Games using tangible projectile – Playing field or court game; game element or accessory... – Practice or training device
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-25
2001-09-18
Chiu, Raleigh W. (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Playing field or court game; game element or accessory...
Practice or training device
C473S609000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290619
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to objects such as hockey pucks and the like for use in games on hard surfaces, such as roadways and sidewalks, to methods for making the same, and to games played therewith.
2. The State of the Art
A typical hockey puck used on ice has the geometry of a circular disk, about one inch thick and about three inches in diameter, and is made of a hard rubber. When used on ice, the puck has tendency to slide on one of the disk faces, even when the puck starts out rolling on the edge of the disk.
Hockey is also played on hard, non-ice surfaces, such as streets and roadways. When a conventional hockey puck is used on such a hard surface, the friction of the surface (greater than that of ice) tends to allow a rolling puck to roll. Further, the friction of such hard surfaces is typically so great that a puck will not slide very far on one of the disk faces, generally not sufficiently far to be used in a hockey game, and never as far as would be expected playing on ice. Additionally, a conventional hockey puck has a tendency to bounce when used on such hard surfaces.
Conventional hockey balls (plastic spherical pucks) are too light in weight and too soft to provide the desired feel and action akin to ice hockey. In addition, such spherical pucks do not roll well if it becomes very warm (because of the increase in adhesion and/or tackiness of the plastic material).
Accordingly, there is a need for a puck or simulated puck that can be used on hard surfaces such as roadways and sidewalks and that will have the feel and action similar to that of a conventional hockey puck used on ice.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of this invention is to provide a device that simulates the feel and action of a real hockey puck, as if the user were playing with a conventional puck on ice. Such a device is useful not only for playing hockey off-ice but also for off-ice stick and puck training.
In summary, this invention provides a play item, in a geometry such as a sphere, comprising a hard coating surrounding a hard elastomer having reduced bounce.
More particularly, in a preferred embodiment the device is a spherical puck, having a diameter of about two inches, and comprising a urethane core and an ionmeric coating.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4153253 (1979-05-01), White, Sr.
patent: 5284343 (1994-02-01), Bigornia et al.
patent: 5855528 (1999-01-01), Aiello et al.
patent: 5857925 (1999-01-01), Sullivan et al.
patent: 5924942 (1999-07-01), Gentile
patent: 6099416 (2000-08-01), Sullivan et al.
Chiu Raleigh W.
Hopgood, Calimafde, Judlowe & Mondolino LLP
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