Box games and activities

Details Box games and activities Box games and activities

2001-09-14

2004-06-29

Banks, Derris H. (Department: 3712)

Amusement devices: toys

Aerodynamically supported or retarded

Spinning disc

C446S048000, C473S588000, C273S398000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06755711

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to games and play activities with respect to which game pieces and activity items are made from a box, in certain specific aspects from a single box such as, but not limited to a cereal box or a pizza box; and in certain aspects to flying discs, and to items with them.
2. Description of Related Art
The prior art discloses a wide variety of games and play activities that employ game pieces, game equipment, activity items, and other things used in playing the game or in engaging in the activity. Often such games and activities involve the use of a target and items thrown to, into, or at the target.
The prior art discloses a wide variety of boxes, e.g. those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,702,054; 5,586,716; 6,016,951; 5,833,130; 4,891,482; 5,713,509; and in the prior art cited in these patents—all of which patents and cited art are incorporated fully herein for all purposes.
The prior art discloses a wide variety of flying discs, flying objects, and toys, e.g. those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,553,570; 5,531,624; and 6,073,588 and in the prior art cited in these patents—all of which patents and cited art are incorporated fully herein for all purposes.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention discloses, in at least certain embodiments, a play activity set with target apparatus or devices(s) at which at least one object may be directed, at least one object for throwing at the target means, and the target apparatus or device(s) and the at least one object made by separating box material from at least one box. In one aspect, a single box is used for target(s) and throwing object(s); and, in one particular aspec, the box (or boxes) is a pizza box.
The present invention, in certain aspects, discloses boxes for games and activities. The boxes are used as the source material for game pieces, game equipment, activity items, targets, and things used in such games and activities. In certain aspects everything needed for a game or for an activity is made from a box or boxes. In certain aspects, everything needed for such a game or activity is made from a single box. In certain specific aspects the box (or boxes) is a pizza box or a breakfast cereal box.
In one embodiment a first part of a box is separated or removed from the box (severed, cut, punched out, and/or pushed out from perforated, indented or weakened areas) and then folded back and passed through an opening in the box so that the first part projects out from the box. The box is then placed flat with the first part projecting upward or the box is placed on a side with the first part projecting outward. One or more pieces of the box are then cut out from the remainder of the box and an opening is provided through the piece(s) so that it can be thrown in an effort to have the opening receive the first part; i.e., so that the piece ends up on, around, or over the first part encompassing it. In one particular aspect several throwing pieces are cut from the box. In another aspect additional parts like the first part are cut from the box and folded and positioned to provide several projecting parts at which the throwing pieces may be directed. The throwing pieces may have any suitable shape as viewed from above (e.g., but not limited to, square, rectangular, round, oval, triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, irregular, etc.) and the openings through the throwing pieces may also be any suitable shape—either a shape corresponding to the shape of the throwing piece or not. In other aspects, the throwing pieces are made from a single thickness of a box; and in some aspects throwing pieces are made from two or more thicknesses of a box.
In another embodiment, a portion of the box is separated from the box to provide a target opening for items thrown at the box. An object or objects for throwing at the box may be made from the box itself, from another box, or other object(s) may be used. In one aspect a flyer disc as disclosed herein is made from a box and then thrown at the target opening of a box. In another aspect, a plurality of flat discs or objects of non-round shape are made from the box from which the target opening was taken and these discs or objects are then thrown at the target opening. In one aspect, one or more parts of the box are totally or partially separated from the box, folded, and then an end thereof is inserted into one or more openings, slots, slits, or cuts in the box to stabilize the remainder of the box with the target opening. One, two, or more target openings may be provided in a single box—with multiple openings on one side of a box or with openings on two, three or more sides of a box. In one particular aspect corresponding openings are provided on two sides of a box, e.g., but not limited to, on two sides of a pizza box so that an object can be thrown so that it goes through both openings. In other aspects a box with a target opening is positioned or is laid flat so that thrown objects that pass through the target opening enter the box and remain there. In other aspects, one or more knock-down items, in one embodiment in the general outline shape of bowling pins, are made from a box or boxes and, optionally, an object to throw or roll at them to knock them down is also made from the same box or boxes or from another box. By using multiple discs separated from a box or boxes and then meshed together using slots in each disc, a generally spherical object is made that will roll when thrown along a floor or other surface. In another aspect a cubical throwing item (or or items) is made from a box or boxes.
In one particular aspect a set of dominoes or checkers is printed on the box or a paper with a set of dominoes or checkers printed thereon is glued or attached to the box. The dominoes or checkers are then separated from the box to provide a set of dominoes for playing domino games or checkers for playing a checkers game. In one aspect, a checkerboard may be printed on a box or on a sheet of paper glued to the box. Checkers may be played on such a checkerboard that remains on the box or the checkerboard may be separated from the box. A checkerboard may be made on one box and the checkers separated from another box or both may be made from a single box. In a particular aspect of the present invention, game pieces such as dominoes, chess pieces, or checkers are printed on one surface of a part of a box and, optionally, a logo, trademark, tradename, symbol, word(s), motto, or other indicia are printed on a reverse surface so that when the game pieces are separated from the box each has the logo, etc. on one side and the game indicia on the other. For game pieces such as checkers, the logo, etc. may be provided on both sides or on only one side.
The present invention, in certain embodiments discloses a flying disc made from cardboard, plastic or similar material which is sufficiently rigid so that a disc body of the material will be flat or substantially flat in flight. In certain aspects the disc is generally square, rectangular, triangular, pentagonal, quadragonal, hexagonal, septagonal, octagonal, oval, or circular as viewed from above, but it may have any shape which serves as the body for the flying disc. In certain aspects, a portion or portions around the disc periphery are bent down. In one aspect these portions extend continuously completely around the discs perimeter. These portions may be bent down and not be in contact with, not be interconnected or interlocked with adjacent portions; or, alternatively, these portions may contact each other, be taped together, be interconnected, and/or be interlocked with each other.
In one aspect such a disc is made by cutting out or punching out a disc piece of plastic, fiberboard, kraft paper, cardboard, etc. with the desired shape from a larger piece thereof. Slits, weakened areas, grooves, indentations, and/or cuts are then made around the discs perimeter (or this may be done before the disc piece is cut or punched out from the larger piece of material). A portion or portions

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