Abstract
A spinner meant to substitute for multi-sided dice that is made of top, middle and bottom plates. The top plate features a pin configured to insert into a central post of the bottom plate both of which pass through a hole or aperture in the middle of the middle plate. A ball bearing assembly can be integrated into the center of the middle plate, surrounding the aperture. The central post and the pin can both have a raised seat surrounding their respective bases which decreases the amount of friction between the top, middle and bottom plates as the middle plate spins relative to the other two plates.
Claims
1. A spinning device for use with dice games comprising: a top plate having a viewing window and a bottom surface with a vertical pin that extends away from a bottom surface of the top plate; a bottom plate having a central post sized and shaped to accept the insertion of the vertical pin; and a middle plate having a top surface, a bottom surface and an aperture in the middle of the middle plate.
2. The spinning device of claim 1 further comprising a first raised seat encircling a base of the central post on the bottom plate.
3. The spinning device of claim 2 further comprising a second raised seat encircling a base of the vertical pin.
4. The spinning device of claim 2 further comprising a ball bearing assembly integrated into an inner edge of the middle plate.
5. The spinning device of claim 3 further comprising a ball bearing assembly integrated into an inner edge of the middle plate.
6. The spinning device of claim 4 wherein the top plate and the bottom plate are made of a flexible material.
7. The spinning device of claim 5 wherein the top plate and the bottom plate are made of a flexible material.
8. The spinning device of claim 1 further comprising a raised seat encircling a base of the vertical pin.
9. The spinning device of claim 8 further comprising a ball bearing assembly integrated into an inner edge of the middle plate.
10. The spinning device of claim 9 wherein the top plate and the bottom plate are made of a flexible material.
11. The spinning device of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of protrusions encircling an outer edge of the middle plate.
12. The spinning device of claim 8 further comprising a plurality of protrusions encircling an outer edge of the middle plate.
13. The spinning device of claim 9 further comprising a plurality of protrusions encircling an outer edge of the middle plate.
14. The spinning device of claim 10 further comprising a plurality of protrusions encircling an outer edge of the middle plate.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1A is a top perspective view of the top plate of the spinner dice;
[0011] FIG. 1B is a side plan view thereof;
[0012] FIG. 2A is a top perspective view of all three plates of the spinner dice;
[0013] FIG. 2B is a top plan view of the ball bearing assembly;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bottom plate thereof; and
[0015] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the entire device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] FIG. 1A shows the top plate 11 of the spinning device 10. The top plate 11 is a flat or substantially flat disk-shaped structure that has an opening or viewing window 12 integrated into its body 13. For the purposes of this disclosure, substantially flat means the disk is a flattened horizontal surface that may not be perfectly flat, but will sit flush with a flat surface upon which it is placed. While the top plate 11 need not be a disc shape and can be any other desired shape including, but not limited to an oval, ellipse, square or rectangle, the inventor's anticipated best mode of the spinning device 10 includes a top plate that is circular or disc-shaped.
[0017] FIG. 1A also shows the viewing window 12 that is integrated into the top plate 11. The viewing window 12 is a hole opening that completely traverses the body of the top plate from a bottom surface to a top surface of the top plate 11. The viewing window 12 is positioned to reveal a portion of the text printed on the middle plate 14 (see FIG. 2). The size of the viewing window 12 can be varied to fit the amount of text that is desirable to reveal. Some variations will have a viewing window 12 that allows several numbers in a single row of numbers to be visible at the same time. Those variations feature a marker 16 on the top plate 11 that indicates which number the user should pay attention to.
[0018] FIG. 1B shows the underside or bottom surface of the same top plate 11. Preferred embodiments and the inventor's anticipated best mode of the device include a pin 17 on the bottom surface of the top plate and extending away from the center or central axis of the top plate 11. This pin 17 is sized and positioned to be complementary to and to engage or insert into a central post (not shown) that is part of or attached to the bottom plate (not shown). In preferred embodiments and the inventor's anticipated best mode, the pin 17 has a raised seat 19 that encircles a portion of the pin 17, i.e., its base 18 (the portion nearest the bottom surface of the top plate 11). When the device 10 is assembled, the middle plate 14 or in some embodiments, the ball bearing assembly 20 that is part of or attached to the middle plate, is in contact with this raised seat 19. This configuration decreases the amount of the middle plate (see FIG. 2) that is in contact with the top plate 11 and thereby decreases the amount of friction between these two structures.
[0019] FIG. 2A shows all three plates and their orientation to each other including the middle plate 14 that is positioned beneath the top plate 11 when the spinning device 10 is fully assembled. The middle plate 14 has a top surface 14a upon which text can be printed. In the inventor's anticipated best mode of the device, the text consists of numbers that mirror the numbers that would be present on multi-sided dice. For example, the middle plate 14 may have a row of numbers from 1 to 100 printed in an annular ring around a central axis of the middle plate 14 such that one of the numbers is visible at a time through the viewing window. One middle plate 14 can feature several rows of numbers printed around the axis of the disc so that a user has the option of using the device to replace more than one type of die. For example, one row of numbers could count from 1 to 4 while another counts from 1 to 10 so the device can be used to replace a four-sided and a ten-sided die at the same time.
[0020] FIG. 2A also shows the spines 25 or spiney processes that extend away from and encircle the outer circumference or edge of the middle plate 14 in the same plane as the disk itself. These spines 25 make it easier for the user to grip a portion of the middle plate 14 and apply enough force to cause it to spin. FIG. 2A also shows the ball bearing assembly 20 that is integrated into the inner edge of the middle plate 14 in preferred embodiments and the inventor's anticipated best mode.
[0021] FIG. 2B shows the ball bearing assembly 20 in more detail. A ball bearing assembly 20 includes an inner race 20a and outer race 20b each having tracks or grooves 20c through which the ball bearings 20d can move, as well as a retainer or cage that holds the ball bearings in place. Optionally, a ball bearing assembly 20 can feature one or more shields or components that are meant to cover the section in which the ball bearings move. In these embodiments, the ball bearing assembly 20 is made of an inner race 20a and an outer race 20b, each featuring channels (not shown) in which the ball bearings 20d are seated. A cover or shield can be fitted over the section that houses the ball bearings 20d and serves to keep dirt and debris out of the channels in which the ball bearings travel. In the inventor's preferred embodiments and anticipated best mode of the invention, the top plate 11 and the bottom plate 21 serve as the shield(s) for the ball bearing assembly 20. Once assembled, the ball bearing assembly 20 is able to spin around the central axis of the middle plate 14. This is also the location of the channel or hole 24 that is featured by the middle plate 14 that is sized and shaped to accommodate the central post 22 featured by the bottom plate 21. In these embodiments, the central post 22 is merely there to hold the middle plate in place as the ball bearing assembly 20 allows the middle plate to spin around that ball bearing assembly 20 and the aperture 24 in the middle plate 14.
[0022] FIG. 3 shows the bottom plate 21 of the device. The bottom plate 21 has a central post 22 that extends up from the center or central axis of the upper surface of the bottom plate 21. In preferred embodiments and the inventor's anticipated best mode, the central post 22 has a raised seat 26 that encircles a portion of its base 23 (the portion nearest the bottom plate). The middle plate 14 or in some embodiments, the ball bearing assembly 20 that is part of or attached to the middle plate, sits or rests on this raised seat 26. This configuration decreases the amount of the middle plate 14 that is in contact with the bottom plate and thereby decreases the amount of friction between these two structures. Preferred embodiments of the central post 22 feature a hole, channel or aperture 24 through which all or a portion of the central axis of the central post 22 that is sized and shaped to receive the pin 17 on the top plate 11 extends.
[0023] FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of the entire device including the top plate 11, the bottom plate 21 and the middle plate 14. The user assembles the device by placing the middle plate 14 on top of the bottom plate 21 such that the central post 22 is inserted through the aperture 24 traversing the center of the the middle plate 14, i.e. located where the central axis of the middle plate 14 would be. The top plate 11 is then seated on top of the middle plate 14 by inserting the pin 17 into the central post 22. The user then grips the protrusions or spines 25 on the middle plate 14 while either holding the device 10 by the top plate 11 and bottom plate 21 or while the device 10 is seated on a surface. As the middle plate 14 spins, the user can view the numbers or other printed matter on the surface of the middle plate 14 through the viewing window 12. If the user desires to stop the device 10 from spinning, they simply apply pressure to the center of the top plate 11 and/or bottom plate 21. Doing so increases the friction between the middle plate 14 and the raised seats or platforms 19, 26 that encircle each of the central post 22 and the pin 17 thereby increasing the rate at which the spinning device 10 stops spinning.
[0024] The advantages of the present invention include, without limitation, the ability to play dice games without having to locate a flat surface on which to roll dice and off of which dice can easily fall and become misplaced or simply hard to reach.
[0025] Reference throughout the specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present invention should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout the specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.
[0026] Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the invention.
[0027] It is understood that the above-described embodiments are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiment, including the best mode, is to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, if any, in conjunction with the foregoing description.
[0028] While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.
