Games using tangible projectile – Playing field or court game; game element or accessory... – Table-tennis table
Patent
1998-08-04
2000-12-05
Chapman, Jeanette
Games using tangible projectile
Playing field or court game; game element or accessory...
Table-tennis table
473475, 473473, A63B 6704, A63B 7104
Patent
active
061559393
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention concerns a gameboard, especially for playing table ball games, e.g. table tennis, having a playing surface which touches the ball during play and a support base supporting the playing surface and placed on the floor.
PRIOR ART
Traditional table ball games require relatively large play area, and therefor these games can not be played in smaller rooms or other places with a limited space. Numerous solutions have been suggested with the aim of creating versions of popular ball games that require only a small space to play. In most cases these games are only miniaturised versions of the traditional table ball games.
Such games are described in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,018, U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,618, U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,681, U.S. Pat. No. 3,066,724, U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,734 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,891,210 patent specifications, and in the RU 2029582 patent specification.
A common disadvantage of the suggested solutions that they do not meet the demands raised by the modern age.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,734 (Castellucci) teaches a table game with a substantially horizontal playing surface with a supplemental rebounding surface suspended above the horizontal playing surfaces. Alternatively, the supplemental rebounding surface is constructed of two half plates, which are at an angle, the playing surfaces facing away from each other. The table game allows playing for two players placed on the opposite sides of the table. It is a disadvantage of this known solution that while the trajectory of the ball is confined to the space between the play surfaces, the overall area required to play the game is still relatively large, because the route of the ball is essentially straight, and hence there is a minimum of length that the ball must travel before its trajectory is sensed and appreciated by the opposing player.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,681 discloses a table game, in which the players utilise a table having three playing surfaces, with an angle at each other within a specified range. One playing surface is essentially vertical, while an upper playing surface is forming an angle of approximately 115.degree.-135.degree. with the vertical surface, and a lower playing surface is forming an angle of approximately 95.degree.-105.degree. with the vertical surface. With this table the trajectory of the ball is shortened, because the ball has to rebound between the upper and lower surfaces, and thus the overall area required to play with the table game is substantially reduced. However, the players must be on the same side of the table, and therefore unavoidably hinder each other's play.
RU 2029582 teaches a conventional table tennis table, supplied with a tunnel-like upper playing surface, covering the middle part of the table. The tunnel has a top part and oblique and vertical side parts (edge faces). The play is made more difficult by the ball rebounding from the oblique side parts of the covering tunnel, and being invisible on this part of the trajectory. The game is thereby more complicated, but difficult to watch by spectators, and essentially the same area is needed to play as for ordinary table-tennis.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a game that requires fast play, hard exercise and increased rate of movement, but at the same time needs little play space, and may be played preferably in any apartment, and provides good entertainment and exercise.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, the object is realised with a gameboard having two lower playing surfaces and positioned above the lower playing surfaces one upper playing surface substantially parallel to the floor and the upper playing surface facing down and towards the lower playing surfaces. The playing surfaces are being disposed at an angle with each other, in order to touch the ball during play. The gameboard is further having support base means supporting the playing surfaces, and an open play field formed by the three playing surfaces. According to the invention, the gameboard comprises two equal si
REFERENCES:
patent: 2161463 (1939-06-01), Frost
patent: 2313701 (1943-03-01), White
patent: 4030734 (1977-06-01), Castellucci
patent: 4039187 (1977-08-01), Shea
patent: 4334681 (1982-06-01), Scheie
patent: 4345758 (1982-08-01), Kempf
patent: 4521017 (1985-06-01), McCready
patent: 4765619 (1988-08-01), Cooper
patent: 4772018 (1988-09-01), Inniger
patent: 5470057 (1995-11-01), Bodford
patent: 5575471 (1996-11-01), Robinson et al.
patent: 5733211 (1998-03-01), Dupre
Abstract of Russian Patents of RU 2029582 --Feb. 15, 1995.
Chambers M.
Chapman Jeanette
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