Game board and method of play

Abstract

A game board including a substantially rigid pair of panels each adapted for play, each of the panels defined by an outer surface, a top edge and a bottom edge, the top edges hinged together for pivoting, wherein the bottom edges are adapted to form a self-supporting means to allow the pair of panels to stand upright during play, a plurality of pegs adapted to be placed on the outer surface of the pair of panels, and a plurality of game pieces having a front surface with printed indicia, wherein the game pieces form apertures therethrough for receiving the pegs.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention relates to the field of game boards. More particularly, the invention pertains to a game board for educational purposes to be used by a large number of students at a time.

[0003] 2. Description of The Prior Art

[0004] Many different kinds of educational games are being played by students in the classrooms today. Some of those games include specific game devices, such as game boards which are mostly used in grade schools because of the need among young students for visual perception as an extra learning tool.

[0005] Certain of the game devices include game boards. Game pieces or play cards may be used with the game boards by attaching them in a certain way and, according to the rules of the game, onto the surface of the game board. Prior art game boards include very limited surface areas upon which to play allowing only a small number of students to participate, precluding other students from interactively playing in the game. Prior art game boards further could be bulky, take up a lot of space when stored, and some could be complicated and uneconomical to manufacture.

[0006] A patent issued to Kaufman in 1924 (U.S. Pat. No. 1,491,536) discloses a board game with cards, where the cards, each divided into an equal number of squares on the face of the cards, are placed over a peg and held in a box for use by people who want to learn a foreign language. In 1959, a patent issued to Bobo et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 2,887,789) for a game board on which a number of upwardly directed pegs in different patterns are placed and the cards, each having a special arrangement of holes, fit only one of the arrangements of pegs on the board. In 1968, a patent issued to Holten (U.S. Pat. No. 3,394,471) is for a game board to be placed on a flat surface, with players spaced around the table, the cards having a slot through which a player may view certain foreign language words arranged for placement on certain areas on the game board to teach a foreign language. A patent issued to Senn in 1976 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,970,312), describes a game involving two panels held in an upright and face-to-face relation and having pegs pushed through holes formed therein over which cards with indicia are placed in an attempt to line up the holes in the cards with pegs that are placed in the holes. A patent, issued to DeMent in 1978 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,111,418) concerns a peg board apparatus with multiple panels that are supported on legs, on which are hung a plurality of toe tabs that are maneuvered by a player's toes. In 1990, a patent issued to Canela (U.S. Pat No. 4,944,519) describes a game board about which the players sit and match cards with blocks or spaces that are outlined on the board. None of these patents include a game board where more than one game can be played at the same time so as to accommodate a large number of players.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] This invention is a rigid, self-supporting game board used for playing educational games by younger students and overcomes the problems set forth above with regard to the prior art game boards. This inventive game board is useful in classrooms where there are a large number of students to play. The game board includes two rigid self-supporting panels which have top edges that are hinged together, and bottom edges which are adapted to form self-supporting means to allow the panels to stand upright during a game. The panels include a plurality of openings and Z-shaped hooks on the outer surface that are hooked through the openings in the panels. A game is played using play cards having apertures and front surfaces onto which educational information is printed. The educational information is matched in pairs wherein one of the matching play cards in the pair includes complementing information of the other of the matching play cards in the pair. The educational information may include various different kinds of subject matter. The invention lies in the ability to use both the panels at the same time in two different games in order to have more students playing the game at once so as to save time.

[0008] The game board of this invention does not take up a lot of space during storage because it can be folded together closely and stored underneath or behind a table or closet.

[0009] The game board of this invention is of simple construction, and is inexpensive to manufacture and maintain while retaining its effectiveness. The game is unlimited in scope as to subject matter or complexity because play cards can easily be made on an as-needed basis to cover specific topics as it comes up in the class curriculum, i.e., science, geography, math, languages, or other topics.

[0010] Accordingly, the main object of this invention is a game board that is able to facilitate two different games on both panels at the same time to allow a large number of students to play and learn at once. Other objects of the invention are a game board that takes up a very small space for storage, that is inexpensive to manufacture and maintain, and that is unlimited in scope in subject matter and in complexity.

[0011] These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent when reading the description of the preferred embodiment along with the drawings that are appended hereto. The protection sought by the inventor may be gleaned from a fair reading of the claims that conclude the specification.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the inventive game board constructed according to the teachings of this invention;

[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the game board of this invention showing the bottom edges and the self-supporting means of the panels;

[0014] FIG. 3 is a side view of one of the two panels of the game board of this invention showing a Z-shaped hook which is placed through the openings in the panel and which has an attaching play card hanging therefrom through an aperture in the play card;

[0015] FIG. 4 is a top view of the inventive game board showing the top edges which are hinged together with a pivotable means;

[0016] FIG. 5 is a front view of matching play cards;

[0017] FIG. 6 is a side view of the inventive game board in A-frame position for play; and, FIG. 7 is a side view of the game board in a closed position for storage.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0018] Turning now to the drawings where elements or limitations are identified with numbers and like elements or limitations are identified with like numbers throughout the 7 figures, the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and shows a game board 1 which is used to educate and teach young students. Game board 1 comprises two rigid, self-supporting panels 3 and 4, preferably flat, each of which includes top edges 5 that are hinged together with a pivotal means 7, such as a piano hinge, for pivoting as shown in FIG. 4, bottom edges 9 which are adapted to form self-supporting means 11 to allow panels 3 and 4 to stand in an A-frame configuration during play, and outer surfaces 13. Panels 3 and 4 include a plurality of openings 15 and Z-shaped hooks 17 that are hooked through openings 15 on the outer surface 13 of panels 3 and 4, as shown in FIG. 3. A game is played using play cards 19 which include apertures 20 and front surfaces 21. Front surfaces 21 include printed educational information which is matched in pairs 23 wherein one matching play card 19 in pair 23 includes complementing information of the other matching play card 19 in pair 23. The educational information may include various different subject matter.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, panels 3 and 4 are usually the same in size and are rectangular in shape, and can pivot together for storage when the game is not played or pivot outward to an angle of between 10 degrees and 90 degrees in an A-frame position during play.

[0020] Any even number of play cards may be used during a game depending upon the complexity of the game. Play cards 19 are placed on hooks 17 through apertures 20. Hooks 17 can be removed or can be affixed to panels 3 and 4. Panels 3 and 4 may have a restraining means 27 with a first terminal end 29 and a second terminal end 31, such as a chain 30, of a length to permit panels 3 and 4 to be opened into an A-frame configuration and whose terminal ends 29 and 31 are attached, one to each panel 3 and 4.

[0021] The game is designed to be played by numerous students at a time and the goal is to match a pair of play cards 19. The students gather in two groups in front of each of panels 3 and 4 where panels 3 and 4 include play cards 19 that are randomly stacked face-down. A first student at panels 3 and 4, respectively, chooses and overturns two play cards and decides if the two play cards match. If the picked play cards match and the student recognizes that the cards match, the student removes matched pair 23 from panels 3 and 4 and continues to play the game. If the picked play cards do not match, the student replaces the play cards face down in the same spaces on panel 3 and 4 and the student is still in the game. A second student then chooses and overturns one of the play cards that has not yet been overturned, or alternatively, using his or her memory of which play cards have already been overturned, picks at least one of the play cards that has already been overturned to match two complementing play cards. The game can be played individually or in groups. There is no limit to the number of players.

[0022] While the invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, those skilled in the art will be able to make various modifications to the described embodiment of the invention without departing from the true spirit and scope thereof. It is intended that all combinations of elements and steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve substantially the same result are within the scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A game board, comprising:

a. a substantially rigid pair of panels each adapted for play, each of said panels defined by an outer surface, a top edge and a bottom edge, said top edges hinged together for pivoting; wherein said bottom edges are adapted to form a self-supporting means to allow said pair of panels to stand upright during play;

b. a plurality of pegs adapted to be placed on said outer surface of said pair of panels; and,

c. a plurality of game pieces having a front surface with printed indicia, wherein said game pieces form apertures therethrough for receiving said pegs.

2. The game board of claim 1 wherein said pair of panels is similar in size.

3. The game board of claim 1 wherein said pair of panels pivot outward to an angle of less than 90 degrees into an A-frame configuration for play, said panels include a restraining means having a first and second terminal end, each attached to each of said panels for restraining said panels from opening beyond 90 degrees.

4. The game board of claim 1 wherein said panels pivot together for storage.

5. The game board of claim 1 wherein said panels are rectangular.

6. The game board of claim 1 wherein said printed indicia on said game pieces is matched in pairs wherein one of said matching game pieces in a pair includes complementing information on the other matching game piece in said pair.

7. The game board of claim 1 wherein said printed indicia includes educational information.

8. The game board of claim 1 wherein said game pieces include play cards.

9. An educational game board, comprising:

a. first and second rigid, preferably flat panels, each of said panels adapted for play, and defined by an outer surface and an outer periphery, including self-supporting means to allow said panels to stand in an A-frame position for play and a pivotal means for pivoting; a plurality of hooks; said panels forming a plurality of openings therethrough for receiving said hooks on said outer surface of said panels; and,

b. a plurality of play cards having a front surface with printed educational information, wherein said play cards have apertures formed therethrough for receiving said hooks.

10. The educational game board of claim 9 wherein said panels are similar in size.

11. The game board of claim 9 wherein said pair of panels pivot outward to an angle of less than 90 degrees into an A-frame configuration for play, said panels include a restraining means having a first and second terminal end, each attached to each of said panels for restraining said panels from opening beyond 90 degrees.

12. The game board of claim 1 wherein said panels pivot together for storage.

13. The educational game board of claim 9 wherein said panels are rectangular.

14. The educational game board of claim 9 wherein said hooks are Z-shaped.

15. The educational game board of claim 9 wherein said printed educational information of said play cards is matched in pairs, wherein one of said matching play cards includes complementing information of the other of matching play card in said pair.

16. The game board of claim 9 wherein said hooks are removable.

17. The game board of claim 9 wherein said hooks are fixed to said panels.

18. A method of playing a board game by at least two players comprising the steps of:

a. providing a pair of attached, self-supporting, open-pivoting panels with outwardly projecting pegs and game pieces matched in complementing pairs, having peg receiving apertures, and randomly stacked, face-down, on each of said game panels;

b. choosing and overturning a pair of game pieces and deciding whether said game pieces are complementing, removing said complementing pair of game pieces from said panel, replacing the noncomplementing pair of game pieces face-down in original spaces, and ceasing play of the game upon the correct determining of whether the pair matches; and,

c. overturning any one of said game pieces and further overturning another of said game pieces that has not been turned over, or alternatively, overturning at least one game piece that a prior player already has turned over to match two complementing game pieces.

19. The method set forth in claim 18, including grouping students on each side of the A-frame.