Patent Grant
8888097
This invention was not federally sponsored.
This invention relates to the general field of table games, and more specifically to a large table game, similar in size to a Ping-Pong or pool table, playable by one or more people. The theory behind the invention is to combine an “air game” (such as Ping-Pong) with a “ground game” (such as pool) and do so in a flexible format that allows a number of people to participate in the game. The game can be played in an active fashion, similar to Ping-Pong, or as more of a set-up and strategy game, as in pool. A unique paddle-shaped hitting device with a hockey-stick like projection on its bottom portion allows for a player to play both the air game and the ground game using the same hitting device. It is also anticipated that the game could be played without a paddle; only with the use of a player's hands.
History of the invention's industry. Games have been an integral part of human entertainment for centuries. While games appear to have begun along the lines of card games and board games, larger table games began to appear in recorded history during the 1600's when billiards was described in printed literature.
As table games evolved, they split into two general types of games. First, there were the strategy games, in which players planned their moves, and then tried to execute an action. Pool is a good example of this type of strategy game. There is no rush for pool players; they have plenty of time to line up and take their shots. The second direction games took were fast-paced games where a player's quick reactions were often what decided the outcome of a game. Ping-Pong, foosball and air hockey are all examples of fast-paced, reactionary games.
While each of these games is desirable to a certain group of users, there is little carryover from one group to the other. For example, the owner of a pool table is unable to effectively “speed up” the game of pool, such that the players get good exercise, unless he or she is willing to risk ruining the felt surface due to a hurried and inaccurate “strike”. At the same time, it would be very difficult to slow down ping pong or air hockey such that the players had adequate time to intelligently plan their next moves.
Thus, the lack of cross over between the two genres of table games has created a problematic situation where someone who wants both a strategic and a reactionary table game has to buy one of each. The generally large size of such table games makes the purchase of two table games undesirable as rare is the house that is large enough to accommodate two table games. There are folding table games, such as ping pong, but generally these folding versions tend to warp and are inferior to a fixed table game.
Thus there has existed a long-felt need for a table game that can have both strategic and reactionary components.
The current invention provides just such a solution by having a table game, similar in size to a Ping-Pong or pool table, with both an “air game” and a “ground game”. Optionally, either the air game or the ground game can be removed such that either version can be played independently. The table game is constructed both in terms of physical characteristics and rules to create a flexible format that allows a number of people to participate in the game, and also provides two possible game formats: the game can be played in an active fashion, similar to ping pong, or as more of a set-up and strategy game, as in pool. Thus, the flexibility of the game allows for it to serve as both entertainment and, if desired, physical exercise, for a number of people. While the game can be played with only hands, one embodiment of the invention calls for a unique paddle-shaped hitting device with a hockey-stick like projection on its bottom portion allows for a player to play both the air game and the ground game using the same hitting device.
It is a principal object of the invention to provide a game with both an air game and a ground game.
It is another object of the invention to provide a game that can be played by between one and eight players.
A further object of the invention is to provide a game that can be played with hands or a paddle.
Another object of the invention is to provide a game that allows for a wide range of handicapping options.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a game that can be played as a slow-paced strategy game, or as a fast-paced reactionary game.
A further object of the game allows for skilled players to become “position specialists” where they concentrate on offense or defense, or are brought in to perform a particular offensive or defensive function at which they are unusually skilled.
Another object of the game is to allow handicapping in a variety of creative manners, to allow skilled and unskilled players to compete with each other. Among the means of affecting handicapping are: increasing or decreasing the size of the shooting channels, traps, and goal holes, increasing or decreasing the size of the openings in the air game, and allowing for increased points for a player who strikes the ball and/or defends from a greater distance behind the table.
A particular embodiment of the current invention is a table game comprising a ground game board, an air game board, four adjustable legs, optionally, a paddle or, optionally, just the hands of a player, an adjustable return panel, and a ball, where the ground game board comprises a plurality of goal holes and a plurality of traps, where each goal hole and trap comprises an opening, where at least one of the plurality of goal holes further comprises an insert, where the insert of the goal hole comprises a hole that is smaller than the size of the goal hole, whereby the insert of the goal hole may be inserted into the goal hole to decrease the size of the opening of the goal hole thereby making it more difficult to pass the ball through the goal hole, where at least one of the plurality of traps further comprises an insert, where the insert of the trap comprises a hole that is smaller than the size of the trap, whereby the insert of the trap may be inserted into the trap to decrease the size of the opening of the trap thereby making it more difficult to pass the ball through the trap, where some traps located to the sides of the table can be used to widen the shooting channels by the addition of an insert, where the air game board comprises two goal posts, a horizontal cross-bar, and a vertical cross-bar, where the air game board is attached to the ground game board, and
where the ground game board is located in a horizontal orientation, where the air game board is located in a vertical orientation, where the ball may be directed through the one or more goal holes or traps, where there are one or more end traps into which the ball can roll if it does not reach a goal, where the return board comprises two flat surfaces, where the two flat surfaces of the return board are joined at a pivot point, where the angle of each of the two flat surfaces of the return board is adjustable such that each flat surface of the return board is parallel to the other or angled, whereby an angled flat surface of the return board causes a ball placed thereon to move towards one side of the table game, where the paddle comprises a handle portion and may be used to strike the ball.
Another embodiment of the current invention is a table game comprising a ground game board, an air game board, four legs, an adjustable return panel, and a ball, where the ground game board comprises a plurality of goal holes and a plurality of traps, where each goal hole and trap comprises an opening, where the air game board comprises two goal posts and a horizontal cross bar, where the air game board is attached to the ground game board, and where the ground game board is located in a horizontal orientation, where the air game board is located in a vertical orientation, where the ball may be directed through the one or more goal holes or traps, where the return board comprises two flat surfaces, where the two flat surfaces of the return board are joined at a pivot point, where the angle of each of the two flat surfaces of the return board is adjustable such that each flat surface of the return board is parallel to the other or angled, whereby an angled flat surface of the return board causes a ball placed thereon to move towards one side of the table game.
An additional embodiment of the current invention is a method of playing a table game comprising the steps of obtaining a game table, where the game table comprises a ground game board, an air game board, four legs, an adjustable return panel, and a ball, where the ground game board comprises a plurality of goal holes and a plurality of traps, where each goal hole and trap comprises an opening, where the air game board comprises two goal posts and a horizontal cross bar, where the air game board is attached to the ground game board, and where the ground game board is located in a horizontal orientation, where the air game board is located in a vertical orientation, where the ball may be directed through the one or more goal holes or traps, where the return board comprises two flat surfaces, where the two flat surfaces of the return board are joined at a pivot point, where the angle of each of the two flat surfaces of the return board is adjustable such that each flat surface of the return board is parallel to the other or angled, whereby an angled flat surface of the return board causes a ball placed thereon to move towards one side of the table game, and shooting the ball into one of the plurality of goal holes.
In yet another embodiment, the current invention is a method of playing a table game comprising the steps of obtaining a game table, where the game table comprises a ground game board, an air game board, four legs, an adjustable return panel, a ball, and a second ball, where the ground game board comprises a plurality of goal holes and a plurality of traps, where each goal hole and trap comprises an opening, where the air game board comprises two goal posts and a horizontal cross bar, where the air game board is attached to the ground game board, and where the ground game board is located in a horizontal orientation, where the air game board is located in a vertical orientation, where the ball may be directed through the one or more goal holes or traps, where the return board comprises two flat surfaces, where the two flat surfaces of the return board are joined at a pivot point, where the angle of each of the two flat surfaces of the return board is adjustable such that each flat surface of the return board is parallel to the other or angled, whereby an angled flat surface of the return board causes a ball placed thereon to move towards one side of the table game, shooting the ball into one of the plurality of goal holes, and a second player shooting the second ball at the same time that the first ball is shot, whereby two players play on the same game table simultaneously.
In yet another embodiment of the game, it is contemplated that different players could be assigned “offensive” or “defensive” tasks, or even “set-up” tasks, such as in volleyball, where a “setter” is given the task of preparing the ball for a “striker” to slam down onto the other side of the net. By allowing for people to specialize in certain tasks, it is contemplated that if professional tournaments are held using this invention, that specialized players could develop to handle only certain aspects of the game.
Another embodiment of the game allows for the use of mats of varying tackiness to be placed on various parts of the board to retard the speed of the ball or other object being used to score goals. It is further contemplated that these mats could be used to handicap a game, with mats of greater tackiness given to the less experienced player to allow him/her more time to react in a defensive mode to an opponent's shot.
It is further contemplated that the game could be used for entertainment purposes by the physically challenged, with mechanical devices used to position and strike the ball, and with other mechanical devices used to defend one's goals. Joysticks or video game controllers could be used to control the mechanical devices, or in the case of a severely challenged individual, voice-activated controls could be used.
It is also contemplated the game can be played with a player's hands, or with a paddle, and that the size and shape of the paddle, or even allowing a player access to a paddle, may be used to handicap the game.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. The features listed herein and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this invention.
Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with the references made to the drawings below. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Instead, emphasis is placed upon clearly illustrating the components of the present invention. Moreover, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts through the several views in the drawings.
The ground game board has two staging areas 35, one on each side. The staging area is where players on offense plan their attack, and where players on defense try to defend. There is also a starting region 36, where in some versions of the game, a player begins moving the ball from this region. The general idea of scoring is to take a ball, where the term “ball” refers to a ball, puck, or other movable device, and shoot it from your staging area, across the shooting channels 18, avoiding the traps/inserts 15, avoiding any defensive measures the other side puts forth, such that your ball ends up in one of the other side's goal holes 17. The traps/inserts 15 comprise a hole of varying shape in the ground game board 14, into which an insert of varying size can be placed to make it more or less likely that a ball will fall into the trap and be removed from play. This is a means by which the game can be handicapped to allow players of different skill levels to compete. For example, in a situation where a novice player competes with an expert, the novice could have no inserts whatsoever, such that it would be more difficult for the skilled player to get his/her ball past the traps, while very large inserts could be placed in the skilled player's holes such that it was very unlikely that the novice's shots would end up in the hole. One or more return traps 16 can trap a ball that has passed by a goal hole, and the return trap could also have inserts if desired. It is also possible to handicap the game by awarding more points to a player who stands further from the table, or by making the more experienced player stand a certain distance back from the table.
The goal holes 17 and traps/inserts 15 can have inserts, which are sections that can be inserted into the goal holes 17 and traps/inserts 15 that decrease the size of the goal hole 17 and traps/inserts 15, thereby making it more difficult (in the case of inserts in the goal holes) or easier (in the case of inserts in the traps) to score. It is envisioned that one way to allow players of different skill levels against each other in a competitive manner would be to handicap the weaker player by decreasing the size of his goal holes and decreasing the size of the traps through adding inserts. Sidewalls 20 help restrain the balls within the game, such that played balls are more likely to stay on or above the ground game board 14.
The traps/inserts 15 are sections of the ground game board 14 that have been cut out. The inserts are the sections that are removable from the ground game board 14; the traps are the cavities that are left once the trap panels are removed (or decreased in size because of the insert). The removal of the trap panels creates the traps (or larger traps), which define the shooting channels 18. The shooting channels 18 are what are left of the ground game board 14; the areas of the middle of the ground game board that are not open. It is envisioned that the sections cut out from the traps (inserts) can be re-inserted as a way of modifying the game. It is also envisioned that adding inserts to one side of the ground game board 14 and removing inserts from the other side of the ground game board 14 is a way to handicap an experienced player by giving him smaller shooting channels 18 and aiding a weaker player by giving him larger shooting channels 18.
The air game comprises an air game board 21 that includes vertical goal posts 23 of wood, Plexiglas, plastic, or another clear or opaque material, raised approximately two inches over the surface of the ground game board 14. The air game board 21 is approximately eighteen inches in height in a preferred embodiment, with the goal posts made from Plexiglas or another clear material. However, it must be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other heights may be implemented, such as an air game board that extends twenty-four inches above the ground game board. Vertical cross-bars 25 and horizontal cross-bars 24 may be affixed to the air game board 21 by wing nuts 26. These cross-bars create obstructions that limit the ability of a player to hit a ball into his opponent's goal holes 17. Goalposts 23 set the right and left limits of the area through which you can shoot your ball onto the other side's territory. The ball has to be hit to either under (such as on the ground game board 14, or “ground game”), through, or over the air game board 21 and between the goalposts 23 to score a goal into one of the other side's goal holes 17 (“air game”).
The game allows for a player on offense to try to score into the other side's goal holes through either the ground game or air game. For a slow-paced, strategic version of the game, there is only one ball in play at any particular time, and the defensive player is limited in terms of how he can defend his goal holes. For example, one version of the game allows a defensive player to defend his goal holes only through striking a defensive ball laterally across the table to strike the offensive ball before it reaches a goal hole. Players can either take turns on offense, such as when each player gets to shoot balls 11 during his offensive turn, or one player can remain playing offense until he either scores or the defensive player stops the ball on the defensive player's side of the table, similar to cricket or baseball. Players can also be limited to a certain amount of time by a clock, such that, for example, each offensive “turn” lasts two minutes before the offensive and defensive players reverse roles. Alternatively, an offensive player can be given a certain number of “strokes” to get his ball positioned and shot into the defender's goal, sort of like a version of golf. The balls 11 and path lines emanating therefrom in
For a fast-paced, reactionary game, more than one ball is put in play at any one time, putting a player's reactions at a premium. Rules can allow for one player to “hog” the balls so that he can shoot several at one time or in a rapid sequence, thereby making it more difficult for the defensive player to block the shots.
The game can be played effectively by anywhere from one to eight people at a single time. In theory, more than eight players could play the game simultaneously, but eight players is the maximum number in a particular embodiment of the invention.
For a solo player, he begins by turning the pivot point of the return panel “up” on the other side of the ground game table (discussed in more detail below), such that any balls he loses into either the traps or the goal holes on the other side of the table are returned to him. In this manner, he can practice his offensive skills in both the ground game and air game.
For two players, in one embodiment of the game, where the players take turns on offense and defense, the offensive player takes an offensive position and tries to get one or more game balls 11 into the goal holes 16 of the defensive player. The defensive player takes a defensive position and tries to deflect the offensive player's game balls before they reach the goal holes. In this embodiment, after either a set number of balls (strategic version) or a set amount of time with unlimited balls (reactionary version), the offensive player goes on defense and the defensive player goes on offense. A paddle 19 may be used by the defensive player to block the shots of the offensive player. As shown in this figure, paddle 19 includes a handle portion that may be grasped by a player. Alternatively, the game can be played without paddles, or access to a paddle can be used to handicap the game by allowing only the less skilled player to use a paddle.
For four players, one embodiment of the game calls for one or more balls to be in play at any one time, and on each team, one player plays offense in the offensive position and his/her teammate plays defense in the defensive position.
For eight players, offensively the players line up very similarly to doubles in tennis or Ping-Pong, with one offensive player on either side of the offensive zone. Each team also has two defensive players, one of whom sets up on either side of the table in the doubles defensive positions.
In a particular embodiment, the ball is a hard non-elastic ball, a puck similar to a hockey puck, an elastic “bouncy” ball, a beanbag, or a food item, such as an orange, plum, or grapefruit.
Various means of scoring are contemplated whereby players are encouraged to shot a ball through a goal hole and discouraged to have a ball fall through a trap. Inserts, as described above, can also change the scoring of the game. Larger openings in the goal holes may result in fewer points, while larger openings in traps may result in a greater number of points. Thus, individual players may be handicapped by the placement and use of particular inserts and/or scoring mechanisms.
A particular method of practicing the game of the current invention has an offensive player shooting balls into the goal holes of a defensive player while avoiding traps. At the same time, the defensive player uses beanbags in an attempt to block or redirect the shots of the offensive player. The beanbags can be thrown or slid onto various positions on the ground game board in an attempt to block or redirect a shot ball away from a goal hole.
Another method of practicing the game of the current invention is a round robin format, wherein one player plays offensive while the remaining players play defense. The offensive player remains on offense for a set period of time or until other conditions are met, such as three failed attempts at shooting a ball into a goal hole. At that time, the offensive player rotates into a defensive position, and one of the defensive players rotates into the offensive position. The winner of the game is then determined by which player has obtained the greatest number of points.
In yet another method of practicing the game of the current invention, four players, two on each team, compete against each other, but in different realms. One player from each team competes on the ground game, whereby the balls travel on the ground game board, while the other two players compete on the air game, whereby the balls travel through or over the air game board and then bounce onto or through the ground game board. The ground game and air game can be played at separate times or concurrently.
A further method of practicing the game of the current invention has one or more players attempting to get a ball (preferably a beanbag of sorts) into a particular goal hole. Each player takes a turn and records how many attempts it takes to get the ball into the goal hole. The player with the lowest number of attempts wins the game. An alternative embodiment of this idea is similar to the game of “horse” on basketball playgrounds, where players are eliminated from the game should they take the most shots to score. It should be noted that either the “golf” or “horse” version of the game can be practiced by a single person, thereby adding to the desirability of the game.
An additional method of practicing the game of the current invention has players rotate turns until one of the players makes a shot into a goal hole. Then, all subsequent players must make the same shot or is eliminated. These rounds are repeated until a final player is left that has not been eliminated.
In yet another method of practicing the game of the current invention, the players are divided into two teams. Each team plays defense or offense, and switches after a particular condition is met, such as three failed attempts to shoot a ball into a goal hole. While on offense, each player has one chance to shoot a ball into a goal hole. The defense players, at the same time, position inserts or place beanbags in an attempt to block or make it more difficult for the offensive player to successfully shot a ball into a goal hole. The offensive players rotate through each player after each attempt and upon three failed attempts, the offensive players become defensive players and the defensive players become offensive players.
Another embodiment of the game calls for a “baseball” approach where an offensive player tries to score a goal and a defensive player tries to block the shot. If the defensive player stops a certain number of attempts by the offensive player (such as three attempts, as in baseball), the offensive player is “out” and the two players switch offense and defense. This embodiment could be handicapped by forcing the more experienced player to shoot from a further distance away from the table, giving one side larger traps, goal holes, or shooting channels, or selectively applying a mat of material to one side that would slow down the ball, making it easier to defend.
It is also contemplated that while one embodiment of the game calls for a table approximately the size of a Ping-Pong or pool table, it is conceivable that smaller (or even larger) game tables could be produced.
It should be understood that while the preferred embodiments of the invention are described in some detail herein, the present disclosure is made by way of example only and that variations and changes thereto are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, and a reasonable equivalency thereof, which claims I regard as my invention.
All of the material in this patent document is subject to copyright protection under the copyright laws of the United States and other countries. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in official governmental records but, otherwise, all other copyright rights whatsoever are reserved.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/534,833 filed on Sep. 14, 2011, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20130062831 A1 | Mar 2013 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61534833 | Sep 2011 | US |
