WO2007031804A1

WO2007031804A1 - Playing card with attachable image element

Info

Publication number: WO2007031804A1
Application number: PCT/HU2005/000101
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tibor SPÁDA
Original assignee: Spada Tibor
Priority date: 2005-09-12
Filing date: 2005-09-12
Publication date: 2007-03-22

Abstract

Means for playing of games, which means comprises a bearing element (10), preferably of card form, and at least one image element (16, 18, 20, 22) arranged thereon and representing information, preferably visually perceptible value related printed information. According to the present invention at least one of the image elements (16, 18, 20) is formed as a separate item subsequently applicable to the bearing element (10). At least one of the image elements (16, 18) is applied over an image element field, formed in given cases as a permanent image element (22).

Description

MEANS FOR PLAYING OF GAMES

Scope of the invention

The present invention relates to means for playing of games, the said means comprising a bearing element, preferably of playing card form, further at least one image element applied to the said bearing element and representing information, preferably visually perceptible value related printed information.

Background art

Means for playing games comprising a bearing element generally of rectangular shape and made of e.g. paper, plastic and similar sheet-like materials and further comprising one or more image elements applied to the said bearing element and representing certain information, generally figural and/or numeric information corresponding to a numeric value are well known. Means of such structure are called playing cards and are used in playing different card games. The widest spread playing card is the so called rummy card. A pack of rummy cards contains fifty-four pieces of card. Each piece comprises a rectangular bearing element made of paper or plastic material and different image elements applied to one side of each piece by means of printing. The individual image elements comprise different visually perceptible figural and numeric informations. There are symbols for four different sets of cards, so-called "colours" (clubs, diamonds, hearts and spades) each one used on thirteen cards. Within each sets, ten cards bear numerals from one to ten and three further cards bear so-called figures (jack, lady and king). The remaining two cards bear a so-called joker figure. This pack of cards is used for playing a series of card games (e.g. rummy, bridge, canasta etc.) it is, however, unsuitable for playing so-called card collecting games.

With card collecting games, the image elements applied to individual card pieces comprise educational and/or popularizing and/or advertising informations rather than informations associated with card game rules. The former informations can relate to persons, animals, plants, geographical objects etc. further to products and/or services. Goal of collecting such cards can be e.g. obtaining complete sets of individual card pieces pertaining to the same sort (e.g. to gather portraits of all players of a famous football team, further that of all characters of a movie or of a comic book or that of all planes or cars produced by a given company). In comparison with traditional society and tournament card games (requiring serious intellectual work) the said card collecting games allow to play relatively simple, less amusing and less captivative games only. With an exemplary game, a complete collection comprises three hundred pieces of different cards. Individual packs of randomly selected forty-eight different cards are formed. Then the players obtain smaller own packs (hands). During the game, each player can play, exchange and obtain cards according to certain rules. After finishing a predetermined series of steps, final results of the game will be calculated on the basis of values of the cards remaining in hands of the players. Some individual card pieces can be issued in smaller number of copies. Cards of such rare sorts are of higher value both with simple collecting and with playing and/or exchange. With collecting without playing games, collectors buy, exchange and auction such "playing cards" like stamp collectors based on similar features (rareness, printing errors, aesthetic value etc.)

With some sorts of card collecting games, individual card items bear image elements (figures, symbols, numerals etc.) each representing predetermined values according to special rules of certain games. Packs of the latter cards allow to play so- called strategic card games as well. In those cases, the above-mentioned smaller packs of randomly selected cards and the even smaller packs (hands) obtained by the players can represent in their entirety various strategic values. Thus, players can play card battles by expedient using of the force of their hands (army, team, herd etc.).

The said sorts of card collecting games make it possible to play more interesting and more sophisticated games. However, players are always in the hand of chance like gamblers since they do not know content of the card packs as purchased. Therefore, cards of higher value can be obtained by chance only or by means of exchange or purchasing of individual cards risking additional charges. The player himself has no role or has a very limited lot in determination of the values of the card pieces and the individual packs, respectively.

Object of the present invention is to overcome the above shortcomings.

Thus, aim of the present invention is to create a means for playing of games, especially card collecting games which makes it possible that the player purchasing one or more pieces of such means can determine discrete strategic values thereof (in certain cases within the limits of predetermined rules of the given game).

Summary of the invention

The present invention is based on the idea that in the case of a means in which the bearing element and at least one image element are made as separate items and the separate image elements of different values, preferably made of self-adhesive stamps, labels, transfer pictures etc., can be applied subsequently to the bearing element by the user (player) himself. Thus, the user can decide himself about the appropriate strategic value of the "home-made" individual card assembled by making use of a separate bearing element and of one or more subsequently attachable image element.

A further advantage of the latter solution is in it that the bearing element (basic card) itself can be mass-produced since only one single type of bearing element is needed in order to obtain a complete series of cards of a whole pack comprising in given cases several hundreds of card items. Moreover, number of the various subsequently applicable image elements (stamps, labels, transfer images) can be much more lower than that of the traditional cards bearing a lot of various permanent image elements of numerous types printed thereon in different arrangements. Further, these subsequently applicable image elements can also be mass-produced by substantially lower material and manufacturing (printing) costs.

A further advantage is in it that the user's hands are not tied when purchasing cards since he can begin collecting of cards with low expenses by buying one single bearing element and one or two subsequently applicable image elements only rather than by buying complete packs (comprising e.g. forty-eight card items) wherein individual and/or integral strategic values are unknown.

On the basis of the above recognition the above problem is solved by a means for playing of games, which means comprises a bearing element, preferably of card form, and at least one image element arranged thereon and representing information, preferably visually perceptible value related printed information; wherein according to the present invention at least one of the image elements is formed as a separate item subsequently applicable to the bearing element.

Preferably, at least one of the image elements is applied over an image element field, formed in given cases as a permanent image element.

Advantageously, at least one image element is applied to the bearing element by means of a stable jointing e.g. using an adhesive layer.

The said adhesive layer is preferably applied to the rear side of the image element.

In a preferred embodiment, at least one image element is formed as a label and/or a transfer picture and/or a stamp, especially a postage stamp.

In a further preferred embodiment, at least one permanent image element is formed as an image element representing information, especially visually perceptible printed value information.

Advantageously, at least one image element comprises a water mark and/or a hologram. Finally, in a further preferred embodiment, the bearing element has at least one image element on both sides.

The preferred embodiment in which postage stamps known per se form the image elements subsequently applied to the bearing element can be of special interest since the postage stamps automatically represent individual financial values which values are stated on each stamp and postage stamps can be mass-produced by low costs, further such stamps can be purchased in a lot of shops and stores. Thus, postage stamps can form readily accessible image elements of the means according to the present invention.

Brief description of the drawings

Below, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the means according to the present invention with one bearing element and three subsequently applicable separate image elements;

Fig. 2a is a schematic diagram of a bearing element according to

Fig. 1 having three permanent image elements thereon; and

Fig. 2b is a schematic diagram of a bearing element according to

Fig. 1 having one permanent image element and two subsequently applied image elements thereon.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiments

The means according to Fig. 1 has a bearing element 10 having a generally rectangular form and being made of a paper or plastic board. One side of the bearing element 10 (not shown) is blank or fitted with a design (picture and/or pattern and/or text) having no role in game playing. On the other side there is one printed field 12 for educational and/or popularizing and/or advertising informations and there are three permanent image element fields 14 formed as printed areas for receiving of subsequently applicable separate image elements 16, 18 and 20, The subsequently applicable separate image elements 16, 18 and 20 represent different financial and/or strategic values according to the visually perceptable information indicated on their upper side. The lower side is applied to a permanent image element field by means of an adhesive layer (not shown).

The subsequently applicable separate image elements 16, 18 and 20 are also made of paper or plastic material. Individual financial and/or strategic values of the image elements 16, 18 and 20 are indicated by discrete numerals printed onto the upper surfaces thereof. Instead of or together with numerals letters, combinations of characters, coloured symbols, combinations of colours, codes, figures etc. can be used as well. Although printing is the preferred mode of indicating values, other methods of introducing of visually perceptible information such as painting, spraying, etching, ribbing etc. can be readily used in certain cases. Use of water marks and holograms can be advantageous as well.

As shown in Fig. 2a, image element fields 14 can be replaced by permanent image elements 22. However, at least one permanent image element 22 is used as image element field for accepting subsequently applicable image element(s) 16 and/or 18 (see also Fig. 2b). As shown in Fig. 2b, image element 16 comprises value information YZ and image element 18 comprises value information AB. Permanent image elements 22 represent value information X. For example, financial and/or strategic value of image elements 16, 18 and 20 is decreasing according to the alphabetical order of the letters further with the number of letters in a combination of letters. Thus, a subsequently applicable image element 16 or 18 with two letters (YZ or AB) always overwrites a permanent image element with one letter (X)₇ but the image element 18 with the information AB is of higher value than the image element 16 with the information YZ.

The means according to the present invention as described above allows to play card collecting games both with known and with new rules of play. The claimed novelty is in that the present means has separate, subsequently applicable image elements which permit a great number of variations of values of the permanent and the adaptable image elements. As described above, further advantages are achieved with respect to manufacture and selling of the cards both for collecting and playing.

The means according to the present invention can be modified in many ways within the scope of the invention. For example, permanent image element can be omitted, further number, form, material and placing of both the permanent and the subsequently applicable image elements can be altered according to choice. With an exemplary embodiment, image elements are used on both sides of the bearing element (e.g. permanent image elements on one side and adaptable image elements on the other). Form, material and construction of the bearing element can also be altered.

Subsequently applicable image elements 16, 18 and 20 may comprise not only postage stamps but also labels and transfer images of various materials. Subsequent application of image elements 16, 18 and 20 onto image element fields 14 and/or over permanent image elements 22 can be realized both with permanent and removable jointing. Removable joints can be made of magnetic and/or adhering type materials.

Claims

1. Means for playing of games, which means comprises a bearing element, preferably of card form, and at least one image element arranged thereon and representing information, preferably visually perceptible value related printed information; characterized by at least one of the image elements (16, 18, 20) being formed as a separate item subsequently applicable to the bearing element (10).

2. A means for playing of games according to Claim 1, characterized by at least one of the image elements (16, 18, 20) being applied over an image element field (14), formed in given cases as a permanent image element (22).

3. A means for playing of games according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized by at least one image element (16, 18, 20) being applied to the bearing element (10) by means of a stable jointing e.g. using an adhesive layer.

4. A means for playing of games according to Claim 3, characterized by the said adhesive layer being applied to the rear side of the image element (16, 18, 20).

5. A means for playing of games according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized by at least one image element (16, 18, 20) being formed as a label and/or a transfer picture and/or a stamp, especially a postage stamp.

6. A means for playing of games according to Claim 2, characterized by at least one permanent image element (22) being formed as an image element representing information, especially visually perceptible printed value information.

7. A means for playing of games according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized by at least one image element (16, 18, 20) comprising a water mark and/or a hologram.

8. A means for playing of games according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized by , the bearing element (10) having at least one image element (16, 18, 20, 22) on both sides.