GB1571939A - Apparatus for playing a game with tiles - Google Patents

Description

(54) APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A GAME WITH TILES (71) We, KABUSHIKIKAISHA ANoA, a Corporation organised under the Laws of Japan of No.14-7, 3-chome, Motoasakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo, Japan, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to apparatus for playing a game which is mainly suited for children. The game, which even adults can find much of interest in, can be played by two or four players surrounding a playing board by using tiles called Pai.

Adult board games such as chess and Mah jong are so complicated that children can hardly enjoy playing them without difficulty. Accordingly, most play things made for children tend to have been dynamic ones.

The invention relates to a game which is played by two to four players, as for Mah jong, and has been simplified so that children cannot only play it with ease but can enjoy themselves playing the game and find great interest in it.

According to the invention there is provided apparatus for playing a game comprising 81 tiles each having a playing face, all the tiles being of the same shape and of the same colour except as to their playing faces, the playing face of each tile bearing a colour and a simple distinguishing pattern capable of being recognised by children, the 81 tiles comprising nine groups of nine tiles each, each group of nine tiles comprising three sets of three tiles each playing face of which has the same pattern applied thereto in a colour or on a background colour which differs as between the three tiles of each set whereby the playing face of each tile in each group of nine tiles is distinguished by colour and pattern from the playing faces of the other eight tiles in the group, and a table defining a playing area, said tiles being movable over said playing area in an upright or a face down attitude.

Two to four players take a seat at the table for playing. A certain number of tiles is placed in rows in front of each player.

Each player picks up a tile by turns from the tiles piled face down in the centre of the table and discards one of his tiles after comparing the tile picked up with the tiles placed in front of himself and discarding a useless tile.

The play continues successively until some required sets of the same marked tiles or the same coloured tiles are held by a player, when that player goes out. Then one game is over.

An embodiment of the game apparatus is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings and will now be described. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view which shows tiles placed on the board for playing and along its sides; Figure 2 is a front view of some of the tiles; Figures 3A and B are perspective views of a tile from the front and back respectively; Figure 4 illustrates counting chips used in the game; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a tile holder; and Figure 6 is a perspective view of a board fitted with tile holders.

Referring to the drawings, a standard playing board 3 is in the form of a table, Figure 1, and comprises a frame 2 surrounding a flat playing area 1. The play is performed inside the frame 2.

An alternative smaller playing board 3, especially suitable for use while travelling, is shown in Figure 6 and has a smaller flat playing area 1 with a higher frame 2 on which a tile holder or stand 5, which hooks over frame 2, can be used for inserting tiles 4 upright in a row in a groove in the holder 5 instead of placing tiles 4 inside the table.

The holder 5 for holding tiles 4 is devised so that it can be freely mounted on and detached from the frame 2 of the table 3. Some of the tiles 4 have a representation of a motor car on their face; such tiles are shown in Figure 2 (6, 6', 6"). Other tiles (7, 7', 7") have a representation of an airplane, and tiles (8, 8', 8") of a sailing vessel.

In addition, tiles 6, 7, 8 have a face colour of black, tiles 6', 7', 8' of blue, and tiles 6", 7", 8" of red. In all, eighty one tiles are provided. As seen in Figure 2, there are nine kinds of tile, distinguishing one from the others with both pattern and colour respectively, and there are nine tiles of each kind.

The back of each tile 4 is plain as shown in Figure 3B.

Figure 4 shows counting chips consisting of 100-point chips, 9, 50-point chips, 10, 10-point chips, 11 and 1-point chip 12.

This game is played by two, three or four players. In the beginning each player takes a seat at random around the table 3, on which the eighty one tiles 4 (6, 6', 68, 7, 7', 7", and 8, 8', 8") should be well mixed. Each player gathers tiles 4 at random and arranges the tiles face down in front of him in two rows, placing one row on the top of the other, on the table. Then the last tile is placed face down in the centre of the playing area 1.

The player who is to start is selected.

Then to begin with, the starting player picks up eight tiles 4 from the tiles 4 from among the rows in front of him starting with a tile selected by him, for example by throwing dice on the table, and the others follow by turns, each picking up eight tiles in succession next to the tiles which the former player has picked up. Each player puts the tiles he has picked up on the table in front of each of them (or in the frame 5 when frames 5 are used). Each player then has in his hand eight tiles face up, which should not be seen by the others. The same number and value of counting chips, 9, 10, 11 and 12 should be given to each of the players.

The starting player then picks up a tile 4 from the centre of the table and discards a useless tile 4, placing it face up in front of him and then the other players by turns pick up a tile 4 which is arranged next to tiles 4 which all players pick up from the tiles 4 in the rows to form their hands and discard a useless tile 4 in the same way as the starting player did, by turn, and from the second time, each player picks up a tile 4 which is arranged next to tiles 4 which the former picked up by turns. The play continues successively until one of the players goes out when he has in his hand three sets of three tiles 4 of a kind in pattern and colour without discarding a tile 4, when the game is over.

The winner obtains the points as prescribed in advance and the quantity of the points depends on the pattern of three sets of tiles 4 which the winner has collected.

The losing players must then give the winner the counting chips, 9, 10, 11 and 12 which are equal in amount to the points which the winner obtained. After the game is repeated several times, the points that each player has obtained in his hand are counted up and the player who has obtained the most points of all, becomes the overall winner.

As the above-mentioned, in this invention there are nine kinds of tile each with one of three quite simple patterns on its surface, which are further distinguished between colours as 6, 6', 6", 7, 7', 7", 8, 8', 8" tiles 4.

Therefore, the number of tiles is quite small, compared with that of Mah jong, and what is simpler, the player has only to hold three sets of three tiles of a kind when he goes out, so that even little children can enjoy playing the game without difficulty.

There are various ways of forming the sets of three.

(1) each of three sets is free in colour and design.

(2) each of three sets is different in colour or design.

(3) each of three sets is the same in colour or design.

(4) two of three sets are the same in colour and design and one of three sets is free in colour and design.

(5) all of three sets are the same in colour and two of them are the same in design.

(6) all of three sets are the same in design and two of them are the same in colour.

(7) all of three sets are the same in colour and design.

Each set of tiles consists of three tiles of a kind in colour and pattern, and the points which the winner obtains depend on these patterns from (1) to (7). It is very difficult to collect the three sets, in which each set is the same in colour and pattern, in other words all tiles which make three sets are the same kind in pattern and colour.

Therefore, even adults can enjoy this game.

By using the other smaller table which is more easily portable and the frames 5 which can be fixed on the frame 2 of the smaller table to hold the tiles 4 in its groove, the player can enjoy playing this game when travelling by train, bus, airplane etc.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. Apparatus for playing a game comprising 81 tiles each having a playing face, all the tiles being of the same shape and of the same colour except as to their playing faces, the playing face of each tile bearing a colour and a simple distinguishing pattern capable of being recognised by children, the 81 tiles comprising nine groups of nine tiles each, each group of nine tiles comprising three sets of three tiles each playing face of which has the same pattern applied thereto in a colour or on a background colour which differs as between the three tiles of each set whereby the playing face of each tile in each group of nine tiles is distinguished by colour and pattern from the playing faces of the other eight tiles in the group, and a table defining a playing area, said tiles being movable over said playing area in an up right or a face down attitude.

2. Apparatus acording to claim 1, wherein said table is edged by an upstand ing frame, and at least one tile holder adapted to be hooked over the frame and supported thereby is provided, the or each said tile holder having a groove for sup porting tiles in an upright position.

3. The apparatus for playing a game substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (3)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. words all tiles which make three sets are the same kind in pattern and colour. Therefore, even adults can enjoy this game. By using the other smaller table which is more easily portable and the frames 5 which can be fixed on the frame 2 of the smaller table to hold the tiles 4 in its groove, the player can enjoy playing this game when travelling by train, bus, airplane etc. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. Apparatus for playing a game comprising 81 tiles each having a playing face, all the tiles being of the same shape and of the same colour except as to their playing faces, the playing face of each tile bearing a colour and a simple distinguishing pattern capable of being recognised by children, the 81 tiles comprising nine groups of nine tiles each, each group of nine tiles comprising three sets of three tiles each playing face of which has the same pattern applied thereto in a colour or on a background colour which differs as between the three tiles of each set whereby the playing face of each tile in each group of nine tiles is distinguished by colour and pattern from the playing faces of the other eight tiles in the group, and a table defining a playing area, said tiles being movable over said playing area in an up right or a face down attitude.

2. Apparatus acording to claim 1, wherein said table is edged by an upstand ing frame, and at least one tile holder adapted to be hooked over the frame and supported thereby is provided, the or each said tile holder having a groove for sup porting tiles in an upright position.

3. The apparatus for playing a game substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.