Patent Application
20160184697
1. Field of the Disclosure
The disclosure relates to game devices and more particularly pertains to a new game device for providing a hand and eye coordination skill game.
2. Summary of the Disclosure
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a table that has a top surface and a perimeter edge. The top surface has a center area defining a highest point of the top surface. The top surface slopes downwardly in all directions continuously from the center area to the perimeter edge. A perimeter wall is attached to and extends upwardly from the perimeter edge. The perimeter edge and the perimeter wall have a plurality of notches therein. Openings are defined in the perimeter wall each associated with one of the notches. A distance between adjacent ones of the notches is equal. Areas adjacent to the notches are lower than all remaining areas of the top surface. A plurality of mounts each is attached to the table. Each of the openings has one of the mounts positioned adjacent thereto. Each of the mounts has one of a plurality of paddles attached thereto such that each of the openings has one of the paddles positioned therein. Each of the paddles includes a grip to facilitate rotating the paddles away from a vertical position extending downwardly over the openings. A ball is positioned on the table and is strikable with the paddles.
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 perimeter edge 16 may substantially form a square having a length and width each being between approximately 25.0 inches and 32.0 inches. The perimeter wall 20 extends upwardly from the perimeter edge 18 a distance equal to between about 0.75 inches and 1.75 inches. A height differential from the center area 18 to the perimeter edge 16 is generally between 1.0 inches and 4.0 inches, though this height may vary from the notches 20 to a point between adjacent ones of the notches 20.
A plurality of mounts 30 each is attached to the table 12. Each of the openings 24 has one of the mounts 30 positioned adjacent thereto. A plurality of paddles 32 is provided. Each of the mounts 30 has one of the paddles 32 attached thereto such that each of the openings 24 has one of the paddles 32 positioned therein. Each of the paddles 32 includes a grip 34 to facilitate rotating the paddles 32 away from a vertical position extending downwardly over the openings 24. The paddles 32 is centrally located such that lateral apertures 36 are defined between each of the paddles 32 and adjacent lateral edges of the perimeter wall 20 bordering the openings 24. A ball 38 is positioned on the table 12 and is strikable with the paddles 32. The ball 38 may have a size to allow the ball 38 to move through the lateral apertures 36, though it may be sized to also prevent the ball 38 from moving through the opening 24 when the paddle is extending downwardly. More particularly, the mount 30 may include a rod 40 rotatably coupled to a frame 42. The rod 40 may be gripped and rotated relative to the table 12. The paddle 32 is attached to and extends downwardly from the rod 40. While the rod 40 rotates relative to the table 12, it may also move laterally back and forth so that the paddle 32 is moveable back and forth between the lateral edges of the opening 24.
A plurality of housings 44 is provided and each of the housings 44 is coupled to the table 12. Each of the housings 44 is positioned adjacent to one of the notches 22 such that the housings 44 capture any objects falling through the notches 22 and openings 24. The housings 44 may comprise bowl type structures configured for capturing the ball 38 when the ball 38 moves through an associated one of the openings 24.
In use, the assembly 10 is used as a game with a plurality of plurality players wherein each of the players controls one of the panels 32. The game may be begun by either dropping the ball 38 in the center area 18 or by allowing one of the players to begin hitting the ball 38 with their panel. As the ball 38 moves on the top surface 14, the players use their panel 32 to strike the ball 38 and to stop the ball 38 from moving through their opening 24. Scoring may be accomplished in any number of ways. For instance, when the ball 38 moves through one of the openings 24, the last player who struck the ball 38 (who is not the player whose opening 24 the ball 38 travelled through) may be awarded a point. The first player up to a preselected number of points such as 11, 15 or 21 may be declared the winner.
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.
