whereby said objects are magnetically retained at predetermined locations on said board game pattern.

6. A single piece body of claim 5 wherein at least some of said fastening elements are positioned to magnetically engage various objects in said generally two-dimensional configuration and to magnetically engage one another in said three-dimensional configuration.

7. A single piece body of claim 1 wherein at least some of said hinges are wide enough to bridge at least two thicknesses of said single piece body.

8. A single piece body of claim 1 wherein said single piece body in said generally two-dimensional configuration has a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis and is generally symmetrical around each of said axes.

9. A single piece body of claim 1 wherein said plurality of components are foldable toward said display face when folded from said generally two-dimensional configuration into said three-dimensional configuration.

10. A single piece body foldable along hinges between a three-dimensional configuration that is substantially closed, and a generally two-dimensional configuration, said single piece body comprising: a plurality of components, said components being foldably interconnected through a plurality of lateral and longitudinal hinges;a display face area including a game pattern on a front side of said plurality of components;a plurality of magnetic fastening elements situated substantially within said single piece body, said magnetic fastening elements being spaced from one another and located substantially within said display face area at locations that are substantially dictated by said game pattern, at least some of said magnetic fastening elements being positioned to magnetically interengage one another in said three-dimensional configuration, whereby said single piece body is maintained in said three-dimensional configuration by said magnetic interengagement

11. A single piece body foldable along hinges between a three-dimensional generally square prism configuration and a generally rectangular two-dimensional configuration, said single piece body comprising: a plurality of components, said components being foldably interconnected through a plurality of lateral and longitudinal hinges, said plurality of components including a bottom panel, first and second wall panels opposed to one another and hingedly associated with said bottom panel along first and second longitudinal hinges, respectively, first and second longitudinal closure flaps hingedly associated with said first and second wall panels, respectively, along third and fourth longitudinal hinges, respectively, first and second end panels opposed to one another and hingedly associated with said bottom panel along first and second lateral hinges, respectively, each of said wall panels being hingedly associated along said first and second lateral hinges, respectively, with opposed first and second end walls, and each of said end walls having an end closure flap hingedly associated therewith along said third and fourth longitudinal hinges, whereby in said three-dimensional generally square prism configuration both of said first end walls substantially overlap with said first end panel, both of said second end walls substantially overlap with said second end panel, and said first longitudinal closure flap and two of said end closure flaps partially overlap, and said second longitudinal closure flap and another two of said end closure flaps partially overlap;a game pattern on one side of said plurality of components;a plurality of fastening elements located substantially within said game pattern, at least some of said fastening elements being positioned to holdingly interengage one another in said three-dimensional generally square prism configuration, and at least some of said fastening elements being positioned to retain objects in predetermined locations on said game pattern in said generally rectangular two-dimensional configuration.

12. A single piece body foldable along hinges between a three-dimensional generally square prism configuration that is substantially closed, and a generally rectangular two-dimensional configuration, said single piece body comprising: a plurality of components, said components being foldably interconnected through a plurality of lateral and longitudinal hinges;a display face on one side of said plurality of components;a plurality of magnetically active fastening elements, at least some of said magnetically active fastening elements being positioned to magnetically interengage one another in said three-dimensional generally square prism configuration whereby said single piece body is maintained in said three-dimensional generally square prism configuration by said magnetic interengagement, and at least some of said magnetically active fastening elements being positioned to magnetically retain objects in predetermined locations on said display face in said generally rectangular two-dimensional configuration.

13. A game piece scraper for collecting a plurality of game pieces from a surface such as a surface of a game board, said game pieces having a thickness, said game piece scraper comprising: a game piece holding face on said game piece scraper, said game piece scraper including a lip element generally adjacent to and projecting generally outwardly from said game piece holding face for a height;a game pattern displayed on said surface;said plurality of game pieces adapted to being positioned on said surface at locations determined at least in part by said game pattern, said game piece scraper being adapted to being grasped by a user and dragged across said surface with said game piece holding face towards said surface and said lip element slidably engaged with said surface, whereby said game piece holding face is generally spaced from said surface by approximately said height and game pieces positioned on said surface are scraped off of said surface, and said game pieces and said game piece holding face adapted to being magnetically attractive to one another, whereby said game pieces that are scraped off of said surface are generally magnetically attached to said game piece holding face.

14. A game piece scraper of claim 13 including permanent magnetic material in said game pieces.

15. A game piece scraper of claim 13 including permanent magnetic material in said game piece holding face.

16. A game piece scraper of claim 13 wherein said game piece holding face comprises a magnetically attractive metallic plate.

17. A game piece scraper of claim 13 wherein said game pieces have thickness and said height is greater than said thickness.

18. A game piece scraper of claim 13 wherein said game pieces have thickness and said height is greater than about twice said thickness.

19. A game piece scraper of claim 13 wherein said game pieces have thickness, and each of said game pieces has about the same thickness.

20. A game piece scraper of claim 13 wherein said game pieces have thickness, and the thickness of at least some of said game pieces is substantially constant throughout the entire game piece.

21. A method of collecting game pieces from a surface of a game board comprising: selecting a said game board having a surface with a game pattern displayed thereon;positioning a plurality of said game pieces on said surface at locations determined at least in part by said game pattern;selecting a game piece scraper that includes a game piece holding face, a lip element generally adjacent to and projecting generally outwardly from said game piece holding face for a height;dragging said game piece scraper across said surface with said game piece holding face towards said surface and said lip element generally slidably engaged with said surface, whereby said game pieces are scraped off of said surface;providing magnetic attraction between said game pieces and said game piece holding face, whereby said game pieces that are scraped off of said surface are generally magnetically attached to said game piece holding face.

22. A method of collecting game pieces of claim 21 including selecting game pieces comprising tiles having generally opposed obverse and reverse sides, said obverse side having detectable indicia that are associated with said game, said reverse side not having said detectable indicia, said positioning including positioning said tiles with said detectable indicia exposed, whereby said detectable indicia are not exposed when said tiles are magnetically attached to said game piece holding face during said dragging.

23. A method of collecting game pieces of claim 21 including selecting a game piece scraper that includes a generally planar game piece holding face.

24. A single piece body foldable along hinges between a three-dimensional generally closed configuration and a generally rectangular two-dimensional configuration, said single piece body comprising: a plurality of components, said components being foldably interconnected through a plurality of lateral and longitudinal hinges;a display face on one side of said plurality of components;a plurality of separate magnetic elements embedded within said single piece body, at least some of said magnetic elements being positioned to magnetically interengage one another in said three-dimensional generally closed configuration and retain objects in predetermined locations on said display face in said generally rectangular two-dimensional configuration.

25. An object collector for collecting a plurality of separate objects from a surface, said objects having a thickness and including permanent magnets, said object collector comprising: an object holding face on said object collector, said object collector including a lip element generally adjacent to and projecting generally outwardly from said object collector for a height, said object collector being adapted to being grasped by a user and dragged across said surface with said object holding face towards said surface and said lip element slidably engaged with said surface, whereby said object holding face is generally spaced from said surface by approximately said height and objects positioned on said surface are scraped off of said surface, and said object holding face including magnetically attractive metal, whereby said objects that are scraped off of said surface are generally magnetically attached to said object holding face.