Patent Publication Number: US-2023158707-A1

Title: Game Piece Mold Device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     I hereby claim the benefit under 35 U.S.C. Section 119(e) of U.S. Provisional application 63/281,323 filed Nov. 19, 2021. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to board games and more particularly pertains to a new board game for molding game pieces for use in playing a board game. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to board games. Previously known board games utilize game pieces of a set structure with fixed shape. Known prior art does not provide for formation of game pieces using selectable molds. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a pair of panels hingedly coupled together. A mold insert has front and back sections each removably couplable to the pair of panels such that pivoting of the pair of panels into a closed position is configured to form a game piece out of clay positioned between the front and back sections. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG.  1    is a top view of a game piece mold device according to an embodiment of the disclosure in an open position. 
         FIG.  2    is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure in the open position. 
         FIG.  3    is a right side view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  4    is a left side view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  5    is a rear view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  6    is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  7    is a top front side perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  8    is a top front side perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure in a closed position. 
         FIG.  9    is a top front side perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure in the closed position. 
         FIG.  10    is a top view of front and back sections of a mold insert of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  11    is a bottom view of front and back sections of the mold insert of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS.  1  through  9    thereof, a new board game piece mold embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS.  1  through  9   , the game piece mold device  10  generally comprises a pair of panels  12 , 14  being hingedly coupled together. A mold insert  16  has a front section  18  and back section  20  each removably couplable to the pair of panels  12 , 14  such that pivoting of the pair of panels  12 , 14  into a closed position  22  is configured to form a game piece out of clay positioned between the front section  18  and back section  20 . The pair of panels  12 , 14 , front section  18 , and back section  20  are shaped to resemble a book. The term clay is intended to encompass natural and synthetic moldable materials including clay, dough, or the like. Each of the front section  18  and the back section  20  forms an enclosed empty space  22  between the front section  18 , the back section  20  and the respective panel  12 , 14 . Each of the front section  18  and the back section  20  has holes  24  extending therethrough in environmental communication with the empty space  22 . The holes  24  are positioned within a molding space  26  wherein the holes  24  are configured for allowing air and excess clay to pass through from the molding space  26  into the empty space  22 . Each hole  24  has a tapered peripheral edge wherein each hole  24  has a diameter adjacent the empty space  22  being larger than a diameter adjacent to the molding space  26 . 
     Each of the front section  18  and the back section  20  has a notch  28  therein. The notch  28  in the front section  18  and the notch  28  in the back section  20  are positioned facing the same direction when the front section  18  and back section  20  are engaged to the pair of panels  12 , 14 . The notch  28  is in environmental communication with the empty space  22  wherein the notch  28  is configured for clay within the empty space  22  to exit the empty space  22  through the notch  28 . Each of the front section  18  and the back section  20  are engageable to the pair of panels  12 , 14  by an interlocking pressure fit engagement such as a combination of a groove, slot, tab, protrusion, post, or similar interlocking structures. The interlocking pressure fit engagement of each of the front section  18  and back section  20  are positioned such that each of the front section  18  and back section  20  are engageable to the pair of panels  12 , 14  in a single orientation coordinating the positioning of the front section  18  to the back section  20 . A latch  30  is coupled to the pair of panels  12 , 14 . The latch  30  secures the panels in the closed position  22  when the latch  30  is engaged. 
     In use, the front section  18  and back section  20  are engaged to the pair of panels  12 , 14  and clay is placed between the front section  18  and back section  20 . Closing of the panels  12 , 14  compresses the clay within the molding space  16  between the front section  18  and back section  20  to form the clay into a game piece. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.