Board game with gyroscopic top timer

Abstract

A board game, a method for timing or determining the length of time for a player or a team's turn, and a timing device for timing the length of time for a player or team's turn are all disclosed. The disclosed board game has an Egyptian mummy theme and includes a board that can be folded in the shape of a pyramid. Players move around the board, collect tokens and try to avoid being landed upon or landing upon a mummy token, which also moves around the board during the course of the game. Tokens are moved according to a paired or rolled dice. The dice are rolled repeatedly during a player's turn and the length of time for a player's turn is determined by a timing device which includes a top element housed within a cubical shell. A rip cord is used to spin the top within the shell and the shell is placed on a base and allowed to spin on one of its corners as the top spins inside the shell. The turn is over when the top and shell loses their speed causing the shell to fall on one of its outer flat faces. The timing device disclosed herein makes for a very fast paced and exciting board game.

1 . A board game comprising: 
 a board with a plurality of indicia printed thereon;    a timing device comprising a top;    whereby spinning the top determines an amount of time for a single turn.    
   
   
       2 . The board game of  claim 1  wherein the timing device further comprises a cubical shell that houses the top and a rip cord; 
 the shell comprising two bearings disposed in diagonally opposite corners inside the shell, the bearings supporting opposite ends of a shaft of the top, the shell also comprising two openings for passing the rip cord therethrough;    the top comprising the shaft which extends through a wheel and a gear;    the rip cord comprising a linear set of teeth and the rip cord passing through the two openings of the shell with the teeth of the rip cord being enmeshed with the gear of the top;    whereby pulling the rip cord through the shell as the teeth of the rip cord are enmeshed with the gear causes the top to spin within the shell as the shaft is supported by the bearings and placing the shell on one of its corners while the top is spinning causes the shell to spin on said corner for an amount of time that determines the length of time of the turn.    
   
   
       3 . The board game of  claim 2 , wherein the shell comprises six outer faces, at least one of the faces being printed with indicia to alter the outcome of the turn.  
   
   
       4 . The board game of  claim 2  further comprising a base that rests on the board, the base comprising an upper surface having a recess for accommodating a corner of the shell.  
   
   
       5 . The board game of  claim 4 , wherein the recess is circular.  
   
   
       6 . The board game of  claim 4 , wherein the base has a truncated pyramidal shape.  
   
   
       7 . The board game of  claim 2 , wherein the rip cord comprises a handle.  
   
   
       8 . The board of  claim 1  further comprising at least one token, at least one die, and the indicia defining at least one pathway, 
 wherein, to start the turn, the top is spun and allowed to spin about an axis thereof, as the top spins, the die is rolled and token moved repeatedly until the top stops spinning.    
   
   
       9 . The board of  claim 2  further comprising a plurality of tokens, at least one die, and the indicia defining at least one pathway, 
 wherein, to start the turn, the rip cord is pulled through the shell thereby causing the top to spin and the shell is placed on one of its corners which houses one of the bearings thereby allowing the shell to spin on said corner and during the turn, the die are rolled and the token is moved repeatedly until the shell stops spinning.    
   
   
       10 . The board game of  claim 2 , wherein the shell also houses a plate secured within the shell, the plate comprising an aperture through which the shaft and gear extend, the plate being connected to a bracket through which the rip cord and slides, the bracket having a shaped cross-sectional profile that matches a cross-sectional profile of the rip cord, the bracket being positioned so that insertion of the rip cord through the openings of the shell results in the rip cord extending through the bracket and the teeth of the rip cord enmeshing with the gear of the top.  
   
   
       11 . The board game of  claim 10 , wherein the plate is fastened to an interior of the shell.  
   
   
       12 . The board game of  claim 11 , wherein the bracket is integrally connected to the plate.  
   
   
       13 . The board game of  claim 2 , wherein the shaft of the top also passes through and is connected to a hub, the hub being connected to the wheel by a plurality of spokes.  
   
   
       14 . A timing device for games, the device comprising: 
 a cubical shell and a top;    the shell comprising an interior and two bearings disposed in diagonally opposite corners of the shell, the interior of the shell housing the top;    the top comprising a shaft with two opposite ends that are each supported in one of the bearings of the shell;    wherein imparting rotational movement to the top causes the top to spin within the shell and causes the shell to spin when the shell is balanced on one of the corners that houses one of the bearings with the shaft of the top being substantially vertical.    
   
   
       15 . The timing device of  claim 12  further comprising: 
 a rip cord, the rip cord comprising a linear set of teeth;    the shell comprising two openings for allowing the rip cord to pass through the shell;    the top comprising a wheel and a gear that are coaxially connected to the shaft;    whereby insertion of the rip cord through the openings of the shell causes the teeth of the rip cord to become enmeshed with the gear of the top and rotational movement can be imparted to the top by pulling the rip cord through the shell.    
   
   
       16 . The timing device of  claim 15 , further comprising a base, the base comprising an upper surface having a recess for accommodating a corner of the shell.  
   
   
       17 . The timing device of  claim 15 , wherein the shell also houses a plate secured within the shell, the plate comprising an aperture through which the shaft and gear extend, the plate being connected to a bracket through which the rip cord and slides, the bracket having a shaped cross-sectional profile that matches a cross-sectional profile of the rip cord, the bracket being positioned so that insertion of the rip cord through the openings of the shell results in the rip cord extending through the bracket and the teeth of the rip cord enmeshing with the gear of the top.  
   
   
       18 . The timing device of  claim 17 , wherein the plate is fastened to an interior of the shell.  
   
   
       19 . The timing device of  claim 18 , wherein the bracket is integrally connected to the plate.  
   
   
       20 . The timing device of  claim 19 , wherein the shaft of the top also passes through and is connected to a hub, the hub being connected to the wheel by a plurality of spokes.  
   
   
       21 . The timing device of  claim 15 , wherein the shell comprises six outer faces, at least one of the faces being printed with indicia to alter the course of a game.  
   
   
       22 . A method for determining the time of a player's turn during play of a game, the method comprising: 
 providing a timing device of  claim 15;     inserting the rip cord through the openings of the shell and enmeshing the teeth of the rip cord with the gear of the top;    pulling the rip cord back through the shell at a rate sufficient to cause the top to spin;    placing the shell on one of its corners that houses one of its bearings while the top is spinning thereby causing the shell to spin and designating a start of the turn;    declaring an end of the turn when the shell stops spinning.    
   
   
       23 . A method for determining the time of a player's turn during play of a game, the method comprising: 
 providing a top;    causing the top to spin;    placing the top in its axis while the top is spinning thereby causing the top to spin and designating a start of the turn;    declaring an end of the turn when the top stops spinning.