Electrical board game device

• US 4,323,243 A
• Filed: 10/20/1980
• Issued: 04/06/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Marvin Glass & Associates
• Original Assignee: Marvin Glass & Associates
• Inventors: Hanson, Steven P., Morrison, Howard J., Montague, Douglas P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oechsle, Anton O.
• Application Number:
  US06/199,013
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 273/153 S, 273/237, 273/238, 273/1 E, 434/340, 434/341
• US Class Current: 273/153.00S
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00646 with illumination of playing field or playing piece
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00652 Light-emitting diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/1066 completing a circuit if solved correctly
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2454 with LED
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/186 Spring
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00643 Electric board games; Electric features of board games electric word or number games A63F3/0421; computer chess G06F; electric raffle games A63F3/081
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0807 requiring vacant positions or gap migration, e.g. two-dimensional sliding puzzles

Abstract

An electrical board game device is described in which a plurality of slidable elements are mounted on a housing for relative sliding movement with respect to each of the other elements on the housing. Each element has a uniquely arranged pattern of electrical contacts in circuit with a light emitting diode. A pair of matching contacts are arranged on the housing in a position to complete an electrical circuit with the contacts on the element when the element is appropriately positioned. The elements, which appear to the player to all be identical, are slid relative to each other in an attempt to correctly position each element atop its matching contacts on the housing so that the light emitting diode of each element is illuminated.

Claims

1. A game device, comprising:

a housing including an electrical circuit having a plurality of spaced electrical contacts and a source of electrical potential;

a plurality of elements each retained on said housing for sliding movement relative to said housing and to the other of said elements, each element including a uniquely located electrical contact pair arranged to complete said electrical circuit when placed in a predetermined position on said housing;

recess means for retaining said elements for sliding movement along said playing surface, including space to permit said elements to be slid with respect to each other to position each element in a position formerly occupied by another of said elements;

means for locking said elements within said recess means for sliding movement within said recess means; and

indicating means responsive to the completion of said electrical circuit for indicating when each said element has been positioned in said predetermined position on said housing.

2. The game device of claim 1 said elements and said recess means having mating tabs and grooves to permit movement of said elements relative to one another and said game board, in a fixed orientation.

3. A board game device comprising:

a housing having a playing surface with an electrical circuit including a plurality of separated electrical contact pairs located at spaced positions across said playing surface, a source of potential being connectable across said contact pairs;

a plurality of elements retained on said playing surface on said housing in an abutting matrix for sliding movement relative to said housing and to each other along said surface in only two perpendicular paths, each element including an actuator means uniquely arranged on said element for changing the state of conduction across a contact pair when the element is located in a predetermined position on the playing surface; and

indicating means responsive to the changed state of conduction for indicating when each said element has been located in said predetermined position on said playing surface.

4. The game device of claim 3 wherein said indicating means is a light emitting diode.

5. The device of claim 3 wherein said housing includes recess means for slidably retaining said elements, said means including an open space to permit said elements to be slid with respect to each other to position each element in a position formerly occupied by another of said elements.

6. The device of claim 5 including means for locking said elements within said recess means for sliding movement within said recess means.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said elements are rectangular and abut one another for side by side relative sliding movement.

8. The device of claim 7, said elements and said recess means having mating tabs and grooves to permit movement of said elements in a fixed orientation relative to one another and said playing surface.

9. The device of claim 6 wherein the distance between opposite sides of said recess means is equal to the combined length of the elements in the direction parallel to said sides of said recess means.

10. The device of claim 3 wherein said contact pairs are connected in parallel in said electrical circuit.

11. The device of claim 3 wherein each of said elements have an identical outward appearance.