Patent Application
20070057463
The present invention generally relates to cartons, and specifically relates to a carton that can be converted into a game board.
To supplement advertising efforts, manufacturers and retailers may increase the sales of consumer products by giving away promotional items. It can easily be appreciated that, to be effective, such promotional items must be attractive to the consumer and inexpensive for the company.
A multiple-player simulated sports game is attractive to consumers. For example, many soccer fans enjoy playing a simulated soccer game that is commonly called foosball. Foosball generally recreates a soccer field that has goals on each end. In addition, objects or game pieces are mounted on rods and positioned transversely above the soccer field to represent soccer players. Users rotate and slide the rods to move the game pieces with the intention of propelling a ball into the opponent's goal.
Typical simulated soccer games are very large and expensive and usually found only in arcades at a per use cost. Home versions have been developed, but are bulky and costly as well. Disadvantageously, such home games take up substantial floor or table space and are not easy to temporarily stow. Therefore, consumers would appreciate an inexpensive and storable simulated sports game.
Board games have been provided as promotional items in the past. However, to remain inexpensive, the games are detached from the back of product boxes, such as cereal boxes, and are typically single-player games. In addition, the known promotional games and giveaways do not provide the consumer with a fully usable multiplayer game. Further, there are no collapsible and inexpensive tabletop sports games that simulate a playing field with movable playing pieces that can be simultaneously controlled by one or more players.
Therefore, deficiencies and inadequacies exist in the prior art that are solved by providing attractive and inexpensive multiplayer tabletop games to be given as promotional items.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a simulated sports game board that is inexpensive to manufacture and desirable to the consumer. The game is an excellent promotional item for increasing sales of products as it is preferably formed from product packaging that includes logos and other marketing information that would otherwise be discarded and as it incorporates product accessories or packaging components as game pieces or components.
The invention provides a foldable and collapsible game board made of paperboard or other suitable substrate that is easy for the consumer to assemble and store. Playing pieces and other movable game board elements can also be constructed from the same substrate and/or from product accessories, such as bottle caps, article carriers, and straws.
One advantage of the present invention is that the games provided have great play value. The consumer is enticed to buy the related products because the promotional games are entertaining and durable. The present invention further provides an inexpensive but sturdy game for multiple players.
In the exemplary embodiment, the invention provides for a tabletop version of the popular soccer game known as foosball. Game board elements, such as player pieces representing soccer players, can be made available to the consumer as detachable components of product packaging. In addition, a collapsible paperboard game board can be provided directly to consumers as a promotional item with or without a cost, or provided as part of the product packaging. For example, the game board can be integral to and detachable from a carton. It can be appreciated that such a game board would encourage consumers to collect the game board elements and thus promote the sale of more products. Additionally, other sports and games of skill may be simulated with the present invention.
Generally described, one embodiment of the foldable and collapsible simulated sport game board is formed from a suitable substrate of foldable sheet material. The game board is easily erected and assembled and game board elements, including a control bar assembly, are attached thereto. Player pieces are attached or mounted to the control bar such that the control bar assembly facilitates controlling player pieces. The control bar suspends the player pieces above the bottom panel of the game board. The structure and configuration of the game board lends itself to being provided as part of the secondary packaging a consumer product, including but not limited to a carton for enclosing consumable food or beverage products.
According to the exemplary embodiment, the game board is formed from a blank of a single uniform sheet of paperboard, corrugated board, plastic, laminates, any combination thereof, or the like, although it is contemplated that the game board may be formed from multiple sheets or from a substrate that is nonuniform. The blank is includes an essentially rectangular bottom panel with side and end panels along edges of the rectangle. Each side and end panel is foldable along fold lines to form side and end walls.
Certain game board elements are held in place by means for attaching the elements to the game board, such as retention tabs and mated receiving slots. For example, goals are mounted to the bottom panel of the game board by means for attaching. The retention tabs are capable of passing through corresponding holes or slots, which can be defined by severance lines, frangible lines, or any combination of cuts, half-cuts, scores, or perforations. The side and end panels are folded and retained in an erected condition by means for securing to create walls on all sides of the game board. Means for securing the side and end panels in an erected condition can similarly include retention tabs and mated receiving slots.
In the exemplary embodiment, player pieces, such as those shaped like soccer players, may be available to the consumer either separately or as part of primary or secondary product packaging. The consumer can collect the representative players of their favorite teams by repeatedly purchasing the product. Alternatively, one or more game board elements, such as an entire team of player pieces, may be purchased by the consumer or provided to the consumer as a giveaway item.
According one aspect of the invention, means for controlling player pieces includes one or more control bar assemblies. The control bar assemblies may be rotatably and slidingly attached to the sidewalls of the game board so that they are suspended above the game board. In one exemplary embodiment, the control bar assemblies are constructed of drinking straws and plastic bottle caps. For example, two beverage straws are connected end-to-end and mounted in the opposing sidewalls of the game board. The control bar assemblies further comprise a bottle cap and paperboard stopper on one end, which are assembled to form a control knob for the control bar assembly and to prevent the control bar assembly from sliding too far through the side wall of the game board. The paperboard stopper is sized to fit snugly within the threaded interior of the plastic bottle cap, and includes an aperture or hole through which one end of the control bar assembly is disposed in order to attach the control knob to the control bar. Thereby, the control knob is rotated and translated to control the player pieces attached to the control bar.
According to another aspect of the invention, a game ball is provided to the consumer. In the exemplary embodiment, a game ball blank includes two portions that include trapezoidal flaps around the perimeter of a hexagonal center section. The consumer folds and connects the end tabs of opposing flaps into a game ball having a near-spherical shape. In other embodiments, a bottle cap is used as a game ball.
After attaching the control bar assemblies, with player pieces mounted thereon, to the sidewalls of the game board and after placing the assembled ball on the game board, two or more users can simulate a soccer game by sliding and rotating the control bar assemblies or otherwise controlling the player pieces in an attempt to propel the ball through the opening defined by the opponent's goal. While the offensive users try to advance the ball with their player pieces, the defensive users try to block the advancing ball with their player pieces.
The consumer is thereby afforded a portable soccer game that is easily storable and provides great play value. The product marketer is thereby afforded a promotional item that is inexpensive to manufacture, attractive to the consumer, and may encourage further purchases from the consumer. The foregoing has broadly outlined some of the aspects and features of the present invention, which should be construed to be merely illustrative of various potential applications of the invention. Other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed information in a different manner or by modifying the disclosed embodiments. Accordingly, other aspects and a more comprehensive understanding of the invention may be obtained by referring to the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims.
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. It must be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms, and combinations thereof. As used herein, the word “exemplary” is used expansively to refer to embodiments that serve as illustrations, specimens, models, or patterns. The figures are not necessarily to scale and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. In other instances, well-known components, systems, materials, or methods have not been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the present invention. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views, the drawings illustrate certain of the various aspects of exemplary embodiments of packaging materials that can be assembled to form a game. Generally described, the game is formed from at least a portion of packaging materials such as cartons, article carriers, and/or plastic bottles. In the exemplary embodiment, a game board is formed from a game board blank that is detached from a carton and additional game board elements are formed from article carriers, bottle caps, drinking straws and other article accessories. The game board elements are assembled with the game board to form the game such that the game board defines a field and the game board elements define goals, controllable player pieces, and a game ball. Specifically, the goals are secured to the bottom panel of the game board, control bars extend between the side walls of the game board, and the player pieces are attached to control bars to assemble the game.
The game board blank 10 is a detachable portion of secondary product packaging such as a carton 300 (shown in
The playing surface P on one side of the game board blank 10 is printed or otherwise demarcated with graphics and field lines. Specifically, the side of the game board blank 10 shown in FIG.1 is not necessarily printed, but the opposite side of the game board blank 10 shown in
Returning to
The game board blank 10 includes means for securing the support panels 28, 29, 30 of each of the side and end panels 14, 16, 18, 20 in an erected condition, as described in further detail below. In the exemplary embodiment, means for securing panels includes tab members 32 that are attached or integral to the outermost support panel 30 and includes slots 34 that are disposed along or are otherwise adjacent to fold lines 25. The slots 34 correspond to the tab members 32 such that the tab members 32 can be matingly received in the slots 34 to releasably secure the support panels 28, 29, 30 in an erected condition. It should be noted that means for securing panels may be any mechanical or chemical connecting mechanism, or combination thereof, including but not limited to tabs, slots, clips, straps, glue or other adhesive, tape, staples, and the like.
Similarly, the game board blank 10 includes means for attaching game board elements to the bottom panel 12. In the exemplary embodiment, means for attaching game board elements to the bottom panel 12 includes slots 40 that matingly receive corresponding tab members attached to certain game board elements, as described in further detail below. Alternate means for attaching game board elements to the bottom panel 12 include Velcro®, glue or other adhesive, clips, straps, tape, staples, and the like.
Each tab member 32 is shaped to include a wider distal portion 36 and a narrower neck portion 38. The distal portion 36 is wider that the width of a respective slot 34. Thereby, the size and shape of the tab member 32 and of a respective slot 34 are such that the tab member 32 can flex or fold to pass through the respective slot 34 and, once the distal portion 36 of the tab member 32 passes through the slot 34, the tab 32 unfolds such that the distal portion 36 of the tab member 32 inhibits the tab member 32 from being removed from the slot 34. The tab member 32 may be removed from the slot 34 by folding or flexing the distal portion 36 of tab 32 so as to fit through slot 34. This means for securing creates a suitably strong, but separable, attachment for bracing and fixing the panels in a desired configuration.
The game board blank 10 can be erected to form a game board 70, as shown in
Exemplary game board elements that are mounted to, supported by, or otherwise used in conjunction with the game board 70 in order to play a game are now described.
Each goal 52 can be erected and mounted to the game board 70, as shown in
Referring momentarily to
Each article carrier 90,110, 120 secures a subset of articles in a desired configuration for easy dispensing and for convenience. For example, the carton 300 may enclose twenty four beverage bottles B, which are further grouped by eight article carriers that each secure three bottles B. The consumer can thus easily remove three bottles B at a time, consume the beverages, and save the elements that are useable for the game, as further described below. The exemplary article carrier is a flexible, neck-receiving collar with a carrying tab or handle. It should be noted that groups of articles may be packaged by an article carrier without being additionally grouped by a carton and that articles in a carton may not be grouped by an article carrier.
In the exemplary embodiment, detachable game board elements are defined in the main panel and in the handle portion of the article carriers 90, 110, 120 by severance lines. The handle flap of each of the article carriers 90, 110, 120 includes a stopper 94. The stopper is defined by a severance line 98 and includes an aperture 96 which is disposed at the approximate center of the stopper 94. In the exemplary embodiment, the aperture 96 is sized to receive the end of a control bar, as described in further detail below.
The main panel each of the article carriers 90, 110, 120 includes additional game board elements. The article carriers 90, 110 include embodiments of player pieces 100 that are defined by severance lines 99. Flaps 102 are located on opposite sides of each player piece 100. Each flap 102 includes a receiving aperture 104 that facilitates removably mounting each respective player piece 100 to a control bar 150, as described in further detail below. In the exemplary embodiment, each of the player pieces represents a generic soccer player that typically plays offense or defense on the field or a goalie that protects the goal.
The main panel of the article carrier 120 includes a game ball blank 110 that is defined by a severance line 112. The game ball blank 110 is detachable along severance line 112 and can be erected to form a game ball 124, as shown in
To erect the game ball 124, the perimeter sections 128 are folded along respective fold lines 130 at an angle approximately forty-five degrees from the plane of the hexagonal center section 126 such that the angled edges of adjacent perimeter sections 128 meet to create two concave shapes which, when joined together with connecting flaps 132, form a game ball 124 (shown in
It should be noted that the player pieces or other board game elements that are printed or otherwise defined on the article carriers and further defined by severance lines can be any configuration that facilitates playing the game described herein or the like. Further, the board game elements are not limited to being formed in and detached from an article carrier. Rather, in other alternative embodiments, player pieces may be provided to a consumer in a sheet of substrate that is not an article carrier or the player pieces may be independently provided, having already been separated from a sheet of substrate. For example, the player pieces can be formed from a tag or label affixed to or otherwise associated with an article or with the carton, or the player pieces may be integral to a wall of the primary packaging that encloses the consumable product itself. The player pieces may be designed to resemble or represent famous players or generic competitors. Further, the game pieces may be decorated with specific team colors or decorated with any optional decorative feature. As used herein, the terms players, competitors, and teams are used broadly to include non-human competitors or characters such as animals, objects, and motorized vehicles that may play or compete.
In the exemplary embodiment, the game board elements, including the goals, stoppers, players, and balls, are removable from the surrounding substrate along severance lines. However, in alternative embodiments, the user may remove these items from the surrounding substrate with any cutting device, such as scissors, a knife, or the like. In addition, an article carrier may comprise fewer or more game pieces than illustrated.
For game play of the illustrated embodiment, each user may operate or otherwise translate and rotate the control bar assembly 140 in an effort to move the game ball 124 through a goal 52. Any suitable number of users may operate one or more of the control bar assemblies 140. For example, eight users may operate one control bar assembly 140 each. With regard to the illustrated soccer game, a user operates three bars with the generic player pieces 100 and an outermost bar, or the bar which is adjacent a goal 52, with a goalie player piece 100. A distal end of each of the generic player pieces 100 extends from the axis defined by the control bar 150 such that, when a user rotates the control bar assembly 140, the distal end of the player pieces 100 can propel, or “kick”, the game ball 124, for example, toward the goal 52. The control bar assembly 140 can be translated to position one of the generic player pieces 100 in order to attempt to propel the game ball or to block an opponents projection of the game ball 124.
In alternative embodiments, the number of control bar assemblies and the number of game pieces may be any number or combination to play the game described herein or a similar game. For example, other sports, including but not limited to football, ice hockey, field hockey, tennis, ping pong, basketball, and the like, where opposing players or teams defend opposing goals, may be simulated with the present invention. Further, sports or games that require opposing players or teams to race or demonstrate skill by manipulation of means for controlling player pieces, including but not limited to billiards or pool, curling, bocce, and the like, may be simulated with the present invention.
As will be understood by those skilled in the art, additional alternative game embodiments may require alternative means for controlling player pieces that may or may not require mounting on the game board. It is contemplated that the length of the bar 150 is sufficient to allow each game piece to be moved from side to side, by pushing or pulling along the axis of bar 150, in order to cover a certain portion of the playing field.
The present invention has been described and shown in relation to a particular embodiment that is intended in all respects to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention is capable of many modifications and variations without departing from the scope of the invention. Further, as used herein, directional references such as “top,” “base,” “bottom,” “end,” “side,” “inner,” “outer,” “under,” “middle,” “center,” “front” and “rear” do not limit the respective panels of the carton and game board to such orientation, but merely serve to distinguish these structural characteristics from one another. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is described by the claims appended hereto and supported by the foregoing.
As used herein, the term “primary packaging” refers to packaging that immediately envelopes a product and is expected to provide most of the strength and moisture/vapor/grease barrier needed to safeguard its purity, potency and integrity, and “secondary packaging” refers to outer package into which the primary package is placed, e.g., a folding carton, a fold-over blister card, a display carton, or a shipping container. Secondary packaging may provide additional barrier properties, but its major function is to protect the product during shipping and distribution, to facilitate carrying and transportation, to provide essential information and attractive retail display, and, especially with high-end products, to project a distinctive brand image.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/699,293, filed Jul. 13, 2005, the entirety of which is herein incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60699293 | Jul 2005 | US |
