Patent Application
20150321108
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The invention relates generally to games played with balls, and in particular to a tossing game system involving hand puppets whose mouth is made from hook type material and a ball whose outer surface is covered in loop type material and features sound effects. The parents of small children often have difficulty keeping their children entertained. A tossing game, in which a tennis ball or similar ball covered with loop type material that is caught in the mouth of a hand puppet, where the hand puppet's mouth is lined with hook type material to produce an easy catch by a young child and produce a sound effect will be highly entertaining to the child. The sound produced once the ball is caught by the hand puppet will encourage and entertain the child or children playing the game. This system would provide safe and inexpensive entertainment for young children while encouraging physical activity.
Accordingly, the invention is directed to a tossing game system involving hand puppets and a ball whose outer surface is covered in loop type material. A tennis or similar type ball is covered with loop type material. Once tossed, the ball is caught in the mouth of a hand puppet, which is worn on the player's arm and makes a sound effect when the ball is caught. The hand puppet preferably takes the form of an animal, cartoon character, or similarly popular figure and produces a corresponding sound effect. The mouth of the hand puppet contains a contact patch of hook type material. The ball is then thrown with the player's uncovered hand, and caught in the mouth of a similar hand puppet worn by another player. The hook and loop type closures on the surface of the ball and hand puppet will enable small children to easily catch the ball.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification. They illustrate one embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
Referring now to the invention in more detail, the invention is directed to a tossing game system involving hand puppets 10 and a ball 12. A ball 12, such as a tennis or similar type ball, is at least partially covered with loop type material. The ball 12 is tossed and caught in the mouth 11 of a hand puppet 10, which provides a contact patch 14 of a hook type material concealing an electronic pressure switch 17. The hand puppet 10 preferably takes the form of an animal, cartoon character, or similarly recognizable figure and produces a corresponding sound effect from an electromechanical voice box 15 when the pressure switch 17 is activated, which occurs when the ball is caught. The hand puppet 10 is preferably worn on the player's arm 13. The mouth 11 of the hand puppet 10 is preferably lined with hook type material. The ball 12 is then preferably thrown with the player's uncovered hand, and caught in the mouth 11 of a similar hand puppet 10 worn by another player. When the other player catches the ball 12, a sound effect corresponding to the animal or figure depicted is activated. The hook and loop closures enable small children to easily catch the ball 12. The hook and loop closure is formed when the surface of the ball 12 meets the mouth 11 of the hand puppet 10. The loop type material is comprised of thin fine plastic loops which become entangled in the stiff plastic hooks of the hook type material, when the two materials meet, forming a temporary bond between the two materials.
The ball 12 would preferably be constructed from a tennis size ball, composed of a hollow rubber ball covered with loop type material which covers the entire outer surface. Each of the hand puppets 10 would be constructed to resemble an animal, cartoon character or other popular figure, and would preferably be constructed from a soft, flexible, washable, stain resistant fabric such as cotton, wool, a cotton-rayon blend, or a cotton-polyester blend. Multiple embodiments for the hand puppets 10 are contemplated and additional hand puppets 10 would preferably be made available separately.
Each hand puppet 10 would have an electromechanical voice box 15 designed to react to the impact of the ball 12 in the mouth 11 at the pressure switch 17 concealed within the contact patch 14, and respond with a sound effect corresponding to the animal or figure depicted by the hand puppet 10. A sound recording, a memory device, a microprocessor, and a speaker are included in the electromechanical voice box 15, which is in electronic communication with the pressure switch at the contact patch 14 by a control cable 16. When the ball 10 hits the contact switch at the contact patch 14 in the mouth 11 of the hand puppet 12 the microprocessor retrieves a sound recording from the memory device and plays the sound file through the speaker.
The game system's components will preferably include at least one ball 12 and two hand puppets 10. More or fewer hand puppets 10 are contemplated. Alternate embodiments of the game system would involve licensure and representation, as hand puppets 10, of NASCAR drivers, Disney or Warner Brothers or other famous cartoon or live-action characters, World Wrestling Entertainment characters, or other figures from sports, politics, music, film, television, or popular culture.
Component sizes and materials listed above are preferable, but artisans will recognize that alternate components, could be selected without altering the scope of the invention.
While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is presently considered to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should, therefore, not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.
