The present invention relates to a gymnasium game with projectiles and a movable target character on caster wheels, which is to be moved forward toward a distinct finish goal line by projectiles thrown by two opposing teams of players.
The prior art reveals many patents involving projectiles thrown or hit at stationary objects. The patent of Guyer (U.S. Pat. No. 8,409,035) uses two sets of game balls, two sets of towers of different heights, and ball-striking mallets. One of the objects is to knock over the towers upon impact by a game ball.
The patent of Warehime (4344628) uses a turnstile goal in a fixed location with paddles impacted by projectiles (disks or balls) hurled by opposing teams outside of a circular exclusion zone around the goal. The paddles are turned incrementally upon impact by the projectiles. The turnstile goal is fitted with counters which record clockwise and counterclockwise incremental turns separately. The team accumulating the larger count at the end of the game wins.
Another game with a fixed pivotal target is in pending U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2004/0160012 A1 of Steiner, whereby players are positioned at opposite sides of a target character, such as the example of a crocodile in drawing FIG. 5 of Steiner '012). A downwardly extending but pivotal planer sub-target piece is pivotal back and forth over a horizontal axis about a fixed, non-movable base. If one player hits one side of the pivotal sub-target piece, pivoting of the piece opens a valve which sprays water toward the opposite player. The pivoting in an opposite direction occurs if the play being sprayed with water happens to hit the opposite side of the pivotal piece, thereby causing the target crocodile to spin about a fixed pivot, and to spray the other player with water.
But the target crocodile in Steiner '012 only pivots about a fixed point, and does not move off of the fixed pivot point.
A non-patent reference entitled the “Water Ball Shooter” on pages 3 and 4 of the “Best Ever Water Games” website, describes briefly a game where “a goal/target is designated on the ground, using a rope. Line up some lightweight balls and use the hose to move/push the balls into the goal using the water.”
However, the “Water Ball Shooter” just describes contacting a plurality of balls with a hose's water spray from a spout and does not describe a single target character on caster wheels to be moved forward by balls or other projectiles thrown by two opposing teams.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,062 of Brooks discloses a method of propelling a game playing piece on casters in which players use their feet to directly contact and kick around the piece in a game similar to soccer (see Background and summary of the Invention of the Brooks '062 reference). There is no notion in Brooks '062 for a player remotely and manually throwing a projectile against the playing piece in Brooks '062, for remotely advancing the playing piece forward toward a goal line extending the entire length of the playing field, without the player directly and physically touching the playing piece by kicking or otherwise, to move it forward by the direct kicking of the playing piece by the kicking player participant in Brooks '062.
US Patent application publication number 2004/0235388 of Padilla discloses a movable toy, which is in the form of a platform incorporating a small discrete target such as a receptacle, e.g., a bucket, basketball hoop, pylon, or a hockey stick. The reference also mentions that “the present invention may be pushed, pulled, kicked, hit, ridden or otherwise used as a component of a team oriented game” (par. 0030). The only examples shown are platforms to support a child (par. 0033), a target for hand toss games (par. 0040), and for a variety of other games “such as bowling, hockey, and soccer” (par. 0046), so it is not clear about the meaning of the expression “hit.” It does not appear that Padilla '388 teaches the use of such a movable toy in a method of playing a gymnasium game wherein the players use projectiles to move the toy across a goal line, as in the present claimed inventive method.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,506,426 of Perez describes a game of “lobol”, i.e., “a small, solid ball,” in which the lobol is placed on the playing field, and players throw other balls at the lobol to move the lobol into “the goal enclosure” (see Summary of the Invention) and was cited for the use of cones to form a goal. Actually, the reference has a goal which comprises a discrete, limited size goal enclosure with an opening formed by the use of two posts 50 forming a net enclosure 40, as shown in FIG. 1 of Perez, and as described in column 4, lines 15-20 therein.
A key objective of the gymnasium or playing field game of this invention is to provide one or more movable target components in the shape of a mascot mounted on swivel casters which roll on the gym floor or other playing field. Each component serves as a movable target for projectiles thrown by two teams from geometrically opposite sides. The mascot is moved incrementally upon being impacted by a projectile.
An object of the game is therefore to move a mascot on the gym floor until it “breaks through” a designated goal “finish line” of traffic cones protecting one team or the other.
Other objects which become apparent from the following description of the present invention.
The game of this invention is designed to be quickly set up or taken down on a gym floor. Except for the target component, all other equipment is readily available and inexpensive. Ideal for elementary school use, it can be played in an area of a standard elementary school basketball court (a rectangular area 74 feet by 42 feet) although the exact size or shape of the game area is not critical. As described above, all versions of this game involve two teams each behind a line marked by traffic cone barriers respectively. The barrier lines are set some distance apart with the starting location of the target being at the center between the barrier lines. Each of the team members hurl projectiles at the target which rides on swivel casters with the objective of incrementally moving it toward the barrier line of the opposing team. A win or score is counted when the target mascot penetrates the barrier line of the opposing team. The goal finish lines extend a substantial length of the playing field instead of being a small goal enclosure, such as a basketball hoop or lacrosse net, and the projectiles are thrown by team players from behind the goal finish lines. In contrast to throwing a projectile into a small enclosure receptacle as in Padilla '388, the present invention teaches the use of such a movable target mascot toy in a method of playing a gymnasium game wherein the players manually throw hand held projectiles, to remotely move the movable target mascot toy across a goal line extending across the opposite end of the entire playing field, without the player kicking or otherwise directly touching the movable target mascot.
The projectiles can be rubber dodge balls, disks, soft rubber balls, hacky sacks, hacky balls, etc. that must not be injurious to players if inadvertently hit. From a play point of view, one ideal projectile is a sand filled hacky ball since it is safe and has significant mass. It also rolls and would not significantly impede the motion of the mascot target when on the ground. For more fast action games, bounceable dodge balls can be utilized as the projectiles thrown toward the movable mascot target toward the designated goal finish line.
The target is a mascot shape atop a platform that rolls on 3-5 swivel casters. If the mascot is tall and basically slender, a hit toward the top will have a great turning moment tending to topple it. To counter this, the platform is internally weighted to provide a low center of gravity. If using such a mascot and toppling is a problem, a penalty against the toppling team can be written into the rules! A low mascot with inherently low center of gravity and therefore low turning moment avoids the toppling problem and does not require a weighted base. The mascot itself can be as simple as a rigid cylindrical form with a mascot poster adhered to its surface. A more fun inspiring mascot would be a rigid blow molded form painted in school colors and with all details represented. A variety of plastic resins from PVC to polycarbonate can be used as required to meet longevity and first cost goals.
A number of different rules can be used to play the game. A game win can be simply the first barrier penetration. A longer game would result if a number of penetrations are required, such as the first five wins. In a school setting with timed periods, perhaps a timed game would be more appropriate. Obviously these variations do not require any additional hardware. To introduce more exercise, buckets full of projectiles (such as hacky balls or dodge balls) can be placed behind the players several feet away toward the back on the floor. A rule change restricting a single ball be carried by a player to the firing line would insure some active hustling back and forth to the buckets and stooping to grab a ball since the number of shots thrown as well as accuracy determine the amount of movement of the mascot; this change would burn a few more calories per game.
In a further alternate embodiment, game such as modeled after football can be used with a set of rules encompassing a particular sports rules and playing field markings. For example, the movable mascot target can be depicted as a football player shaped movable mascot. Optionally, the alternate embodiment can include positional swiveling of the football shaped movable mascot. In a further alternate embodiment, the game can be provided with two opposing teams of multiple movable mascot targets, with sideline yardage markers and cross-field yardage marker lines.
The present invention can best be understood in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiments shown in the following drawings, in which:
The number of players on a team can vary but is generally thought to be between 3 to 10 players. The number can be a function of the space allocated to the game on the gym floor.
Other optional rules associated with the method shown in
In a further alternate embodiment, optional catchment wall targets CWT can be provided in one or more movable target mascots 110c or 110d, so that in addition to the player participants 4 remotely throwing projectiles 11 against a movable target mascots 110c or 110d, to move the movable target mascots 100c or 110d toward the opposite finishing goal line to record a score, in an alternate embodiment, there could be a requirement that a team of participant players 4 would first have to throw the projectiles 11 at a specific designated player 11c with a catchment wall target CWT, so that the front of the movable target mascot 110c is facing players 4, with the added requirement that at least one projectile 11 must be strike the catchment wall target CWT of the designated movable target mascot 110 or 11d, before the movable target mascot 110c or 110d can be advanced toward the opposite goal finish line 300d, or 300c at the opposite ends of the playing field. In other words, besides hitting the respective mascots 110c or 110d anywhere on its outer surface, in this alternate embodiment, a higher level of skill could be provided in that the players remotely throwing the projectiles 11c or 11d at the one or more mascots 110c or 110d would also have to hit the smaller target area within the confines of catchment wall target CWT, for extra points.
Likewise, as shown in the lower right position of the playing field a movable target mascot 110c can be strategically placed near the goal line 300c, in case there is an equivalent movement of a defensive player 110d advancing analogous to having recovered a fumble or otherwise having changed the offensive or defensive possession of the team with movable target mascots 110c to that of the opposite team of movable target mascots 110d.
In the version of opposite teams of movable target mascots 110c and 110d, rules can be promulgated that the players need to be swivelly rotated before being able to be moved and advanced forward toward a designated opposite finishing goal line 300c or 300d, such as shown in the alternate embodiment with a single movable mascot that must be swivelly rotated as shown in
It is further noted that the game shown in
Furthermore, the number of movable target mascots 110c and 110d can be increased to multiple numbers, such as having four or five movable target mascots 110c and 11d, shown in
Another alternate embodiment (not shown) could be where the players 4 remotely manually throw projectiles 11c or 11d of any shape or consistency against one or more movable mascots 110c and 110d, to advance them toward a designated goal line 200c and 300d, but where a separate ball, such as a soccer ball is provided, so that the movable target mascots 110c and 110d have to be moved forward at any angle, with or without swivelly rotating, to advance the soccer ball against the designated goal finish lines 300c or 300d. In effect, the players 4 remotely and manually throw the projectiles 11, 11a, 11b or 11c against the movable target mascots 110c or 110d, which in turn, are thrust remotely against the soccer ball, thereby indirectly advancing the soccer ball toward the respective goal finish line 300c or 300d, all without any of the player participants 4 physically contacting either the movable target mascots 110c and 110d, or the soccer ball itself, by direct physical contact, such as by kicking or otherwise.
In summary, the method of playing a game of the present invention includes providing the following:
a) one or more movable target components in the shape of a mascot mounted on swivel casters rollable upon a playing field,
b) using projectiles thrown at the one or more mascots by two opposing teams from geometrically opposite sides of the playing field to move one or more of the movable target mascots forward on the playing field,
c) whereby members of the player teams manually throw by hand the projectiles at the one or more movable target mascots from behind designated goal finish lines, each designated goal finish line extending a substantial length of the playing field on opposite sides of the playing field, whereby further the players manually throw the projectiles from behind the goal finish lines to advance the one or more movable target mascot components toward an opposite designated goal finish line, and
d) the one or more movable target mascots are advanced remotely by the players, without direct physical contact of the players against the movable target mascot components, until penetrating one or more times one of the opposite designated goal finish lines for determining a winner of the game, wherein a game win occurs when the one or more movable target mascots penetrates the designated goal finish line on one or more scoring occasions, with or without a designated running time clock having been completed running out time wise over a defined period of time.
In the foregoing description, certain terms and visual depictions are used to illustrate the preferred embodiment. However, no unnecessary limitations are to be construed by the terms used or illustrations depicted, beyond what is shown in the prior art, since the terms and illustrations are exemplary only, and are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention.
It is further known that other modifications may be made to the present invention, without departing the scope of the invention, as noted in the appended Claims.
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 16/017,178, filed Jun. 25, 2018, which application is incorporated by reference herein. Applicant claims priority in part therefrom pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 120.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 16017178 | Jun 2018 | US |
Child | 16440240 | US |