Elastomeric Bubble Grid for Reusable Bingo Marking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional BINGO game boards are often used destructively, making them difficult to reuse, and existing reusable solutions struggle with maintaining marker tokens in place and reconstructing game states during rapid number announcements.
Innovation Solution
A game board apparatus featuring a five-by-five grid of elastomeric 'bubbles' that can be depressed from a convex to a concave configuration to mark called letter/number combinations, allowing for non-destructive marking and easy resetting for multiple game uses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional markers (dabbers) are used to mark game boards, then letter/number combinations can be marked, but the game board becomes permanently marked and cannot be reused
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the bubbles from convex to concave to indicate marking. This parameter change allows the same bubble to be marked and unmarked repeatedly by simply reversing the deformation, enabling infinite reuse of the game board without permanent damage
Solution Approach 2:
The bubbles are designed to be dynamically deformable rather than static. Users can press bubbles to change their shape for marking, and the bubbles naturally return to or can be reset to their original convex state, creating a reversible marking system that eliminates the need for disposable game boards
2Reliability
If chips or tokens are placed on game board spaces to mark called combinations, then the board can be reused, but the chips may shift location when the board is nudged or bumped
Solution Approach 1:
The marking function is merged directly into the game board structure itself through the bubbles. Rather than using separate chips or tokens that can shift, the bubbles are integral to the board and their deformation state provides the marking, eliminating the problem of marker displacement
Solution Approach 2:
The bubbles serve multiple functions: they are both the game board surface and the marking mechanism. When pressed, they automatically change state to indicate marking without requiring separate markers, and they maintain their position inherently as part of the board structure
3Productivity
If game boards are designed for single-use with permanent markers, then marking is simple and clear, but the board cannot be reused for multiple games
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses reversible parameter changes in the bubble deformation. Bubbles transition from convex to concave when pressed, providing clear visual feedback for marking, and can be restored to their original state, allowing the board to be used for multiple games without degradation or permanent damage
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding the game board after one use, the system recovers the board by resetting the bubbles to their original convex state. This recovery process allows the same board to be reused indefinitely, dramatically increasing productivity while eliminating permanent damage
4Productivity
If letter/number combinations are announced rapidly during a game, then the game progresses efficiently, but it becomes difficult to reconstruct the game board state
Solution Approach 1:
The bubbles are pre-positioned in their convex state corresponding to all possible letter/number combinations before the game begins. As combinations are announced rapidly, players can immediately press the corresponding bubbles to mark them, maintaining accurate game state information without needing to reconstruct the board later
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the game board to be easily reused by allowing users to mark and reset the board without permanent damage, maintaining game state accuracy during rapid announcements and facilitating multiple game plays.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of elastomeric domes disposed within a plurality of spaces of the five-by-five grid, respectively, each of the elastomeric domes having a convex shape when viewing a top of the frame or a concave shape when viewing the top of the frame, wherein each of the elastomeric domes is configured to be converted from the convex shape to the concave shape by pressing each from above the domes
Data Source
AI summary
A bubble popper game board apparatus has a game board having a grid of elastomeric “bubbles” tor domes hat may be depressed to convert each from a convex configuration to a concave configuration. The grid of elastomeric “bubbles” may be labelled with numerical and/or alphabetic indicia. Preferably, the grid of elastomeric “bubbles” may be utilized in a BINGO game, wherein the grid is utilized as a game board having BINGO letters and/or numbers printed thereon, such that when a letter/number combination is called, the user may press the bubble having the corresponding letter/number combination, thereby effectively marking that the same was called.