Patent Publication Number: US-2010117298-A1

Title: Vehicle designer

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to board games and more particularly to a board game for developing skills in creating functional and ornamental land vehicle designs. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Board games exist in which pieces form structures, such as houses, on boards or simulate a process. They are games of chance whose outcomes depend on throws of dice or rotations of spinners. None develop skills in creating functional and ornamental vehicle designs. Twining, U.S. Pat. No. 2,506,184 and Zelazny, U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,128 are exemplary of the board games of chance. 
     Twining U.S. Pat. No. 2,506,184 discloses a board game in which boards and pieces that have images of parts of homes and garages are distributed to players. The pieces are placed on individual boards until a pointer points to an image on a spinner that cannot be played. The first player to place all of his pieces on his board wins the game. 
     Zelazny U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,128 discloses a board game in which players compete to maximize profits. A board is divided into areas that correspond to phases of a project, such as an apartment building or parking garage. The phases represent phases of construction (excavation, structural steel work, etc.), define the costs of the phases and determine profit and loss. Generic icons are advanced on the board according to a throw of a dice. A game is ended when all projects are completed or a time has expired. The player with the most money at the end of a game wins. Neither Twining nor Zelazny teach skills in the art of functional and vehicle ornamental design. 
     A proficient vehicle designer must have knowledge of subjects that are indirectly related to vehicle design. He must be familiar with the attributes of vehicle systems including their function, environmental effects, government regulations and industry practices that affect vehicle design. In many cases, he will be directed to modify an ornamental vehicle design or to change its function by developing a derivative model, e.g., a convertible, cross-over vehicle or mini van, that shares common parts. 
     Vehicle manufacturers divide vehicles into systems and sub-systems, for example, body, engine, transmission and suspension systems and sub-systems such as instrument panels, underbodies, hoods, fenders and roofs. 
     Vehicle systems and sub-systems must provide space for a driver, passengers, engine, fuel tank and cargo. They must conform to government standards, e.g. the bumper height standard; they must not conflict with the environment, e.g. ground clearance; and must meet a purchaser&#39;s requirements, e.g. comfort, cargo space, unobstructed driver vision and vehicle ingress and egress. The designer must be aware of vehicle systems and sub-systems and meet these requirements. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide an entertaining game for children and adults. Another object is to inform how the ornamental and functional designs of a land vehicle or land vehicle system are influenced by factors as the environment, functional and government mandated requirements. Another object is to provide a design aid for new and attractive ornamental land vehicle designs and land vehicle systems. 
     With the foregoing objects in mind, a board game is provided that is comprised of one or more game boards; an assortment of tiles that contain images of portions of land vehicles or land vehicle systems; a reference underlay that defines a minimum envelope for an ornamental land vehicle design; a writing instrument such as a soft pencil or fine tip marker; sheets of semi-transparent paper and a releasable means for retaining the tiles on the game board. 
     By assembling tiles on the game board, a player gains an understanding of how derivative models, such as sedans, cross-over vehicles and convertibles that share common parts can be derived from a land vehicle. A reference underlay is provided for creating entirely new ornamental and functional vehicle designs. 
     One feature of the invention is that it applies to commercial as well as passenger land vehicles and land vehicle systems such as engines, transmissions and suspensions. 
     In employing the teaching of the present invention, a plurality of alternate constructions can be provided to achieve the desired results and capabilities. In this disclosure, only several embodiments are presented for the purpose of disclosing our invention. However, these embodiments are intended as examples only and should not be considered as limiting the scope of our invention. 
     The foregoing features, benefits, objects and best mode of practicing the invention as well as additional benefits and objects will become apparent from the ensuing detailed description of a preferred embodiment and the subject matter in which exclusive property rights are claimed is set forth in the numbered claims which are appended to the detailed description of the preferred embodiment. 
     Further features and benefits will become apparent by reference to the drawings and ensuing detailed description of a preferred embodiment that discloses the best mode contemplated in carrying out the invention. The exclusive rights that are claimed are set forth in each of the numbered claims following the detailed description of the preferred embodiment. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be better understood and further objects, characterizing features, details and advantages thereof will appear more clearly with reference to the diagrammatic drawings illustrating a presently preferred specific embodiment of the invention by way of non-limiting example only. 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of a game board and a group of tiles mounted on the board. 
         FIG. 2  is-a left side view of the  FIG. 1  board and tiles. 
         FIG. 3  is a tilted left hand view of the  FIG. 1  board and tiles. 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of one of the tiles taken on the line  4 - 4  in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the tile taken on the line  4 - 4  in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a plan view of the board shown in  FIG. 1  without the tiles. 
         FIG. 7  is a left side view of the  FIG. 6  board. 
         FIG. 8  shows the  FIG. 6  board in a tilted position with a vehicle assembled with the tiles of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 9  is a left side view of the  FIG. 8  board and vehicle. 
         FIG. 10  is a reference underlay for an ornamental and functional design of a vehicle. 
         FIG. 11  is a left side view of the reference underlay. 
         FIG. 12  is a plan view of a board for creating a new vehicle design. 
         FIG. 13  is a left side view of the  FIG. 12  board. 
         FIG. 14  is a front view of a foldable game board. 
         FIG. 15  is a plan view of the  FIG. 14  game board. 
         FIG. 16  shows a half portion of the  FIG. 14  game board tilted upwardly. 
         FIG. 17  is a plan view of a second folded game board. 
         FIG. 18  is a cross-sectional view taken on the line  18 - 18  in  FIG. 17 . 
         FIG. 19  is an alternate embodiment of a game board according to the invention. 
         FIG. 20  is a left side view of a pick-up truck. 
         FIG. 21  is a left side view of an extended cab derivative of the pick-up truck of  FIG. 20 . 
         FIG. 22  is a left side view of a panel delivery truck derivative of the pick-up truck of  FIG. 20 . 
         FIG. 23  is a board and tiles for developing skills for an ornamental and functional design of a vehicle instrument and control system. 
         FIG. 24  is a left side view of the  FIG. 23  board and tiles. 
         FIG. 25  is a reference underlay for designing a vehicle instrument and control system. 
         FIG. 26  is a left end view of the  FIG. 25  reference underlay. 
         FIG. 27  is a board and arrangement of tiles for a vehicle instrument and control system. 
         FIG. 28  is a left side view of the  FIG. 27  board and arrangement of tiles. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, in  FIG. 1  a board game  30  is shown comprised of a random assortment of tiles  31  that have images of portions of vehicles and a game board  32 . Although only a small number of tiles  31  are shown for the purpose of describing our invention, it is our intention to provide a small number of tiles in board games for young children and larger number of tiles in board games for adults and older children. One feature of the invention  30  is that the tiles  31  can be combined in various ways to create ornamental vehicle designs and models that share common tiles. Another feature of the tiles  31  is that they may differ in color as well as image. 
     Another feature of our invention is that the tiles  31  are releasably retained to the board  32 . Several ways are available for releasably retaining the tiles  31  to the board  32 . A preferred way is to magnetically retain the tiles  31 . Another way is to retain them with a releasable adhesive. Several ways are available for magnetically retaining the tiles  31  to the board  32 . One way is to make the board  32  and tiles  31  from a material with finely dispersed magnetic particles. 
     The tiles  31  may be made entirely from magnetic material such as a single magnetic layer  33 , as shown in  FIG. 4  or a lower magnetic layer  34  joined to a non-magnetic upper base layer  35 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , for the board a magnetic layer  36  is an upper layer and a non-magnetic layer  37  is a base layer. Magnetic coatings are available which can be used instead of a magnetic sheet material. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a pair of legs  38  is pivotally mounted to corners of the board  32 . The legs  38 , which are optional, are used to tilt the board  32  as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 6 , reference marks  39  may be provided on the board  32  to locate a vehicle on the board  32 . The reference marks  39  consist of a horizontal ground line  40  and centerlines  41  for locating apertures  42  in front  43  and rear  44  wheels. In  FIG. 8  a 4-door sedan  45  is shown which has been assembled on the board  32  from the tiles  31  of  FIG. 1 . The ornamental design of the vehicle  45  can be changed by replacing the roof  46 , front fenders  47 , rear fenders  48 , and/or the wheels  49  with the roof  50 , front fenders  51 , rear fenders  52  and wheels  53  of  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 10 through 14 , a design aid  54  is shown for creating new ornamental and functional designs. The design aid  54  is comprised of a reference underlay  55  which defines a minimum envelope  56  for an ornamental design, a drawing board  57 , a usual writing instrument such as a soft pencil or fine tip marker (not shown), and usual transparent or semi-transparent paper, commonly referred to as vellum (not shown). The reference underlay  55  is preferably a sheet of paper that is retained in a frame  59  of the drawing board  57 . The frame  59  also locates the transparent paper on the board  57 . The reference underlay  55  may also be on a sheet of magnetic paper retained to a magnetic drawing board  57 . New ornamental designs are created by placing the transparent or semi-transparent sheet over the reference underlay  55  and covering the reference underlay  55  with the new design. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 14 through 16 , an embodiment  60  is shown in which two half boards  61 ,  62  are joined together to form a foldable board. At the center of one of the half boards  61 , a leg  63  is pivotally attached to the underside of the half board  61 . As shown in  FIG. 16 , when the leg  63  is rotated away from the half board  61 , a free edge  64  of the half board  61  is raised to tilt the half board  61  about an axis  65  that lays in the junction of the half boards  61 ,  62 . When the half board  61  is not tilted, the leg  63  is stored against the half board  61  and retained with a pair of facing magnets  62  on the leg  63  and half board  61 . 
     In  FIGS. 17 and 18 , a folded board  67  is shown that is comprised of a half board  68  magnetically retaining a random assortment of tiles joined to half board  70  for forming a vehicle image with an assembly of some of the tiles and for retaining a reference underlay. 
     In  FIG. 19  a board game  71  is shown that is comprised of a foldable board  72 , an assortment of tiles  73  mounted on a first half portion  74  of the foldable board  72  and an image of a truck  75  on a second half portion  76  of the foldable board  72  from an arrangement of the tiles  73 , according to the present invention.  FIGS. 20 ,  21  and  22  are exemplary of three commercial vehicles, i.e. a standard pick-up truck  77 , extended cab pick-up truck  78 , and panel delivery pick-up truck  79  that share common parts. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 23 through 28 , a board game  80  and an assortment of tiles  81  are shown for developing skills in creating functional and ornamental designs of a vehicle instrument and control system. In  FIGS. 25 and 26  a reference underlay  83  is shown for positioning the instruments and controls. The reference underlay  83  establishes a maximum envelope for locating the instruments and controls. In  FIGS. 27 and 28  are shown a board  84  and a design  85  which was created with the assistance of the reference underlay of  FIGS. 23 and 24 . 
     Although only several embodiments of our invention have been illustrated and described, it is obvious that other embodiments can be provided by changes that are obvious to persons skilled in the art such as changes or substitutions of material and shape without departing from the spirit thereof.