Patent Abstract:
A portable board or platform for playing cards outdoors where wind might blow away cards. A plurality of card engaging members may be placed in any orientation on the playing surface of the board to accommodate a number of cards at selected locations on the platform. The members are releasably secured to the platform by means of hook and loop Velcro type elements, placed on the platform and on the card engaging members respectively.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to portable game boards on which various card games may be played outdoors under windy conditions, while preventing cards placed on the board surface from blowing away. More particularly, the board has a plurality of card engaging members capable of releasably holding a number of playing cards, with each of such members being releasably secured to the upper surface of said board in a number of different locations and at a generally infinite number of orientations relative to the edges of the board. 
     Heretofore, a variety of game boards have been invented for the purpose of facilitating the playing of cards out doors under even windy conditions. However, the boards of the prior art have a number of defects and shortcomings which are overcome by the present invention. By way of example, Hatley U.S. Pat. No. 3,635,478 discloses a board with a plurality of spring arms releasably attached to the board and whose distal ends are urged towards the board and adapted to hold one or a number of playing cards between the ends of the arms and the upper surface of the board. The spring arms may be moved, but only to a limited number of specifically oriented positions on the board. 
     Similarly, Zirin U.S. Pat. No. 2,453,292 provides resilient card holding clips which may be moved to a number of discrete predetermined locations on the board, but cannot be universally positioned and oriented to better accommodate various games and various number of players. 
     Other prior art references disclose card boards for holding cards in a number of different ways, such as magnetically or in some form of non-movable or fixed strips. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a game board which can be folded for storage and opened to provide an upper relatively flat or planar surface on which any number of card games can be played. 
     To prevent cards placed on such upper surface from blowing away under windy conditions, a plurality of card retaining clips are provided which can be releasably secured to substantially any location on said upper surface, and at any desired angular orientation relative to the edges of the board. 
     In the preferred embodiment, hook and loop portions of Velcro attachments are respectively applied to the upper surface of the board and to the lower surface of the clips, to permit the releasable securing of the clips to the board. 
     The clips preferably have a flat base position, an intermediate curved portion extending from one end of the clip and an end position resiliently urged towards the upper surface of the base portion so as to hold one or more cards therebetween. 
     In a folded condition, the upper surface of the board, bearing one of the Velcro attachments is folded upon itself. However, the edges of the board and/or the lower surface of the board (which is exposed when the board is folded) may also have similar Velcro attachments affixed thereto so that the clips may be conveniently attached to the board when the board is stored or transported. Also, the Velcro attachments may be used as a means for hingedly connecting two parts of the board for folding, and for releasably securing the boards in a folded condition. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the game board of the present invention in its open operative position. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the game board of the invention in its folded inoperative position. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one type of card engaging clip for holding a limited number of cards. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second type of card engaging clip for holding a larger number of cards. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the game board with both types of clips in selected positions on the board releasably holding one or more cards. 
     FIG. 6 is a cross section view taken substantially along line  6 — 6  of FIG.  5  and on an enlarged scale. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The game board  10  of the present invention includes a generally rigid, form-retaining base member  12  formed of wood, pressed board, metal, plastic, or the like, and has a substantially flat coplanar upper surface  14  and a substantially flat coplanar lower surface  16 . In its preferred form, the base member  12 , in its operative or playing condition, is of generally rectangular shape having side edge portions  18 , and end edge portions  20 . The member  12  could have other shapes, such as circular, square, polygonal, or the like, but for reasons to be hereinafter discussed, it is preferred that the base member  12  have a center symmetrically disposed fold line  22  along which the base may be folded in half, with the upper surface  14  of the two halves or sections comprising the base member, folding against each other and with the respective side and end edges being in general alignment. 
     With a rectangular shaped configuration, the corners are preferably rounded as indicated at  23  to avoid sharp corners and to present a more aesthetic appearance. 
     Suitable protective trims, such as half round moldings  24  may be placed along the side and end edges of the corners of the board. 
     FIGS. 1,  5 , and  6  illustrate the base member  12  in its open or operative condition. FIG. 2 shows the base member in its folded condition for carrying, storage, or the like. The manner of folding the two sections and securing them in such a folded condition will be later discussed in more detail. 
     The game board  10  comprises one portion of the present invention, and the other portion consists of one or more clips  28  which may be releasably attached to the upper surface of the game board in any desired position relative to the edges and ends of the board, and in any desired angular orientation relative to such edges and ends. The clips are adapted to releasably hold one or more playing cards which otherwise would be placed on the board and be subject to windy conditions causing the cards to be blown away. 
     The clips  28  are of generally conventional design and may be purchased at most stationery stores. Each clip includes a lower flat base section  30  of generally rectangular configuration having a medial curved section  32  and a distal end section  34  extending back over the base section, with the section  34  being resiliently urged towards the base section by the nature of the curved medial section  32 . With this type of clip, one or more playing cards  36  may be inserted between the sections  30  and  34  and held therebetween. When it is believed that a large number of cards are to be releasably held by a clip, the latter may be of the type  40 , shown in FIG. 4, similar to clip  28 , but with the end section  44  normally spaced from the base section  46  so as to accommodate, for example, a full deck of cards  48 . The medial portion  50  will still cause the section  44  to be urged towards the base section so as to hold the stack of cards in place. 
     The clips and the board are constructed so that any required number of the clips can be releasably secured to the upper surface of the board so as to position one or more cards, or a deck of cards, at substantially any desired location and at any desired angular orientation. The exact number of clips and their location and orientation on the board will depend on the particular card game being played. For example, if two persons are playing gin rummy, it may be desirable to have two clips near the center of the board one for holding undealt cards which may be drawn one at a time by the players, and the other for holding discards. It may also be desired to have one clip adjacent each end of the board to receive the cards initially dealt to each player. If bridge is being played, there would normally be four players, and it may be desirable to place a clip adjacent each side and edge of the board for the dealt cards and additional clips for receiving the cards being played. 
     The manner of attaching the clips to the board will now be described. In general, the lower surface  60  of the base section of each clip and the upper surface  14  of the game board are respectively provided with hook positions and loop portions of fastening material commercialized under the trademark or trade name VELCRO. As shown, substantially the entire upper surface  14  of the board is covered with a sheet  62  of loop elements of one such Velcro fasteners and the lower surface  60  of each clip is covered, at least in part, by a sheet  64  of the hook elements of the other Velcro fasteners. Thus, each clip can be releasably attached to the board in substantially any location and in any angular disposition. The hook and loop positions can obviously be reversed. 
     Although the upper surface of the board is illustrated as being the Velcro loop fastener sheet  62  substantially covering such surface, it is clearly within the scope of this invention to have the Velcro material  62  placed in spaced strips or the like, or in small patches in only selected positions on the board where the clips  28  or  40  are likely to be deployed. 
     At the fold line  22  where the two sections of the game board meet, the looped Velcro fastener sheet  62  on one section overlies its edges at  68  and continues down and around the lower surface  16  of the board at  70 . The Velcro fastener sheet  62  on the adjacent section terminates short of the fold line. A hooked or complementary Velcro sheet  72  covers the edge of each adjacent section and a short portion of the upper and lower surfaces of each section. In this manner, the two sections are not only attached to each other by the interaction of the loop and hook elements on the Velcro sheets  68  and  72 , but such connection also permits the two sections to be pivotally movable between an open and folded condition. The sheet  72  may be attached to its board by adhesive or any other suitable means. 
     Preferably, the edge and end positions of the board are also covered with the loop Velcro elements  74  so that in its folded condition, the clips may be attached to such edges for storage or carrying purposes when the board is not being used. 
     Also, if desired, one or more small sections of looped Velcro elements  76  can be secured to the lower surface  16  of the board  9 , (which becomes the exposed surface when the sections are folded) on which clips can also be placed for storage, including a clip capable of holding a deck of cards. 
     To releasably hold the sections in their folded or stored position, a small section  78  of a looped Velcro element can be secured to a lower surface  16  of one section, and a strip  80  of a hook Velcro element secured to the other base section for releasable attachment to the loop element  78 .

Technology Classification (CPC): 8