Rotating Chess Piece Base for Vertical Board Orientation

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing board games played on vertically oriented or tilted boards often cause confusion for players as they need to adjust their pieces' orientation, leading to difficulties in moving pieces in the same direction, especially when the board is rotated.

Innovation Solution

A board game design featuring a rotating device that maintains playing pieces in a consistent vertical orientation during board rotation, using radial bearings and weight elements to ensure pieces remain upright without manual adjustment, allowing players to move pieces in the same direction regardless of the board's orientation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the board is oriented vertically or tilted to allow players to play from similar positions, then player accessibility and comfort are improved, but the playing pieces become difficult to hold reliably without falling off

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplayer accessibilityVSAvoidpiece holding reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The chess piece is divided into two separate parts: a base portion that remains stationary on the board, and a head portion that can rotate independently. This segmentation allows the base to provide stable attachment to the vertical board while the head can orient itself vertically through rotation, solving both the holding reliability and orientation problems simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The rotating connection between the base and head portions introduces dynamic capability to the chess piece. The head portion can rotate freely around a vertical axis, allowing it to automatically orient itself in a vertical position regardless of the board's orientation. This dynamic feature ensures the piece maintains proper orientation while the base remains reliably attached to the vertical board surface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If the board is rotated to allow all players to move pieces in the same direction, then gameplay comfort is improved, but the playing pieces end up upside down or at confusing angles requiring manual reorientation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegameplay comfortVSAvoidpiece orientation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The rotating connection between the base and head portions introduces dynamic capability to the chess piece. The head portion can rotate freely around a vertical axis, allowing it to automatically orient itself in a vertical position regardless of the board's orientation. This dynamic feature ensures the piece maintains proper orientation while the base remains reliably attached to the vertical board surface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The chess piece automatically adjusts its own orientation through the rotating head portion. When the board is rotated, the head portion naturally orients itself vertically due to gravity and the rotational freedom, eliminating the need for players to manually reorient the pieces. The piece serves itself by automatically maintaining the correct orientation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If traditional holding devices are used on vertical boards, then piece retention is improved, but the pieces cannot be easily moved or replaced without falling off

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepiece retentionVSAvoidpiece mobility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The chess piece is divided into two separate parts: a base portion that remains stationary on the board, and a head portion that can rotate independently. This segmentation allows the base to provide stable attachment to the vertical board while the head can orient itself vertically through rotation, solving both the holding reliability and orientation problems simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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 all players to move pieces in the same direction on a vertically oriented or tilted board without reorienting them, enhancing gameplay comfort and maintaining the pieces' typical appearance, while being cost-effective and adaptable to various board and piece designs.

Implementation Method 1

The rotating device comprises a rotating part rotating about a rotation axis and connected to the playing piece or to the holding device or to the playing field of the board and comprises a radial bearing for rotating the rotating part

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRadial bearing: Ball Bearing

Implementation Method 2

A weight element is arranged on the rotating part, in particular the playing piece, to hold the rotating part in a same vertical orientation when the board is rotated

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentUS11161032B2Board game/chess game

Publication Date: 2021.11.02 ACTIVE OWNERSHIP LP

AI summary

Board game (1) with a board (2) having at least one playing surface (3) comprising multiple playing fields (4) and with playing pieces (5) and at least one holding device (6) for holding a playing piece (5) releasably attached to the playing field (4), with the board (2) being arranged such that the orientation of the playing surface (3) deviates from a horizontal orientation, wherein a rotating device (7) is provided for holding the playing piece (5) in a same vertical orientation for any rotation of the board (2) about an imaginary axis (A) substantially orthogonally to the playing surface (3).