US 5,332,221 AGranted

Multi-channel game puzzle with movable base

OwnerBrian Reedinventor

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Abstract

A multi-channel game puzzle with movable base utilizing manual tilting employing the multi-channel game puzzle, the game puzzle including a housing defining a main chamber and having a vertical axis further including a plurality of channels positioned in a common plane within the main chamber being equally spaced and extending radially outward, a central hub having a socket cooperating with a movable shaft for rotably mounting the central hub within the main chamber about the common vertical axis movement reciprocally between an upper locked position for locking the playing pieces in the channels and a lower free swivel position for permitting free swiveling of the inner chamber relative to the housing upon manual tilting of the housing between a first communication position, a second communication position, a third communication position and a fourth communication position and including a plurality of sets of game pieces each set having like marked game pieces also including a unitary blocker piece having distinctive marking characteristics wherein play is commenced by a player grasping the outer surface of the housing, releasing the hub to the free swivel position and tilting to urge the game pieces from one channel from one channel to another and to rotate the central hub relative to the housing for accepting and discharging player pieces for rearrangement of the sequence.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A game puzzle comprising in combination:

a) a housing having a shell adapted for manual tilting with a transparent surface and defining a main chamber having a vertical axis and a horizontal axis;
b) a plurality of channels positioned in a common plane within the main chamber, and extending radially outward from the vertical axis of the main chamber, each channel having an inner end and an outer end, the outer end being attached to the shell;
c) movable base means for supporting the housing comprising a column element having a central bore, a flat base member for supporting the game puzzle on a flat surface, a groove member with shoulder configured to associate with a bottom aperture of the housing for permitting reciprocal movement along the vertical axis of the housing relative to the base member, the column element extends from the base member base of the housing upwardly to the midpoint of the housing for supporting a hub means;
d) hub means for selectively connecting adjacent channels for transferring game pieces comprising a dome shaped hub mounted on a central shaft disposed within the bore of the column element for permitting free rotation about the vertical axis defining a plurality of cavities forming a movable passageway, said hub means, being mounted on the column, is adapted for reciprocal movement relative to the inner ends of the channels for movement between a lower free swiveling position and an upper locking position and is responsive to manual pressure exerted on the base means;
e) pivot means comprising a central shaft configured for rotably mounting the hub means within the main chamber for rotation about a vertical axis, common with the vertical axis of the housing for permitting free swiveling in both directions upon manual tilting of the housing of said hub means, when in the lower free swiveling position;
f) a plurality of sets of game pieces, each set being visually different;
g) annular means positioned on the shell at the outer ends of the channels for accessing game pieces;
h) closure plug means for providing removable closure for the annular means;
and
i) a unitary blocker piece, having distinctive marking characteristics, wherein the shell of the housing is manually grasped by a player for play, by titling, to move selectively the game pieces from one channel to another via the hub means by releasing the base means to permit the hub means to move from the upper locking position to the lower swivel position by force of gravity, thence by manually rotating the hub means mounted on the column relative to the inner ends of the channels, thereby permitting the hub means to accept and discharge player pieces for rearrangement.

7 more elements

A game puzzle comprising in combination:

a) a housing constructed of transparent material comprising at least one flat surface, a shell adapted for manual tilting, a main chamber having a vertical axis and an horizontal axis and the shell being of spherical construction;
b) a plurality of channels of tubular construction wherein each channel is constructed to accept up to five game pieces at any one time and said channels positioned in a common plane within the main chamber each being equally spaced and extending radially outward from the vertical axis of the main chamber each channel having an inner end and an outer end, the outer end being attached to the shell;
c) a central hub having an opaque exterior surface defining a hollow interior for providing a connecting passageway characterized by two interconnected chambers adjacently positioned and adapted to receive any of the playing pieces including the blocker piece, positioned in coplanar relationship to a pair of adjacent channels accessed by the central hub;
d) swivel means for rotably mounting the central hub within the main chamber for permitting free swiveling in both directions upon manual tilting of the housing, comprising a spring loaded plunger comprising;
i) a piston contained in the hollow nipple;
ii) a shaft attached to the piston configured to extend through the central hub in association with the pivot means and to abut the cylindrical base;
iii) spring means contained in the nipple associated with the piston normally acting to urge the housing in a raised swivel position and alternately to compress responsive to downward pressure exerted against the housing for releasing playing pieces caught between the hub means and the channel means mounted on the inner surface of the shell on the common vertical axis of the shell and the central hub for rotably mounting the central hub within the main chamber for rotation about a vertical axis common with the vertical axis of the housing for permitting free swiveling in both directions upon manual tilting of the housing;
e) socket means in the central hub for cooperating with the swivel means permitting freedom of movement of the central hub relative to the housing;
f) a plurality of sets of game pieces each set being identified by a distinct color wherein the plurality of sets of game pieces comprise;
i) a first set of at least two pieces each of said characterized by a first color;
ii) a second set of game pieces having at least two pieces each of said pieces characterized by a second color;
iii) providing a third set of game pieces having at least two pieces each of said pieces characterized by a third color;
iv) a fourth set of game pieces having at least two pieces each of said pieces characterized by a fourth color;
v) a fifth set of game pieces having at least two pieces each of said pieces characterized by a fifth color;
vi) an annular means positioned on the shell at the end of the channels for accessing game pieces and for providing access for selectively resetting the game pieces for scrambling the sequence of said game pieces;
vii) a unitary blocker piece having distinctive marking characteristics wherein the shell of the housing is manually grasped by a player for play by tilting to selectively move game pieces from one channel to another via the central hub by rotating the central hub mounted on the swivel means relative to the housing and for the central hub to accept and discharge player pieces for rearrangement.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/081,497Filed 22 Jun 1993 · continuation in part
Priority: EP PCT/US92/017836 Mar 1992
Granted: 26 Jul 1994
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

A63F 7/044
Using balls to be shaken or rolled in small boxes , e.g. comprising labyrinths: hand-held boxes with balls rolled, e.g. towards holes, by tilting…
A63F 9/083
Three-dimensional puzzles with slidable or rotatable elements or groups of elements, the main configuration remaining unchanged, e.g. Rubik's…
A63F 2007/4043
With balls of different colours or other visual characteristics: with balls of three or more different colours
A63F
Card, board, or roulette games

Family

Serial667,032Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 7 Mar 1991
Serial901,371Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Jul 1992
US 5,221,085 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 5,251,899 AParent of this continuation
US 5,332,221 AThis patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.