Patent Application
20240325867
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The disclosure relates to score board devices and more particularly pertains to a new score board device for scoring the game of billiards in the convention of the game of baseball. The device includes a score board that is positionable on a billiards table and indicia are printed on the score board comprising various baseball hits that are each assigned to respect billiard balls. The device includes a plurality of displays for displaying indicia associated with the game of baseball and a plurality of control buttons for controlling scoring operations.
The prior art relates to score board devices including a scoreboard for scoring the game of tennis. The prior art discloses an electronic scoring device which can be used by two contestants playing Boss Dice. The prior art discloses an electronic umpire's counter which has displays and buttons for counting balls, strikes and outs during a game of baseball. The prior art discloses a game scoreboard device that includes a plurality of pockets formed in the game scoreboard and a rotary pointer dial. The prior art discloses an electronic scorekeeper for athletic contests that includes a graphic of a baseball diamond and keyboard for entering alpha numeric data.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a score board positionable on a billiards table such that the score board is visible to players playing billiards. Indicia are printed on the score board comprising a table of numbers associated with each of a plurality of billiard balls and a plurality of words indicating various runs associated with the game of baseball. A scoring unit is integrated into the score board which tracks runs scored by the player that is at bat to facilitate the players to determine a winner at the end of the game. A plurality of displays is integrated into the score board and each of the displays displays indicia comprising numbers to indicate runs scored by an offensive player and outs achieved by a defensive player.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The score board 12 has a front surface 24 and a perimeter edge 26 and the perimeter edge 26 has a bottom side 28, a top side 30, a first lateral side 32 and a second lateral side 34; the indicia 16 are applied to the front surface 24. The indicia 16 include a baseball diamond 36 that is centrally positioned on the front surface 24 and the table 18 is positioned between the baseball diamond 36 and the second lateral side 34 of the perimeter edge 26. The numbers 20 include the numbers “1” through “15” and the plurality of words 22 includes a column of offense words 38 and a column of defense words 40. Each of the numbers 20 represents the respective numbers on the billiard balls 22. The column of offense words 38 includes the words “single” 41, “double” 42, “triple” 44, “home run” 46 and “out” 48; the column of defense 40 words includes the words “out” 50, “double play” 52 and “single” 54. Each of the offense words 38 is aligned with a respective one of the numbers 20 and each of the defense words 40 is aligned with a respective one of the defense words 40.
With respect to the billiard balls 22, the one ball is assigned a single for offense, the two ball is assigned a double for offense and the three ball is assigned a triple for offense. The four ball is assigned a home run for offense, the five ball is assigned a single for offense and the six ball is assigned a double for offense. Continuing, the seven ball is assigned a triple for offense, the eight ball is assigned a home run for offense and the nine ball is assigned a single for offense. The ten ball is assigned a double for offense, the eleven ball is assigned a triple for offense and the twelve ball is assigned a home run for offense. The thirteen ball is assigned a single for offense, the fourteen ball is assigned a double for offense and the fifteen ball is assigned a triple for offense. Each of the billiard balls 22 is assigned an out for defense, with the exception of the nine ball, which is assigned a double play for defense. A scratch, which is the cue ball falling into a pocket, is assigned an out for offense and a single for defense.
A kickstand 56 is movably integrated into the back surface 58 of the score board 12. The kickstand 56 is positionable in a stored position having the kickstand 56 resting against the back surface 58. The kickstand 56 is positionable in a deployed position having the kickstand 56 extending away from the back surface 58 at a point located adjacent to the bottom side 28 of the perimeter edge 26 of the score board 12. In this way the score board 12 can be supported in an upright orientation on the billiard table 18.
A scoring unit 60 is provided and the scoring unit 60 is integrated into the score board 12. The scoring unit 60 tracks runs scored by the player that is at bat to facilitate the players to determine a winner at the end of the game. The scoring unit 60 includes a control circuit 62 that is integrated into the score board 12. The control circuit 62 includes an electronic memory 64 which stores a database comprising a scoring program related to the game of baseball. The scoring unit 60 includes a plurality of control buttons 66 and each of the control buttons 66 is movably integrated into the score board 12 such that each of the control buttons 66 can be manipulated by the players. Additionally, each of the plurality of control buttons 66 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 62.
The plurality of control buttons 66 includes a plurality of baseball diamond buttons 68 that is each aligned with a respective one of four corners 69 of the baseball diamond 36 that is applied to the front surface 24 of the score board 12. The baseball diamond buttons 68 are employed to track the progression around the baseball diamond 36 according to whether the offensive player scores a single or a double or a triple or a home run. The plurality of control buttons 66 includes an out button 70 for logging an out into the electronic memory 64. The plurality of control buttons 66 includes a set of locked buttons 72 each positioned along the perimeter edge 26 of the score board 12. Each of the locked buttons 72 is strategically positioned to represent a respective pocket 74 on the billiard table 18. Furthermore, a respective one of the locked buttons 72 is depressed when three billiard balls 22 is sank into the respective pocket 74 thereby removing the respective pocket 74 from is eligible for game play.
The plurality of control buttons 66 includes an away player winner button 76 to log a victory for the away player. Additionally, the plurality of control buttons 66 includes a home player winner button 78 to log a victory for the home player. The plurality of control buttons 66 includes a new rack button 80 to log the beginning of a round of billiards. The plurality of control buttons 66 includes a reset button 82 to undo any command that was inadvertently entered with any of the plurality of control buttons 66.
A plurality of displays 84 is provided and each of the displays 84 is integrated into the score board 12. Each of the displays 84 displays indicia 86 comprising numbers to indicate runs scored by an offensive player and outs achieved by a defensive player. Each of the displays 84 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 62 and each of the displays 84 is integrated into the front surface 24 of the score board 12. Additionally, each of the plurality of displays 84 may comprise a light emitting diode display or other type of electronic display.
The plurality of displays 84 includes a score display 88 which includes a row for tracking the score of an away player 90 and a row for tracking the score of a home player 92. Furthermore, the score display 88 is structured to resemble a typical baseball scoreboard. The plurality of displays 84 includes an away display 94 for indicating when the away player is shooting. The plurality of displays 84 includes a home display 96 for indicating when the home player is shooting and the plurality of displays 84 includes an out display 98 for indicating a number of outs taken by the player that is currently at bat.
A power supply 100 is integrated into the score board 12 and the power supply 100 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 62. The power supply 100 comprises a rechargeable battery 102 that is integrated into the score board 12 and the rechargeable battery 102 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 62. The power supply 100 includes a charge port 104 that is recessed into the back surface 58 of the score board 12 thereby facilitating the charge port 104 to insertably receive a charge cord. The charge port 104 is electrically coupled to the rechargeable battery 102 for charging the rechargeable battery 102. Additionally, the charge port 104 may comprise a universal serial bus port or other similar type of charge port.
In use, the game of billiards is played with the eight ball rules and the score board 12 is positioned on the billiards table 14. Each player is assigned to the home team or the away team prior to commencing the game. The billiard balls 22 are racked such that the eight ball is in the center of the rack either the one ball, the five ball, the nine ball or the thirteen ball are located at the three corners of the rack. The away player breaks to start the game and either a triple play or a grand slam results from sinking the eight ball on the break. The player on offense attempts to sink as many billiard balls 22 as possible to score as many points as possible until the defense is awarded three outs. The goal for the player on offense is to get base runners and bring them home to score as many points as possible and each ball that is sank pushes runners around the bases. Scratching on offense results in a strike out which in turn results in an out.
Each billiard ball 22 that is sank by the defense results in one out, except the eight ball which results in a double play. Additionally, combos sank by the defense add together such that a two ball combo is a double play and a three ball combo is a triple play. Furthermore, a scratch for the defense results in a walked batter. The offense depresses the matching baseball diamond button 68 that corresponds to a single, double or triple and the control circuit 62 tracks the resulting score. The defense depresses the out button 70 each time an out is obtained and subsequently switches to offense once three outs are obtained. In this way the game of billiards is scored in the convention of American baseball.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
