Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF TEIE INVENTION
Field of Invention
This invention relates to a table game which is par-
ticularly suited for younger children.
Description of the Prior Art
Table game3 for adults have been in existence for
many years and in many forms and include such well-known non-
card games as backgammon, chess, checkers, Chinese checkers and
Mah-Jongg, to name but a few.
Most such games are not enjo~ed by most younger children
because of the complicated rules and complex strategy required
to play such with some degree of proficiency.
SUMMARY OF THE INVE~TION
This invention relates to a ~able game such as Mah-Jongg
and can be played by two to four players positioned around a
table.
The format, procedures and rules of the game are pur-
posely designed to interest and be playable and enjoyed by
younger children while at ~he same time can perform a teaching
function to help the child player learn, as an example, to
recognize his or her colors, numbers, symbols, abbreviations,
letter~ of the alphabet, physiral objects or other educational
related information.
With two to four players seated a~out a typical card
table, each player alternatively selects a tile or playlng piece
from a quantity of tile3 placed face down in the middle of the
table.
The face of each t~le contains a design in a particular
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1 color such that there are, as an example, three sets of designs
and three sets of colors utilized. As noted above, the number
of different sets of designs and sets of colors utilized can be
widely varied. RegardleQs of the designs or colors utillzed,
the selection is made so that a younger child can recognize or
learn to recognize them.
The face-down tiles can conveniently be placed within
a rectangular board enclosed by a frame comprising four joined
legs on which a tile support rack may be slidably carried. As a
lo tile is selected by a player, the selected tile can be placed in
the rack with the face of the tilè containing the design facing
that player. Upon selection of a fixed number of ~iles by each
player, play begins.
Play comprises each player in turn selecting a ~ile
from the unselected tiles in the center of the table, preselected
to match the design or color of one of the tiles already pre-
selected and then discarding either the selected tile or keeping
the selected tile and discarding another tile as the case m~y
be. The first player to obtaln sets of matching tiles wins.
If the game is to comprise a series of matches, each
player is Rupplied a quantity of chips having a partlcular
value. The losing players of a match must give the winning
player chips equal to the number of unmatched tiles in tXat
player's hand. When one player gains sufficient chips to equal
or exceed a particular value, that player wins the game.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIO~ OF THE DRAWIN~S
Figure 1 is a perspective view showing tiles or playing
pieces placed ~n a playing board comprising a surface and framed
side~; -
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Figure 2 ic a front view of typical tiles having aparticular design on one face thereof;
Figure 3A and B is a per~pective view of one tile of
Figure 2 with Figure 3A showing a tile face up and Figure 3B
showing a tile face down;
Figure 4A, B and C is a front view of~the other tiles
which can be used in the game.
Figure 5A and B is a perspective view of a respective
rack for supporting a set of tiles of a player;
Figure 6 i8 a perspective view in particular section of
the playing board of Figure 1 with rac~s of Figure 5A supported
on the framed sides of the playing board; and
Figure 7 is a figuxe of counting chips used in this
game.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIO~ OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A playing board 1 for playing the game of this ~nvention
comprises a flat playing surface 2 surrounded by a raised frame
3 which includes frame members 3a, b, c and d.
As best ~:een in Figure 6, the raised frame members 3a-
3d are of sufficient height to carry a support rack 5a havingan inverted U-shaped portion 20 to slidably engage a top of each
frame member 3a-3d respectively and ad~oining U-shaped portion 22
in which tile3 4 can be positioned.
In Figure 5B is an alternate configuration of the sup-
port rack 5b wherein ~wo inverted U-shaped clips 24 are used to
slidably carry the rack 5b on a frame member.
The game comprises a plurality of tiles 4, in the case
of this embodiment 81, which have a box-like configuration as
best seen in Figure 3A and Figure 3B having five plain surfaces
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1 26 and a face 28 containing a design. As best seen in Figure 2
are examples of an antique automo~ile design 6, an airplane
design 7 and a sailing ship design 8. The object depicted by a
particular design has been chosen to be easily recogniza~le by
a young child. The designs 6, 7 and 8 are provided in a
particular color, as an example black. Designs 6a, 7a and 8a
are provided in a different color, as an example blue, and
designs 6b, 7b and ~b are provided in a third color, as an
example red.
It should be understood that the design chosen can
include more complex objects, similar designs having subtle
differences, letters of the alphabet and numbers so that a young
child player will be motivated to increase his or her skill in
the use of such symbols and perfect the ability of distinguish-
ing differences and recognizing similarities.
In a specific example of the game, 81 playing tiles
divided into nine tiles each comprising a first set having a
land transportation means indicia in a first color on one
exposed face of each of nine tiles in said set, a second set
having said land transportation means indicia of a second color
on one exposed face of each of nine tiles in said second set, a
third set having said land transportation means indicia of a
third color on one exposed face of each of nine tiles of said
set, a fourth set having an air transportation means indicia of
said first color on one exposed face of each of nine tiles of
said fourth set, a fifth set having said air transportation
- means indicia in said second color on one exposed face of each
of nine tiles of said fifth set, a sixth set having said air
transportation indicia in said third color on one exposed face
of each of nine tiles of said sixth set, a seventh set having
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t a water transportation means indicia of said first color on one
exposed face of each of nine tiles of said seventh set, an
eighth set having said water transportation means indicia of
said second color on one exposed face of each of nine tiles in
said eighth set, and a ninth set having said water transporta-
tion means indicia of said third color on one exposed face of
each of nine tiles of said ninth set were used.
A set of counting chips as shown in Figure 7 can be
provided to further assist in the educational process of the
players and, as shown, includes a hundred point chip 9, a fifty
point chip 10, a ten point chip 11 and a one point chip 12. By
using such chips, the game can be extended to include a series
of rounds or matches before the game is completed.
The game can be played by two to four players who are
positioned about the playing board 1 such that each player is
positioned opposite a particular frame member 3a-3d. In this
manner, each player may have his or her support rack 5a or 5b
to fit over the top of the opposite frame member 3a-3d, respect-
ively.
The plurality of tiles 4 (in this case 81 tiles) are
placed on the playing surface 2 of the playing board within the
enclosing frame member 3a-3d so that the face 28 containing a
particular design is face down and therefore remains hidden.
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1 If the counting chips 9-12 are to be used, these chips
9-12 are divided equally between the players so that each
player s~arts the game with chips, the sum of wh~ch is equal in
value.
Each player in turn selects a tile 4 from the plurality
of tiles on the playing board 1 and places that tile in the
tile support rack 5a such that the face 28 of the tile 4 con-
taining a design cannot be seen by the other players. Selection
of tile~ is completed when each player has nine tiles 4 leaving
45 unselected tiles if there are four players.
The first player to select a tile is rotated among
the players so that each player has an opportunity to select
first .
The first player to have three sets of ~hree matching
tiles wins the game or match, if the counting chips 9-12 are
utilized.
To obtain matching sets, the player who first selected
a tile to obtain-the original set of nine tiles, selects from .
the unselected tiles w~lch remain in the middle of the playing
20 board 1.
As matching may be obtained by either color or design,
upon ~election that player compare~ the selected tile with the
tiles ~n his or her hand. If his or her hand contains a like
color or like design, the selected tile is retained and a non-
matched tile discarded by placing it ~on the playing surface 2
so tha~ the face 28 remains hidden. If the design of-the selected
t~le 4 fail~ to match the design of any other tile in the hand,
the player ha~ the option of discarding the selected tile 4
or keeping the selected tile 4 and discarding another unmatched
tile 4.
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1 Selection and discarding of tiles 4 is performed in
turn by the players until one player obtains three set~ of three
matching tiles 4, as an example, three sets of three tiles of
one design and in one color, as an example, three tiles with the
airplane design in red, three tiles with the automobile design
in blue, and three tiles with the boat design in black.
~hen counting chips 9-12 are to be used, each player
must give a certain number of chips 9-12 to the first player
to win that round. The sum of the value of the chips, as an
lo example, can equal the number of unmatched tiles in the hand
of that player. The first player to obtain counting chips
having a value which is equal to or exceeds a particular value
wins the game.
An alternate procedure to utilize the elements of this
invention in a game for more mature children is as follows.
First, this game may be played by two, three or four
players with each player taking a seat at random around the
playing board 1 on which the eighty-one ~iles 4 should be well
mixed and placed ~ace down.
Each player then arrangec the tile~ 4 in two rows,
placing one row Dn top of the other with the face of each tile
down. The tiles 4 in each row may vary in number but should be
the same for each player. Any unselected tiles 4 should be
placed face down in the center of the playing surface 1.
The eldest hand or player to begin may be determined
by casting dice, as an example. Play begins by the eldest hand
selecting eîght tiles from the rows of tiles in front of that
player and placing the selected tiles in a rack, as an example,
the rack 5a in front of that player. Proceedin~ clockwise, the
other players then select in turn eight tiles 4 placing the
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1 selected tiles in their respective racks. Care should be taken
to pre~ent any other player from seein~ the selected tiles 4.
The same number and value of counting chips 9, 10, 11
and 12 is given to each player.
The eldesth~nd or player to ~egin picks up a tile
which is in ~he center of the row in front of him~ and attempts
to match that tile with other tiles in his hand. If that tile
matches, another unmatched tile in the hand is discarded. If
the picked up tile does not match, then the picked up tile or
another unmatched tile is discarded. All discarded tiles are
placed face up on the playing surface.
The next players select, in turn, the tile in the row
next to the previously selected tile, proceed with the matching
process and discard an unmatched tile face up.
Play continues successively until one of the players
has three sets of three tiles 4 of a kind in design and/or color
without discarding a tile 4. That round is then over with the
pla~er first obtaining three sets of three matching tiles declared
the winner.
The winner of a round earns a certain point value de-
pending on a predetermîned value assigned to a particular combin-
ation of designs and colors.
The losing players must give the winner the counting
chips 9, lQ, 11 and 12 which equal that amount to the points
which the winner o~tained,
After a series of rounds, the points that each winner
of a round has o~tained, are totaled and the player who has
o~tained the most points ~ecomes the winner in the game.
The Yalues assigned are as follows:
~ eaGh of the t~ree sets vary in color and design,
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1 i.e. three ~iles having a first de~ign but in differing colors,
or three tiles having the same color but in differing designs;
(2) each of the three sets is different in color or
design, i.e. three tiles having a first color, three tiles
having a first design and three tiles having a second color;
(3) each of the three sets is the same in color or
design, i.e. three tiles having a first color and a first
- design, three tiles having a first color and a second design and
three ~iles having a first color and a third design;
lo (4) two of three sets are the same in color and
design and one of three sets is varying in color and design,
i.e. six t~les having a first design in a first color and
three tiles in a second color having varying designs;
(5) all of three sets are the same in color and two
of them are the same in design, i.e. nine tiles of the same
color with six having the same design;
~6) aIl of three sets are the same in design and two
of them are the same color, i`.e. ni~e tiles of the same design
with six having the same color;
(7) all of three sets are the same in color and
design.
As seen in Figure 4, additiona~ designs can be utilized
and-as shown is a 8unny day design 30, a cloudy day design 32,
a rainy day design 34, a sun design 36, a moon design 38, a star
design 40, a pine tree design 42, a bamboo tree design 44 and a
flower design 46.
While various modifications may be suggested by those
versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to em~ody
within the scope of the patent warranted hereon, all such modifi-
cations as reasonably and properly come within the scope of my
contribution to ~he a~t.
