Abstract
A board game scoring assistive device having a panel that includes one or more apertures accommodating a player game piece or token and a particular manner keeping it positioned over the proper area or score, especially when the game piece is sized so that it covers more than just a single scoring position. This invention helps to alleviate the questions of which position the piece is in as well as where the piece had been in the event of an accidental jolt to the scoring area.
Claims
1. A board game scoring device comprising: a base member sized and configured to rest on a score sheet of a board game, the base member having an upper surface, a bottom surface; a board game scoring cube having a perimeter comprising the sum of the four sides of the board game scoring cube and the cube having a center; at least two overlapping openings within the base member sized to partially receive the board game scoring cube, the first opening shaped by the cube perimeter in a first position, and the second opening shaped by the cube perimeter being linearly advanced from the first position and simultaneously rotated about the cube center at an angle from between 30 to 90 degrees to a second position; scoring cube retention mechanism forming a protuberance extending into the opening, each retention mechanism shaped by a first edge and a second intersecting edge, the first edge being an extension of the cube perimeter in the first position and the second edge being an extension of the cube in the second adjacent position, whereby the scoring cube retention mechanism secures the position of the board game scoring cube within the base member in both positions, and the second adjacent opening will not receive the scoring cube when the cube is received into the first opening.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the base member is transparent.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein the board game is a score sheet.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein the board game cube is a scoring piece.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein a player advances the board game cube within the base by removing the piece from a first opening perimeter and placing it in the adjacent overlapping opening perimeter in the direction of advancement as directed by the board game.
6. The device of claim 5 wherein the direction of advancement is directed by the board game score sheet.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
(1) FIG. 1 is a plan view of an acrylic board game scoring assistive device with retention hook orientation slots, according to the present invention.
(2) FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an acrylic board game scoring assistive device with retention hook orientation slots, attached above a supportive sheet, with a game scoring cube placed in a horizontal orientation. according to the present invention.
(3) FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial plan view of an acrylic board game scoring assistive device with retention hook orientation slots, with a game scoring cube placed in a rotated orientation.
(4) FIG. 4 is an enlarged isometric view of FIG. 3, according to the present invention.
(5) FIG. 5 is an isometric view of an acrylic board game scoring assistive device with retention hook orientation slots, (shown transparently), placed above a player mat, with a game scoring cube placed in a rotated orientation. according to the present invention.
(6) FIG. 6 is a plan view of an acrylic board game scoring assistive device with retention post orientation slots, according to the present invention.
(7) FIG. 7 is an isometric view of FIG. 6, according to the present invention.
(8) FIG. 8 is a plan view of an acrylic board game scoring assistive device with retention waist orientation slots, according to the present invention.
(9) FIG. 9 is an isometric view of FIG. 8, with an added cylinder scoring piece according to the present invention.
(10) FIG. 10 is a plan view of an acrylic board game scoring assistive device showing placement of overlapping orientation notches.
(11) FIG. 11 is a plan view of an acrylic board game scoring assistive device highlighting the area of overlap between the orientation notches.
(12) FIG. 12 is a plan view of an acrylic board game scoring assistive device showing the placement of a non-rotated game piece with associated explanatory dimensions of the game piece and the void created by two retention hooks.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(13) Acrylic is used as a substrate for board game scoring assistive device pattern 1 (FIG. 1), pattern 200 (FIG. 6), and pattern 300 (FIG. 9), and, is typically constructed of a sheet of cast or extruded acrylic of thicknesses ranging from 1 to 4 mm and has been cut utilizing a carbon dioxide laser. This invention is not limited for use with Acrylic, it is relevant to any sheet material, for instance, plywood, paperboard, corrugated paper, balsa wood, solid wood or leather. Any material molded or machined into the disclosed pattern could also be used, such as plastic, metal, rubber, or paper pulp. The method of cutting the pattern in the sheet material is also not limited to laser, but may also be cut with a saw, router, water jet, plasma cutter, plattern or rotary die-cutter, or other mechanisms known in the art.
(14) When used for board game scoring assistive device stock, the acrylic is usually transparent and colorless, this allows for any illustrative artwork on the surface of player mat 2 (FIG. 5) to be visible through pattern 1. If however, artistic needs dictate, colored and/or translucent/transparent acrylic may be used.
(15) As shown in FIG. 2, pattern 1 has been attached to supportive sheet 3. Supportive sheet 3 can be constructed from any materials listed above. The materials of pattern 1 and supportive sheet 3 may be of similar or different; substrate, thickness, and decoration. Scoring cube 4 is positioned in a rotated orientation notch inside of orientation slot 5.
(16) As shown in FIG. 10, the primary orientation notch 11 and the secondary orientation notch 12 have been positioned to intersect one another on the planar face of base member 13.
(17) FIG. 11 shows dashed lines 14 where primary orientation notch 11 and secondary orientation notch 12 overlap, defining the area of intersection. Once the dashed lines 14 have been removed, the remaining geometric pattern from the primary and secondary orientation notches 11 and 12 respectively combine to form the orientation slot 5. The retention hooks 6 can be seen adjoining the area of intersection protruding inward towards the opposing edge of the orientation slot 5, which in this preferred embodiment is also a second retention hook 6.
(18) As shown in FIG. 12, a non-rotated game piece, scoring cube 4, has been placed inside of the orientation slot 5, positioned in what was once the secondary orientation notch 12, retention hooks 6 can be seen protruding into the orientation slot towards the opposing edge of the orientation slot 5. The protruding retention hooks 6 being separated from the opposing edge of the orientation slot by a void space 15 not greater the smallest dimension of the game piece when viewed from above 16, in this preferred embodiment, said smallest dimension of the game piece is the width across the face of the cube instead of the diagonal.
(19) As shown in FIG. 3, scoring cube 4 has been set in a rotated notch in orientation slot 5. Cube 4 is prevented from lateral movement by retention hooks 6 which are formed by intersecting the overlapping orientation notch perimeters from rotated and non-rotated orientations of cube 4.
(20) With respect to FIG. 4, the interaction between scoring cube 4 and retention hooks 6 can be more easily seen.
(21) With respect to FIG. 5, pattern 1, (displayed in transparency), has been placed on top of player mat 2, and aligned with the scoring illustration artwork. Player mat 2 is typically constructed of printed paperboard and may contain a variety of scoring or record keeping positions and patterns as dictated by the game designer.
(22) With respect to FIG. 6, this illustrates how pattern 200 has been laser cut in an alternate configuration of orientation slot 7 by offsetting, instead of rotating the cube pattern as shown in FIGS. 1-5, resulting in retention post 6.
(23) With respect to FIG. 7, this illustrates how scoring cube 4 is held in location by the retention post 6, within the orientation slot 7.
(24) As shown in FIG. 8, pattern 300, contains orientation slot 8 which is made up of intersecting arcs. When the arcs intersect they create a waist 9.
(25) As shown in FIG. 9, a scoring cylinder 10 is kept from moving longitudinally in orientation slot 8 by at least one waist 9.
(26) In other embodiments (not shown), a containment device is added to maintain the scoring game piece or pieces in the orientation slot for transport or storage. This device made of either sheet material or a mold construct would be placed over the top of the game piece that has been placed into the orientation slot between the supporting sheet is held in place with an elastic band or similar device known in the art.
(27) In another embodiment (not shown), the board game scoring assistive device is constructed from an illustrated sheet of paperboard or the like and fusibly attached to a player card that has also been illustrated forming a scoring assembly.
(28) Although FIGS. 1-9 show orientation slots based on geometries of squares and circles in semi-linear orientation, other layouts are also contemplated. For example triangle shaped game pieces arranged in a circular fashion.
