Cone Tossing Game Layout With Rope Boundaries and Clear Scoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a portable cone tossing game that uses minimal equipment, provides fast-paced, dynamic play, and allows for dramatic lead swings from round to round, without requiring complex game boards or ambiguous scoring rules.
Innovation Solution
A game using cone-shaped game pieces with flexible bases and boundary ropes, where players score points by flipping cones into a fair zone, with various scoring configurations including stingers, leaners, and steal mechanics, allowing for unpredictable and exciting gameplay.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a game board with wooden stakes and invisible boundary ring is used, then the game area can be delineated, but the equipment becomes more complex and the game becomes slower and less dynamic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of boundary delineation from the complex game board and stakes system, retaining only the critical boundary definition element. The invisible boundary ring is removed entirely, and boundaries are defined simply by the relative positions of cones and the throwing line, eliminating unnecessary equipment while preserving the core game area definition function.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a fixed game board with stakes to define the playing area, the patent inverts the approach by using the cones themselves and the throwing line as the primary reference elements. The game area is defined by the spatial relationship between these simple elements rather than by a permanent structure, simplifying the equipment while maintaining reliable area delineation.
2Reliability
If an invisible boundary ring is added around the game board, then the game area is defined, but controversy arises among players about boundary location
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the invisible boundary ring with a visible throwing line that serves as the primary reference for all boundary determinations. This visible line eliminates ambiguity about where the boundary lies, as players can clearly see and reference the line when determining whether cones are in the correct position. The throwing line acts as a tangible copy of the boundary concept that is universally visible and interpretable.
3Measurement precision
If complex scoring rules with location-based point values are used, then scoring is more detailed, but the game becomes slower and less dynamic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent simplifies the scoring parameters from multiple location-based point values to a single point value per cone. Instead of assigning different point values based on where on the board a cone lands, the system awards one point per cone in the correct final position. This parameter change maintains sufficient scoring precision to distinguish performance while dramatically accelerating the game pace by eliminating complex scoring calculations.
4Stability of the object's composition
If a game board fixed to the ground is used, then the playing area is stable, but the game requires more equipment and is less portable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the throwing line multi-functional, serving both as the boundary reference and as the stable anchor for the entire game setup. Instead of requiring a separate game board with stakes, the throwing line performs multiple functions: defining the throwing boundary, establishing the reference line for cone placement, and providing the stable fixed point from which all other elements are positioned. This universality eliminates the need for additional equipment while maintaining stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for playing a game including a rectangular playing area established by laying two ropes in parallel at a set distance apart. Also included is a set of four cones, each cone having a conical tip, and a base with an octagonal outer perimeter. A larger second end of the tip is configured to fit inside and mechanically attach to the base. Two of the cones have a tip of a first color and two have a tip of a second color. A method for playing a game includes setting up a playing area, wherein two ropes are laid out in parallel side-by-side and separated by a distance. The first rope is part of a foul line and the second rope is part of a far line, with a neutral zone in between and a fair zone over the far line opposite the neutral zone.