Battle system for assembleable toy figures and accessories

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a randomizing mechanism for use in game play involving a plurality of toy figures each having a corresponding game piece having indicia disposed thereon containing information relating the components of the corresponding toy figure. The randomizing mechanism may be adapted to be manipulated by a player of the game play, and the randomizing mechanism may include an outer housing, a cylinder disposed and rotatable within the housing which may be adapted to receive a plurality of the game pieces therein, and the housing being adapted so that the indicia of a game piece received in the cylinder is visible from the exterior of the housing. The randomizing mechanism may further include an input member operatively connected to the cylinder that may have a first position and a second position, wherein movement of the input member from the first position to the second position may cause the cylinder to rotate.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A randomizing mechanism for use in game play involving a plurality of toy figures each having at least one corresponding game piece having indicia disposed thereon containing information relating components of the corresponding toy figure, the randomizing mechanism being adapted to be manipulated by a player of the game play, the randomizing mechanism comprising: 
 an outer housing;    a cylinder disposed and rotatable within the housing and being adapted to receive a plurality of the game pieces therein; and    an input member operatively connected to the cylinder and having a first position and a second position, wherein movement of the input member from the first position to the second position causes the cylinder to rotate;    wherein the indicia of a game piece received in the cylinder is visible from the exterior of the housing.    
     
     
         2 . A randomizing mechanism as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a detachable end cap being adapted to retentively engage the housing proximate the cylinder, the housing, the cylinder and the end cap being adapted to retain game pieces received in the cylinder when the end cap is attached to the housing, and to facilitate insertion into and removal from the housing of game pieces when the cap is detached from the housing.  
     
     
         3 . A randomizing mechanism as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the cylinder comprises a plurality of partitions subdividing the cylinder into a plurality of subdivisions, each subdivision being adapted to receive one of the game pieces.  
     
     
         4 . A randomizing mechanism as defined in  claim 3 , wherein the housing comprises a demountably attached back plate being adapted to be removed from the housing, whereby the game pieces are inserted and removed from the subdivisions of the cylinder when the back plate is removed from the housing, and the game pieces are retained in the subdivisions when the back plate is attached to the housing.  
     
     
         5 . A randomizing mechanism as defined in  claim 3 , wherein the cylinder comprises a plurality of detents, each detent corresponding to one of the subdivisions and being adapted to engage a game piece received in the subdivision to retain the game piece in the subdivision.  
     
     
         6 . A randomizing mechanism as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a wheel disposed and rotatable within the housing and operatively connected to the input member, and having wheel indicia disposed thereon, the housing being adapted so that a portion of the wheel indicia is visible from the exterior of the housing.  
     
     
         7 . A randomizing mechanism as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a toggle mechanism operatively connected to the input member and the cylinder, and having a first toggle position wherein the toggle mechanism is adapted to operatively connect the input member to the cylinder, and a second toggle position wherein the toggle mechanism is adapted to disconnect the input member from the cylinder whereby movement of the input member from its first position to its second position does not cause the cylinder to rotate.  
     
     
         8 . A randomizing mechanism as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a ring disposed and slidable on the housing, the ring having an opening through which indicia on the game pieces received by the cylinder are visible.  
     
     
         9 . A randomizing mechanism as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a rotatable dial mounted on the housing, the dial having an external portion extending outwardly and being adapted for manipulation by the player, and an internal portion having dial indicia disposed thereon, the housing being adapted so that at least a portion of the dial indicia is visible from the exterior of the housing.  
     
     
         10 . A randomizing mechanism as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the toy figures are assembleable toy figures each having a plurality of components adapted to be connected to one another, wherein the components of the unique toy figures may be connected to components of the other unique toy figures, and wherein each unique assembleable toy figure has a corresponding game piece having indicia disposed thereon containing information relating the components of the corresponding unique assembleable toy figure.  
     
     
         11 . A randomizing mechanism as defined in  claim 1 , wherein each toy figure has a plurality of game pieces having indicia disposed thereon, and wherein the indicia of each game piece contains information relating to one of the components of the corresponding toy figure.  
     
     
         12 . A randomizing mechanism as defined in  claim 1 , wherein each game pieces comprises a plurality of sides having indicia disposed thereon, and wherein the cylinder is adapted to engage each game piece received thereby such that one of the sides of the game piece faces outwardly from the cylinder and is visible from the exterior of the housing.  
     
     
         13 . A randomizing mechanism for use in game play involving a plurality of toy figures each having at least one corresponding game piece having indicia disposed thereon containing information relating components of the corresponding toy figure, the randomizing mechanism being adapted to be manipulated by a player of the game play, the randomizing mechanism comprising: 
 an outer housing;    a cylinder disposed and rotatable within the housing and being adapted to receive a plurality of the game pieces therein, the housing being adapted so that the indicia of a game piece received in the cylinder is visible from the exterior of the housing;    an input member operatively connected to the cylinder and having a first position and a second position, wherein movement of the input member from the first position to the second position causes the cylinder to rotate;    a detachable end cap being adapted to retentively engage the housing proximate the cylinder, the housing, the cylinder and the end cap being adapted to retain game pieces received in the cylinder when the end cap is attached to the housing, and to facilitate insertion into and removal from the housing of game pieces when the cap is detached from the housing;    a wheel disposed and rotatable within the housing and operatively connected to the input member, and having wheel indicia disposed thereon, the housing being adapted so that a portion of the wheel indicia is visible from the exterior of the housing;    a toggle mechanism operatively connected to the input member and the cylinder, and having a first toggle position wherein the toggle mechanism is adapted to operatively connect the input member to the cylinder, and a second toggle position wherein the toggle mechanism is adapted to disconnect the input member from the cylinder whereby movement of the input member from its first position to its second position does not cause the cylinder to rotate; and    a rotatable dial mounted on the housing, the dial having an external portion extending outwardly and being adapted for manipulation by the player, and an internal portion having dial indicia disposed thereon, the housing being adapted so that at least a portion of the dial indicia is visible from the exterior of the housing.    
     
     
         14 . A randomizing mechanism as defined in  claim 13 , wherein the cylinder comprises a plurality of partitions subdividing the cylinder into a plurality of subdivisions, each subdivision being adapted to receive one of the game pieces.  
     
     
         15 . A randomizing mechanism as defined in  claim 13 , wherein the toy figures are assembleable toy figures each having a plurality of components adapted to be connected to one another, wherein the components of the unique toy figures may be connected to components of the other unique toy figures, and wherein each unique assembleable toy figure has a corresponding game piece having indicia disposed thereon containing information relating the components of the corresponding unique assembleable toy figure.  
     
     
         16 . A randomizing mechanism as defined in  claim 13 , wherein each toy figure has a plurality of game pieces having indicia disposed thereon, and wherein the indicia of each game piece contains information relating to one of the components of the corresponding toy figure.  
     
     
         17 . A randomizing mechanism as defined in  claim 13 , wherein each game pieces comprises a plurality of sides having indicia disposed thereon, and wherein the cylinder is adapted to engage each game piece received thereby such that one of the sides of the game piece faces outwardly from the cylinder and is visible from the exterior of the housing.  
     
     
         18 . A method of game play for a toy figure assembly game wherein participants assemble hybrid toy figures from the components of a plurality of unique toy figures, each unique toy figure comprising a plurality of components adapted to be connected to one another with each unique toy figure having the same types of components as the other unique toy figures, wherein the components of each unique toy figure may be connected to the components of the other unique toy figures, the method comprising: 
 selecting one of the types of components to be added to the hybrid toy figure;    randomly selecting one of the unique toy figures; and    assembling the selected one of the types of components from the randomly selected one of the unique toy figures in the hybrid toy figure.    
     
     
         19 . A method of game play for a toy figure assembly game as defined in  claim 18 , wherein each unique toy figure has a corresponding game piece having indicia disposed thereon containing information relating each type of component of the corresponding unique toy figure, and wherein the randomly selecting step comprises randomly selecting one of the game pieces, and wherein the randomly selected unique toy figure is the unique toy figure corresponding to the randomly selected game piece.  
     
     
         20 . A method of game play for a toy figure assembly game as defined in  claim 19 , wherein the game piece indicia comprises a value associated with each type of component of the corresponding unique toy figure, the hybrid toy figure having an associated total value, the method comprising incrementing the total value of the hybrid toy figure by the value associated with the selected one of the types of components of the randomly selected one of the unique toy figures.  
     
     
         21 . A method of game play for a toy figure assembly game as defined in  claim 19 , wherein the step of randomly selecting one of the game pieces comprises: 
 inserting the game pieces into randomizing mechanism having a rotatable cylinder being adapted to receive a plurality of game pieces;    activating the randomizing mechanism such that the cylinder is spun by a drive mechanism;    allowing the cylinder to stop spinning without intervention by a participant of the game play;    determining which of the plurality of game pieces is disposed proximate a predetermined location within the randomizing mechanism, wherein the randomly selected unique toy figure is the unique toy figure corresponding to the game piece disposed proximate the predetermined location within the randomizing mechanism.    
     
     
         22 . A method of game play for a toy figure battle game between a plurality of participants, each participant having a toy figure having an associated plurality of attack actions associate therewith, with each attack action having an associated action value and each toy figure having an associated total value, the method comprising: 
 selecting one of the attack actions associated with the toy figure of one of the participants;    randomly selecting one of a plurality of attack values; and    decrementing the total value of the toy figure of another one of the participants by the action value associated with the selected attack action, and by the randomly selected one of the plurality of attack values.    
     
     
         23 . A method of game play for a toy figure assembly game as defined in  claim 22 , wherein the step of randomly selecting one of a plurality of attack values comprises: 
 providing a randomizing mechanism having a rotatable wheel, the rotatable wheel having indicia disposed thereon representing a plurality of attack values;    activating the randomizing mechanism such that the wheel is spun by a drive mechanism;    allowing the wheel to stop spinning without intervention by a participant of the game play;    determining which of the plurality of attack values is disposed proximate a predetermined location within the randomizing mechanism, wherein the randomly selected one of the plurality of attack values is the one of the plurality of attack values disposed proximate the predetermined location within the randomizing mechanism.    
     
     
         22 . A method of game play for a toy figure battle game between a plurality of participants, each participant having a toy figure having an associated plurality of attack actions associate therewith, with each attack action having an associated action value and each toy figure having an associated total value, the method comprising: 
 selecting one of the attack actions associated with the toy figure of one of the participants;    randomly selecting one of a plurality of attack values; and    decrementing the total value of the toy figure of another one of the participants by the action value associated with the selected attack action, and by the randomly selected one of the plurality of attack values.    
     
     
         23 . A method of game play for a toy figure assembly game as defined in  claim 22 , wherein the step of randomly selecting one of a plurality of attack values comprises: 
 providing a randomizing mechanism having a rotatable wheel, the rotatable wheel having indicia disposed thereon representing a plurality of attack values;    activating the randomizing mechanism such that the wheel is spun by a drive mechanism;    allowing the wheel to stop spinning without intervention by a participant of the game play;    determining which of the plurality of attack values is disposed proximate a predetermined location within the randomizing mechanism, wherein the randomly selected one of the plurality of attack values is the one of the plurality of attack values disposed proximate the predetermined location within the randomizing mechanism.    
     
     
         24 . A randomizing mechanism for use in game play involving a plurality of toy figures and being adapted to be manipulated by a player of the game play by rolling the randomizing mechanism on a substantially horizontal surface, the randomizing mechanism comprising: 
 a plurality of game pieces corresponding to one of the toy figures, each game piece comprising a pair of oppositely disposed ends and a plurality of sides each having indicia disposed thereon containing information relating to one of the components of the corresponding toy figure; and    a first end cap comprising a plurality of first receptacles adapted to retentively engage one of the ends of one of the game pieces, and a first base having a plurality of first surfaces each corresponding to one of the first receptacles; and    a second end cap corresponding to the first end cap and comprising a plurality of second receptacles each corresponding to one of the first receptacles and being adapted to retentively engage the other end of the one of the game pieces engaged by the corresponding first receptacle, and a second base having a plurality of second surfaces each corresponding to one of the second receptacles, wherein one of the sides of the game piece engaged by one of the first and second receptacles faces upwardly when the corresponding first and second surfaces are disposed on the substantially horizontal surface.    
     
     
         25 . A randomizing mechanism as defined in  claim 24 , comprising six game pieces each having three sides having indicia disposed thereon containing information relating to one of the components of the corresponding toy figure, wherein the first end cap comprises six first receptacles and six first surfaces each corresponding to one of the six first receptacles, and the second end cap comprises six second receptacles each corresponding to one of the six first receptacles and six second surfaces each corresponding to one of the six second receptacles.