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Games with movable surfaces and methods for playing the sameRelated Patent Categories: Amusement Devices: Games, Board Games, Pieces, Or Boards ThereforGames with movable surfaces and methods for playing the same description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070029727, Games with movable surfaces and methods for playing the same. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is based upon and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119(e) to the Provisional Patent Application No. 60/686,762 entitled "Game With Movable Surfaces" and filed on Jun. 1, 2005, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] The present disclosure is directed to board games, and more particularly to board games in which the game board apparatus includes one or more superimposed surfaces that are configured to be selectively movable relative to each other to form a changeable pathway. In some embodiments, one surface may be configured for movement among a plurality of predetermined positions relative to another surface, wherein visible pathway indicia of the surfaces in each position align to define a continuous pathway from one surface to the other, such that the pathway is changeable by moving the movable surface from one position to another position. In some embodiments, support structure configured to support the multiple surfaces may also be configured for use as a game container. BACKGROUND [0003] Examples of game board apparatus with at least one movable surface can be found in the disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,903,226; 2,460,563; 3,601,403; 3,672,674; 3,762,714; 3,809,405; 4,188,034; 4,212,459; 4,231,571; 4,234,185; 4,298,202; 4,575,094; 5,749,575; 6,533,281, and U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2003/0111791. Examples of game board apparatus with multiple surfaces can be found in the disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,232,864; 4,236,713. Examples of game board apparatus with a changeable surface can be found in the disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,236,713; 5,087,052; 5,732,947, and in the "Settlers of Catan" board game system produced by Mayfair Games. Examples of board games in which the board game container is used as part of the game board structure can be found in the disclosures of U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,212 and U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2004/0007814. SUMMARY [0004] The present disclosure is directed to board games, and more particularly to board games in which the game board apparatus includes one or more surfaces that are configured to be movable relative to each other to form a changeable play surface. [0005] Embodiments of the game board apparatus may include separate upper and lower board elements each including a surface with pathway indicia indicated thereon, the surface of the upper board element superimposed above the surface of the lower board element, with one of the surfaces being selectively movable among a plurality of predetermined positions relative to the other. In each position, some of the pathway indicia of the surface of the lower board element may be concealed from view by the surface of the upper board element, and the visible pathway indicia of both surfaces may align to define, or distinctly delineate, one or more continuous pathways for movement of player movers on the surfaces, each continuous pathway leading from one surface to another. The one or more continuous pathways defined by the visible pathway indicia of both surfaces may be changeable by moving the selectively movable surface from one predetermined position to another. [0006] In some embodiments, the pathway indicia include movement spaces, such that the defined pathway consists of a plurality of adjacent movement spaces. In some embodiments, the surface of the upper board element may include at least one opening through which pathway indicia of the lower board element are visible. [0007] In some embodiments, the surfaces of the upper and lower board elements may be substantially planar, and disposed to be substantially parallel to each other. In such embodiments, one surface may be configured for translational or rotational movement relative to the other, such as in a direction, or plane of rotation, parallel to the other surface. [0008] An exemplary embodiment in which one surface is configured for translational movement may include a lower board element consisting of a strip of material that is marked with an array or pattern of movement spaces and placed underneath an upper board element consisting of a shorter piece of material also marked with an array of movement spaces. The visible movement spaces of the surfaces are arranged to align in each of a plurality of predetermined relative positions of one surface to the other, to define one or more continuous pathways, such as for movement of player movers on the surfaces. As such, sliding or otherwise moving the upper board element along the lower board element, or pulling the lower board element underneath the upper board element, changes the visible pathway indicia and thus one or more of the defined pathways. [0009] An exemplary embodiment in which one surface is configured for rotational movement relative to the other may include a lower board element in the form of a flat disk configured for rotational movement beneath a flat upper board element. Rotation of one board element to the other may be effected by means of a vertically extending knob or other device attached to the movable surface, or board element, that may be manipulated during game play. For example, a player may turn a knob to rotate the lower board element relative to the upper board element, changing the visible game pathway indicia and thus one or more of the defined pathways. [0010] In either of these and other exemplary embodiments, one or more continuous pathways from one surface to the other may be defined by the visible pathway indicia within a predefined area. The predefined area may be the entirety of visible pathway indicia on both surfaces, such as the pathway indicia of the upper board element and the pathway indicia of the lower board element surrounding the upper board element and that visible through any openings in the surface of the upper board element. Or, a peripheral edge of one surface, or boundary indicia indicated thereon, may indicate a predefined area. Optionally, a set of game rules may provide that only the continuous pathways formed by the visible pathway indicia within a predefined area is available for movement of player movers during game play. [0011] In some embodiments, the game board apparatus may further include support structure configured to support the upper and lower board elements relative to each other, and/or to enable or allow movement of the selectively movable surface relative to the other. For example, in an embodiment in which the surface of a lower board element is configured to be selectively movable relative to the surface of an upper board element, the lower board element may be fabricated from a flexible material arranged in an endless loop or belt, which may be trained around rollers or other end members configured to guide rotation of the lower board element beneath the upper board element. In such an embodiment, the upper board element may in turn consist of a rigid board held securely in place relative to the support structure, such as by means of brace members or other suitable components. [0012] In some embodiments, a game container may be shaped or otherwise configured to be used as supporting structure as described above, such as to allow a flexible lower board element to be wrapped around the container for movement beneath a rigid upper board element clipped or otherwise securely held to the game container above the lower board element. [0013] The pathway indicia may be shaped, arranged, or otherwise configured in any suitable manner such that the visible pathway indicia in each predetermined position of one surface to another collectively define one or more continuous pathways. For example, pathway indicia in some embodiments may consist of spaces arranged in a generally grid-like array, with some of the spaces indicated as movement spaces. In such an embodiment, one or more continuous pathways from one surface to the other may be defined by the visible movement spaces within the rows and columns of a predefined area. The predetermined positions may be those in which the rows and columns of the surfaces collectively align to form a contiguous grid. [0014] In this (and other) embodiments, the game board apparatus may further include a movement device operable to move the movable surface with respect to the other in measured increments, such as by incorporating a key register or other incremental measurement device. A measured increment may be the extent of movement sufficient to move from one predetermined position to the next in series, such that repeated operation of the movement device may move the movable surface among each of the predetermined positions. In embodiments in which the predetermined positions are those in which the rows and columns of the surfaces collectively align to form a contiguous grid, one surface may be movable in a direction described by the columns of movement spaces, such that a measured increment between one position and the next may be determined by the width of one row. [0015] Methods suitable for use with the embodiments briefly described above may include placing one or more player movers on a pathway, such as on a designated "start" space, changing the one or more continuous pathways by moving the selectively movable surface from one position to another, and moving a player mover along one of the continuous pathways from one surface or board element to the other. For example, a set of rules incorporating such methods may provide that each player's turn includes both moving the movable surface to change the continuous pathways defined by the pathway indicia, and moving the player's player mover along one of the pathways. [0016] Further, such methods may include moving the player mover off of a pathway by the action of moving the movable surface, and then placing the player mover on a predetermined location on the pathway indicia of the upper board element. For example, a player mover on a movement space on the surface of a lower board element may be "pushed" from the movement space, and thus off of the continuous pathway, if the surface is moved underneath a superimposed upper board element, and if the clearance space or offset between the two surfaces does not allow the player mover to pass underneath the upper board element. A set of rules incorporating this method may specify that a penalty is assessed if this occurs during game play, and may require the player mover to be placed on a predetermined space. [0017] Optionally, some methods may further incorporate use of an enemy mover, which may be placed on a pathway, such as on a designated "enemy start" space, moving the enemy mover along the continuous pathway toward a predetermined destination, and moving a player mover to a predetermined location upon moving the enemy mover to the destination. Some methods may incorporate use of a plurality of tokens, which may be placed on one or more predetermined locations on the pathway indicia of the upper board element, moving a player mover to one of the predetermined locations, and removing the token upon moving the player to the location, such as to award the token to the player whose player mover "collected" the token. [0018] The board games and methods of the present disclosure will be understood more readily after a consideration of the drawings and the Detailed Description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0019] FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional view of a first exemplary embodiment of a game board apparatus having separate upper and lower board elements each including a surface with pathway indicia indicated thereon, the upper board element further including a plurality of openings through which pathway indicia of the lower board element are visible. In this embodiment, the lower board element is shown as a strip of material disposed beneath a substantially square-shaped upper board element. Continue reading about Games with movable surfaces and methods for playing the same... Full patent description for Games with movable surfaces and methods for playing the same Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Games with movable surfaces and methods for playing the same patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Games with movable surfaces and methods for playing the same or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Dice game machine Next Patent Application: Board game Industry Class: Amusement devices: games ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Games with movable surfaces and methods for playing the same patent info. 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