Abstract:
A versatile, ergonomic marking device for marking game cards such as bingo cards, having a container of a liquid ink and a porous sponge dabber by which to apply the ink, in which the container body is shaped to enable it to be held in various ways and the container head holding the dabber is positioned at an optimum angle relative to the container body to enable rapid play with a minimum of hand and arm motion.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/272,656, filed Mar. 1, 2001. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an accessory for playing bingo and other such games by marking numbers or other indicia on the game cards using a marking medium such as a translucent colored ink.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Translucent ink marking devices are well known in the prior art, including for use in playing games such as bingo. The bingo marking devices usually will include a plastic container to provide a reservoir for the ink, with an opening at one end that is covered by a porous sponge “dabber.” Typically, such marking devices will include a cap to enclose the dabber when not in use and are usually disposable after the ink supply is consumed. To mark the bingo card, the container is grasped by the container and inverted over the card with the dabber pressed against the card on the desired location in order to cause a predetermined amount of ink to flow through the dabber and be deposited on the card at that location. However, the marking devices known to applicants are not ergonomically well designed and prevent rapid play, because the angle at which they must held either will temporarily obscure the card, or increase the potential for fatigue, or both.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    The present invention relates to an improved ink marking device that is especially configured to enable the user both to hold the marker in any one of a number of ergonomically sound positions that are suited to the user and his or her physical conditions, and to clearly see the indicia simultaneously on a number of game cards, while in the process of marking, in all of those positions. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]    The features of the present invention can be best understood from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of a marking device according to the present invention;  
         [0007]    [0007]FIGS. 2, 3,  4  and  5  are front, back, TOP and bottom views, respectively, of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 6 is a is a side view with the cap removed;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 7 cross-sectional view taken on line  7 - 7  of FIG. 2 with the cap removed; and  
         [0010]    [0010]FIGS. 8, 9,  10  and  11  partially illustrate a few of the possible positions by which the marker may be comfortably held without obstructing the view of the game cards.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0011]    Referring now to the drawing, a marking device  10  according to our invention comprises a container body  12  made preferably of a molded plastic material which is formed to include an ink chamber  14  containing a suitable translucent ink composition  16 . Integral with and at the top end of the container body  12  is an applicator head  30  having circular opening  18  the outer side of which is provided with an integrally molded thread  19  to receive a cap  20  when the marker  10  is not in use. Mounted in the opening  18  is a retainer insert  19  that is affixed to head  30  by adhesive or a press fit. Insert  19  at its top side includes a number of holes  21  patterned to control ink flow to a foam dabber  22  which is fixed to the insert  19  and covers the holes  21  as shown in FIG. 6. Dabber  22  acts as the applicator of the ink  16  when the marker  10  is inverted and the dabber  22  is pressed against the game card at the desired location.  
         [0012]    The material compositions of the container  12 , applicator head  30 , cap  20  and insert  19 , as well as those of the ink  18  and the dabber  22  may be selected from any number of suitable compositions which are known in the art for making ink marking devices and, accordingly, need not be described in further detail.  
         [0013]    The present invention is particularly useful to bingo players who simultaneously play a large number of game cards in each bingo game and thus are required to scan the cards with rapid and a highly coordinated hand and eye movement to be able to mark the appropriate cards at the correct locations in a very limited period of time. Because bingo players very often have physical limitations because of age and the like, and often will play for long periods of time over many games, our invention is especially suited for that purpose.  
         [0014]    Referring now specifically to the features of the invention, the container body  12  is configured with a grip  28  in a generally oval cross section with a circumferential girth at its center of about 4 and ½ inches. At the two ends of grip  28  are a pair of partially restricted neck portions  24  and  26  located as shown near the upper and lower ends of the body  12 . The neck portions  24  and  26  are spaced from each other by a distance, e.g., about 2 and ¾ inches, approximating the spacing between the first and last fingers of a smaller adult hand and between the first and third fingers of a larger adult hand, both when comfortably spaced without undue muscle tension required. Located in the container body  12  above the upper neck portion  24  is the applicator head  30  which is molded integrally with body  12  at a preferred angle of about 30° relative to the grip  28 . The top open end of head  30  containing the thread  19  is circular in order receive cap  20 , whereas the dabber  22  is positioned and held by the retainer insert  19 .  
         [0015]    Further according to the invention, the lower end of applicator head  30  on its larger angle side is configured to include a substantially straight section 36 about ¾ inches in vertical length and at about 15° from the vertical axis of the container body  12 , which is designed to serve as a control surface by which the marker  10  may be manipulated with the end of a finger. Thus, section  36  provides an optional surface at which the tip of a forefinger or other finger or thumb may be positioned to press the dabber  22  against a game card (see FIGS. 8 and 9). On the smaller angled side of the head is an outwardly rounded portion  38  which together with section  36  can provide a ready hand stop by which to quickly pick up the marker  10  from its standing rest while still having the hand in a position enabling the user quickly to move the marker  10  into the desired position for holding the marker  10  while playing a game. Similarly, section  36  also provides the option of enabling the user to place the upper joint of a forefinger at its top end to enable the user to use the end of a forefinger above the top joint as the means to apply the applicator pressure (see FIG. 10). As another example, marker  10  can be held securely at its bottom by neck portion  26  as shown by FIG. 11. In all of the holding options illustrated, as well as others that may now be apparent, it can be seen that the marker  10  can be held in a variety of comfortable positions while in use, without undue pressure on the wrist and hand joints, and still enabling it to be held in a position that optimizes visibility of the many game cards being played and scanned in the brief time available for each game call.  
         [0016]    Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to a preferred embodiment, the invention is not so limited, as other embodiments are possible within the spirit and scope of the following claims.