AU648378B2

AU648378B2 - Apparatus and method of playing game

Info

Publication number: AU648378B2
Application number: AU10201/92A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Neville Jeffrey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-11-24
Filing date: 1992-01-13
Publication date: 1994-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 2008-11-23
Also published as: NZ222669A; AU621319B2; AU2583188A; AU1020192A

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 6 4 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION For a Standard Patent

ORIGINAL

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TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: NEVILLE JEFFERY NEVILLE JEFFERY *5 0 0O 55 S. WRAY ASSOCIATES, Primary Industry House, Terrace, Perth, Western Australia, 6000.

239 Adelaide Attorney code: WR Invention Title: "APPARATUS AND METHOD OF PLAYING GAME" a0 0 ft S S The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- 2 This invention relates to the provision of selection means.

Particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to the provision of selection means for use in games.

Selection means available to date have been subject to one or more of a number of problems oDeo0* indicated below.

Some selection means have been relatively s complex to manufacture and use; some selection means take a relatively long time to provide a result; the numbers, colours or other indicia displayed by some selection means are not I relatively easy to read; some selection means, such as mere dice are relatively easily lost or otherwise susceptible to being mis-thrown or otherwise mis-used; some selection means are unable to relatively quickly provide a plurality or sequence of indicia.

It is an object of at least one embodiment of this invention to come some way in overcoming at least some of the abovementioned problems. Other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description.

3 According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a selection means including on its outer surface a plurality of faces which are substantially transparent and on any one of which the selection means may rest, and at least one compartment containing dice means displaying indicia, said selection means being shakeable to agitate said dice means within said compartment, said compartment formed to prevent release of said 10 dice means therefrom during agitation, said dice means resting inside and said indicia discernible o*n from outside said compartment through said ee e transparent faces when said selection means is at Srest.

Other aspects of this invention will become 0: apparent from the following description in relation to the drawings in which: •0 Figure 1 shows one example of this invention; Figure 2 shows another example of this invention; 4 Figure 3 shows yet another example of this invention; Figure 4 shows a yet further example of this invention; and, Figure 5 shows still another example of this invention.

The examples of the invention shown in the drawings and referred to in the following description are provided by way of example only.

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Neither the drawings nor the description are intended to be definitive of the invention which should be considered in all its novel aspects.

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Turning first to consider Figure 1, this example of the invention is formed in a substantially transparent plastics material. In this example selection means 1 is provided with six faces on its outer surface and is substantially cube-shaped. As shown in Figure 1, selection means S *0 1 is resting on substantially flat face 2, the face substantially opposite face 3.

In this example the outer surface of selection means 1, substantially as defined by the six faces shown in the drawings, is formed so that the selection means will, when thrown or otherwise placed on a supporting surface, rest only on the faces shown.

5 It should be noted that in the context of this invention, when it is said the selection means will "rest", that is to say that the selection means will, under normal conditions, position in a relatively stable position on a suitable supporting surface.

Returning now to the example of Figure 1, it will be seen that in this example the outer ourface of the selection means 1 is substantially defined a by the faces on which the selection means will aa rest.

Though the selection means of this example of the invention is provided in a substantially cubic shape, it should be well appreciated that in other forms of the invention other shapes will be prorided. The important thing is that the selection means includes a plurality of faces, preferably substantially flat, on its outer surface on which the selection means may rest.

The selection means 1 includes in this example one compartment, compartment 4, in which dice means 5 is positioned. The compartment is provided inside selection means 1 as a hollow portion of the selection means. Faces on the dice 6 merns, such as face 6, display traditional indicia in this example.

One dice means is provided in compartment 4 of selection means 1 in this example. However, in other examples, more than one dice means may be provided.

Further, in this example the outer surface of S* the dice means 5 is shaped to correspond to the Oe@* a outer surface of the selection means. In other a. examples of the invention, the outer surface of the dice means will take a different shape to the outer

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surface of the selection means.

Further, in other examples of the invention the dice means wil, not be six sided. Indeed, it is envisage that any suitable dice means, whether six-faced, ten-faced or having any other number of faces, may be used.

The selection means 1 is shakeable to agitate the dice means 5 within compartment 4.

As can be seen, the compartment is formed to prevent release of the dice means 5 from the compartment during agitation.

7 As shown in the drawing, the dice means 5 is resting inside and on the floor of compartment 4, the indicia displayed on the dice means are discernible from outside the compartment, and the selection means 1 is at rest on the substantially flat face 2.

Turning now to consider Figure 2. Here a further example of the invention is shown. In this Sexample selection means 7 can be seen which O, includes three compartments, compartment 9, compartment 10 and compartment 11. These compartments contain dice means 12, dice means 13 5 and dice means 14, respectively. Each of the dice means display indicia. In this example the dice means 9 and 11 display numerals and the dice means 10 displays mathematical functions, of which the o functions can be seen.

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Like selection means 1, selection means 7 is shakeable. And, like the dice means 5 and selection means 1, the dice means 12, 13 and 14 will be agitated within their respective compartments when selection means 7 is shaken.

As shown in the drawings, selection means 7 is at rest on face 8. In this position, the dice means 12, 13 and 14 rest within the compartments 9, 8 and 11, and the indicia displayed on the dice means are discernible from outside those compartments.

As will be appreciated, in this example of the invention the compartments 9, 10 and 11 are positioned both adjacent one another and substantially in line. Thus, by operating selection means 7, a predetermined sequence of indicia can be displayed. In this example, o selection means 7 may be operated to assist in mathematical gaming, according to one game of which O* r a player may be required to answer the question,

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"what does 2 x 7 equal?".

S* •Figures 3 and 4 show further examples of the invention where a plurality of compartments are provided. The modules which make up these examples of the invention are substantially identical to the single unit shown in Figure 1. As will be S*0* appreciated, many of the alternatives described in relation to the invention of Figure 1 apply in the case of that type of invention where a plurality of compartments are provided.

Figure 5 shows one example of the invention where engagement means, including enlargement and recess 16, are provided to assist an operator to build up selection means from modules such as module 17.

9 Thus it will be appreciated that by this invention there are provided selection means which in at least one embodiment provide some of the following advantages: relatively simplicity of manufacture and use; a relatively quick result; relatively easy viewing; a minimisation of the chance of losing or otherwise mis-throwing dice means, and the ability to provide in one relatively simple operation a sequence of indicia.

0 0 Where in the foregoing description reference *0 has been made to specific components or integers of the invention having known equivalents then such

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equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth.

Although this invention has been described by way of example and with reference to possible S embodiments thereof it is to be understood that modifications or improvements may be made thereto without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.

invention.

Claims

1. A selection means including on its outer surface a plurality of faces which are substantially transparent and on any one of which face said selection means may rest, and at least one compartment containing dice means displaying indicia,' said selection means being shakeable to agitate said dice means within said compartment, said compartment formed to prevent release of said dice means therefrom during agitation, said dice means resting inside and said indicia discernible from outside said compartment through said transparent faces when said selection means is at *oo rest.

2. A selection means as claimed in claim 1 including a plurality of compartments each containing respective said dice means displaying indicia.

3. A selection means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said outer surface is formed such that the selection means will rest only on said faces. 11

4. A selection means as claimed in claim 3 wherein the outer surface of the selection means is substantially defined by said faces.

A selection means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said dice means is provided as a plurality of dice means.

6. A selection means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the outer surfaces of said dice means and said selection means are shaped 0e substantially to correspond with one another. 0

7. A selection means as claimed in claim 2 or any one claims to 6 when dependent on claim 2 Goe$ wherein said compartments are positioned substantially in line with one another. DATED THIS TWENTYFIRST day of JANUARY 1994 0 NEVILLE JEFFERY Applicant WRAY ASSOCIATES Perth, Western Australia Patent Attorneys for the Applicant ABSTRACT A selection means includes on its outer surface a plurality of faces on which it may rest. The selection means also includes a compartment containing dice means displaying indicia. The selection means is shakeable to agitate the dice means within the compartment, and the compartment is formed to prevent release of the dice means therefrom during agitation. The dice means rest inside the compartment and the indicia are discernible from outside the compartment when the selection means is at rest. e e 0 es S*. 0e r r oj r I