U.S. patent application number 14/074833 was filed with the patent office on 2015-05-14 for game.
The applicant listed for this patent is Juliana Curtis. Invention is credited to Juliana Curtis.
Application Number | 20150133239 14/074833 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53044255 |
Filed Date | 2015-05-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150133239 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Curtis; Juliana |
May 14, 2015 |
Game
Abstract
The present invention is a method of playing a variant of a
hop-scotch game consisting of multiple turns. The game involves a
group of players, where players take turns hopping on one foot from
pre-determined starting points, through a series of boxed-off
spaces, to a pre-determined destination. If the player reaches the
pre-determined destination without falling, using both feet, or
stepping on the edge of any of the boxed-off spaces, the player may
claim one of the boxed-off spaces over which the player has
traveled and which is not already claimed by another player by
placing a mark within the boxed-off space. The game is over when
all of the boxed-off spaces are claimed. The player with the most
claimed boxed-off spaces wins the game.
Inventors: |
Curtis; Juliana;
(Williamsville, NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Curtis; Juliana |
Williamsville |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
53044255 |
Appl. No.: |
14/074833 |
Filed: |
November 8, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/414 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 5/22 20130101; A63B
67/00 20130101; A63F 3/00006 20130101; A63B 2071/0694 20130101;
A63F 2250/215 20130101; A63B 2208/12 20130101; A63F 2009/0645
20130101; A63B 2209/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/414 |
International
Class: |
A63B 5/22 20060101
A63B005/22 |
Claims
1. A method of playing a game for a multiplicity of players taking
turns, comprising: a) beginning at one of at least one starting
points and having a player hop on one foot through a series of
boxed-off spaces having edged lines, proceeding to a pre-determined
destination without skipping any of said boxed-off spaces; b)
returning said player to said at least one starting point if said
player skips any of said boxed-off spaces prior to reaching said
pre-determined destination; c) returning said player to said at
least one starting point if said player steps on the edged line of
any of said boxed-off spaces prior to reaching said pre-determined
destination; d) returning said player to said at least one starting
point if said player switches feet more than twice prior to
reaching said pre-determined destination; e) returning said player
to said at least one starting point after reaching said
pre-determined destination and allowing said player to claim one of
said boxed-off spaces by writing an identifying mark in one of said
boxed-off spaces over which said player has travelled and is not
already claimed by another player; f) returning said player to at
least one starting point if said player lands with both feet in one
of said boxed-off spaces, unless said boxed-off space has
previously been claimed by said player, prior to reaching said
pre-determined destination; g) ending said game when all said
boxed-off are claimed; and h) winning said game by claiming the
highest number of said boxed-off spaces.
2. The method of playing the game of claim 1 where said boxed-off
spaces are pre-marked on a mat.
3. The method of playing the game of claim 2 where said mat is made
of ethylene vinyl acetate, rubber, plastic, polyurethane or
similarly durable materials.
4. The method of playing the game of claim 2 where said mark is
removably written on a tile having a dry erase surface.
5. The method of playing the game of claim 4 where said tile is
removably attached to said claimed spaces by a fastener.
6. The method of playing the game of claim 5 where said fastener is
an adhesive, hook and loop fastener or suction cup.
7. A method of playing the game of claim 1 where said boxed-off
spaces are organized in a spiral formation, semi-ellipsoid
formation, polyhedral formation, or irregular shape, beginning at
said starting point and ending at said predetermined
destination.
8. The method of playing the game of claim 1 where said at least
one starting point is a first and a second starting point.
9. The method of playing the game of claim 8 where the number of
boxed-off spaces between said first starting point and said
predetermined destination is different than the number of boxed-off
spaces between said second starting point and said predetermined
destination.
10. The method of playing the game of claim 9 where said number of
boxed-off spaces having edged lines between said first starting
point and said pre-determined destination is less than number of
boxes between of said second starting point and said pre-determined
destination.
11. A method of playing the game of claim 7 where after reaching
said predetermined destination said player can only claim said
boxed-off spaces on which the player has traveled in the previous
turn of said player.
12. The method of claim 1 where multiple said players participate,
waiting for a turn at one of said starting points.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to games and more
specifically to a novel playground game involving players hopping
on one foot from one of two starting points, through a path of
boxed-off sections, to a pre-determined destination.
[0003] 2. Background
[0004] A number of games have been developed which involve the
participants hopping on one foot from a starting point, through a
path of boxed-off spaces, to a pre-determined destination.
Hopscotch is one example of a popular game involving hopping on one
foot through a path of boxed-off spaces. There are many variations
of hop-scotch including games with novelty hopscotch mats depicting
numbers and animals, for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,409, issued to
Barnes, discloses hopscotch mats which are self-illuminating and
U.S. Pat. No. 6,251,032, issued to Butler, discloses hopscotch
games which require various physical tasks.
[0005] Numerous other variations of hopscotch are known within the
art and games similar to hop-scotch have enjoyed enormous success
as children's playground games. While these games fulfill their
respective particular objective and requirements, the
aforementioned patents do not describe a competitive, strategy
based version of hopscotch which can entertain players for an
extended period of time. Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists
in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and
inadequacies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In the view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the
known types of games now present in the art, the present disclosure
provides a new, more competitive and strategic version of the
traditional game of hop-scotch where players take turns hopping
through a series of boxed-off spaces.
[0007] The present disclosure provides methods of use of a strategy
based hopscotch game with two separate starting points. It is a
game in which players compete to claim the highest number of
boxed-off spaces to win the game. Each player can claim one of the
boxed-off spaces by hopping on one foot from one of two starting
points through the path of boxed-off spaces to the pre-determined
destination without stumbling or stepping on the edges of the
boxed-off spaces. A player can only claim boxed-off spaces which
the player has traveled over during the previous turn and claim
boxed-off spaces that have not been claimed by another player. The
two starting points are different distances from the pre-determined
destination. One starting point requires players to hop through
fewer boxed-off spaces to reach the pre-determined destination than
from a second starting point which requires players to hop through
a greater number of boxed-off spaces to reach the pre-determined
destination. Players must strategically weigh the benefits of a
shorter path to the pre-determined destination against the benefits
of potentially claiming from a larger pool of boxed-off spaces.
Once a player reaches the pre-determined destination the player
claims one of the boxed-off spaces by placing their mark within any
unclaimed boxed-off space over which the player has traveled during
the previous turn. The game ends when all the boxes have been
claimed. The player with the most claimed boxed-off spaces wins the
game.
[0008] The general object of the present disclosure is to provide a
strategic and competitive iteration of a classic hop-scotch game
with two separate starting points.
[0009] It is a further object of the present disclosure to provide
a game that allows players to claim a number of boxed-off spaces to
win the game.
[0010] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a
game which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and
marketed.
[0011] It is a further object of the present disclosure to provide
a game board which is of durable and reliable construction.
[0012] These together with other objects of the disclosure, along
with the various features of novelty which characterize the
disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims
annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. Other systems,
devices, apparatuses, methods, features, and advantages will be or
become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of
the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended
that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages
be included within the scope of the present disclosure, and be
protected by the accompanying claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0013] The present disclosure will be more clearly understood by
reference to the following detailed description when read in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which the like
reference characters refer to like parts throughout the views and
where:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a plan view of the game-mat used in one embodiment
of the present disclosure.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a tile and dry erase marker of the
present disclosure used to claim boxed-off spaces.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] Reference is now made in detail to the description of the
embodiments as illustrated in the drawings. While only a single
embodiment is described in connection with these drawings, there is
no intent to limit the disclosure to the embodiment below.
[0017] It should be clearly understood that reference numerals are
intended to identify the same structural elements, portions, or
surfaces consistently throughout the drawn figures, and may be
further described or explained in the written specification,
including the detailed description. The drawings are intended to be
read together with the specification and are to be construed as a
portion of the entire "written description"
[0018] Playground games such as hopscotch have long been popular
games for young children. A typical hopscotch game involves hopping
on one foot from a single starting point, through a set of
boxed-off spaces, to a pre-determined destination. While this game
is entertaining, it lacks a strategy based competitive element, and
thus children tend to become bored with a standard hop-scotch game
quickly. The hop-scotch like game in the present disclosure solves
the existing problems associated with hop-scotch by adding a
strategic and competitive component to hop-scotch. The present
disclosure adds a strategic and competitive component by
implementing a multi-turn system where players can both choose from
one of two starting points and "claim" individual boxed-off spaces
for strategic advantages.
[0019] Adverting now to the drawings, with reference to FIG. 1, a
preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, depicting a
pre-made mat upon which the present disclosure can be played. The
present disclosure is a method of playing a hopscotch like
playground game. The game involves a group of players where each of
the players takes turns proceeding from a first starting point 20
or a second starting point 22 through a path of boxed-off spaces 24
to a predetermined destination 28. In one embodiment of the present
disclosure starting point 20, starting point 22, path of boxed-off
spaces 24, and predetermined destination 28 are present on a
pre-drawn 6' by 6' mat 30. In the preferred embodiment of the
disclosure the boxed-off spaces 24 are placed in a spiral like
formation. In this embodiment, pre-determined destination 28 on the
inside of mat 30, and first starting point 20 and second starting
point 22 on the outside of the mat. Although mat 30 is shown in
FIG. 1 as a spiral like formation, it should be readily obvious to
those of ordinary skill in the art that mat 30 could be made in any
semi-ellipsoid, polyhedral, or irregular shapes. Examples of
irregularly shaped mats include designs, such as a squared off
matrix, a triangle, organic shapes or a rectangle. This particular
embodiment would be suitable for mats made of ethylene vinyl
acetate (also known as EVA), rubber, plastic, polyurethane or the
like materials.
[0020] Players may only proceed from staring point 20 or starting
point 22 though the path of boxed-off spaces 24 by hopping on one
foot. If the player stumbles, uses both feet, or steps on an edged
line 26 of a boxed-off space 24, the player(s) turn is over (for
clarity sake only one horizontal and one vertical line was marked
as a edged line 26 in FIG. 1, it should be understood that all
lines surrounding boxed-off space 24 is an edged line 26). If the
player navigates the path of boxed-off spaces 24 to predetermined
destination 28, the player may claim one of boxed-off spaces 24 by
placing the player's mark 42 within the chosen boxed-off space 24.
Once a player has claimed a boxed-off space 24, that player may
land with two feet on the claimed boxed-off space 24 having that
player's mark, without the penalty of ending that player's turn.
The player may only land with two feet in boxed-off spaces 24 which
the player has marked and claimed.
[0021] Players may only claim boxed-off spaces 24 which the player
has traveled over in the previous turn of the game, and are not
already claimed by another player. In one embodiment of the present
disclosure, starting point 20 is closer to the finish than starting
point 22, players who choose to begin at starting point 20 will
have to navigate fewer boxed-off spaces 24 to reach pre-determined
destination 28, but the player will also have fewer potential
boxed-off spaces 24 to claim upon reaching pre-determined
destination 28.
[0022] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a tile and dry erase marker of the
present disclosure used to claim the boxed-off spaces. In the
preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the players claim
boxed-off spaces 24 by removably placing the player's mark 42 such
as the player's initials or artistic symbol on tile 40 with a
dry-erase marker 50. For demonstration purposes only, player's mark
42 are shown as initials JC, player's mark 42 may be any text or
artistic symbol which distinguishes a player from other players.
Tile 40 is preferably a wipe-able sheet of a plastic having
dry-erase board qualities. Attached on the underside side of tile
40 is a fastener, (the underside of tile 40 is the opposite side of
the tile the player removably places player's mark 42). The
fastener can comprise any means well known in the art to affix tile
40 to a surface, such as an adhesive, hook and loop fastener,
suction cup device, or any other means to removably attach the tile
to mat 30. It should be understood that each of the embodiments of
the present disclosure could be made with or without a fastening
device. The player uses the fastener to attach tile 40 to claim
boxed-off space 24 on mat 30 to signify the player has claimed
specific boxed-off spaces.
[0023] A winner is determined when every boxed-off space 24 has
been claimed by all players. The player who claims the highest
number of boxed-off spaces 24 wins the game.
* * * * *