BACKGROUND
Bean bag toss games are well known. A typical bean bag toss game comprises eight bean bags and two target boards. The bean bags are divided into two sets of four bean bags each. Each set is preferably a different color to distinguish between each player's set of bean bags.
The target boards have a planar, generally rectangular, top surface of a desired dimension. Typically, the boards are longer in the longitudinal direction than in width in the lateral direction. For example, a common target board dimension is 24 inches long by 18 inches wide, but any other desired dimension or desired shape may be used for the boards. When placed on the ground or a floor surface, the boards are typically configured to slope downwardly from an upper end to a lower end. Each board has a hole which is preferably positioned toward the upper end through which the bean bags are intended to pass through when tossed.
The game is set up by placing the target boards a desired distance apart (e.g., 20 to 30 feet), with the lower ends of the boards toward one another so the slope of the boards are in opposite directions facing each other.
During game play, each player or team takes turns throwing one set of the bean bags, one at a time, from behind one of the target boards toward the opposite target board , attempting to get as many of the bean bags of that player's set of bags through the hole as possible.
Any scoring system may be used. For example, a common or typical scoring system awards three points for each bag tossed that passes through the hole. If a bag is tossed and it lands on the board, but the bag does not go through the hole, the thrower is awarded one point. Zero points are awarded for bags that do not land and stay on the board after all the bags are tossed by all players during a round of play. A round of play ends when all eight bags are tossed toward the opposite board. The players then move to the second board to retrieve the bags that were tossed and each player then takes turns throwing their set of bags toward the first target board. The points are totaled during each round of play and the first player to reach the score of twenty or other desired score is the winner.
It is desirable to provide a portable bean bag toss game which is portable, which provides a convenient way of storing all of the game components when the game is not being used and which is convenient to carry.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a portable bean bag toss game showing the target boards and bean bags ready for game play.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the target boards of FIG. 1 disassembled and stacked in halves as the game may be packaged for retail sale.
FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of two halve of one of the target boards of FIG. 2 being assembled.
FIG. 4 is top plan view of the assembled target board of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is bottom plan view of the assembled target board of FIG. 3.
FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of the assembled target board of FIG. 3 showing the position of the legs.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing two target boards with their respective legs removed and stowed in the back side of the boards and being placed back-to-back for storage after game play.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the two target boards back-to-back and attached together for carrying or storage.
DESCRIPTION
Referring now to the drawing figures, wherein like reference numerals designate the same or corresponding parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a portable bean bag toss game 10. As is conventional, the game 10 preferably comprises eight bean bags 12 and two target boards 20, 22. The bean bags 12 are preferably divided into two sets 14, 16 of four bean bags each. Each set is preferably a different color to distinguish between each player's set of bean bags.
The two target boards 20, 22 are preferably identical. Each target board 20, 22 comprises two mirror image, half sections 102, 104 which, when assembled (discussed later) create a longitudinal seam 106 in the direction of a longitudinal axis. The target board 20, 22 is generally rectangular and is of a desired dimension and is preferably longer in the longitudinal direction than width in the lateral direction. For example, the boards may be 24 inches long by 18 inches wide, but any other desired dimension or desired shape may be used.
The target board 20, 22 has a planar top face 108 and a bottom face 110 (FIG. 3). The board 20, 22 has an upper end 112, a lower end 114, a left side 116, and a right side 118. The board 20, 22 has a hole 120 preferably positioned toward the upper end 112 through which the bean bags 12 are intended to pass through when tossed. Thus, the hole 120 is preferably large enough for the bean bags to easily pass through. The size of the hole may vary depending on the size of the bean bags used for playing the game.
Two upper legs 122, 124 and two lower legs 126, 128 are provided to support the board 20, 22 on the ground or a floor surface in a downwardly sloped orientation from the upper end 112 to the lower end 114. The slope angle and thus the length of the legs may vary as desired, but as an example, the length of the upper legs 122, 124 may be 8.5 inches and the length of the lower legs 126, 128 may be 4 inches.
The board 20, 22 preferably includes a handle 130 and slidable score keepers 132, 134 (best viewed in FIG. 4) on the left and right sides 116, 118 of the board 20, 22 for each player or team to track their respective scores during game play.
Referring to FIGS. 3, 5, 6 and 7 the boards 20, 22 are preferably fabricated using a blow molded process, such that the boards 20, 22 are essentially hollow between the top face 108 and the bottom face 110. Pocket openings 142 are preferably formed in the bottom face 110 of each mirror image half 102, 104 of the boards that are sufficiently large for inserting and retaining the bean bags 12 (see FIGS. 3 and 7). Mirror image recesses 144 are also preferably formed in the bottom face 110 in each half 102, 104 of the boards to receive and retain the legs 122, 124, 126, 128. The leg recesses 144 are preferably approximately half the depth of the diameter of the legs.
Thus, referring to FIG. 2, when first packaged by the manufacturer for shipment to retail outlets, the boards 20, 22 are disassembled and the respective halves 102, 104 are stacked with their bottom faces 110 back-to-back. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 7, prior to the board halves 102, 104 being stacked together and packaged, the bean bags 12 are inserted into the pocket openings 142 and the legs 122, 124, 126, 128 are inserted into the leg recesses 144. Because the board halves 102, 104 are mirror images of one another, it should be appreciated that when the legs 122, 124, 126, 128 are placed in the leg recesses 144 in the first half 102 of the board as shown in FIG. 3, when the second half 104 of the board is stacked on top of the first half 102 in back-to-back relation as shown in FIG. 2, the leg recesses 144 on the second half 104 align with and receive the legs, thus allowing the bottom faces 110 of each half 102, 104 of the board to fit flush together with all of the game components securely retained between the two halves 102, 104. As shown in FIG. 2, each set of halves comprising the first and second target boards 20, 22 with their respective game components securely stowed between the respective halves, are stacked on top of one another and packaged for shipment to retail outlets.
Referring again to FIG. 3, the mold for forming the board halves 102, 104 are also configured to form leg receptacles 146 for receiving the ends of the legs when the board is being assembled for game play (see FIG. 6). The leg receptacles 146, together with the leg recesses 144 and other strategically placed structural recesses 148 internally join the top and bottom faces 108, 110 provide structural rigidity to the boards 20, 22 and serve to minimize deflection of the top face 108 when hit by a bean bag during game play. Connection plate recesses 150 are also formed into the bottom face 110 of each half section 102, 104 of the boards 20, 22 for receiving connection plates 152 to secure the half sections together. The connection plates 152 include apertures 154 for receiving screws 156 to threadably secure the plates 152 to the bottom face 110 of the boards 20, 22. To assist in aligning and securing the half sections 102, 104 together, male pegs 158 and mating female receptacles 160 are formed in the abutting ends of the half sections 102, 104 along the longitudinal seam 106.
Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, after the half sections 102, 104 of each board 20, 22 are assembled by inserting the male pegs 158 into the female receptacles 160 and securing the two sections together with the connection plates 152 and screws 156, the two half sections need never again be disassembled. Once assembled, the boards 20, 22 may be stacked back-to-back and secured together, thereby providing a convenient way to carry and store the assembled boards together with the bean bags 12 and legs securely stowed in their respective recesses 142, 144 within the connected boards 20, 22. Clasps 170 on one side of each of the boards 20, 22 are used to connect the boards together. As best viewed in FIG. 6, the left and rights sides of each half section 102, 104 have an identical projection near the upper and lower ends 112, 114 of each board. Clasps 170 are adapted to fixably secure to the projections 172 on one side of the boards and releasably receive (with nominal force) the projections 172 of the opposing board. Thus, if the clasps 170 are fixably secured to side 118 of half section 104 of both boards 20, 22 as shown in FIG. 7, when the boards are placed back-to-back with the bottom faces 110 together (FIG. 8) the clasps 170 on side 118 of half section 104 align with and receive the projections 172 on side 116 of half section 102 of the opposing board. It should also be appreciated that as long as the legs 122, 124, 126, 128 are inserted into the leg recesses 144 of the same half section (for example in half section 102) when the boards are placed back-to-back with the bottom faces 110 together, the legs 122, 124, 126, 128 retained within each board will be received by the aligned leg recesses 144 of the opposing board, thus allowing the bottom faces 110 of each board to fit flush together allowing the boards 20, 22 to be clasped together.
The foregoing description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention and is provided in the context of a patent application and its requirements. Various modifications to the preferred embodiment of the apparatus, and the general principles and features of the system and methods described herein will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art. Thus, the present invention is not to be limited to the embodiments of the apparatus, system and methods described above and illustrated in the drawing figures, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Patent Application
20140091526
