Card-Thin Magnetic Travel Mahjong and Chess Sets with Magnet Racks

The problem

Mahjong and board games are social games people want to take along - on trains and ferries, to hotels, on holiday. But a full mahjong set is bulky and heavy, and thick tiles clatter. Earlier travel ideas in China, cited in the patent, made pieces thinner or out of paper, but thin pieces are hard to pick up and sort, and some needed special magnetic wands that took practice. The patent’s aim is a set that is light, small and quiet, still looks right on the table, and is easy to handle.

The solution

The patent combines thin pieces, magnetic powder and simple magnetic tools:

1. Pieces - mahjong tiles and pieces for Go, Chinese chess, chess, Korean chess, Junqi, Chinese checkers and gomoku - are made as thin sheets, in bands such as 0.1-0.5 mm, 0.5-5.5 mm and 5.5-7.5 mm.
2. Each piece combines a non-magnetic material (a molded plastic) with soft-magnetic particles or powder (for example iron, silicon steel, permalloy or soft ferrite), placed so they form low-resistance paths for magnetic flux in chosen directions.
3. A picking tool has two small permanent magnets joined by a connector worn on a finger like a cot. According to the patent, one magnet picks up only a single piece, and the thumb pushes it off onto the right square.
4. Magnetic rubber boards hold the pieces on the playing surface.
5. For mahjong, a rack made of L-shaped soft-steel frames holds tiles upright in a row by magnetism; after play the frames fold back onto a soft-steel box frame that holds the tiles.
6. Thicker tiles (3-7.5 mm) can have ridges or bumps on their end faces so they are easier to pinch from a stack without any tool.

Who it is for

• Game and toy brands with mahjong, chess or travel-game lines who want a genuinely pocket-size format.
• American mahjong sellers - the game has seen a strong revival in the US, and players look for portable and lightweight sets.
• Travel accessory and airport retail brands selling compact games for flights, cruises and camping.
• Gift and museum shops offering cultural games in small, giftable boxes.

How it works

The main parts

Using it

1. Open the box and fold the L-shaped frames out to form racks.
2. Set out the board - a magnetic rubber mat for chess-type games.
3. Pick pieces with the finger tool (thin tiles) or by the ridged ends (thicker tiles).
4. Stand tiles on the rack - they cling to the steel frames.
5. Pack up by folding the frames back onto the box frame, refilling the tiles and closing the lid.

Applications

Travel mahjong for commuters and holidays

A full set in a box about the size of 1.5 decks of cards (the patent’s example) fits a jacket pocket for trains, flights, ferries and hotel rooms.

American mahjong clubs

Players carrying sets to weekly games value low weight; a magnetic rack also keeps tiles in place on small café tables.

Multi-game compendium sets

One slim box with Go, chess, Chinese chess and mahjong pieces on a shared magnetic board makes a strong gift product.

Cruise ships, camping and RVs

Pieces that cling to a magnetic board do not slide around on moving or tilted surfaces.

Senior centers and teaching

Lightweight tiles and a magnetic picker help players with weaker grip; classroom chess sets can stick to a vertical demonstration board.

Where it is less suitable

• Automatic mahjong tables - machine shuffling needs standard thick tiles.
• Players who love the weight and click of full-size tiles - this is a travel format, not a replacement for a premium home set.