Game Board Assembly With Rubber Band Fencing for Ball Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing game boards lack effective mechanisms to guide and direct balls into designated cavities, leading to balls settling in void areas and reducing gameplay efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A game board assembly featuring a fencing system of durable rubber bands stretched between posts to guide balls into cavities, with a netting perimeter to prevent balls from escaping, ensuring balls either land in cavities or can be easily retrieved for re-attempts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a traditional game board without fencing is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but balls settle in void areas between cavities reducing gameplay efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces rubber band fencing as an intermediary element between the cavities and the void areas. This fencing system acts as a mediator that guides balls toward the cavities while preventing them from settling in the void areas, thereby improving gameplay efficiency without fundamentally changing the core game board structure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the physical parameters of the game board by adding vertical fencing elements (rubber bands) at specific positions around the cavities. This changes the ball trajectory parameters and landing distribution, increasing the probability of balls entering cavities rather than void areas
2Reliability
If rubber band fencing is added to guide balls into cavities, then the probability of balls landing in cavities increases, but the device complexity and number of components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the fencing system selectively rather than uniformly across the entire game board. The rubber bands are positioned specifically at locations where balls are most likely to veer into void areas, providing localized guidance only where needed. This maintains reliability while minimizing the number of components required
3Loss of time
If netting is added to surround the game board, then balls are prevented from escaping and can be retrieved for re-attempts, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potential harm of balls escaping the game board into a benefit by using the netting to capture and retain balls. Instead of balls being lost and requiring time to retrieve or replace them, the netting ensures they remain on the board for quick retrieval and re-attempt, transforming a negative situation into a positive one
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The rubber band fencing system enhances gameplay by increasing the probability of balls landing in cavities, improving scoring opportunities and gameplay efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a fencing system of durable rubber bands stretched between posts to guide balls into cavities
Implementation Method 2
tossing a ball so that the ball bounces over the net onto the game board
Data Source
AI summary
A game board assembly is configured to do play an adjacent ball game. The game board assembly has a game board further comprising thirty-six cavities arranged in a six-by-six grid. A plurality of posts is arranged above, beneath, to the left and to the right of each cavity. A plurality of rubber bands is wrapped around each row of the plurality of posts. Netting posts are arranged on outer edges of the game board. A net is arranged on the netting posts. bouncing a ball onto the game board results in the ball being directed in to one of the thirty-six cavities.