LOGIC GAME APPARATUS

Abstract

A logic game apparatus or use with a logic game whereby a player is challenged to suitably position a spherical playing piece such that, when all seated playing pieces are subsequently simultaneously displaced by a one-step transfer operation, a predefined number of playing pieces will be rearranged to a linear arrangement, the logic game apparatus comprises a first upper board configured with a plurality of apertures, a second lower board configured with a plurality of protrusions which are all aligned with corresponding ones of the plurality of apertures, respectively, and an activation member which initiates, when a force is transmitted thereto, relative motion between the first and second boards, to cause each of the protrusions to be received within a corresponding aperture and each of the seated playing pieces to be contacted by one of the received protrusions and guided to the aperture of an adjacent region.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of game apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to logic game apparatus wherein one of the players is victorious when he or she if the first to successfully rearrange a predefined number of playing pieces in successive order.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The physical game apparatus comprises a board configured with a plurality of apertures arranged in a specific order, within each of which a spherical playing piece such as a marble can be seated. Each player is entitled to position one of his uniquely colored playing pieces at a selected aperture. The same player, after positioning the playing piece, has to manipulate an activation member that causes all of the seated playing pieces to be simultaneously displaced by motion that appears to be a circumferentially displaced motion by a one-step transfer operation along the board in a known direction about a center of the circle coinciding with the activation member, from a first aperture to a second aperture adjacent to the first aperture. The next player also positions one of his uniquely colored playing pieces and then manipulates the activation member. The first player to successfully rearrange a predefined number of playing pieces to a linear arrangement, when taking into consideration the succeeding one-step board movement, is victorious.

An activation member that can perform such a one-step transfer operation is relatively mechanically complicated and unduly adds cost to the game apparatus, requiring a coordinated spring activated and detent catching action or even a more expensive motor based apparatus.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a logic game apparatus with a mechanically simple activation member that causes all previously seated playing pieces to be displaced one step along the board in a known direction, from a first aperture to a second aperture adjacent to the first aperture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

For use with a logic game whereby a player is challenged to suitably position a spherical playing piece such that, when all seated playing pieces are subsequently simultaneously displaced by a one-step transfer operation, a predefined number of playing pieces will be rearranged to a linear arrangement, logic game apparatus comprises a first upper board configured with a plurality of apertures, a second lower board configured with a plurality of protrusions which are all aligned with corresponding ones of the plurality of apertures, respectively, and an activation member which initiates, when a force is transmitted thereto, relative motion between the first and second boards, to cause each of the protrusions to be received within a corresponding aperture and each of the seated playing pieces to be contacted by one of the received protrusions and guided to the aperture of an adjacent region.

In one aspect, each of the protrusions has a sloped upper surface and each of the contacted playing pieces is urged to gravitate along the upper surface of a corresponding received protrusion so as to be guided to the aperture of the adjacent region.

In one aspect, each of the apertures has a tear-shaped contour and one of the contacted playing pieces is directable by a pointed end of the tear-shaped contour to the aperture of the adjacent region.

A group of the tear-shaped apertures and of the corresponding protrusions accordingly point in a same direction of a closed path defined by the group of apertures and along which the contacted playing pieces are guided.

When the first board is subdivided into a plurality of square regions within each of which one of the apertures is formed, and the first board is further subdivided into a plurality of square formations that each encompasses a group of the square regions and defines a corresponding closed path, all of the apertures may point in a same direction or all of the apertures defining a first closed path may point in a same first direction and all of the apertures defining a second closed path may point in a same second direction.

In one aspect, a seat defining portion of the tear-shaped contour is located in a first region of the first board and the pointed end is located in the adjacent region which is adjacent to the first region.

In one aspect, the activation member comprises an abutment surface and a shank that extends downwardly from the abutment surface and that is irremovably engaged with an inner face of a sleeve extending upwardly from a surface of the first board.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of logic game apparatus, showing a plurality of playing pieces that have been seated during the course of a logic game;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the logic game apparatus of FIG. 1, shown without supports and playing pieces;

FIGS. 3-5 are a top view of the logic game apparatus of FIG. 2, showing three stages, respectively, of a game played with the logic game apparatus to illustrate exemplary rules and states of the logic game;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the logic game apparatus of FIG. 1, shown without playing pieces;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the logic game apparatus of FIG. 1, shown when inverted;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an activation member, shown when engaged with the inner face of a sleeve which is configured to protrude from a board of the logic game apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an upper board when separated from the lower board, showing the sleeve of FIG. 8 vertically protruding therefrom;

FIGS. 10 and 11 are two different exploded views, respectively, of the logic game apparatus of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view from the top of the logic game apparatus of FIG. 1 during performance of a transfer operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a logic game apparatus for use with a logic game, where a player is challenged to suitably position a spherical playing piece such that, when all seated playing pieces are subsequently simultaneously displaced by a one-step transfer operation, a predefined number of playing pieces will be rearranged to a linear arrangement.

FIG. 1 illustrates logic game apparatus 10, according to one embodiment, which is preferably made of cost effective injected molded plastic material for high volume production. Logic game apparatus 10 comprises a first square upper board 15 that is formed with sixteen apertures 11 and that is delimited by thickened square border 13, and a second square lower board 35 that underlies, and is adapted to cooperate with, first board 15. A support 16 is provided below each corresponding corner of border 13.

The apertures 11 are formed in thin multi-angled surface 14 that is recessed from border 13, and are arranged in two square formations, each defining a closed path along which one or more spherical playing pieces 3 and 4, such as marbles, seated in a corresponding aperture 11 are able to advance from one aperture to another. As referred to herein, a “closed path” is one that is traced along a group of apertures, from a starting point and ending at the same starting point even though the apertures are physically spaced from one another. Corresponding sides of the first and second square formations are mutually parallel. The first square formation 17 has twelve identical and equally spaced apertures 11 provided close to both border 13 and the perimeter of surface 14. The length of each side of the second square formation 19 having four apertures 11 is shorter than the corresponding side of first square formation 17, and is consequently more spaced from border 13 than a side of first square formation 17. The outer first square formation 17 thus surrounds and encompasses the inner second square formation 19.

Two differently colored playing pieces 3 and 4 are shown, each for use by a different player. Once a playing piece is seated in one of the apertures 11, the playing piece is allowed to advance along the closed path associated with the aperture in which it is seated but is unable to be transferred to the other closed path.

Activation member 25 vertically extending above surface 14 is positioned within the interior of second square formation 19, at a position that is equidistant from each corner of formations 17 and 19, as more clearly seen in FIG. 2. In order to cause all of the seated playing pieces to be advanced from one aperture to another along a corresponding closed path by one-step displacement, activation member 25 needs to be suitably manipulated.

The activation member 25 initiates, when a force is transmitted thereto, relative motion between the first and second boards, to cause each of the protrusions to be received within a corresponding aperture and each of the seated playing pieces to be contacted by one of the received protrusions and guided to the aperture of an adjacent region.

As will be described, second board 35 is configured with a plurality of protrusions, each of which is visible through the opening of a corresponding aperture 11. When first board 15 is pressed towards second board 35 by activation member 25, a transfer operation is initiated by some of the protrusions upon contacting the seated playing pieces.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of game apparatus 10.

Each of the through-hole apertures 11 is shown to have a tear-shaped contour which is configured with a semicircular edge 9, a pointed end 12 and two linear edges 21 extending tangentially from semicircular edge 9 to pointed end 12. The “seat” of an aperture 11 within which a playing piece is seated, whether following a transfer operation or after being manually positioned thereon by a player, is defined by semicircular edge 9 and adjoining portions of linear edges 21. To facilitate a transfer operation, each aperture 11 is oriented such that the pointed end 12 thereof points in a direction towards the aperture which is intended to receive a playing piece, after performance of the one-step transfer operation. For a transfer operation, the aperture from which a playing piece is transferred may be referred to as a “releasing aperture” and the aperture receiving the transferred playing piece may be referred to as a “receiving aperture”.

In one embodiment, all of the apertures defining a first closed path point in a same first direction and all of the apertures defining a second closed path point in a same second direction.

In another embodiment, a seat defining portion of the tear-shaped contour is located in a first region of the first board and the pointed end is located in the adjacent region which is adjacent to the first region.

It will be appreciated that other configurations of the apertures and of the corresponding protrusions are also in the scope of the invention.

A transfer operation is additionally facilitated by providing first board 15 with a set of guiding surfaces, which are directed to a common aperture 11. First board 15 is accordingly subdivided into a plurality of square regions 18, one for each aperture. Each square region 18 in turn is configured with four triangular guiding surfaces 22a-d, for example each guiding surface being configured as an isosceles triangle, such that the long side of each of the triangular guiding surfaces coincides with a corresponding side 24 of a square region 18. The four guiding surfaces 22a-d slope downwardly from a corresponding square region side 24 while sides of each pair of adjacent triangular guiding surfaces are conjoined. A lower portion of each guiding surface is removed to accommodate the presence of aperture 11. An efficient transfer operation is carried out when the majority of aperture 11 is formed in a first square region 18 and a small portion thereof adjoining pointed end 12 thereof is formed in a second square region adjacent to the first square region. The structure of the guiding surfaces may also be seen in FIGS. 6 and 9.

FIGS. 3-5 illustrate three stages, respectively, of a game played with the game apparatus that shows successful strategy by which one of the players is victorious.

In FIG. 3, seven playing pieces are seated, four white pieces 3 used by the first player and three black pieces 4 used by the second player. Following a transfer operation manipulated by the first player, the white pieces are seated in regions 18D, 18H, 18M and 18N and the black pieces are seated in regions 18G, 18J and 18O. For the benefit of the reader, the region designations remain unchanged even following the transfer operations.

In FIG. 4, the second player then performs a positioning operation and positions an additional black piece 4 in region 18B.

The choice of positioning the additional black piece in region 18B was perceptive since, as shown in FIG. 5 following a transfer operation manipulated by the second player whereby all the playing pieces were displaced by one step in a counterclockwise direction to the adjacent aperture, the black pieces become seated in consecutive regions 18A, 18F, 18K, and 18P to produce a diagonal arrangement 27. Following the transfer operation, the white pieces were displaced to regions 18C, 18D, 18N and 18O. A player will also be victorious if the playing pieces are rearranged in another type of linear arrangement such that they are seated in consecutive regions along the length of one of the closed paths.

Additional structural details of game apparatus 10 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 6-12.

FIG. 6 shows game apparatus 10 when first board 15 is in a relaxed condition, being slightly vertically separated from second board 35. The peripheral walls 29 of each aperture 11 have a significant depth, e.g. of 0.5 cm. In this relaxed condition, the upper surface of each protrusion is positioned close to the bottom edge of the peripheral walls 29 of the corresponding aperture 11, generally within 3 mm.

The planar surface 37 of lower second board 35, when inverted as shown in FIG. 7, is formed with a plurality of cavities 31. For material savings, the injection molding process forces the molten plastic to protrude from specific regions of surface 37 to form solid, one-piece protrusions that are receivable in corresponding apertures of the upper first board during a transfer operation, while the injection molding process results in the formation of cavities 31.

The plurality of spaced protrusions 42 are shown in FIGS. 10-11 as they protrude from surface 37 of lower second board 35. They have the same shape, orientation and relative spacing therebetween, and have substantially an equal size, as the corresponding apertures 11 formed in upper first board 15. All of the protrusions 42 in a closed path are shown to point in the same direction. Each protrusion 42 has a sloped upper surface 43 that extends downwardly from semicircular portion 46 to narrowed portion 48.

Also shown in FIG. 7 are the perpendicularly angled supports 16 that each protrude outwardly from two vertical walls 36 of second board 35 at a corresponding corner thereof. Supports 16 are dimensioned to be received in the interspace between a corresponding wall of first board border 13 and second board wall 36. A corner of each support 16 is configured with a downwardly facing cavity 38 within which is frictionally engageable a corresponding foot element 39, shown in FIGS. 10-11.

With reference to FIG. 10, a corner of each support 16 is also configured with an upwardly facing cavity 47, within which is receivable a corresponding compression spring 51. Each spring 51 provides a restoring force that forces first board 15 to be separated from second board 35, after being pressed towards second board 35 in order to initiate a transfer operation. Since an identical spring 51 is positioned at each corner of the game apparatus, first board 15 is able to be stably displaced towards and away from second board 35, while a uniform restoring force is applied to each corner of first board 15. A dividing surface separates upwardly facing cavity 47 from downwardly facing cavity 38.

Although not shown, each end of a spring 51 is affixed to a corresponding board to prevent detachment of the two boards 15 and 35 from each other following repeated transfer operations that cause the two boards to be alternately separated and made closer to each other. Affixation of each end spring 51 may be means of frictional engagement within a corresponding spring housing, one secured within cavity 47 and another secured within a similar cavity formed within first board 15. Alternatively, affixation may be means of attachment to a provided protrusion.

FIG. 9 illustrates first board 15 when separated from the second board. A distinctive square divider 26 slightly protrudes from the congruent sides of first square formation 17 and second square formation 19, to visually differentiate between the two square formations and to indicate to the players that playing pieces are unable to be transferred therebetween. A sleeve 23 for use in conjunction with the activation member is shown to vertically protrude from multi-angled surface 14, at a location thereof that is equidistant from each corner 28 of divider 26. Sleeve 23 may be formed with a vertical slit.

Activation member 25, which is illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 11, is configured with a planar abutment surface 33, e.g. circular, and an annular shank 39 that extends downwardly therefrom and that may be of a significantly smaller diameter than abutment surface 33. Shank 39 is adapted to be frictionally and irremovably engaged with the inner face of sleeve 23.

A centering pin 54 aligned with shank 39 extends vertically upwardly from surface 37 of second board 35 and is configured to be received within the bore of shank 39. Centering pin 54, in combination with the cooperation of the springs 51, ensures that each protrusion 42 of second board 35 will be aligned with a corresponding aperture 11 of first board 15 and will therefore be received therewithin during a transfer operation.

Centering pin 54 may be configured with a relatively large diameter base portion 56 connected to surface 37 which is greater than the outer diameter of shank 39. The shoulder 57 at the interface between centering pin 54 and base portion 56 serves as a limiter for limiting the downward displacement of first board 15. The extent of upward displacement of first board 15 is dependent upon the length and spring constant of the springs 51.

In operation, a pressing force transmitted to activation member 25 causes the first board to be displaced towards the second board, from a relaxed position to a displaced position. In the displaced position, each protrusion 42 is received within the corresponding releasing aperture 11, as shown in FIG. 12. Each seated playing piece is contacted by a protrusion and is urged to gravitate along the sloped upper surface of the protrusion from the semicircular portion to the narrowed portion thereof. Following release of the pressing force, the first board returns to the relaxed position and the protrusions are withdrawn from the corresponding releasing apertures. Each playing piece continues to gravitate along a guiding surface of the region within which the pointed end of the corresponding releasing aperture is located, and is consequently guided to the receiving aperture located within the same region.

In other embodiments, the game apparatus may comprise more than two closed paths wherein a first path is more inwardly positioned than another path, or two or more activation members. The apertures of the first path may point in a different direction than those of another path, and the corresponding protrusions are sloped in the same direction as the pointing direction of the apertures of the same path. Each closed path may be configured with a differently shaped aperture formation, such as a circle, rectangle, zigzag or triangle. Additionally, the game apparatus may be adapted for use by more than two players.

While some embodiments of the invention have been described by way of illustration, it will be apparent that the invention can be carried out with many modifications, variations and adaptations, and with the use of numerous equivalents or alternative solutions that are within the scope of persons skilled in the art, without exceeding the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. For use with a logic game whereby a player is challenged to suitably position a spherical playing piece such that, when all seated playing pieces are subsequently simultaneously displaced by a one-step transfer operation, a predefined number of playing pieces will be rearranged to a linear arrangement, logic game apparatus comprising: a) a first upper board configured with a plurality of apertures;b) a second lower board configured with a plurality of protrusions which are all aligned with corresponding ones of said plurality of apertures, respectively; andc) an activation member which initiates, when a force is transmitted thereto, relative motion between said first and second boards, to cause each of said protrusions to be received within a corresponding aperture and each of the seated playing pieces to be contacted by one of the received protrusions and guided to the aperture of an adjacent region.

2. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the protrusions has a sloped upper surface and each of the contacted playing pieces is urged to gravitate along the upper surface of a corresponding received protrusion so as to be guided to the aperture of the adjacent region.

3. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the apertures has a tear-shaped contour and one of the contacted playing pieces is directable by a pointed end of the tear-shaped contour to the aperture of the adjacent region.

4. The game apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a group of the apertures and of the corresponding protrusions point in a same direction of a closed path defined by the group of apertures and along which the contacted playing pieces are guided.

5. The game apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first board is subdivided into a plurality of square regions within each of which one of the apertures is formed.

6. The game apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first board is further subdivided into a plurality of square formations that each encompasses a group of the square regions and defines a corresponding closed path.

7. The game apparatus according to claim 6, wherein all of the apertures point in a same direction.

8. The game apparatus according to claim 6, wherein all of the apertures defining a first closed path point in a same first direction and all of the apertures defining a second closed path point in a same second direction.

9. The game apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a seat defining portion of the tear-shaped contour is located in a first region of the first board and the pointed end is located in the adjacent region which is adjacent to the first region.

10. The game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the activation member comprises an abutment surface and a shank that extends downwardly from said abutment surface and that is irremovably engaged with an inner face of a sleeve extending upwardly from a surface of the first board.