A game and a gaming device

Abstract

A game and a gaming device comprising: a board comprising targets; and a first striker movably positioned on a first elastic band located away from the board, wherein each end of the first band is at its respective fixed distance from the board; and wherein, after the first band is stretched away from the board and released by a user, the first striker from at least one position on the first band is capable of striking one of the targets from at least one stretched configuration of the first band.

Description

A Game and a Gaming DeviceRELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 USC 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 353,916, filed June 21, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The disclosure pertains to games where a player or players attempt to hit the targets with a projectile attached to a flexible holder, such as an elastic band or string, and to gaming systems and devices for such games.BRIEF SUMMARY

[0003] The above and other features of the invention including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, and other advantages, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the example method and device embodying the invention are shown by way of illustration and not as a limitation of the invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in various and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] The drawings are not necessarily to scale; emphasis has instead been placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.

[0005] Figures 1-8 show examples of gaming devices.

[0006] All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0007] The gaming device and the game played on it may be used, for example, to improve the hand and eye coordination of the player or players.SUBSTITUTE SHEET RULE 26

[0008] Fig. 1 shows an example embodiment as a one- or two-player gaming device for an example game where a striker or a projectile 6 attached to an elastic band or cord 5 is used to hit one of the targets 8 located on a target board 2, which may be vertical.

[0009] In a two-player embodiment, the players are positioned on opposite sides of the board 2, the board 2 is between the players, and each player uses their own striker 6 on their respective side of the board 2 to hit one or several targets 8.

[0010] The board 2, which may be about 0.5 inches thick, may be attached to a base 1, which may be non-slip with regard to the surface on which it is positioned, for example, a table surface.

[0011] In the example shown, the board 2 is relatively thin, similar in length to the width of the base 1, and is centered with respect to and attached to the base 1, which may be 0.5 inches thick, so as to create two similar play areas for two players.

[0012] Two pairs of wings 3a-3d, which may be 0.25 inches thick, angle away from the board 2 in two opposite directions.

[0013] A top-down view of the example embodiment looks like a “greater than” sign (representing one pair of wings 3a-3d) attached to a long dash (representing the board 2) attached to a “less than” sign (representing another pair of wings 3a-3d).

[0014] The wings 3a-3d are approximately the same height the width of the board 2 with the length of approximately one half of the width of the base 1.

[0015] At the outer edge of each of the wings 3a-3d is an elongated vertical wing hole 4a-d extending most of the height of each wing. For each play area on each side of the board 2, an elastic band or cord 5 is threaded through a striker 6. Each band is attached to the Wings wing holes 4a-d using a retainer 7 to keep the band 5.

[0016] The band 5 is attached to the wing holes 4a-d in such a way that a striker 6 for each play area is horizontally positioned in front of the board 2. Striker 6 is attached to the band 5 so that the striker 6 can move freely right or left along the band 5 taut.

[0017] By pulling back on the striker 6 a type of sling-shot effect is created where the striker 6 is released to hit a target or targets 8 located on the board 2. The elongated vertical wing holes 4a-d act as tracks for the band allowing for up and down movement.

[0018] The striker 6 is attached in such a way that allows for easy left, right, up, and down movement allowing the striker 6 to hit the entire board c during play.

[0019] The embodiment may be used for a two-player game where the board 2 has six holes placed in a circular pattern with the seventh hole in the center of the six surrounding holes in a daisy pattern. The holes go through the entire thickness of the board 2. These holes will house seven foam balls where the object of the game is for each player to simultaneously attempt to hit and dislodge some or all the foam balls with the player’s striker, where the striker is a similar foam ball with a sleeve or conduit through it to allow easy movement of the striker to slide back and forth on the stretched elastic band.

[0020] Another embodiment is a gaming device for a two-player game where the board 2 has electronic targets on both sides. Each player’s striker striking a target would result in scoring points shown on an electronic scoring display.

[0021] Figs. 2-8 illustrate other possible embodiments of the invention.

[0022] Further disclosed is a game with two or more players consisting of netting separating the players. The netting is like volleyball netting or mesh with built-in nylon / plastic or rigid foam sleeves or pocket conduits to house the targets which are foam balls or rubber pads that are collapsible and pop out telescopically upon impact from the striker. One or more targets are suspended into the sleeves or pocket conduits that are built into the netting, which include nylon straps material sewn in throughout the netting to give the netting a more rigid surface to allow the targets to be struck out of their placed positions by the players using their strikers on the appointed opposite sides of the netting.

[0023] A game includes a vertical target area known as the netting. The vertical target area netting is positioned equally between players. The netting is hung / suspended vertically by two or more poles on top or into the ground separating the players, therefore, creating two play areas for the players. The target objects or foam balls or rubber pads are placed into the plastic nylon sleeve conduits that are affixed to the netting so that they may become dislodged from their placed positions only when hit or struck by a striker assisted by the players. Targets may or may not be tethered to the netting or nylon plastic sleeves / conduits.

[0024] Another embodiment is a two-player game where the vertical target area netting has nine foam balls approximately six to eight inches in diameter placed in nylon plastic or rigid foam sleeves / conduits holes. Foam balls may or may not be tethered to the netting or sleeves and placed into the sleeve holes in such a way that they remain in a snug fixed position until hit / struck by the player's striker. These sleeves / conduit holes house nine foam balls where theobject of the game is for each player to simultaneously attempt to smack out or hit and dislodge some or all the balls with the player's striker.

[0025] The sticker is a similar foam ball with a nylon / plastic sleeve / conduit running through the striker’s center to allow easy movement of the striker to slide back and forth on the stretched-out elastic band which is suspended and attached between two poles positioned approximately five feet in front of the nettings support poles and placed three feet outward.

[0026] From the netting support poles at a thirty-five-degree angle. The elastic band is attached to the two poles by a loop with a slick smooth inner circumference surface at their two ends these loops allow the elastic band to slide smoothly up and down the cylindricalshaped supporting poles to allow the players to aim their striker ball at different heights further assisting the players' ability to create better angles for more accurate aim to hit and dislodge a target ball.

[0027] A player grabs the striker ball along with the suspended elastic band and pulls the striker back like a crossbow action creating enough tension on the elastic band to launch the striker ball forward as a projectile while at the same time aiming the striker ball at an angle as to hit and dislodge one of the target balls from its fixed position in the netting. The player dislodging the most balls first wins the game.

[0028] Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A gaming device comprising: a board comprising targets; and a first striker movably positioned on a first elastic band located away from the board, wherein each end of the first band is at its respective fixed distance from the board; and wherein, after the first band is stretched away from the board and released by a user, the first striker from at least one position on the first band is capable of striking one of the targets from at least one stretched configuration of the first band.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the board is positioned vertically on a base.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein at least one end of the first band is movable in parallel to the board.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the first band is movably mounted on the board.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, further comprising: a second striker movably positioned on a second elastic band located away from the board, wherein the second striker and the second elastic band are located on the opposite side of the board from the first striker and the first elastic band; wherein the board comprises targets on both sides of the board; and wherein, after the second band is stretched away from the board and released by a user, the second striker from at least one position on the second band is capable of striking one of the targets from at least one stretched configuration of the second band.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the board comprises holes; the targets are positioned in the respective holes; and each target, upon being struck by the striker is dislodged from its respective hole.

7. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the targets are squeezable balls.

8. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the striker is a squeezable ball.

9. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the targets are sensors capable of detecting being struck by the striker.

10. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the first band is a string, and the first striker may be moved along the first band.

11. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein two ends of the first band are independently movable in parallel to each other and to the board.

12. A game comprising: a user stretching and releasing an elastic band to strike with a striker at least one target on a board comprising targets, wherein the striker is movably positioned on an elastic band located away from the board; wherein each end of the band is at its respective fixed distance from the board, and wherein, after the band is stretched away from the board and released by a user, the striker from at least one position on the band is capable of striking at least one of the targets from at least one stretch configuration.

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