Visually and / or color-distinguishable, also fillable game pieces / game pieces made of and with food-safe, edible and drinkable contents / raw materials for existing and newly developed board and parlor games, including matching playing fields

Abstract

Visually and / or color-differentiable, also fillable playing pieces / game pieces made from and with food-safe, edible and drinkable contents / raw materials for existing and newly developed board and parlor games, including matching playing fields, characterized in that such playing pieces / game pieces can also be small alcoholic spirits / mini bottles (primarily those with a 20-40 ml content), regardless of the material of the bottles. The color differentiation necessary for suitability for play can be achieved by the liquids contained therein, by the color of the bottles, as well as by color-differentiated closures, labels, stickers and cap or clamp rings, as well as by transparent or opaque wrappings of all kinds. The same applies to all other suitable mini bottles and mini containers with liquids orfree-flowing or other edible contents / fillings that are intended to be used as toy figures within the meaning of the invention.

Description

[0001] This invention / innovation is intended to offer interested companies and manufacturers a sales- and revenue-increasing opportunity to produce and market game pieces / game pieces made from and / or with edible contents / materials, primarily from their production area, for use in board and parlor games (also as a complete game with adapted game surfaces / playing fields) for adults, teenagers and children.

[0002] For the adult sector, this could well be manufacturers and distributors of small spirits ( Fig. 1 / 2 / 4 / 5 / 6) with rather low alcohol contents, such as the well-known mini party bottles with contents of 20 - 40 ml and approx. 15 - 20% alcohol by volume.

[0003] (Higher alcohol levels are not recommended for such game pieces / figures, so that the other players are not potentially affected physically and psychologically).

[0004] Such mini bottles are also predestined and usable as game pieces / figures due to their shape.

[0005] For those interested in (unisex) games (including teenagers, children and of course adults), however, it should be edible toy figures / stones made of, for example, chocolate, sugar or marzipan masses or edible or fruit gum products, etc. ( Fig. 3, Fig. 7, Fig. 8 and Fig. 9). However, care must be taken to ensure that the playing pieces are hygienically packaged / wrapped, because these pieces, due to the nature of the game, must be repeatedly touched and guided by hand during the game ( Fig. 3.a, Fig. 7, Fig. 8.a, Fig. 9 and Fig. 10).

[0006] Such toy figures, for example made of chocolate ( Fig. 3) or other edible masses ( Fig. 8) would therefore have to be packed in tin foil (aluminium) or similar, transparent, form-fitting and food-safe protective covers in order to meet this requirement ( Fig. 3.a and Fig. 8.a), as is also common with chocolate Santas and chocolate Easter bunnies, etc. Other edible toys without this protection, such as fruit gum toys ( Fig. 7.b) and other masses ( Fig. 9.b), can alternatively be replaced by appropriate, transparent or opaque, mini-cans with protective lids ( Fig. 9 / .a) and ( Fig. 10.b) or by food-safe mini bags ( Fig. 7), which then become part of the game pieces. Such a transparent or opaque, food-safe protective and packaging container, with or without a closure ( Fig. 10. / b), but is also a game piece in itself (filled or not filled) within the meaning of the invention and can be designed in different colors, according to the possibilities described above.

[0007] The shape of the game pieces (cones, skittles, cubes, or whatever) is ultimately irrelevant to the invention and is left to the manufacturer. However, the necessary color variation of the pieces, for the purpose of distinguishing between individual players, is not, because many, if not most, board and parlor games are designed for more than two players. This color variation, in turn, is relatively easy to achieve and ensure through appropriately colored packaging and wrapping, as described above.

[0008] (Moreover, there is a relatively low risk for interested manufacturers of chocolate figures, sugar figures, edible gum figures, marzipan figures, and other sweet figure manufacturers when deciding to produce such toy figures. Such products could be marketed at any time, even without any connection to a specific board game for which they were originally intended and produced.)

[0009] For example, the extremely well-known and popular gummy bears or similar shaped figures made of chocolate, sugar paste and marzipan etc. in their colorful variety should be mentioned and named here.

[0010] Hygienic packaging for products / toy figures made from such or similar base materials could, for example, be appropriate mini bags ( Fig. 7) or mini cans ( Fig. 9 and Fig. 10) etc., whereby it is also important to ensure that they are suitable for food contact.

[0011] For game pieces which are not themselves made of colored base materials / raw materials such as colored “gummy bears” ( Fig. 7.b) or other colored, edible “figures” ( Fig. 9.b) are distinguishable, there are the following possibilities. Namely, by means of differently colored closures such as screw caps ( Fig. 1.a and Fig. 9.a), clip fasteners ( Fig. 7.a) and by different colored liquids, for example in “spirits / liqueurs” ( Fig. 5.a) or by colored bottles ( Fig. 6.a). The invention also offers further options for necessary color differentiation. These would simply be matching, differently colored (coupling) rings ( Fig. 2.a) or sticker ( Fig. 4.a / .b / .c), which, in addition to the obligatory dice for board games, should be included in the basic equipment of every game if a complete game is intended as an offer.

[0012] Due to production reasons, the aforementioned edible game pieces / figures are somewhat larger than the smaller plastic game pieces (plastic cones, etc.) found in commonly used board and party games. They therefore require correspondingly adapted, slightly larger game mats / game boards / playing fields.

[0013] Adapting the game board or game surface (both for new developments and existing game boards) is therefore necessary and is therefore a fundamental part of the invention / new development. This applies particularly to owners of suitable board games already available on the market who wish to use the invention for their proven purposes / games.

[0014] Likewise, during the production of the game pieces described and on which the invention is based, attention must be paid to ensuring that they are sufficiently stable so that they do not constantly tip, wobble or even fall over when the players constantly and necessarily move them during the game.

[0015] The invention / innovation primarily consists in the fact that the new game pieces / figures, or their contents, are "edible" and / or "drinkable" by other players when a player has achieved a certain requirement or a certain game result (according to the game rules). (Examples: The piece that is brought to the finish line, or, as in chess, the captured pieces, may always be consumed, etc.)

[0016] An improvised game test (using a Ludo variant) beforehand with adults of both sexes and mini spirits bottles (liqueurs, 20 ml, 15% alcohol content) as game pieces was perceived by all participants as extremely interesting, exciting, and therefore also thrilling.

[0017] Manual parlor games of a similar nature have been well-known for many years and remain extremely popular with young and old, despite countless electronic alternatives; perhaps precisely because of this. In particular, well-known board and parlor games are always enjoyed at parties and celebrations. This can be assumed to be the case with similar, even more interesting, and versatile new developments such as those offered by this invention.

[0018] Such board games are particularly suitable for children's parties, celebrations, and birthdays because they are interesting, fun, exciting, and, of course, thrilling. Thanks to this invention, these or similar newly developed games can now be played, especially by children and teenagers, but also by adults, with an additional, novel, and extremely interesting effect. Namely, the fact that the game pieces can be "devoured / consumed" afterward, sometimes even during the game (example: chess). This will likely increase the enthusiasm and acceptance of the players for such new games (variants) and their associated special features.

[0019] Another aspect, even more important for interested companies / producers, is that the game pieces have to be replaced, i.e., repurchased, due to wear and tear during play. The big advantage for manufacturers / companies lies not only in the initial business, the sale of the innovative complete games or the innovative game pieces, but also in the follow-up business, i.e., the repurchase of the game pieces / game pieces.

[0020] To date, no similar board and parlor games with edible game pieces / figures and the advantages and possibilities described above (both for players and for manufacturers / distributors) are known on the market.

[0021] The innovations of this invention to be protected therefore lie in the food-safe nature and edibility and in the hygienic packaging / presentation of the game pieces / game pieces, as well as in the colour and optical (also shape-figurative) distinguishing and assigning features with regard to the respective players - and in the technical suitability (handling) of the game pieces, in conjunction with suitable, proven, but sized, or specially newly developed game fields or game surfaces.

[0022] The task underlying the purpose of the invention is explained in the case of valid devices by the description and optical representations / drawings (see Fig. 1 - 10) and by the characterising features of the claims (1 - 3).

Claims

[1] Visually and / or color-distinguishable, also fillable game pieces / game pieces made of and with food-safe, edible and drinkable contents / raw masses for existing and newly developed board and parlor games, including matching playing fields, characterized bythat such game pieces can also be miniature alcoholic spirits / mini bottles (primarily those with a 20-40 ml capacity), regardless of the bottle material. The color differentiation required for playability can be achieved by the liquids contained therein, by the bottle colors, as well as by color-differentiated closures, labels, stickers, and cap or clamp rings, as well as by transparent or opaque wrappings of all kinds. The same applies to all other suitable mini bottles and mini containers with liquid, free-flowing, or other edible contents / fillings that are intended to be used as game pieces within the meaning of the invention. [2] Visually and / or color-distinguishable, also fillable game pieces / game pieces made of and with food-safe, edible and drinkable contents / raw masses for existing and newly developed board and parlor games, including matching playing fields, a.) characterized by that such playable game pieces / toys can also be made from food-safe raw materials / masses such as chocolate, sugar, marzipan, edible gum / fruit gum as well as from other food-safe and edible substances of any kind. b.) characterized bythat such toy figures (according to claim 2.a.) can achieve the necessary color-differentiation through the used, colored, and edible raw materials themselves, or through color-differentiated shaped packaging, or even through indirect packaging such as transparent or opaque containers and sachets. The color coding can also be achieved through the color-differentiated closures used for this purpose, such as screw caps, snap closures, or clips, etc., as well as through stickers, labels, collar rings, and wrappings of all kinds. c.) characterized bythat (according to claim 2.a. and b.) a transparent or opaque, playable, food-safe container, adapted to the size of the usable playing pieces and the playing field, primarily fillable with edible masses / substances, round or square, with or without a lid / closure, is also considered and is to be considered a playing piece / game piece within the meaning of the invention. The necessary color differentiation of the containers for play can be achieved by the color of the containers, the respective filled substances / contents themselves, and / or the color of the lid, or by stickers or similar markings. [3] Visually and / or color-distinguishable, also fillable game pieces / game pieces made of and with food-safe, edible and drinkable contents / raw masses for existing and newly developed board and parlor games, including matching playing fields, characterized bythat, due to their somewhat larger size, such game pieces ultimately require adapted and suitable game surfaces / playing fields. This fact / requirement applies to all game surfaces / playing fields (both those for newly developed games and for existing and suitable games) that are to be manufactured, distributed, and used in connection with the purpose of the invention.

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