Games using tangible projectile – Projectile – per se; part thereof or accessory therefor – Arrow – dart – or shuttlecock; part thereof
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-25
2004-01-27
Sewell, Paul T. (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Projectile, per se; part thereof or accessory therefor
Arrow, dart, or shuttlecock; part thereof
C473S582000, C473S585000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06682448
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sport games, and more particularly a portable game court and game in which opposing players return a play device in a court that is defined by adjustable opposed rings, longitudinal side ropes and a transverse center rope. The adjustable opposed rings can be sized according to the height, skill or ability of a player, to equalize the competition during play. The play devices which are functional with or without the court have a relatively lightweight, substantially round head connected to a tail portion which flairs down and outward from the head to form a thin, lightweight, curved bell shaped, mesh structure. The curvature of the bell shaped tail portion when viewed from the side closely follows the curve formed by a parabolic arc. The head is designed to be hit by player's hands, feet, head, or any other part of the human body. The aforementioned devices are also suitable for use with rackets, paddles, or other striking instruments. The head portion may be produced from a soft foam material. The head absorbs the impact from striking implements, thereby reducing the force from which, and distance to which, the play implement may be directed by a striking instrument. The tail portion serves as a wind drag, further limiting the distance to which a striking implement may cause the play device to travel. The shape and size of the present invention lends itself to being thrown and caught much the same as a football might be. The lightweight, soft foam head, and short flight pattern combine to make a play device suitable for practicing many different physical coordination skills, indoors or within confined spaces.
2. Description of Related Art
Various game assemblies for games employing a court have been developed in the past. However, innumerable disadvantages can be described which detract from the enjoyment and fairness of play of any given game employing a court and its associated defining equipment (nets, goals, rackets, etc.).
In the related art, the court is generally dedicated to a given location with a dedicated size, having dedicated devices such as boundary lines, dividers (e.g. nets) or scoring goals. Furthermore, some courts require surfaces with improved playing characteristics (such as tennis, basketball or volleyball) which require more than a minimum of expense to build or maintain. Such courts are therefore, first, not transportable. Moreover, such courts, sometimes having a target zone or goal at which a player must practice accurate hitting, may not be conveniently accessible to a user wishing to practice, thus limiting the court's use mostly to play and not to practice. Finally, none such courts are readily reduced or increased in size to accommodate a handicap (whether it be a sports handicap or a physical handicap), without seriously affecting or interfering with the rules of play.
Likewise, the dedicated devices associated with such courts present added problems. Even if the boundaries, goals or dividers are not fixed, they are generally exacting and time consuming to erect (as in the case of laying out lines) or bulky and cumbersome to transport or erect (as in the case of hockey or basketball goals). Moreover, devices used to define the court into separate playing areas (such as volleyball nets or opposing basketball goals). Moreover, devices used to define the court into separate playing areas (such as volleyball nets or opposing basketball goals) are usually elevated above the ground and thus intended for ambulatory individuals without handicap or height limitations. Thus, such devices are generally ill suited to accommodate physical limitations of the individual, whether due to age, or physical handicap, wherein a change to the court or associated equipment fails to make the game playable as intended or fails to neutralize the limitation of one opposing player as between unequally skilled players. At best, very few such game devices are readily height adjustable and, although lowering or decreasing the size of the device, they fail to relate such change to the size of the court; i.e. the court remains the same size. At worst, most are entirely unadaptable and thus remain dedicated to play by a few.
Ultimately, any combination of such courts' features results in disadvantages which make it very difficult for those unable to freely come and go or move about, such as children or the handicapped, to enjoy recreational court games. Therefore, a portable court game is desired wherein neither the mobility of a user, the ease of play, nor the fairness or play, is restricted by the typical characteristics of a court. In particular, a game is desired having a court which is adjustable and in part dependent upon the height or other sports handicap of the players playing the game.
Moreover, the implements used during play of recreational court games have undesirable qualities which detract from the fun of play. For example, scoring implements used, such as balls or pucks, may require containment from escape from the immediate court side areas (most notably as in tennis) or otherwise cause the players to suffer the annoyance of retrieval, where-as the present invention does not require containment as is not able to roll great distances, because the expanded end of the tail portion has a diameter that is approximately twice that of the head portion causing the device to roll in a circular direction. Moreover, the striking implements used, for example rackets often used in court games for returning a birdie or a shuttlecock, may not be immediately effective in the hands or a user, therefore requiring undue skill, strength, practice or muscular coordination before being able to participate in regular play. Such disadvantages may arise due to the arrangement of the string area, e.g. the size and location of the “sweet spot”, or its proximity to the neck of a racket. Also, the birdies of the relevant art do not describe a play device with a tail portion which along it's length closely follows the curved path described by the equation used to form a parabolic arc. The impact strength of the tail portion is increased by the curvature of the tail portion as well as the manner in which it intersects the head. The mesh structure of the tail portion, where it is connected the head is nearly cylindrical, and runs nearly parallel to the direction of impact upon the head's surface by striking implements. The curvature of the tail portion also increases the wind resistance of the tail portion, there-by providing the desired arc of declination for a play device, or a shuttlecock used in the game of badminton. The increased impact strength of the tail portion of the present invention allows the tail to be produced lighter in weight than previous designs have allowed, therefor the present invention is able to provide a shuttlecock or play device with a more desirable arc of declination due to the fact that the arc of declination of a play device is largely influenced by the weight of the tail portion. Present injection molding techniques and materials would not allow shuttlecocks described by previous art to be produced light and strong enough to provide a desired arc of declination in contrast with the present invention where the head, skirt, and tail ring combine to produce a desirable arc of declination within the flight path of the play device.
Various patents in the relevant art have described both striking and struck implements used in court games, or the games themselves. U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,061 issue to Colburn et al. On Nov. 28, 1995 describes a racquet. The racquet does not have the widest area closest to the throat portion of the racquet, thereby limiting a player's ability to respond quickly and accurately, to play devices that are hit directly at them.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,761,685 issued to Lashley on Sep. 4, 1956 describes a shuttlecock. The shuttlecock has a skirt that includes sets of strands which superimpose one another. However, it has not been disclosed
Aryanpour Mitra
Sewell Paul T.
LandOfFree
Play device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Play device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Play device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3189549