Electronic matching and information association game

Claim 2

A game comprising: a support arrangement; a first carrier member which is mounted on the support arrangement and on which is disposed a first series of pieces of information; at least one second carrier member on which there is disposed a second series of pieces of information which can be respectively, operatively associated with those of the first information series; a signalling means including at least one series of display elements for displaying another piece of information, which are disposed on said first carrier member of the support arrangement; one of said display elements corresponding to each piece of information of said first information series; means for actuating the signalling means and for causing said other piece of information to appear first successively at said display elements and then, after a given period, at only one of said display elements; and a series of means which are associated respectively with the pieces of information of said first information series and which are so arranged that the association of the piece of information of said first information series, corresponding to the display element at which, after said given period, said other piece of information appears, with the corresponding piece of information of said second information series, causes said other piece of information to disappear; said means for actuating the display means being operatively arranged to cause said other piece of information to appear at said display elements in a random fashion; said display elements being light sources operatively connected to an electrical circuit by a counter arranged to cause said light sources to flash and an oscillator for controlling the counter; said pieces of information of said second information series being respectively disposed on insulated cards with a metal-plated face; said means associated respectively with the pieces of information of said first information series includes a series of pairs of metal studs which are operatively disposed in twos on the first carrier member of the support arrangement and operatively correspond to the pieces of information of the second carrier member, and an individual series of pairs of metal studs of said first information series being capable of being short-circuited by engagement by one of said metal-plated cards of said second information series.

Claim 3

A game comprising: a support arrangement; a first carrier member which is mounted on the support arrangement and on which is disposed a first series of pieces of information; at least one second carrier member on which there is disposed a second series of pieces of information which can be respectively, operatively associated with those of the first information series; a signalling means including at least one series of display elements for displaying another piece of information, which are disposed on said first carrier member of the support arrangement; a sound source which is disposed in the support arrangement; one of said display elements corresponding to each piece of information of said first information series; means for actuating the signalling means and for causing said other piece of information to appear first successively at said display elements and then, after a given period, at only one of said display elements, the sound source being actuated at the end of said given period; and a series of means which are associated respectively with the pieces of information of said first information series and which are so arranged that the association of the piece of information of said first information series, corresponding to the display element at which, after said given period, said other piece of information appears, with the corresponding piece of information of said second information series, modulates the emission of the sound source; said means for actuating the display means being operatively arranged to cause said other piece of information to appear at said display elements in a random fashion; said display elements being light sources operatively connected to an electrical circuit by a counter arranged to cause said light sources to flash and an oscillator for controlling the counter; said pieces of information of said second information series being respectively disposed on insulated cards with a metal-plated face; said means associated respectively with the pieces of information of said first information series includes a series of pairs of metal studs which are operatively disposed in twos on the first carrier member of the support arrangement and operatively correspond to the pieces of information of the second carrier member, and an individual series of pairs of metal studs of said first information series being capable of being short-circuited by engagement by one of said metal-plated cards of said second information series.

Claim 4

A game comprising: a support arrangement; a first carrier member which is mounted on the support arrangement and on which is disposed a first series of pieces of information; at least one second carrier member on which there is disposed a second series of pieces of information which can be respectively, operatively associated with those of the first information series; a signalling means including at least one series of display elements for displaying another piece of information, which are disposed on said first carrier member of the support arrangement; a sound source which is disposed in the support arrangement; one of said display elements corresponding to each piece of information of said first information series; means for actuating the signalling means and for causing said other piece of information to appear first successively at said display elements and then, after a given period, at only one of said display elements, the sound source being actuated at the end of said given period; and a series of means which are associated respectively with the pieces of information of said first information series and which are so arranged that the association of the piece of information of said first information series, corresponding to the display element at which, after said given period, said other piece of information appears, with the corresponding piece of information of said second information series, modulates the emission of the sound source; said means for actuating the display means being operatively arranged to cause said other piece of information to appear at said display elements in a random fashion; said display elements being light sources operatively connected to an electrical circuit by a counter arranged to cause said light sources to flash and an oscillator for controlling the counter; said pieces of information of said second information series being respectively disposed on insulated cards with a metal-plated face; said means associated respectively with the pieces of information of said first information series includes a series of pairs of metal studs which are operatively disposed in twos on the first carrier member of the support arrangement and operatively correspond to the pieces of information of the second carrier member, and an individual series of pairs of metal studs of said first information series being capable of being short-circuited by engagement by one of said metal-plated cards of said second information series.

Claim 5

A game according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the means associated with said first information series and arranged to cause said other piece of information to disappear or to modulate the emission of the sound source comprise an insulating card disposed within the support arrangement and a series of pairs of conducting pellets printed on the card, the pairs of pellets being connected in parallel and associated respectively with the pieces of information of the first information series and so arranged that the two pellets of the same pair are short-circuited when the corresponding piece of information of said first information series is associated with the corresponding piece of information of said second information series.

Claim 6

A game according to claim 3 wherein there is provided a series of pairs of conducting studs which are respectively associated with the conducting pellets, in contact therewith, by way of one of their ends, and which project, by way of their other ends, out of the carrier member on which the first information series is disposed, and a series of cards which respectively carry the pieces of information of the second information series, each card comprising a metal-plated layer covered with an insulating coating, except for two given regions, by way of which it is intended to co-operate with one of the pairs of studs, by way of said other end thereof, in order to short-circuit said studs and therefore the associated pellets.

Claim 7

A game according to claim 4 wherein the two studs of one of said pairs of studs project out of said carrier member respectively by way of two openings selected from five which are provided in said carrier member.

Claim 8

A game according to claim 3 wherein the pieces of information of the second information series are respectively carried by carrier members of different given shapes, the carrier member on which the pieces of information of the first information series are disposed comprises recesses shaped respectively to receive the carrier members carrying the second pieces of information, and there is provided in the support arrangement a series of conducting means which are respectively associated with the first pieces of information and which are arranged so that, against the action of resilient return means, and when one of said carrier members carrying a second piece of information is engaged into the corresponding recess of the carrier member carrying the first pieces of information, the pellets of the pair associated with the corresponding first piece of information are short-circuited.

Claim 9

A game according to claim 6 wherein said conductor means provided for short-circuiting said pellets comprise blades of which at least one of the ends is conducting.

Claim 10

A game according to claim 7 wherein said blades are flexible and are mounted in the support arrangement so that their conducting ends, under the action of actuating balls, can come to bear respectively against the pairs of pellets of said card.

Claim 11

A game according to claim 8 wherein said carrier members for carrying said second pieces of information comprise a lug which is arranged to co-operate with said balls and to push same to actuate said blades.

Claim 12

A game comprising: a set of pieces having different configurations; means defining a playing surface; means in said playing surface defining locations where each piece of said set is to be engaged; a set of display elements each associated with one of said locations that when activated visibly indicates that a piece is to be engaged with said associated location; a set of switches each associated with one of said locations and each operable only when a piece having the correct configuration for that location is engaged therewith; and an electrical operating circuit for said game to which the display elements and switches are connected, said circuit including a timer so that in a given initial period the display elements are activated successively and after said given period only one of said display elements is activated, said means being arranged to respond when the switch corresponding to the activated display element is operated by engagement with a piece of the correct configuration, said display elements being light sources which are flashed during said initial period by said electrical operating circuit by a counter arranged to cause said light sources to flash and an oscillator for controlling the counter.

Claim 13

A game comprising: a set of pieces having different configurations; means defining a playing surface; means in said playing surface defining locations where each piece of said set is to be engaged; a set of display elements each associated with one of said locations that when activated visibly indicates that a piece is to be engaged with said associated location; a set of switches each associated with one of said locations and each operable only when a piece having the correct configuration for that location is engaged therewith; and an electrical operating circuit for said game to which the display elements and switches are connected, said circuit including a timer so that in a given initial period the display elements are activated successively and after said given period only one of said display elements is activated, said means being arranged to respond when the switch corresponding to the activated display element is operated by engagement with a piece of the correct configuration, said display elements being light sources which are flashed during said initial period by said electrical operating circuit by a counter arranged to cause said light sources to flash and an oscillator for controlling the counter.

Claim 14

A game according to claim 10, wherein said electrical operating circuit is caused to respond to operation of said switch corresponding to said activated display element by deactivating said visual display.

Claim 15

A game according to claim 10, wherein said electrical operating circuit includes a sound source that is activated at the end of said initial period and said circuit responds to operation of said switch corresponding to said activated display element by adjusting the emission of sound from said source.

Claim 16

A game according to claim 10, wherein said electrical operating circuit causes said display elements to be activated during said initial period in an apparently random fashion.

Claim 17

A game according to claim 10, wherein each piece in said set has a different and characteristic outline, said means in said playing surface defines a set of sockets each corresponding to the outline of one piece in said set so that one piece only fits into each socket and each switch is physically masked by said socket so that it is operable only by the correctly outlined piece.

Claim 18

A game according to claim 10, wherein said light sources are light-emitting diodes.

Claim 19

A game according to claim 15, wherein said actuating means comprise a static contact maker for triggering a sequence of flashing of said diodes.

Claim 20

A game according to claim 16, wherein the static contact maker comprises two coaxial metal-plated rings.

Claim 21

A game according to claim 16, wherein the static contact maker comprises two metal strips fixed along the side wall of the support arrangement.

Claim 22

A game according to claim 10, wherein the pieces in said set comprise insulated cards having an information bearing face and a metal-plated face, and said means in said playing surface includes a series of pairs of metal studs in each location and each physically located so as to be capable of being short-circuited when the correct one of said metal-plated cards is operatively engaged in said recess.

Claim 23

A game according to claim 19, wherein the means in said playing surface includes an insulating card disposed beneath said playing surface and a series of pairs of conducting pellets printed on the card, the pairs of pellets being connected in parallel and associated respectively with the locations where each card is to be placed and so arranged that the two pellets of the same pair are short-circuited when the correct card is operatively engaged with the location.

Claim 24

A game according to claim 20, wherein there is provided a series of pairs of conducting studs which are respectively associated with the conducting pellets, in contact therewith, by way of one of their ends, and which project, by way of their other ends, out of the locations in the playing surface and a series of cards each card comprising a metal-plated layer covered with an insulating coating, except for two given regions, by way of which it is intended to co-operate with one of the pairs of studs, by way of said other end thereof, in order to short-circuit said studs and therefore the associated pellets.

Claim 25

A game according to claim 21, wherein the two studs of one of said pairs of studs project out of said carrier member respectively by way of two openings selected from five which are provided in said carrier member.

Claim 26

A game according to claim 20, wherein there is provided beneath the playing surface a series of conducting means which form part of the switch associated with each location and which are arranged so that when one of said playing pieces is engaged into the corresponding location in the playing surface against the action of resilient return means the pellets of the pair associated with the corresponding playing piece are short-circuited.

Claim 27

A game according to claim 23, wherein said conductor means provided for short-circuiting said pellets comprise blades of which at least one of the ends is conducting.

Claim 28

A game according to claim 23, wherein said blades are flexible and are mounted in the support arrangement so that their conducting ends, under the action of actuating balls, can come to bear respectively against the pairs of pellets of said card.

Claim 29

A game according to claim 25, wherein said playing pieces include a lug which is arranged to co-operate with said balls and to push same to actuate said blades.