U.S. patent application number 11/616444 was filed with the patent office on 2008-07-03 for portable bag tossing game.
This patent application is currently assigned to FDL, LLC. Invention is credited to Frank Ritchie, Don Rogers, Steve Striebel.
Application Number | 20080157476 11/616444 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39582812 |
Filed Date | 2008-07-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080157476 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Striebel; Steve ; et
al. |
July 3, 2008 |
PORTABLE BAG TOSSING GAME
Abstract
A bag tossing game including a pair of boards each having
opposing top and bottom surfaces. Each of the boards has an opening
extending from the top surface to the bottom surface. Each of the
boards includes a pair of opposing ends and a pair of opposing
sides extending between the opposing ends and formed by a rim
projecting from the bottom surface. At least one riser is pivotally
coupled to one end of each of the boards. A storage pouch is
coupled to the bottom surface of one of the boards. The pouch
encloses an interior storage space and has an opening in
communication with the interior space. The pouch has a closure
mechanism for closing the opening. The game also includes a hook
and loop fastener releasably coupling the pair of boards to one
another. A handle is coupled to at least one of the opposing
sides.
Inventors: |
Striebel; Steve; (Carmel,
IN) ; Rogers; Don; (Kokomo, IN) ; Ritchie;
Frank; (Peru, IN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SOMMER BARNARD ATTORNEYS,P.C.
ONE INDIANA SQ, SUITE 3500
INDIANAPOLIS
IN
46204
US
|
Assignee: |
FDL, LLC
Kokomo
IN
|
Family ID: |
39582812 |
Appl. No.: |
11/616444 |
Filed: |
December 27, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/402 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 67/06 20130101;
A63B 2225/09 20130101; A63B 2210/50 20130101; A63B 63/00 20130101;
A63B 2209/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
273/402 |
International
Class: |
A63B 63/00 20060101
A63B063/00 |
Claims
1. A portable bag tossing game comprising: a pair of rigid playing
boards each having a top surface and an opposing bottom surface,
each of said playing boards having at least one opening extending
therethrough from said top surface to said bottom surface; at least
one riser pivotally coupled to one end of each of said pair of
playing boards, said riser pivotal between a raising position,
wherein said one end of said playing board is elevated relative to
the ground and an opposite end of said playing board, and a
leveling position, wherein said one end of said playing board is
level with the opposite end of said playing board; a bag storage
pouch coupled to said bottom surface of one of said pair of playing
boards, said bag storage pouch enclosing an interior storage space
and having an opening in communication with said interior storage
space, said bag storage pouch having a closure mechanism for
closing said opening, said interior storage space sized to store
the bags; and at least one hook and loop fastener releasably
coupling said pair of playing boards to one another.
2. The portable bag tossing game of claim 1 further including a
handle.
3. The portable bag tossing game of claim 2 wherein each of said
playing boards includes a pair of opposing sides extending between
said opposing ends, said handle comprising a flexible rope
extending through a pair of holes defined in one of said pair of
opposing sides.
4. The portable bag tossing game of claim 3 wherein said handle
comprises a flexible rope extending through a pair of holes defined
in each of said pair of opposing sides.
5. The portable bag tossing game of claim 1 wherein said closure
mechanism is a zipper.
6. The portable bag tossing game of claim 1 wherein each of said
playing boards includes a pair of opposing sides extending between
said opposing ends, said opposing sides and opposing ends are
formed at least in part by a rim projecting from said bottom
surface and extending about a perimeter of said bottom surface.
7. The portable bag tossing game of claim 1 wherein said at least
one hook and loop fastener includes multiple hook and loop fastener
components affixed to said rim.
8. The portable bag tossing game of claim 1 wherein said at least
one riser is pivotally coupled to said rim.
9. A portable bag tossing game comprising: a pair of rigid playing
boards each having a top surface and an opposing bottom surface,
each of said playing boards having at least one opening extending
therethrough from said top surface to said bottom surface, each of
said playing boards includes a pair of opposing ends and a pair of
opposing sides extending between said opposing ends, said opposing
sides and opposing ends are formed at least in part by a rim
projecting from said bottom surface and extending about a perimeter
of said bottom surface; at least one riser pivotally coupled to of
said pair of opposing ende of each of said pair of playing boards,
said riser pivotal between a raising position, wherein said one end
of said playing board is elevated relative to the opposite end of
said playing board, and a leveling position, wherein said one end
of said playing board is level with the opposite end of said
playing board; a bag storage pouch coupled to said bottom surface
of one of said pair of playing boards, said bag storage pouch
enclosing an interior storage space and having an opening in
communication with said interior storage space, said bag storage
pouch having a closure mechanism for closing said opening, said
interior storage space sized to store the bags; and at least one
fastener releasably coupling said pair of playing boards to one
another; and a handle coupled to at least one of said opposing
sides.
10. The portable bag tossing game of claim 9 wherein said handle
comprises a flexible rope extending through a pair of holes defined
in one of said pair of opposing sides.
11. The portable bag tossing game of claim 9 wherein said at least
one fastener is a hook and loop fastener including multiple hook
and loop fastener components affixed to said rim.
12. The portable bag tossing game of claim 1 wherein said at least
one riser is pivotally coupled to said rim.
13. A portable bag tossing game comprising: a pair of rigid playing
boards each having a top surface and an opposing bottom surface,
each of said playing boards having at least one opening extending
therethrough from said top surface to said bottom surface; at least
one riser pivotally coupled to one end of each of said pair of
playing boards, said riser pivotal between a raising position,
wherein said one end of said playing board is elevated relative to
the ground and an opposite end of said playing board, and a
leveling position, wherein said one end of said playing board is
level with the opposite end of said playing board; at least one
fastener releasably coupling said pair of playing boards to one
another; and a handle comprising a flexible rope extending through
a pair of holes defined in one of said pair of opposing sides.
14. The portable bag tossing game of claim 13 further including a
bag storage pouch coupled to said bottom surface of one of said
pair of playing boards, said bag storage pouch enclosing an
interior storage space and having an opening in communication with
said interior storage space, said bag storage pouch having a
closure mechanism for closing said opening, said interior storage
space sized to store the bags.
15. The portable bag tossing game of claim 13 wherein said at least
one fastener is a hook and loop fastener.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present invention relates to games played for
entertainment and, more particularly, to bag tossing games.
[0002] Bag tossing games are a popular item of entertainment at
gatherings, parties and tailgate events. Typical bag tossing games
include a pair of playing boards with a hole extending
therethrough. The playing boards are elevated at one end by legs.
Players aim and toss bean filled bags toward the hole in an attempt
to get the bag in the hole. Typical playing boards are made of wood
and are relatively heavy and cumbersome. In addition, typical bag
tossing games have two boards and multiple bean bags making the
game difficult to carry and store. Some portable designs have been
proposed that use pins, prongs and other male-female couplings to
connect the two boards together. However, these designs are
somewhat fragile. The pins and prongs may be prone to breaking off.
In addition, the inclusion of pins and corresponding opening add
significant cost and time to the formation of the boards.
[0003] Accordingly, a need remains for a bag tossing game that is
relatively cost-efficient to manufacture, and easy to transport,
store and set up.
SUMMARY
[0004] The present invention provides a portable bag tossing game.
In one aspect, the bag tossing game includes a pair of rigid
playing boards each having a top surface and an opposing bottom
surface. Each of the playing boards has at least one opening
extending therethrough from the top surface to the bottom surface.
At least one riser is pivotally coupled to one end of each of the
pair of playing boards. The riser is pivotal between a raising
position, wherein the one end of the playing board is elevated
relative to ground and an opposite end of the playing board, and a
leveling position, wherein the one end of the playing board is
level with the opposite end of the playing board. The bag tossing
game also includes a bag storage pouch coupled to the bottom
surface of one of the pair of playing boards. The bag storage pouch
encloses an interior storage space and has an opening in
communication with the interior storage space. The bag storage
pouch has a closure mechanism for closing the opening. The interior
storage space is sized to store the bags. The bag tossing game also
includes at least one hook and loop fastener, which releasably
couples the pair of playing boards to one another.
[0005] In another aspect, the portable bag tossing game includes a
pair of rigid playing boards each having a top surface and an
opposing bottom surface. Each of the playing boards has at least
one opening extending therethrough from the top surface to the
bottom surface. Each of the playing boards includes a pair of
opposing ends and a pair of opposing sides extending between the
opposing ends. The opposing sides and opposing ends are formed at
least in part by a rim projecting from the bottom surface and
extending about a perimeter of the bottom surface. At least one
riser is pivotally coupled to one end of each of the pair of
playing boards. The riser is pivotal between a raising position,
wherein one end of the playing board is elevated relative to an
opposite end of the playing board, and a leveling position, wherein
the one end of the playing board is level with the opposite end of
the playing board. A bag storage pouch is coupled to the bottom
surface of one of the pair of playing boards. The bag storage pouch
encloses an interior storage space and has an opening in
communication with the interior storage space. The bag storage
pouch has a closure mechanism for closing the opening. The interior
storage space is sized to store the bags. The bag tossing game also
includes at least one hook and loop fastener releasably coupling
the pair of playing boards to one another. A handle is coupled to
at least one of the opposing sides.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The above mentioned and other features and objects of this
invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more
apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by
reference to the following description of an embodiment of the
invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
[0007] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a bag tossing game in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, wherein
the bag tossing game is in the playing position;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the bag tossing game of FIG. 1;
and
[0009] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bag tossing game of FIG.
1, wherein the bag tossing game is in the folded carrying
position.
[0010] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding
parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent
embodiments of the present invention, the drawings are not
necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated in
order to better illustrate and explain the present invention.
Although the exemplification set out herein illustrates embodiments
of the invention, in several forms, the embodiments disclosed below
are not intended to be exhaustive or to be construed as limiting
the scope of the invention to the precise forms disclosed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] The embodiments hereinafter disclosed are not intended to be
exhaustive or limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed in
the following description. Rather the embodiments are chosen and
described so that others skilled in the art may utilize its
teachings.
[0012] Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, portable bag tossing game
10, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, is
illustrated. Bag tossing game 10 generally includes pair of playing
boards 12a, 12b, each having top surface 14 and opposing bottom
surface 16. Opening 18 extends through each of boards 12a, 12b and
is sized to receive therethrough a tossing bag (not shown), such as
a bean bag, sand bag or other filled playing bag capable of being
tossed. Although playing boards 12a, 12b are illustrated as having
only a single opening, boards 12a, 12b may include any number and
size of openings. Top surface 14 of playing boards 12a, 12b may be
formed of any suitable rigid material such as wood, plastic or
metal and may be constructed using any known means including
molding, machining, stamping, cutting and other means. Top surface
14 of playing boards 12a, 12b may include a design, such as a
replica of a football playing field and team logo, as shown in FIG.
1.
[0013] Referring to FIG. 2, each of playing boards 12a, 12b
includes rim 24 protruding from bottom surface 16 and extending
about the perimeter of playing boards 12a, 12b. As shown in FIGS. 1
and 2, each of playing boards 12a, 12b includes opposing ends 20a,
20b and opposing sides 22, which are formed at least in part by rim
24 and bound the perimeter of playing boards 12a, 12b. Each of
playing boards 12a, 12b includes a riser 28 pivotally coupled to
end 20a and adapted to pivot between a raising position, shown in
FIG. 1, and a leveling position, shown in FIG. 2. In the raising
position, risers 28 are pivoted away from bottom surface 16 of
playing boards 12a, 12b and act to raise the end 20a relative to
the ground and end 20b. In the leveling position, risers 28 are
pivoted to and are positioned adjacent bottom surface 16, such that
risers 28 are below rim 24. Risers 28 may be pivotally coupled to
playing boards 12a, 12b in any known manner. For example, as
illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, risers 28 are coupled to rim 24 of
playing boards 12a, 12b by pivot bolt 30.
[0014] Turning to FIGS. 2 and 3, bag tossing game 10 also includes
a bag storage pouch 32 coupled to bottom surface 16 of playing
board 12a. Bag storage pouch 32 defines interior storage space 34,
which is sized to contain the tossing bags (not shown). Bag storage
pouch 32 includes closure mechanism 36, which may be in the form of
a zipper, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Alternatively, closure
mechanism 36 may be in any form suitable for closing interior
storage space. For instance, closure mechanism may be a flap with a
button, snap, hook and loop or other fastener type adapted to
couple the flap to pouch 32. Bag tossing game 10 may include
additional storage pouches on either of playing boards 12a,
12b.
[0015] Referring still to FIGS. 2 and 3, bag tossing game 10
includes hook and loop fasteners adapted to couple playing boards
12a, 12b to one another. By way of example, hook and loop fasteners
may be in the form of Velcro.RTM. brand fasteners available from
Velcro USA Inc. of Manchester, N.H. More specifically, hook and
loop fasteners include a plurality of hook components 38a
positioned on rim 24 of playing board 12a, and a plurality of loop
components 38b correspondingly positioned on rim 24 of playing
board 12b. Hook components 38a and loop components 38b are adapted
to releasably fasten to one another. Each of playing boards 12a,
12b also includes handle 40 coupled to one side 22 of playing board
12a, 12b. Handle 40 may be in any form. For instance, as
illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, in one simple form handle 40 is in
the form of a rope having ends 41, which extend through holes 43 in
side 22 of playing board 12a, 12b. Knots 42 are formed in ends 41
of the rope to secure handle 40 to board 12a, 12b.
[0016] Referring to FIGS. 1-3, operation of bag tossing game 10
will now be described. To transport game 10, game 10 is in the
folded, carrying position shown in FIG. 3. Playing boards 12a, 12b
may be released from one another simply by pulling handles 40 away
from one another with enough force to overcome the connecting force
of hook and loop fasteners 38a, 38b. Once playing boards 12a, 12b
are separated from one another, risers 28 are moved to the raising
position and boards 12a, 12b are placed on the ground, as shown in
FIG. 1. Bag tossing game 10 is now positioned for play and filled
tossing bags may be tossed toward opening 18. When finished with
bag tossing game 10, playing boards 12a, 12b may be moved to the
folded, carrying position, shown in FIG. 3, for easy transport and
storage. Risers 28 are pivoted inward toward bottom surface 16 of
playing board 12a, 12b and tossing bags (not shown) are enclosed
within storage pouch 32. Playing boards 12a, 12b are then placed
atop one another with rims 24 facing one another such that hook
components 38a and loop components 38b are aligned with and
contacting one another. Hook and loop components 38a, 38b act to
fasten playing boards 12a, 12b to one another. Handles 40 may then
be used to carry folded game.
[0017] While this invention has been described as having an
exemplary design, the present invention may be further modified
within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is
therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of
the invention using its general principles. Further, this
application is intended to cover such departures from the present
disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to
which this invention pertains.
* * * * *