Score ring structure for dart boards

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6499740
  • Patent Number
    6,499,740
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, January 25, 2001
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, December 31, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Graham; Mark S.
    Agents
    • Baxley; Charles E.
Abstract
A score structure for a dart board includes a frame with at least three sides and one of the at least three sides is an inward curved side. A body member is received in the frame and the inward curved side urges one of sides of the body member to let the body member be snugly received in the frame.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to a dart board wherein each score ring includes a frame receiving a body member. The frame has at least one urging side to secure the body member in the frame.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




A conventional dart board


10


is shown in

FIGS. 7 and 8

and generally includes a plurality of circular frames


111


and a plurality of radial ribs


112


which connects the circular frames


111


to be a disk-like structure with a plurality of openings defined by the circular frames


111


and the radial ribs


112


. Each opening has a score ring


12


engaged therewith and includes a frame


121


and a body member


122


which is received in the frame


121


. The shape of the frame


121


is the same as the periphery defining the opening so that every frame


121


has its unique shape to meet the periphery defining each of the openings. In order to securely insert the body member


122


in the frame


121


, the specification of each frame


121


and body member


122


has to be made precisely so that there will be no gap between the frame


121


and the body member


122


. This requires precise machinery and the assembling process will be slow.




The present invention intends to provide a score ring structure wherein the frame includes at least one urging side which can be deformed slightly to urge the body member in the frame.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a score structure for a dart board and comprising a frame having at least three sides and one of the at least three sides is an inward curved side. A body member is received in the frame and one side of the body member is urged by the inward curved side so that the body member is matched with the at least three sides of the frame.




The primary object of the present invention is to provide a frame for snugly receiving a body member therein.




These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, several embodiments in accordance with the present invention.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is an exploded view to show a first embodiment of a frame and a body member of the score ring structure of the present invention;





FIG. 2

is a plan view to show that two inward curved sides of the frame as shown in

FIG. 1

urge two sides of the body member in the frame of the present invention;





FIG. 3

is an exploded view to show a second embodiment of the frame and the body member of the score ring structure of the present invention;





FIG. 4

is a plan view to show that one inward curved side of the frame as shown in

FIG. 3

urges one side of the body member in the frame of the present invention;





FIG. 5

is an exploded view to show a third embodiment of the frame and the body member of the score ring structure of the present invention;





FIG. 6

is a plan view to show that one inward curved side of the frame as shown in

FIG. 5

urges one side of the body member in the frame of the present invention;





FIG. 7

is a plan view to show a dart board, and





FIG. 8

is an exploded view to show a conventional frame and a body member of a ring structure.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring to

FIGS. 1 and 2

, the score ring structure


20


of the present invention comprises a four-side frame


21


having four sides which enclose a receiving space


212


. A body member


22


made of paper, fibers or hays is received in the receiving space


212


in the frame


21


. Two of the four sides of the frame


21


are inward curved sides


213


and the other two sides


211


are made to meet the shape of the periphery of the opening in the dart board. When the body member


22


is received in the frame


21


, the two inward curved sides


213


apply a inward force to push the two sides of the body member


22


to be snugly match with the inward curved sides


213


. Therefore, even if the body member


22


is not manufactured precisely to match the shape of the frame


21


, the inward curved sides


213


will force the body member


22


to be secured in the frame


21


.





FIGS. 3 and 4

show that the frame


21


can be a triangle frame with three sides


211


and one of which is an inward curved side


213


. A triangular body member


22


is received in a receiving space


212


enclosed by the three sides


211


,


213


. The inward curved side


213


applies a force to let the body member


22


be securely received in the frame


21


.





FIGS. 5 and 6

show that the frame


21


is an elongate curved four-side frame and one of the two long sides is an inward curved side


213


and the body member


22


is received in the frame


21


with the inward curved side


213


urging the body member


22


.




By the inward curved sides


213


of the frame


21


, the body member


22


can be securely received in the frame


21


and the body member


22


does not need to be manufactured by highly precise machines.




While we have shown and described various embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.



Claims
  • 1. A score structure for a dart board, the score structure being received in one of multiple openings formed by multiple annular ribs and multiple radial ribs intersecting the multiple annular ribs, the score structure including a frame, and a body member received in the frame, wherein:the frame has at least one side wall corresponding to one of the multiple radial ribs, and the at least one side wall of the frame corresponding to one of the multiple radial ribs is formed with an inward curved clamping face urged on a flat side of the body member.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Number Name Date Kind
4239573 Wu Dec 1980 A
5676379 Kicks Oct 1997 A
5788244 Hui et al. Aug 1998 A
5848792 Brejcha Dec 1998 A
5897116 Yiu Apr 1999 A
6047968 Lu et al. Apr 2000 A
6089571 Cho Jul 2000 A
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number Date Country
2202162 Sep 1988 GB
2247629 Nov 1992 GB