GB2219747A - Board - Google Patents

Abstract

Each board piece 10 of a set of board pieces is capable of affording a respective portion of a playing or work surface, means 26 being provided whereby some or all of the board pieces may be fastened together, to provide a board, in an edge-to-edge manner in any of a plurality of alternative configurations. As shown, the board pieces 10 are fastened together by the insertion of projections 28 on a connector 26 which are a friction or snap-fit into bore (24) in a block (22) on each board piece. In another embodiment (Figs 4-9, not shown), the board pieces have interengaging formations which interlock in a friction or snap-fit manner. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: "Board" Description of Invention This invention relates to a board.

Many activities benefit from use of a board; where for example the activity involves a game or pastime such as a jigsaw puzzle, use of a board avoids the need to make direct use of a surface, such as a floor or table surface, which may be vulnerably situated and/or which may be needed for some other purpose from time to time, and more particularly, use of a board enables the various pieces or the like used in the game or pastime to be carried from place to place, on a playing or work surface of the board, in unison, without being disturbed significantly.

It is an object of the invention to enable a board to be provided in a new and improved manner.

According to the invention, there is provided a set of board pieces, each board piece of the set being capable of affording a respective portion of a playing or work surface, means being provided whereby some or all of the board pieces may be fastened together, to provide a board, in an edge-toedge or substantially edge-to-edge manner in any of a plurality of alternative configurations in which said surface portions, in combination, afford a resultant playing or work surface of a respective alternative size and/or shape.

In this manner, for any particular activity, it is possible to select a suitable number of such board pieces and fasten them together so as to provide a board of a size and/or shape suited to that activity, which size and/or shape may be different for different activites, from which the versatility of the invention will be apparent.

Preferably said means whereby the board pieces may be fastened together is or are provided at or near edges of the board pieces.

Preferably said resultant playing or work surface is planar or generally planar.

Preferably the board pieces are each of the same shape or of geometrically related shapes. For example the board pieces may be rectangular (including square), triangular or hexagonal.

Means for fastening together adjacent board pieces may be releasably engageable, for example in a frictional and/or snap-fitting manner, with one or both of the board pieces to be fastened together. The fastening means may for example be integrally formed with the board pieces and/or may be separately formed. The fastening means may comprise clip means or the like, preferably made from plastics material.

The board pieces may be made from wood or metal or card, but are preferably made from plastics material, such as injection moulded plastics material.

Preferably the material of the board pieces is sufficiently light-weight to facilitate carrying of the board from place to place, by hand, in a tray-like manner.

Preferably formations for use in fastening together the board pieces, for example directly or by cooperation with a separately formed member, are provided along at least two edges of at least one of the board pieces, and preferably along at least two non-parallel edges of said one of the board pieces to enable a two dimensional array of board pieces to be assembled if desired.

Preferably with the pieces fastened together, there are no ridges between the surface portions provided by the respective pieces.

Thus, the board may be particularly suited to use in relation to movable block or dessicated-puzzle-type activites, for example jigsaws. The number of pieces in a jigsaw differs from jigsaw to jigsaw, as does the size andíor shape of the finished picture into which the pieces of the jigsaw are to be assembled, and the invention is particularly advantageous in that the number of board pieces used, and their relative positioning, may be chosen to suit the jigsaw concerned, the final dimensions of which are generally stated on the packaging for the jigsaw.

The invention also provides a board piece capable of affording a respective portion of a playing or work surface, means being provided whereby the board piece may be fastened to another such board piece in an edge-to-edge or substantially edge-to-edge manner, to provide a board.

A plurality (i.e. a set) of such board pieces may be purchased at any given time, or alternatively such a board piece may be purchased individually for use in conjunction with another such board piece at a later date and/or to augment an existing set of such board pieces.

The invention also provides a board formed from a set of board pieces in accordance with the invention.

Two embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a plan view from above of a first board embodying the invention; FIGURE 2 is a perspective view to an enlarged scale, of a connector clip for fastening together adjacent pieces of the board; FIGURE 3 is a plan view from below, to said enlarged scale, of one of the board pieces; FIGURE 4 is a plan view from above of a second board, afforded by a plurality of alternative board pieces in accordance with the invention; FIGURE 5 is a plan view from below, to a larger scale than Figure 4, of one of the board pieces illustrated in Figure 4; FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a corner of one of the board pieces of Figures 4 and 5, being a corner where two side edges each provided with projections meet;; FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of another corner of the board piece of Figure 6, where two side edges each provided with apertures meet, FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of a further corner of the board piece of Figures 6 and 7 showing a corner where a side edge having apertures, and a side edge having projections, meet; and FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view on the line IX-IX of Figure 4 to an enlarged scale, illustrating inter-engagement of said projections and apertures.

Referring to the drawings, a set of board pieces in accordance with the invention comprises a plurality of plastics moulded board pieces of substantially identical rectangular form, two of which are illustrated in Figure 1 and each of which is designated herein by the numeral 10.

In this example, each of the board pieces 10 measures approximately 30 cm by approximately 45 cm in plan view. The material of each board piece 10 is of about 2 mm in thickness, but each board piece 10 is formed with an integral downwardly depending peripheral edge 12 and underside reinforcing ribs 14 (Figure 3) of about 1 to 2 cm in depth, to provide resistance to torsional flexing.

In Figure 1 of the drawings, two of the board pieces 10 embodying the invention, each affording a respective portion 16 of a playing or work surface of the board, are fastened together, to provide a board 20, in an edge-to-edge (or substantially edge-to-edge) manner in a configuration in which said surface portions 16, in combination, afford a resultant rectangular playing or work surface of size approximately 60 cm by approximately 45 cm. The resultant playing or work surface is planar or generally planar, said surface portions, in the board 20, being coplanar or substantially coplanar with each other.

The means by which the board pieces are fastened together in this way comprises a plurality of integrally moulded "blocks" 22 formed at (or, alternatively, near) the edges 12 of the pieces 10, which blocks are each provided with a regular or generally regular array of receiving formations in the form of bores 24 (which are fully illustrated only on one of the blocks 22), and further comprises a number of separately formed plastics clips 26 (Figure 2) releasably engageable with the blocks 22 and each having a basic flat base plate 27 and a plurality of upstanding projections 28 thereon (only some of which are shown) disposed so as to correspond to the positions of the bores 24 in two adjacent blocks 22 of the respective board pieces 10 in Figure 1.Thus, in order to assemble the board 20, the projections 28 on one half 26a or 26b of a clip 26 are inserted into the bores 24 of one block 22 of one board piece 10, and the other board piece 10 is then positioned so that the bores of one of its blocks 22 receive the remaining projections on the clip 26 concerned. A second clip 26 is then applied to connect together the other pair of adjacent blocks 22 on the pieces 10 concerned. Of course, alternatively projections analogous to the projections 28 could be provided on the board pieces and bores analogous to the bores 24 could be provided in the clips. The projections 28 are a snug but releasable frictional fit in the bores 24, but the clip 26 could alternatively engage the piece 10 in a releasable snap-fit manner.

The blocks 22 for use in fastening together the board pieces are provided on all four edges of each of the board pieces 10, to enable a twodimensional array of board pieces to be assembled if desired.

Thus, a great many alternative configurations of two, three, four (e.g. a two-by-two array), five, six, or more such board pieces 10 are possible, and for any particular activity, it is possible to select a suitable number of such board pieces 10 and fasten them together using a clip or clips 26 so as to provide a board of a size and/or shape suited to that activity, which size and/or shape may be different for different activities.

Such an activity may for example involve a game or pastime such as a jigsaw puzzle, use of the board avoiding the need to make direct use of a surface such as a floor or table surface, and enabling the various pieces or the like used in the game or pastime to be carried from place to place, on the board, in unison, without being disturbed significantly, yet the board may be dismantled and reassembled to suit a different activity whenever desired.

In the example illustrated, with the pieces 10 fastened together, there are no ridges between the upwardly presented surface portions 16 provided by the respective pieces and so the resultant board is particularly suited to use in relation to jigsaw/movable block/other dessicated-puzzle type activites.

The number of pieces in a jigsaw differs from jigsaw to jigsaw, as does the size and/or shape of the finished picture into which the pieces of the jigsaw are to be assembled, and the invention is particularly advantages in that the number of board pieces used, and their relative positioning, may be chcsen to suit the jigsaw concerned, the final dimensions of which are generally stated on the packaging for the jigsaw.

In this and other preferred examples of the invention the board pieces are each of the same shape or of geometrically related shapes. The board pieces may for example alternatively be of other rectansular (including square) shapes or may be triangular or hexagonal for example.

Whilst the board pieces 10 are made from injection moulded plastics material, they could alternatively be made from wood or metal or card, but should in any case preferably be sufficiently light-weight to facilitate carrying of the board from place-to-place, by hand, in a tray-like manner.

Boards provided in accordance with the invention may be of value in various other activities, such as supporting an artist's canvas or the like during painting or drawing, or as a support surface for children's homework materials, for example.

A fastening component such as the clip 26 may alternatively be integrally formed with one of the pieces 10, and in general terms, in alternative embodiments the fastening means in general may be integrally formed with one or more of the board pieces. One such alternative embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figures 4 to 9 of the drawings.

The general form, characteristics and uses of the alternative board pieces 110 in accordance with the invention, shown in Figures 4 to 9, are the same as for the board pieces 10 hereinbefore described, and so the preceding description is to be deemed again to apply, except that the fastening means is different. In more detail, for each of the board pieces 110, along two side edges of the board piece 110 there are provided respective pluralities of spaced apart rearwardly directed projections 128, integrally formed with the board piece 110, while along the other two sides edges of the board piece 110 there are provided respective pluralities of receiving formations in the form of apertures 124, integrally formed in the board piece 110.In order to fasten together two such board pieces 110, a first board piece 110 is positioned with the projections 128 on one of its side edges disposed in front of the apertures 124 in a side edge of the other board piece 110, and the first board piece 110 is then pressed rearwardly so that the said projections 128 are received as a snug frictional fit (Figure 9) through the said apertures 124, thereby fastening said pieces together. Advantageously, the projections 128 and/or apertures 124 may be formed so as to provide said fastening in a snap-fit manner.

Aithough alternatively only one such projection 128 and one such aperture 124 need be provided on each side of the board piece, by providing, and suitably arranging, a plurality of such projections 128 and apertures 124 on each side, it is possible to fasten together the pieces 110 in a staggered manner e.g. to suit a circular jigsaw.

Of course, projections such as the projections 128 could alternatively be forwardly directed, to be received from behind by revised apertures otherwise analogous to the apertures 124.

It will be appreciated that in relation to any board pieces in accordance with the invention, a plurality (i.e. a set) of such board pieces may be purchased at any given time, or alternatively such a board piece may be purchased individually for use in conjunction with another such board piece at a later date and/or to augment an existing set of such board pieces.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the accompanying drawings, or the following claims, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, or a class or group of substances or compositions, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (22)

1. A set of board pieces, each board piece of the set being capable of affording a respective portion of a playing or work surface, means being provided whereby some or all of the board pieces may be fastened together, to provide a board, in an edge-to-edge or substantially edge-to-edge manner in any of a plurality of alternative configurations in which said surface portions, in combination, afford a resultant playing or work surface of a respective alternative size and/or shape.

2. A set of board pieces according to Claim 1 wherein said means whereby the board pieces may be fastened together is or are provided at or near edges of the board pieces.

3. A set of board pieces according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said resultant playing or work surface is planar or generally planar.

4. A set of board pieces according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the board pieces are each of the same shape or of geometrically related shapes, for example rectangular (including square), triangular or hexagonal.

5. A set of board pieces according to any of Claims 1 to 4 wherein said means for fastening together adjacent board pieces is or are releasably engageable, for example in a frictional and/or snap-fitting manner, with one or both of the board pieces to be fastened together.

6. A set of board pieces according to any one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein the fastening means is or are integrally formed with the board pieces.

7. A set of board pieces according to any one of Claims 1 to 6 wherein the fastening means is or are separately formed.

8. A set of board pieces according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the fastening means comprises clip means or the like, preferably made from plastics material.

9. A set of board pieces according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the board pieces are made from wood or metal or card.

10. A set of board pieces according to any one of Claims 1 to 8 wherein the board pieces are made from plastics material, such as injection moulded plastics material.

11. A set of board pieces according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the material of the board pieces is sufficiently light-weight to facilitate carrying of the board from place to place, by hand, in a tray-like manner.

12. A set of board pieces according to any one of the preceding claims wherein formations for use in fastening together the board pieces, for example directly or by cooperation with a separately formed member, are provided along at least two edges of at least one of the board pieces.

13. A set of board pieces according to Claim 12 wherein said formations are provided along at least two non-parallel edges of said one of the board pieces to enable a two dimensional array of board pieces to be assembled if desired.

14. A set of board pieces according to any one of the preceding claims wherein, with the pieces fastened together, there are no ridges between the surface portions provided by the respective pieces.

15. A board piece capable of affording a respective portion of a playing or work surface, means being provided whereby the board piece may be fastened to another such board piece in an edge-to-edge or substantially edge-to-edge manner, to provide a board.

16. A set comprising a plurality of board pieces each in accordance with Claim 15.

17. A set according to Claim 16, which is also in aaccordance with any one of Claims 1 to 14.

18. A board formed from a set of board pieces according to any one of the preceding Claims.

19. A board piece substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

20. A set of board pieces substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

21. A board substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

22. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herewith and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings.