Games using tangible projectile – Projectile – per se; part thereof or accessory therefor – Arrow – dart – or shuttlecock; part thereof
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-04
2001-07-31
Ricci, John A. (Department: 3712)
Games using tangible projectile
Projectile, per se; part thereof or accessory therefor
Arrow, dart, or shuttlecock; part thereof
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267698
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to so-called “soft tip” or “safe” game darts. In particular, the present invention relates to a soft tip game dart having a tip portion which is easily replaced, which is not threadably attached to the dart body, which has an anti-bounce-back feature, and which, in at least a fully extended position, is rotationally fixed to the dart body, allowing the dart tip to be rotated relative to a dart board or target grid in which it is embedded for easier removal therefrom.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Game darts of the traditional metallic tip type wherein the tip portion is axially and/or rotationally movable relative to the dart body, usually to provide an anti-bounce-back feature, are known in the prior art, as may be seen by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,230,322; 4,596,393 and 5,419,567, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Recently, so-called “soft tip” or “safe” darts having relatively slender, rounded or blunt-ended plastic tips and utilized with a dart board having a target grid or array of closely spaced holes for retaining darts that strike the target grid, and a self-scoring mechanism, have become popular, as the potential for damage and/or injury is minimized and the need to have a person manually keeping score is eliminated. Examples of the general structure of soft tip darts and the self-scoring dart board machines utilizing same may be seen by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,457,514; 4,974,857 and 5,116,063, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
A problem with the prior art devices is that the tip portions often fracture at the threaded connection, making removal of the remaining threaded portion from the dart body difficult and/or the tips would rotate with respect to the body, preventing removal of embedded darts from the target grid by rotationally “walking it out” and often leading to breakage of the tip and/or an anti-bounce-back feature was not provided.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, an improved soft tip game dart is provided which minimizes or overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art. The foregoing is accomplished by providing a dart body having an elongated through bore having a relatively small opening at the front end of the body and an enlarged, threaded end at the rearward end for threadably receiving a flight portion and closing the bore. The soft tip portion includes a forwardly extending, generally cylindrically shaped shaft section having a relatively blunt tip for receipt and removable retention in the apertures of the target grid and a head section having a non-annular cross-section for slidable, generally close-fitting receipt in a portion of the bore having a periphery generally conforming to the non-annular cross-sectional shape of the tip portion head section, which will be received therein when the tip is furthest forwardly extending relative to the body. A spring, or preferably a spring-biased plunger, will seat on the flight portion and resiliently urge the tip point forwardly and outwardly and allow a resilient backward movement of the tip portion relative to the body for anti-bounce-back purposes.
In the forward position of the tip portion, the head section will cooperate with the forward portion of the bore to rotatationally fix the tip portion to the body portion, allowing the dart tip to be walked out of a grid aperture in a target.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved soft tip game dart.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3454276 (1969-07-01), Brenkert et al.
patent: 4101126 (1978-07-01), Kurtz et al.
patent: 4951952 (1990-08-01), Saddler
patent: 5118117 (1992-06-01), Denen
patent: 1194661 (1959-11-01), None
patent: 2026878 (1980-02-01), None
patent: 21493 (1993-10-01), None
Gordon Howard D.
Ricci John A.
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