Patent Application
20150123344
Desk games have been available for many years, typically used as a conversation piece or a novelty toy displayed on desks or table tops. These are typically novelty items with either a bit of humor involved in their design, or brainteaser elements, or both. Donald B. Poynter pioneered the art of novelty desk games in the 1960's and later. For example, his U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,473, entitled: “Device for Moistening the Adhesive Coating on Postage Stamps and Envelopes” comprised a box with an activation switch, which when engaged caused a simulated, moist human tongue to be extended for moistening the adhesive on an envelope or a stamp. Mr. Poynter's U.S. Pat. No. 3,243,914 entitled: “Electrically Operated Coin Box Device” comprised a box with a slot for receiving a coin. The slot included a switch which was activated when a coin was properly positioned. Upon activation, a hinged door would open and a simulated human hand would emerge and grab the coin and remove it from the slot and into the box, whereupon the box would close and the device would shut off.
Brainteaser games and puzzles are also popular, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 8,136,815, entitled: “Interactive Brainteaser Puzzle,” issued to Vinh Van. This puzzle is an interactive brainteaser puzzle which includes a circular base having a central recess, a raised collar about the central recess, a raised rim about the periphery, a plurality equally spaced radial lines extending between the raised collar and the raised rim to form a plurality of wedge shaped spaces thereabout and a plurality of apertures, wherein each aperture is located in one wedge shaped space. A plurality of pegs is provided, wherein each peg is of a size to removably fit into the central recess and any of one of the apertures. A plurality of wedge shaped plates are also provided, wherein each wedge shaped plate is of a size to extend between the raised collar and the raised rim to manually slide within the circular base and stop on any one of the wedge shaped spaces.
With the advent of the computer age, many of these puzzles and brainteasers have been adapted to computer models, where the game pieces are simulated by programs and the computer device becomes an electronic game board.
The subject invention is directed to a brainteaser or game wherein floating and sinking objects are contained into a plurality of chambers formed a single container or box or similar configuration, either physically, or electronically in a simulated version, and the container is manipulated to bring all of the floating pieces and sinking pieces into a pre-defined common alignment or configuration. For example, it may be an objective to bring all of the pieces onto a common level or other predefined configuration. Other increasingly difficult objectives and configurations may also be set as the objective, such as, by way of example, two pieces of differing properties could be placed simultaneously on the top and bottom of the game container. Other objectives can be set, depending on the number of game pieces and the number of levels in the container.
In the preferred embodiment a closed box or container includes a plurality of shelves mounted on dividers and/or the front and back walls or panels of the container to define a plurality of definable levels. In the illustrated embodiment, the dividers are vertical. However, it should be understood that the various compartments may be defined by dividers of various configurations and that the number of levels defined by the shelves is arbitrary and may be selected based on the desired complexity level of the game. At least two levels and two compartments are required to meet the basic game strategy.
The container is filled with a clear or translucent liquid, such as water. The selection and viscosity of the liquid is also arbitrary, depending upon the complexity and strategy for the game. A ball or similar object is placed in each compartment. Typically, half of the balls float in the liquid and will naturally float to the top of the container while the other half of the balls sink in the liquid and will naturally sink to the bottom of the container.
The container is manipulated in order to get the sinking balls to move up through the levels, while simultaneously getting the floating balls to travel generally downward. The object of the game is to bring all of the pieces onto a common level or other predetermined configuration. Other increasingly difficult objectives and configurations may also be set as the objective, such as, by way of example, two pieces of differing properties could be placed simultaneously on the top and bottom of the game container. Other objectives can be set, depending on the number of game pieces and the number of levels in the container.
The game container for the desktop or table top game of the subject invention is shown in
In the illustrated embodiment a plurality of vertical dividers 24, 26 and 28 divide the interior of a single container into separate compartments or chambers 30, 32, 34 and 36. However, it should be understood that the various compartments may be defined by dividers of various configurations and that the number of levels defined by the shelves is arbitrary and may be selected based on the desired complexity level of the game. At least two levels and two compartments are required to meet the basic game strategy. The compartments may sealed from one another or may communicate with one another through the walls, provided, however that any space or gap between the dividers or the dividers and the container is not sufficient to permit any of the balls (see
In the embodiment shown, a plurality of shelves are mounted on the vertical dividers 24, 26 and 28 and the end walls 14 and 16. It should be understood that the shelves may be mounted on the vertical dividers, and/or one or more of the side panels 12 and 22, in order to achieve the desired assembly. The shelves in the preferred embodiment are triangle shaped with two sides 40A and 40B being attached to the adjacent vertical wall or divider and the open front side 40C being positioned in the related compartment 30, 32, 34 or 36. Each set of horizontal shelves defines a level, levels 42, 44, 46 and 48, as shown. However, it should be understood that the specific configuration of the shelves is arbitrary so long as they permit movement of the balls between levels.
The number of compartments defined by dividers and the number of levels defined by the shelves is arbitrary and may be selected based on the complexity level of the game. At least two levels and two compartments are required to meet the basic game strategy.
The container is filled with a clear or translucent liquid, such as water. The selection and viscosity of the liquid is also arbitrary, depending upon the complexity and strategy for the game.
As shown in
Once assembled, and with the balls in their natural position of
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the game container can be designed to be an application for a computer, smart phone or a tablet or similar device, where the device or an accessory such as a keyboard, joystick or mouse, or the like, can be manipulated to simulate the movement of the container and provide simulated movement of the balls or similar game pieces. The vertical walls can be straight, as shown, or curvilinear, in order to add additional variety to the game.
While certain features and embodiments of the invention have been shown in detail herein, it should be understood that all modifications and enhancements of the invention are within the scope and spirit of the following claims.
