Games with component elements having a luminescent surfaces enabling play in the dark

Abstract

At least part of the cooperating parts of a game is made luminescent to glow in the dark or under appropriate lighting conditions. The luminescence may be due to self illuminating internal stored energy (phosphorescent) of the part or alternatively coated with material that is stimulated light of a wavelength out of a normal viable spectrum, such as ultraviolet. All or selected surface areas of parts are made sufficiently visible that a player is able to recognize that parts and correlate movement between the parts required to play the game in the darkness. The invention applies to table tops or portable game boards for such purposes as providing boundary markers to find field of play and other areas and marking game pieces. Alternatively, the game may involve a court or field or a specially provided stand or table to support a playing area which requires the marking of target areas as well as the field of play, and game pieces.

1 . A game to be played in the dark or under a source of essentially invisible electromagnetic energy or controlled or limited light comprising,
 a playing surface, selected areas of which are made luminescent to identify areas of play,   at least one game piece having at least some surface area of which is made luminescent to permit location of the piece and allow its movement relative to the playing surface by a player.   
   
   
       2 . The game of  claim 1  in which a plurality of game pieces are provided, pieces for each player having its area of luminescence of different color from that of other players to designate each player's piece. 
   
   
       3 . The game of  claim 2  in which each player requires more than one game piece, but each piece of each player employs the same luminescence color designation different from that of other players. 
   
   
       4 . The game of  claim 3  is checkers, wherein the game board has a generally square matrix having 8 columns and 8 rows of 8 contiguous square boxes filing the entire game board and providing the matrix with discrete area for placing game pieces in which opposing players have the same number of multiple game pieces of the same configuration but different luminescent color marking for each player. 
   
   
       5 . The game of  claim 3  in which the shapes and number of each player's multiple game pieces are the same and their luminescent areas are positioned to enable the players to identify the shape and size of each piece in order to recognize the type of piece and its significance as the well as the player it represents. 
   
   
       6 . The game of  claim 5  in which the shapes and numbers of two similar sets of game pieces enable players to recognize the game pieces as chessmen for a chess game. 
   
   
       7 . The game of  claim 1  in which the game involves putting a game piece in motion relative to and guiding it into or within specific areas of play defined by luminescent boundaries on the playing surface. 
   
   
       8 . The game of  claim 7  in which the playing piece is a generally spherical ball coated over a sufficient area of its surface so that it can be recognized as a ball of a specific size. 
   
   
       9 . The game of  claim 8  in which a plurality of balls are used and provided with luminescent surface marking which enables size and shape identification as well as providing a distinct identity for each ball. 
   
   
       10 . The game of  claim 9  in which the balls are confined within a table top framing wall enclosing a planar horizontal playing surface, the inside surface of which is resilient to provide rebound of any ball that strikes it, and at least one of the upper wall surface near the edge of the generally horizontal top of the framing wall or the resilient inside wall are provided with a luminescent surface to indicate the edge of the wall around the table and a ball movement piece is provided to initiate motion of a ball on the planar surface by striking the ball so that the ball will be directed into another ball or the resilient inside surface to begin play. 
   
   
       11 . The game of  claim 10  in which the framing wall is rectangular in shape and provided with openings through the planar playing surface at the corners and middle of the longer sides of the wall which are provided with rounded recesses to conform to the openings and means beneath the playing surface to collect and retain balls which are driven into a recess in the wall and drop into its hole, and the ball movement piece is a straight cue stick having a cushioned tip at one end to drive the ball into motion along the playing surface usually by impact of the tip on the ball using movement generally along the axis of the cue. 
   
   
       12 . The game of  claim 1  wherein the playing surface is an already existing court marked with out of bounds lines and other lines for such activities as foul shooting, in which group activity without full lighting is not advisable, but individual practice is practical wherein luminescent coating is applied over the normally used lines, but electively much less than all of them and only the part of the court and those features to be used in the dark where individual or limited practice might be undertaken, goal apparatus coated to identify the goal scoring opening and bounds of supporting apparatus to avoid collisions as well as any part considered to be effectively in play in efforts to score, and a game piece at least sufficiently coated that in all positions it might assume during play it would sufficiently visible that its size and shape could be identified. 
   
   
       13 . The game of  claim 12  in which the game piece is a basketball and goal is a basketball hoop which is coated with luminescent material with a backboard supporting the hoop and at a minimum having at least an outer border of the board coated to show its size and the court has marked by luminescent material coating as much of the out of bounds lines, as deemed desirable as well as at least a portion of the foul line to show where a foul shooter should stand. 
   
   
       14 . A method of preparing the court area of a court type game for play in the dark using a light source that for practical purposes is essentially invisible to the human eye, comprising,
 determining the amount, size and location of illuminating sources of a wave length to excite selected luminescent material to be used,   determining the amount of power required for such lighting and electing appropriate alternative power sources which are appropriate for this application,   determining where to install and installing at least supports for the illuminating sources and any required connection to the appropriate alternative power in order to be in an advanced form of readiness sufficient to assure operability of the system in time of need,   applying luminescent paint of an appropriate type responsive to the illuminating source at least at the goal to identify the size and orientation of the opening, and obtaining removable tape having a coating of appropriate luminescent material responsive to the illuminating sources which can be applied over selected out of bounds line and such other markers visible in normally lighting at least in those parts deemed necessary to be seen in the dark for the user's purposes, at a time deemed appropriate.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  where the court is a basketball court and the hoop and the backboard are pre-painted before use with luminescent paint energized to visability in the dark by the wave length of the light illuminating sources employed so that enough of the hoop as needed to locate the goal opening and at least a framing border at the edges of the face of the backboard to identify its size will be illuminated. 
   
   
       16 . A kit for converting a limited court area to a practice area for use in the dark comprising,
 illuminating sources for generating a wave length of illumination that is essentially invisible, fixtures for supporting the sources of illumination and their electrical connections to alternate power supplies and the supplies themselves to the extent required in position to illuminate the portion of the court to be used in the dark, including mechanical support means to engage existing, or to be fabricated, support structure,   a supply of luminescent paint at least sufficient to apply one coat to an estimated maximum painted area to identify goal opening, show boundaries of goal related structure and identify hazardous structure for supporting goal structure, and   a supply of rolls of pressure applied adhesive tape with luminescent coating stimulated by the wave length of the illumination.   
   
   
       17 . A kit using ultra violet light to illuminate an otherwise dark court comprising,
 clamp on lighting fixtures for ultra violet lights and ultra violet flood lights, at least one battery pack connectable to one or more light fixtures for powering the ultra violet lights,   ultra violet responsive luminescent paint to paint structure to identify goal structure including goal openings, structural boundaries and dangerous supports nearby,   pressure applied tape coated with ultra violet responsive luminescent material for application to the court to show out of bounds and other positions significant to the game, and instruction for installation, and   use of the materials in the kit.