US4614344A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Interchangeable game board
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1982-08-05
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Granted: 1986-09-30
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Expires: 2002-08-05
Abstract
Abstract A game board is composed of interchangeable congruent game board segments butted together randomly. The game board has an overall pathway design that differs with each arrangement of the congruent game board segments, in an infinite number of arrangements of the game board segments, each resulting in a unique overall pathway design. The geometric shape of the congruent game board segments of one particular embodiment of the invention is square, but other geometric shapes may also be used if all the game board segments of a particular set are congruent, all sides of all the game board segments are of equal length, and all interior angles of all the game board segments are equal in arc measurement. These stipulations ensure interchangeability regardless of the orientation of the various game board segments. Equilateral triangle and regular hexagons could be used. The pathway designs on the various congruent game board segments may be different for the several segments of a given set. However, entry/exit points of all the game board segments are at the same spaced locations on all sides of the game board segments. Thus, these entry/exit points align so that any side of any game board may be butted to any side of any other game board segment, permitting larger board playing areas and complex pathway designs on which the same game rules may apply.
Inventors
- 👤 Patrick G. O'Connor
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 09:40
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63F; A63F3/00; A63F3/00003; A63F3/00097; A63F3/00173; A63F3/0023; A63F3/00261; A63F2003/00359
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
246 words
A game board comprising a plurality of incremental interchangeable game board segments, each of said game board segments having a plurality of sides and being identically shaped in the form of an equilateral geometric figure; each of said game board segments further comprising a surface having depicted thereon entry and exit point locations, each of said sides having an equal number of entry and exit point locations, said entry and exit point locations being equally positioned on said sides such that where a game segment is oriented at (360/n)° increments, when n is the number of sides of said game board segment, the entry and exit point locations of each side of said game board segment mate with the entry and exit point locations of an adjacent game board segment; each of said surfaces further having depicted thereon a labyrinth pathway design whereby the pathway design is a network of individual pathways and every entry and exit point location of a game board segment is connected by a pathway to at least one other distinctly different entry and exit point location on said game board segment; at least one of said labyrinth pathway designs further including at least one cul-de-sac pathway branching off from a pathway, said cul-de-sac pathway comprising an entry and exit point location adjacent said pathway such that said pathway has access to said cul-de-sac pathway, said cul-de-sac pathway not being connected to at least one other different entry and exit point location.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
246 words
A game board comprising a plurality of incremental interchangeable game board segments, each of said game board segments having a plurality of sides and being identically shaped in the form of an equilateral geometric figure; each of said game board segments further comprising a surface having depicted thereon entry and exit point locations, each of said sides having an equal number of entry and exit point locations, said entry and exit point locations being equally positioned on said sides such that where a game segment is oriented at (360/n)° increments, when n is the number of sides of said game board segment, the entry and exit point locations of each side of said game board segment mate with the entry and exit point locations of an adjacent game board segment; each of said surfaces further having depicted thereon a labyrinth pathway design whereby the pathway design is a network of individual pathways and every entry and exit point location of a game board segment is connected by a pathway to at least one other distinctly different entry and exit point location on said game board segment; at least one of said labyrinth pathway designs further including at least one cul-de-sac pathway branching off from a pathway, said cul-de-sac pathway comprising an entry and exit point location adjacent said pathway such that said pathway has access to said cul-de-sac pathway, said cul-de-sac pathway not being connected to at least one other different entry and exit point location.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
A game board according to claim 1, wherein said game board segments are squares.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
A game board according to claim 1, wherein said game board segments are equilateral triangles.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
A game board according to claim 1, wherein said game board segments are regular hexagons.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
A game board according to claim 1, wherein said labyrinth pathway design has one or more discrete entry and exit points on each side of the game board segments.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
A game board according to claim 1, wherein said pathway design is a network connecting the one or more discrete entry and exit points on each side of the game board segments.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
A game board according to claim 1, wherein said game board segments further includes indicia along the pathway design to indicate special instructions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
A game board according to claim 1, wherein said game board segments further includes areas associated with the pathway design as starting or destination spaces.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
A game board according to claim 1, wherein said surfaces of said game board segments all having depicted thereon one common labyrinth pathway design.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
A game board according to claim 1, wherein there are two or more different labyrinth pathway designs and each of said surfaces of said game board segments has depicted thereon a labyrinth pathway design.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
37 words
A game board according to claim 1, wherein all of said surfaces of said game board segments have depicted thereon a different labyrinth pathway design such that no two game board segments have identical labyrinth pathway designs.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-09-29 | 1990-03-31 | 1990-09-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-09-29 | 1994-03-31 | 1994-09-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-09-29 | 1998-03-31 | 1998-09-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |