Scorekeeping Apparatus

Abstract

A scorekeeping apparatus has a body with a front panel with a front surface and a back surface, a window through the front panel, a block in a geometric shape providing a plurality of faces having indicia, and a positioning mechanism implemented in the body having positioning elements adapted to hold the block with one of the plurality of faces against the back surface of the front panel with the indicia on the one face displayed through the window. The positioning mechanism enables a user to remove the block, rotate to another face, and replace the block in the positioning mechanism, displaying a different indicia.

1 . A scorekeeping apparatus, comprising:
 a body having a front panel with a front surface and a back surface;   a window through the front panel;   a block in a geometric shape providing a plurality of faces having indicia; and   a positioning mechanism implemented in the body having positioning elements adapted to hold the block with one of the plurality of faces against the back surface of the front panel with the indicia on the one face displayed through the window;   wherein the positioning mechanism enables a user to remove the block, rotate to another face, and replace the block in the positioning mechanism, displaying a different indicia.   
     
     
         2 . The scorekeeping apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the indicia comprise numerals, such that the indicia displayed through the window is a numerical score. 
     
     
         3 . The scorekeeping apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the numerals are implemented on the faces in a sequential order, a numeral next higher or lower than a first numeral being on a face sharing a border with the first numeral. 
     
     
         4 . The scorekeeping apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of windows and a plurality of blocks having a plurality of faces. 
     
     
         5 . The scorekeeping apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the block is a cube, having six faces, each face bearing a different indicia. 
     
     
         6 . The scorekeeping apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the positioning mechanism is a pocket comprising a shelf extending from the back surface of the front panel below the window, upon which the block is placed, and side panels implemented on the shelf spaced apart a width of the block, such that block may be placed on the shelf, behind the window, and the side panels position the block with a face parallel to the back surface of the front panel. 
     
     
         7 . The scorekeeping apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the block is an elongated element having a length and a square cross section through a lengthwise axis, the length enabling two faces on each of four sides of the block, one above the other, totaling eight faces on the sides. 
     
     
         8 . The scorekeeping apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the indicia are numerals, and indicia on the four faces on an upper half of the block are implemented upright, and indicia on the four faces on a lower half of the block are implemented upside-down. 
     
     
         9 . The scorekeeping apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the positioning mechanism is a pocket implemented with a square floor and three adjacent sides joined at right angles around three edges of the floor, two of the sides and the floor joined to the back surface of the front panel with the back surface of the front panel forming a fourth side of the pocket, the pocket having a depth of about one half of the length of the block, such that, with the block in the pocket, faces on the upper half of the block above the pocket are presented through the window. 
     
     
         10 . The scorekeeping apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the block is an elongated element having a length and a pentagonal cross section through a lengthwise axis, the length enabling two faces on each of five sides of the block, one above the other, totaling ten faces on the sides. 
     
     
         11 . The scorekeeping apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the indicia are numerals, and indicia on the five faces on an upper half of the block are implemented upright, and indicia on the five faces on a lower half of the block are implemented upside-down. 
     
     
         12 . The scorekeeping apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the positioning mechanism is a pocket implemented with a pentagonal floor and four adjacent sides joined around four edges of the floor, two of the sides and the floor joined to the back surface of the front panel with the back surface of the front panel forming a fifth side of the pocket, the pocket having a depth of about one half of the length of the block, such that, with the block in the pocket, faces on the upper half of the block above the pocket are presented through the window. 
     
     
         13 . The scorekeeping apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the positioning mechanism is a pocket implemented with a floor in shape of a regular pentagon, the floor joined to the back surface of the front panel along one of five edges, two rigid sides extending upward from two edges of the floor that also intersect the back surface of the front panel, and two flexible arms extending upward from the floor from the remaining two edges, such that with the block in the pocket, the two flexible arms contact two faces of the block, and urge the block toward the back surface of the front panel. 
     
     
         14 . The scorekeeping apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the positioning mechanism comprises two opposing sets of flexible arms extending rearward from the back surface of the front panel, one set above the other, such that a block is snapped into position between the opposing arms, the arms holding the block against the back surface of the front panel in a position that a numeral on one face of the block is displayed through the window. 
     
     
         15 . The scorekeeping apparatus of  claim 14  further comprising a support base extending at a right angle from the back surface of the front panel below the two sets of flexible arms, at a position relative to the window such that indicia on a face of the block supported by the support base and held by the sets of flexible arms is displayed through the window. 
     
     
         16 . A scorekeeping apparatus comprising a block with a cross section shape of a regular polygon, the block having an upper half with indicia on each of plural faces around the block and a lower half also with indicia on plural faces around the block, a body with a lower portion having a pocket of a depth of about half the height of the block, and an upper portion having a front panel extending upward from the lower portion, the front panel having a window, such that a block placed in the pocket presents a face in the window. 
     
     
         17 . The scorekeeping apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the block is square in cross section. 
     
     
         18 . The scorekeeping apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the block has a regular pentagonal cross section.