Patent Grant
7243920
The present invention pertains to a game board that is capable of supporting both playing cards and gaming pieces such as dominos from the same side of the board. The invention also pertains to a gaming table that is capable of supporting playing cards and gaming pieces such as dominos.
Card players commonly use their hands to support their cards during play. Because some card games involve the contemporaneous need to view up to 17-20 cards at a time, it can be cumbersome to hold the cards in the hands without letting your opponent see some of the cards. When a player needs to view so many cards at once, they are commonly arranged in linear fashion, with each successive card being offset behind an adjacent card. The cards are also held close to the chest so that opposing players cannot see them. Strategic planning and thinking, however, is less than ideal for this manual arrangement of cards, and the hands can easily cramp and can become painful from fatigue, particularly when the game lasts a long time.
Another game that requires a need to view many game pieces at once is dominos. Like a card game, dominos also involves strategic planning and thinking to prevail over your opponent. Unlike cards, however, the dominos are often supported on the table in front of the player rather than being held in the hands. Quite often the organization of dominos is difficult, particularly when a player has to view many pieces at once. Domino pieces also are susceptible to becoming scattered during play from accidental movements of the table and from the players' hands and arms.
To overcome the deficiencies of using the hands or table surface to support cards or dominos, innovators have developed card boards and domino boards to support these gaming items in a stable manner for contemporaneous viewing. The card boards typically have included a set of thin slots on one side of the board. The cards are placed in the slots and rest in an inclined position facing the player. Card boards have been on the market for at least about 10 years.
The domino game boards also have included a plurality of slots, but the slots are wider to accommodate the greater thickness of dominos. Although known game boards have been beneficial in that they provide players with an alternative method of supporting gaming pieces, they do present drawbacks. Firstly, the same game boards cannot be used for playing both dominos and cards. Players must keep and locate separate game boards for each game. Further, if card slots are disposed on one side of the game board and domino slots are located on the other side, so that the same board can be used for either game, the combination card/domino board is nonetheless problematic to players because each side of the board contains grooves, which precludes the use of a stabilizing (i.e., anti-marring, or friction producing) surface on either side of the board. In addition, the card slots in known gaming boards are very thin, and therefore require precision when placing the cards in the slot. If a player is rushed or is not careful when inserting the card into the slot, the player risks missing the slot and having the card fall to the surface of the playing table where it can be readily seen by opposing players. Location of the card slot is particularly troublesome to the elderly whose eyesight and manual dexterity may have deteriorated. Thus, although known game boards have been able to support either playing cards or dominos, they have nonetheless presented drawbacks that can disrupt the enjoyment and cadence of the game.
The present invention is directed to a new game board that overcomes the drawbacks just described. The game board of the invention, in brief summary, may suitably comprise or consist essentially of a board that has first and second major surfaces and that has first and second sets of slots that are sized and configured for supporting dominos and playing cards, respectively. The first set of slots is disposed within the first major surface of the game board, and the second set of slots is disposed on the first major surface of the game board but within the first set of slots. The game board of the present invention therefore has a compound slot that will accommodate both cards and dominos.
The inventors discovered that the use of a compound slot on the same side of a game board can allow the card slot to be more easily found by the player. Because the card slot is disposed within the wider domino slot, the player only needs to locate the domino slot to have the card ultimately directed into the card slot. The compound slot also has the advantage of improving the spacing between rows of slots and keeping the size of the board within reasonable limits while still allowing a large number of cards or dominos to be supported during play. The inventors further discovered that if the card and domino slots were both incorporated into one side of a game board, the other side could be grooveless. A non-grooved bottom surface can allow a high friction sheet to be adhered to it, or it can allow rubber or plastic feet to be secured at the corners to stabilize the board and to reduce vibration, marring, and slippage. The use of a stabilizing sheet or high friction feet, however, is not suitable for boards that have slots on both sides because the sheet and feet would project upwardly from the surface of the board that is also used to support the playing cards or dominos.
The dimensions of the compound slot may be altered to allow the game board to be used for supporting gaming pieces other than dominos. For example, the larger slot could be configured to support Scrabble® or Rummikub® gaming pieces.
The inventive game board alternatively can be configured to fit into a recess in a table surface, flush with the topside of the table to eliminate the need for a high friction bottom surface. When the table is not used for playing cards, dominos, or other gaming pieces, the non-grooved side of the game board can be in the “up position” simply by inverting the game board, allowing the gaming table to serve basically any other table purpose. Alternatively, the game board can be permanently bonded into or integrally disposed within the table surface, with the slotted side flush with the table top surface.
In another aspect, the present invention also provides a gaming table that comprises a table top and a plurality of game boards. The table top has a top surface and a plurality of recesses that are disposed in the top surface. The game boards are each sized and configured to be removably placed in the recesses, or they may be permanently bonded into the table with the slotted side flush with the top surface. The game boards have first and second major surfaces with a plurality of slots disposed in at least one of the first or second major surfaces. The slots are sized and configured for supporting playing cards or gaming pieces. The game boards are configured to have a thickness that allows at least one of the first or second major surfaces to reside flush with the top surface of the table when the game board is disposed in a recess or is mounted within the top surface. In this instance, card slots and gaming piece slots could beneficially be disposed on each of the opposing major surfaces of the game board.
The recess in the top surface of the gaming table can preclude the game board from moving inadvertently across the table's surface. There is no need for a stabilizing surface on either side of the game board. Thus, one side could be used for supporting dominos and the other side could be used for supporting playing cards. The recess also allows the table to be used for purposes other than playing cards, dominos, Rummikub® or Scrabble® because each game board resides flush with the top surface of the table. In a preferred embodiment, the card and/or gaming piece slots are all disposed on one surface of the game board so that when inverted, none of the slots may be seen from the top surface of the table. The game boards therefore could be inverted when the table is used for other purposes.
These and other aspects and benefits of the invention are more fully shown and described in the drawings and detailed description of this invention, where like reference numerals are used to represent similar parts. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings and description are for illustration purposes only and should not be read in a manner that would unduly limit the scope of this invention.
a and 1b are perspective views of a game board 10 in accordance with the present invention.
In the practice of the present invention, a game board is provided, which has a compound slot for supporting both playing cards and gaming pieces such as dominos. The playing cards and gaming pieces may be supported in the game board in a manner that prevents others from viewing that particular player's cards or gaming pieces. As the term is used in this document, “gaming pieces” means an item used in a game, which has indicia on at least one surface for conveying information to one or more of the players, and which has a generally uniform size and has a thickness greater than a playing card. Examples of gaming pieces include dominos, Scrabble® pieces, and Rummikub® pieces.
a and 1b show a game board 10 that has first and second major surfaces 12 and 14, respectively. A first set of slots 16, sized and configured for supporting dominos, is disposed within the first major surface 12 of the gaming board 10. A second set of slots 18 is also disposed within the first major surface 12 of the gaming board, but within the first set of slots 16. Together, slots 16 and 18 represent a compound slot 20.
The dimensions of the slots 16 and 18 also have an important bearing on the operation of the game board. Playing cards rest in the smaller slot having a width D6. The side 25 of the card slot 18 that faces the user has a depth D4, and the side 23 is located towards the rear edge 21 has a depth slightly larger than D3 plus D4, and it forms a backrest for the cards. If D6 is too wide, the cards can rock back and forth, and if D6 is too narrow it becomes difficult to easily place cards in the slot. D6 preferably is between 0.045 and 0.125 inches, more preferably between 0.070 and 0.10 inches. It has been discovered that control over D6, D4, and angle α can have great benefits in countering the force of the wind when playing cards outside or from fans if playing cards indoors. The ratio of D4:D6 is 1.6 or greater and preferably is 2 or greater, and still more preferably is 2.86 or greater. In addition, angle α can be increased slightly between successive rows of compound slots from the back edge 21 towards the front edge 22 (
In a game of dominos, the gaming pieces can be arranged such that ends that have a similar number of dots shown on them can be placed next to each other so that the user can strategically plan the deployment of each domino in successive order. To this end, the dominos could also be laid on edge rather than in the upright position shown in
Below in Table 1 are dimensions in inches for the particular distances described in reference to
The game board of the invention is beneficial because it can greatly improve player ergonomics and can alleviate hand fatigue and cramping. It also may improve a player's skill level by allowing the player to form strategic patterns of the gaming pieces. Additionally, the game board allows a person's hands to be free for other uses such as gestures, or eating and drinking while the game is in play. The game boards can be constructed so that gaming pieces cannot be seen by opposing players but yet provide improved visual contact by the player who “owns” that particular game board. Further, each game board can be incorporated into a recess in a table surface for game playing. Inverting the game board creates a smooth table surface for normal use. The game board can be made of solid materials that are stable at room temperatures. Examples of useful materials include wood, metal, and plastic, ceramics, and compressed paper fibers.
There can be two game boards opposite each other, or the table can have three, four, five, or six game boards to accommodate additional players. The table would preferably take on a different configuration when viewed from the top, depending on the number of desired players. For example, a table that is fashioned to accommodate three players would be triangular, while a table that is fashioned to accommodate four, five, or six players could be square, pentagon, or hexagon, respectively, with each side having a game board. If more than four sides are used, there is a progressively reduced degree of security between players because it becomes easier for players to see the adjoining player's game pieces.
The table top 31 also can have by virtue of side trim boards that are wider than the top thickness a slightly recessed bottom surface so that it securely resides on top of a standard card table. This eliminates the need for making legs to be used only with the gaming table 30.
The following Example has been selected merely to further illustrate features, advantages, and other details of the invention. It is to be expressly understood, however, that while the Example serves this purpose, the particular ingredients and amounts used, as well as other conditions and details, are not to be construed in a manner that would unduly limit the scope of this invention.
The present invention has been actually reduced to practice using wood. The compound slot of the invention was made by combining a standard saw blade in series with a dado saw blade. D5 plus D6 was equal to the total cut width for the combination of the standard blade and the dado blade. D6 was controlled by the cutting kerf of the standard blade. D4 was controlled by the difference in radius of the standard blade and the dado blade. D3 was controlled by the depth setting of the combined blades. Angle α was controlled by the angle setting of the blades. D5 plus D6 was adjusted by using shims between the edge cutting blades and the chipper blades of the dado blade or by adjusting the wobble angle of the dado blade.
A rotary cutting tool set for cutting compound slots was made by stacking, in the order shown below, standard tools and hand made spacers on the arbor of a Delta 10 inch Contractors Table Saw with Unifence model number 34-445:
This assembly makes a cut width that is less than the sum of the thickness above because some of the components overlap. The width of cut (D5 plus D6,
A ⅛ inch roundover router bit from Companion router bit set #925525 was installed on a shaper table, and the bit height was set to for a flush roundover cut of edges as shown in
A 1×6 inch (nominal dimensions) oak board was cut to 11½ inch lengths. Thickness and width were 0.735 and 5 23/32 inches, respectively. These pieces were then given roundover edge treatment on all 11½ inch and 5 23/32 inch edges. The 5 23/32 inch edges were cut first (feed rate was about 2 inches per second) to avoid end grain chip-out. The 11½ inch edges were cut next (feed rate was about 4 inches per second). The 0.735 inch edges were rounded with a 180 grit sanding block to match the other edges.
The Dado and saw blade assembly were mounted on the table saw arbor as described above was set to cut angle α. The saw rpm was 3450, and scrap wood was cut and the cutting depth was adjusted until depth of saw cut (D2 minus D7) was 0.535 inches.
A set of three pusher/spacers was made to allow the fence to be set just once. The spacers were in multiples of 1 3/16 inches width, making the first 1 3/16 inches, the second 2⅜ inches and third 3 9/16 inches. Spacers were 11½ inches long and ¾ inch thick to match the playing boards. Each spacer had a small board glued at one end to allow a push stick to push the playing board and the fence spacer through together safely.
The fence is set at 4 3/16 inches, and the first slot is made with no spacer, the second with the 1 3/16 inch spacer, the third with the 2⅜ inch spacer and the fourth with the 3 9/16 inch spacer. The wood was fed in the same, front to back board orientation so the slots were cut in the same angular orientation. The feed rate was about 6 inches per second.
Oak was used in this example, but any wood could be used such as alder, clear pine, mahogany, birch, cedar, maple, etc. It is important to select wood free of loose knots because the knots may break out when cutting the compound slots.
The 5 23/32 inch width would likely change to 5½ inches to allow standard lumber width to be used. If so, slot-to-slot spacing would be adjusted accordingly.
To apply finish, the boards were sanded with fine 320-grit sandpaper and a coat of polyurethane (oil base) finish was applied.
After the finish dried, four standard 9½ millimeter (mm) self adhesive cupboard door bumpers with flat outer surface instead of convex were applied at the corners of each of the boards on the side opposite the slotted sides. These were found to add stability on the playing table surface.
One of the boards was accidentally dropped, and as a result, it broke. The particular wood stock used in this example was somewhat thinner than the standard 0.75 inch thickness, and this contributed to the breakage. It was also noted that the depth of the compound slots could have been reduced slightly since D3 (shown below) was more than adequate for retaining dominos. D2 (also shown below) could be reduced significantly by use of a 6.4 inch saw blade. The combination of these adjustments would greatly strengthen the boards in the case of accidental dropage.
The dimensions of finished boards (see
Additional examples could be added to teach effects of alternative dimensions and angles under varied uses such as playing outdoors or under fans where windy conditions may exist and to provide a basis for the preferred ranges of properties for the present invention.
This invention may take on various modifications and alterations without departing from its spirit and scope. Accordingly, it is to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to the above-described but that it is to be controlled by the limitations set forth in the following claims and any equivalents thereof. It also is to be understood that this invention may be suitably practiced in the absence of any element not specifically disclosed herein.
This application is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No. 10/179,626, filed Jun. 25, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,854,730, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20040227295 A1 | Nov 2004 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10179626 | Jun 2002 | US |
| Child | 10876302 | US |
