Mahjong Rack and Pusher

Abstract

A game play rack assembly and method therefor provides a pusher and a rack having a slot therein for receiving the pusher, such that the slot retains the pusher therein until the pusher is manually removed from the slot. The predefined profile of the slot has a dovetail shape formed in between a pair of opposing feet configured to support the rack, each foot in the pair of opposing feet resembling a truncated trapezoid. The pusher is composed of a top slat and a bottom slat, and the bottom slat having a predefined profile complementary to the predefined profile of the slot. In some embodiments, the rack is made of a transparent material and the pusher includes a graphical design thereon, such that the graphical design is visible through the rack.

Claims

1. A game play rack assembly, comprising: a pusher having an elongate, generally rectangular shape and configured for pushing a plurality of game tiles, the pusher having a predefined profile; and a rack having an elongate, generally rectangular shape and configured to hold one or more of the plurality of game tiles thereon, the rack having a slot therein configured to receive the pusher, the slot having a predefined profile; wherein the predefined profile of the slot is complementary to the predefined profile of the pusher, such that when the pusher is received in the slot, the slot retains the pusher therein until the pusher is manually removed from the slot.

2. The game play rack assembly according to claim 1, wherein the predefined profile of the slot has a dovetail shape.

3. The game play rack assembly according to claim 1, wherein the rack has a pair of opposing feet configured to support the rack and the slot is formed between the pair of opposing feet.

4. The game play rack assembly according to claim 3, wherein each foot in the pair of opposing feet resembles a truncated trapezoid.

5. The game play rack assembly according to claim 3, wherein each foot in the pair of opposing feet is a discrete component.

6. The game play rack assembly according to claim 3, wherein each foot in the pair of opposing feet is integral with the rack.

7. The game play rack assembly according to claim 1, wherein the pusher is composed of a top slat and a bottom slat, and the bottom slat has a predefined profile that is complementary to the predefined profile of the slot.

8. The game play rack assembly according to claim 1, wherein the rack is made of a transparent material and the pusher is made at least partly of a translucent material, such that the pusher is visible through the rack when the pusher is received in the rack.

9. The game play rack assembly according to claim 1, wherein the rack is made of a transparent material and the pusher includes a graphical design thereon, such that the graphical design is visible through the rack when the pusher is received in the rack.

10. The game play rack assembly according to claim 1, wherein game play rack assembly is a Mahjong rack assembly.

11. A method of implementing a game play rack assembly, comprising: providing a pusher having an elongate, generally rectangular shape and configured for pushing a plurality of game tiles, the pusher having a predefined profile; and providing a rack having an elongate, generally rectangular shape and configured to hold one or more of the plurality of game tiles thereon, the rack having a slot therein configured to receive the pusher, the slot having a predefined profile; wherein the predefined profile of the slot is complementary to the predefined profile of the pusher, such that when the pusher is received in the slot, the slot retains the pusher therein until the pusher is manually removed from the slot.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predefined profile of the slot has a dovetail shape.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rack has a pair of opposing feet configured to support the rack and the slot is formed between the pair of opposing feet.

14. The method according to claim 3, wherein each foot in the pair of opposing feet resembles a truncated trapezoid.

15. The method according to claim 3, wherein each foot in the pair of opposing feet is a discrete component.

16. The method according to claim 3, wherein each foot in the pair of opposing feet is integral with the rack.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pusher is composed of a top slat and a bottom slat, and the bottom slat has a predefined profile that is complementary to the predefined profile of the slot.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rack is made of a transparent material and the pusher is made at least partly of a translucent material, such that the pusher is visible through the rack when the pusher is received in the rack.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rack is made of a transparent material and the pusher includes a graphical design thereon, such that the graphical design is visible through the rack when the pusher is received in the rack.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein game play rack assembly is a Mahjong rack assembly.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG. 1 shows a top view of an exemplary game play rack assembly comprising a rack component and a pusher component;

[0013] FIG. 2 shows a top view of the exemplary game play rack assembly where the pusher component is slidably stored underneath the rack component;

[0014] FIG. 3 shows a side perspective view of the exemplary rack component with a slot for slidably storing the pusher component;

[0015] FIG. 4 shows a side view of the exemplary game play rack assembly where the pusher component is slidably stored underneath the rack component;

[0016] FIG. 5 shows a side perspective view of another exemplary game play rack assembly where an alternative pusher component is slidably stored underneath a rack component;

[0017] FIG. 6 shows a side perspective view of another exemplary game play rack assembly having magnets disposed on the rack and/or the push component;

[0018] FIG. 7 shows a side perspective view of the exemplary game play rack assembly of FIG. 6 with the pusher component magnetically attached to rack component; and

[0019] FIG. 8 shows a flowchart representing an exemplary method that may be used to implement a game play rack assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0020] The features and other details of the concepts and techniques sought to be protected herein will now be more particularly described. It will be understood that any specific embodiments described herein are shown by way of illustration and not as limitations of the disclosure and the concepts described herein. Features of the subject matter described herein can be employed in various embodiments without departing from the scope of the concepts sought to be protected.

[0021] Referring now to FIG. 1, a top view is shown for a game play rack assembly 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The game play rack assembly 100 shown is an assembly having a generally elongate, rectangular shape that is often used for holding and moving small game pieces, such as game tiles resembling those used in Mahjong, Dominos, Rummy, and similar games. In the embodiment shown, the game play rack assembly 100 has two main components, a pusher 101 and a rack 102. The pusher 101 preferably, but not necessarily, extends the full length of the rack 102 to allow the pusher 101 to be slidably stored underneath the rack 102 in a slot, as further described herein.

[0022] As can be seen from this view, the rack 102 has an elongate, generally rectangular shape with a ridge 103 extending lengthwise along the top of the rack 102. The ridge 103 sits atop a main body 104 of the rack 102 and forms seatback for a seat 105 extending lengthwise along the rack 102. A slope 106 extends down and outward from the top of the seatback 103 toward the seat 105 to form a backrest for the seat 105. The seatback 103, main body 104, seat 105, and backrest 106 can be more clearly seen in FIG. 3. Game pieces may then be placed on the seat 105 for convenient and easy access by the players.

[0023] Referring now to FIG. 2, a top view is shown for the game play rack assembly 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In this view, the game play rack assembly 100 has the two main components, the pusher 101 and the rack 102, in an assembled form that is conveniently transportable and storable. In the embodiment shown, the rack 102 is made of a transparent or clear material, while the pusher 101 is made of a translucent material, which may also be see-through in some embodiments. As can be seen, the pusher 101 is slidably fitted into a slot underneath the rack 102 in a snug and close-fitting manner, such that the pusher 101 is retained in the slot largely by friction between one or more of the surfaces of the pusher 101 and one or more of the surfaces that define the slot within the rack 102, until a player manually removes the pusher 101 from the slot.

[0024] Referring now to FIG. 3, a side perspective view is shown for the rack 102 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As can be seen in this view, in some embodiments, the main body 104 is composed of an elongate, generally planar bar having a rectangular cross-section, with the seat 105 formed by removing a triangular shaped cutout 107 along the length the main body 104, as indicated by the dashed lines. The seatback 103 may be composed of an elongate rail extending lengthwise along the top of the main body 104 and having a cross-section resembling a truncated trapezoid (i.e., a trapezoid with one side perpendicular to the base of the trapezoid). Such a rail may be attached to the main body 104 using any suitable technique, such as adhesive, fusing, and the like, to form the seatback 103, with the angled side of the seatback 103 forming the backrest 106. It is of course possible for the seatback 103 to be formed as an integral part of the main body 104 (i.e., a single piece) in some embodiments.

[0025] The rack 102 in this example is supported by two generally polygonal feet 301 provided underneath the main body 104, with one foot 301 adjacent to each of the front and back side of the main body 104. Each foot 301 may be a discrete component that is attached (e.g., adhered, fused, etc.) to a bottom surface of the main body 104, or the feet 301 may be formed as an integral part of the main body 104 (i.e., a single piece). The polygonal feet 301 support the rack 102 at the front and back side of the main body 104 and preferably, but not necessarily, extend the full length of the main body 104. In the example shown, each polygonal feet 301 may be an elongate, generally rectangular strip having an identical or nearly identical angled cutout removed from one side, such that each feet 301 resembles a truncated trapezoid when viewed from the side (i.e., cross-sectional or profile view). When the feet 301 are mounted with their angled faces facing in toward one another underneath the main body 104 as shown here, the opposing angled cutouts form a slot 302 having a dovetail shaped profile or cross-section between the polygonal feet 301. Complementary angled cutouts are then provided on the bottom corners of the pusher 101 to provide the pusher 101 with a profile or cross-section that corresponds to the dovetail shaped slot 302. This arrangement allows the pusher 101 to be slid into the slot 302 and stored with the rack 102 for convenient transport, as further shown and described herein.

[0026] In the example embodiment of FIG. 3, the feet 301 have angled cutouts at the bottom corners that form a dovetail shaped slot 302 when the feet 301 are mounted with their angled faces facing in toward one another. However, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to a dovetail shaped slot, and it should be understood that other shapes may also be used for the slot 302, such as a T shape or any other shape known to those having ordinary skill in the art that would be suitable for the purposes discussed herein. Further, in some embodiments, instead of an angled backrest 106, the backrest 106 may be perpendicular to the main body 104, with little or no angle relative thereto. In such embodiments, the seatback 103 may have a rectangular cross-section instead of a truncated trapezoidal cross-section, and the cutout 107 may be a rectangular cutout instead of a triangular cutout.

[0027] Referring now to FIG. 4, a side view of the exemplary game play rack assembly 100 is shown according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The game play rack assembly 100, as shown, has the pusher 101 slidably stored within the main body 104 in the dovetail shaped slot 302. The slot 302 is the portion underneath the main body 104 between the two polygonal feet 301. The polygonal feet 301 each have an angled cutout, as discussed, that create the dovetail shaped slot 302 for the pusher 101 to slide into and be secured when not in use. The pusher 101 has complementary angled cutouts 401 to the angled cutouts 301 of the polygonal feet 301 to secure the pusher 101 to the rack 102 when not in use. In some embodiments, the pusher 101 may be composed of two elongate, generally planar slats 402, 403 that each resemble a ruler in appearance, with one of the slats 402, 403 attached stacked on top of the other to form the pusher 101. In these embodiments, the angled cutouts 401 may be formed by removing the bottom corners of the bottom slat 403. In other embodiments, the pusher 101 may be provided as a unitary piece with the bottom corners again removed to form the angled cutouts 401.

[0028] Now turning to FIG. 5, a side perspective view is shown of another exemplary game play rack assembly 500 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The game play rack assembly 500 as shown is similar to the game play rack assembly 100 discussed above insofar as there is a rack 502 and a pusher 501 that can be slidably stored in a slot 503 underneath the main body 504 of the rack 502. The pusher 501, rack 502, and slot 503 are similar to their counterparts discussed above, but the pusher 501 further has a design 505 applied to a top surface thereof. The design 505 may be any visually pleasant and/or distinctive design, text, image, and so forth, that can provide a customized look and feel or theme, including seasonal, festive, and/or holiday designs.

[0029] In some embodiments, the pusher 501, when slidably stored underneath the main body 504 of the rack 502 in the slot 503, may be visible to allow the design 505 on the pusher 501 to be viewed when the pusher 501 is slidably stored underneath the rack 502. To this end, the rack 502 may be made of a transparent or translucent material, such as acrylic, plastic, glass, and the like, that allows the pusher 501 to be easily seen and the design 505 thereon to be clearly observed. Similarly, in embodiments where the pusher 501 is composed of two slats stacked one on top of the other (see FIG. 4), the design 505 may be applied to a top surface of the bottom slat, and the top slat may then be made of a transparent or translucent material that allows the design 505 on the bottom slat to be easily seen.

[0030] Now turning to FIG. 6, a side perspective view is shown of another exemplary game play rack assembly 600 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The game play rack assembly 600 as shown is similar to the game play rack assembly 100 discussed above insofar as there is a rack 602 and a pusher 601 that can be slidably stored in a slot 603 underneath the rack 602. The pusher 601, rack 602, and slot 603 are similar to their counterparts discussed above, but the pusher 601 further has one or more magnets 604 embedded or otherwise secured to either the top or bottom surface of the pusher 601, for example, the bottom surface 605 (i.e., the surface with the corner cutouts). One or more metal plates 606 may then be embedded or otherwise disposed on a side surface 607 of the rack 602 at locations corresponding to the locations of the one or more magnets 604 on the pusher 601. The metal plates 606 and magnets 604, which may be coin magnets or any other suitable magnets, allow the pusher 601 to be magnetically attached to the rack 602 in some embodiments for convenient storage during gameplay.

[0031] FIG. 7 shows the embodiment of FIG. 6 with the pusher 601 magnetically attached to the rack 602 via the one or more magnets 604 on the pusher 601 and the corresponding one or more metal plates 606 on the rack 602. It will be appreciated that in these embodiments, the placement of the magnets 604 and the metal plates 606 may be reversed so that the magnets 604 are embedded in the rack 602 and the metal plates 606 are embedded in the pusher 601.

[0032] Turning now to FIG. 8, a flowchart 800 is shown illustrating an exemplary method that may be used to provide a game play rack assembly according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The method generally begins with providing a pusher at block 802, the pusher having an elongate, generally rectangular shape and configured for pushing a plurality of game tiles on a playing surface. The method continues at block 804 with providing the pusher with a predefined profile or cross-section, such as a dovetail shaped profile or cross-section. The method continues at block 806 with providing a rack having an elongate, generally rectangular shape and configured to hold one or more of the plurality of game tiles thereon. The method thereafter continues at block 808 with providing a slot in the rack configured to receive the pusher, the slot having a predefined profile, such as a dovetail shaped profile or cross-section. In some embodiments, the predefined profile of the slot is complementary to the predefined profile of the pusher, such that when the pusher is received in the slot, the slot retains the pusher therein until the pusher is manually removed from the slot.

[0033] In some embodiments, the rack has a pair of opposing feet configured to support the rack and the slot is formed between the pair of opposing feet. In some embodiments, each foot in the pair of opposing feet resembles a truncated trapezoid. In some embodiments, each foot in the pair of opposing feet is integral with the rack, whereas in other embodiments, each foot in the pair of opposing feet is a discrete component. In some embodiments, the pusher is composed of a top slat and a bottom slat, and the bottom slat has a predefined profile that is complementary to the predefined profile of the slot. In some embodiments, the rack is made of a transparent material and the pusher is made at least partly of a translucent material, such that the pusher is visible through the rack when the pusher is received in the rack. In some embodiments, the rack is made of a transparent material and the pusher includes a graphical design thereon, such that the graphical design is visible through the rack when the pusher is received in the rack.

[0034] Having described preferred embodiments, which serve to illustrate various concepts, structures and techniques that are the subject of this patent, it will now become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments incorporating these concepts, structures and techniques may be used. Additionally, elements of different embodiments described herein may be combined to form other embodiments not specifically set forth above. Accordingly, it is submitted that that scope of the patent should not be limited to the described embodiments but rather should be limited only by the spirit and scope of the following claims.