Abstract:
A rotatable illuminated game board system to adapt to contemporary board games or for use with newly-conceived games, the system including stained glass elements adhered to a translucent plate beneath a modified printed sheet of game instructions and rules, all atop a quadrilateral housing attached to a stationary platform by means of a Lazy Susan type bearing allowing rotatability, said housing containing a switchable electric light source that permeates the stained glass elements and accentuates such areas on the playing surface that are important to the game&#39;s strategy or esthetic quality.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO PENDING PATENT APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to provisional U.S. Pat. App. No. 61/234,707, filed Aug. 18, 2009. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to back-lit stained glass elements substituted for strategic areas on the playing surface of table board games, such lighting and glass elements contained within a rotatable enclosure, to improve the esthetic appearance of the playing surface and thereby enhancing the enjoyment of the game&#39;s participants. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    A board game is a game in which counters or pieces that are placed on, removed from, or moved across a “board” (a premarked surface usually specific to that game). As do other forms of entertainment, board games can represent nearly any subject. 
         [0004]    There are many different types and styles of board games, including those at the most basic level that that have no inherent theme, such as Checkers, as well as more-complicated games with definite subjects, such as Chess. The board itself is usually a delineated quadrilateral surface. 
         [0005]    Board games have been played in most cultures and societies throughout history; some even pre-date literacy skill development in the earliest civilizations. 
         [0006]    Popular contemporary board games such as Monopoly®, Scrabble®, Risk®, and Trivial Pursuit®, involve an element of luck (the roll of the dice or the luck of the draw), but rely heavily on one&#39;s strategy in “capturing” or “landing on” certain areas that reward with bonus points or other advantages. A player may be hampered with a few poor draws or rolls of the dice, but over many games the player with superior strategy will win more often. In Scrabble® the luck factor involves randomly selected letters, and the strategy involves playing those (point-weighted) letters to their best advantage utilizing the various bonus squares on the board. 
         [0007]    The playing surface of most board games is a color-printed sheet of paper adhered to a thicker, opaque, more rigid quadrilateral member. Important areas are designated with different color ink or shadings to attract the players&#39; attention as they strategize. 
         [0008]    The invention herein provides a board game playing surface with stained glass pieces, replacing the opaque bonus areas, illuminated from below so as to give bright colors to an otherwise rather drab appearance. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The invention herein relates to improvements in “parlor” board games. While a great many versions of board games are in existence today, they universally are constructed of opaque playing surfaces on which is printed information and graphics that define the rules and object of the game. Generally the graphics depict areas of importance to the game&#39;s strategy, such as awarding bonus points for a participant to “occupy” that space with their playing piece or tile. Because of the common board&#39;s density, or lack of transparency, the brightness of those important areas is limited to the color and hue of printed ink. This invention provides a way to increase the brightness of particular important areas and enhance the enjoyment of the players. 
         [0010]    This invention may be adapted for use with a current popular board game, or utilized with a game yet to be conceived. 
         [0011]    The structure of this invention consists of a rotatable rectangular housing mounted on a stationary platform and having an open top to which is attached an assembly of a translucent plate with attached stained glass pieces upon, a printed paper sheet with openings to receive the stained glass pieces, and a transparent top member. Within the housing is a low-heat light source, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), to illuminate the stained glass pieces and provide pleasant visual accent to those strategically important areas on the game&#39;s playing surface. 
         [0012]    The electrical power cord traverses from within the housing to a wall outlet by means of openings in both the housing bottom and the stationary base. A “Lazy Susan” type bearing between the stationary platform and the housing allows rotatability. To prevent undue twisting of the electrical cord, a mechanical stop is provided, thereby limiting rotation to no more than 360°. 
         [0013]    A better understanding of the invention will be obtained from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawing figures. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described in further detail. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings (which are not to scale) where: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the current invention, here adapted for use with the contemporary board game Scrabble®, by way of example. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  with elements removed to reveal the interior of the housing, and with portions broken away to reveal elements below the housing. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a cross section elevational view taken along cutting plane  5 - 5  of  FIG. 2 , with elements omitted for purposes of clarity. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the transparent topmost element of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is an elevational view of the transparent topmost element, partially in section following cutting plane  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a top plan view of the flexible, printed, translucent modified game sheet of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  is an elevational view of the flexible translucent modified game sheet, partially in section following cutting plane  9 - 9  of  FIG. 8 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 10  is a top plan view of the translucent plate, with stained glass pieces attached, of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0025]      FIG. 11  is an elevational view of the translucent plate assembly of  FIG. 10 . 
           [0026]      FIG. 12  is a top plan view of a different game board. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0027]    It is to be understood that the invention that is now to be described is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and arrangement of the parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in a variety of ways. The phraseology and terminology employed within are for purposes of description and not limitation. 
         [0028]    Elements shown by the drawings are identified by the following numbers: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 10 
                 Game board, generally 
               
               
                   
                 12 
                 Housing assembly 
               
               
                   
                 14 
                 Platform assembly 
               
               
                   
                 16 
                 Stained glass elements 
               
               
                   
                 18 
                 Transparent top layer 
               
               
                   
                 20 
                 Decorative fasteners 
               
               
                   
                 22 
                 Housing 
               
               
                   
                 24 
                 Platform 
               
               
                   
                 26 
                 Feet 
               
               
                   
                 28 
                 Electrical cord 
               
               
                   
                 30 
                 Ridges 
               
               
                   
                 32 
                 Printed game sheet 
               
               
                   
                 34 
                 Printed graphics 
               
               
                   
                 36A 
                 Openings array 
               
               
                   
                 36B 
                 Stained glass elements array 
               
               
                   
                 38 
                 Openings 
               
               
                   
                 40 
                 Translucent plate 
               
               
                   
                 42 
                 Adhesive 
               
               
                   
                 44 
                 Lazy Susan type bearing 
               
               
                   
                 46 
                 Bearing outer race 
               
               
                   
                 48 
                 Bearing inner race 
               
               
                   
                 50 
                 Light source 
               
               
                   
                 52 
                 Pucks 
               
               
                   
                 54 
                 LEDs 
               
               
                   
                 56 
                 Transformer 
               
               
                   
                 58 
                 Bracket 
               
               
                   
                 60 
                 Enclosure bottom 
               
               
                   
                 62 
                 Enclosure bottom opening 
               
               
                   
                 64 
                 Platform opening 
               
               
                   
                 66 
                 Spacers 
               
               
                   
                 68 
                 Bottom surface 
               
               
                   
                 70 
                 Fastener 
               
               
                   
                 72 
                 Fastener 
               
               
                   
                 74 
                 Peg 
               
               
                   
                 76 
                 Peg 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0029]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating illuminated game board  10  with housing assembly  12  and platform assembly  14 . Stained glass elements  16  are visible through transparent top layer  18  which is attached to housing  22  by decorative screws  20 . Platform  24  with feet  26  supports housing assembly  12  by means of Lazy Susan type bearing  44  (not shown this view). Electrical cord  28  exits below platform  24  in the space provided by feet  26  and plugs into a convenient outlet. 
         [0030]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the game board  10  of  FIG. 1 . Illustrated is a modified printed game sheet  32  seen below transparent top layer  18 , both, by way of example, similar to those found in a version of the contemporary board game Scrabble®. Other existing games might well have been depicted instead. The example of Scrabble® is used in drawing  FIGS. 1 through 11 . Also seen in  FIG. 2  are stained glass elements  16  as they protrude through openings  38  in printed game sheet  32 . Graphics  34  on game sheet  32  might offer rules of the game, product information, and fanciful artwork. Electrical cord  28  emerges from under platform  24 , below housing  22 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 3  is an exploded isometric view of the game board  10  illustrating the various layers of structure. Transparent top layer  18  provides protection for the second layer printed game sheet  32  and also protects stained glass elements  16  which penetrate game sheet  32  by means of openings  38 . The array  36 A of openings is game sheet  32  corresponds identically with the array  36 B of stained glass elements  16  adhered to third layer translucent plate  40 . All three layers ( 18 ,  32 , and  40 ) are attached to housing  22  with decorative screws  20 . Housing  22  contains a low heat light source  50  such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), here shown as pucks  52  with LEDs  54 . Outer race  46  of “Lazy Susan” type bearing  44  is attached to platform  24  and inner race  48  is attached to housing  22  at final assembly. Electrical cord  28  passes through opening  62  of enclosure bottom  60 , thence through opening  64  in platform  24  and between feet  26 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the housing  22 , platform  24  and bearing  44 . The three top layers are omitted in this view. Low-heat light source  50  is shown here, as in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 5 , as several (here three) pucks  52  with LEDs  54 , with transformer  56  plugged into electrical extension cord  28  which exits through concentric openings  62  and  64  in bottom  60  and platform  24  respectively. Cord  28  is secured to bottom  60  with bracket  58  to prevent accidental strain on the internal electrical connection. Bearing  44  has inner race  48  attached to housing bottom  60  with screws  70  and outer race  46  attached to platform  24  with screws  72  in a conventional manner, forming the familiar “Lazy Susan” turntable effect. 
         [0033]    This view,  FIG. 4 , would be common to embodiments involving games other than Scrabble®, (see  FIG. 12 ) with the light source  50  being a variable. Fluorescent lights could also be used as a light source  50 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 5  is a cross section view taken along cutting plane  5 - 5  of  FIG. 2 , with some artistic license taken with regard to screw locations. Transparent top layer  18 , with ridges  30  to help position playing tiles, has bottom surface  68  proximate to stained glass elements  16 , that being accomplished with spacers  66  between top layer  18  and game sheet  32 . Stained glass elements  16  sit atop translucent plate  40  which diffuses the light from source  50 , causing a more even distribution and eliminating glare. Bearing  44  is attached to platform  24  with screws  72  through outer race  46  and attached to housing bottom  60  with screws  70  through inner race  48 . Cord  28  exits through opening  62  in housing bottom  60  and opening  64  in Platform  24 , and thence between feet  26 . Cord  28  is secured with bracket  58 . Light source  50  comprises pucks  52  with LEDs  54  arranged conveniently within housing  22 . Peg  74 , embedded in platform  24 , and peg  76 , embedded in closure bottom  60 , when colliding during rotation, provide a stop, thereby preventing a rotation of no more than 360 degrees and saving the electrical cord from twisting unnaturally. 
         [0035]      FIGS. 6 and 7  illustrate the transparent top layer  18 . Here again the layer  18  is similar to that found on a version of the contemporary game Scrabble®, having ridges  30  to aid in positioning playing tiles. Other adaptations of this invention would have top layers different from what is depicted here.  FIG. 6  is a top plan view and  FIG. 7  is an elevational view, partially in section according to cutting plane  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 . 
         [0036]      FIGS. 8 and 9  illustrate a modified printed game sheet  32 .  FIG. 8  is a top plan view with an array  36 A of openings  38  which corresponds identically with array  36 B of stained glass elements  16  shown in  FIG. 10 . Graphics  34  may offer game rules, product information, or fanciful artwork.  FIG. 9  is an elevational view, partially in section according to cutting plane  9 - 9  of  FIG. 8 . 
         [0037]      FIGS. 10 and 11  illustrate the translucent plate  40 .  FIG. 10  is a top plan view showing an array  36 B of stained glass elements  16  corresponding identically with array  36 A of openings  38  of sheet  32  seen in  FIG. 8 .  FIG. 11  is an elevational view with stained glass elements  16  adhered to layer  40  with adhesive  42  which is a common glass-to-slick-surface adhesive that dries clear. 
         [0038]      FIG. 12  is a top plan view of an illuminated game board  10 , showing the general configuration of the playing surface of another currently popular game, Trivial Pursuit®, and how it would be enhanced with stained glass elements  16  corresponding to the bonus areas of the game rules. In this example the stained glass elements  16 , in which a player is rewarded a “pie” in his playing wheel for correctly answering the question posed to him, may be illuminated in the color which corresponds to the color of the appropriate category in the game rules. 
         [0039]    It will be obvious that any conventional game board having areas that reward the player for landing thereon with his playing piece may be enhanced by the addition of illumination as described herein.