Elevated court game apparatus

• US 4,556,218 A
• Filed: 05/30/1984
• Issued: 12/03/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David J. Barron
• Original Assignee: David J. Barron
• Inventors: Barron, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pinkham, Richard C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, THEATRICE
• Application Number:
  US06/615,220
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 273/411, 273/29, 273/58 C, 273/61 R, 273/61 A, 273/73 R, 273/58 BA, 273/76, 273/30, 272/3
• US Class Current: 473/475
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 67/04 Table games physically beneficial for the human body, modelled on outdoor sports, e.g. table tennis other table games A63F

Abstract

A game played on an elevated, rectangular court. The game ball has a resilient core, preferably foam, that is covered by a thin layer of rubber which in turn is covered by a hard or soft plastic material. A transversely disposed net bisects the court mid-length thereof, and a dead space is provided on both sides of the net, adjacent therto, so that when the ball falls on such dead space it does not bounce well. The court surface is larger than and thus overhangs a base member having a height that substantially defines the height of the court. Racquet members are employed by the players of the game to effect reciprocation of the ball between the players, and the ball is put into play from behind a service line that is spaced from the elevated court. In a second embodiment, the core of the game ball is hollow.

Claims

1. An apparatus for playing a game of the type where the players of the game stand adjacent the apparatus or move about relative to the apparatus during the playing of the game, comprising,

an integrally formed, flat, relatively thin, generaly rectangular in configuration, playing surface,

support means for rigidly supporting said playing surface in vertically spaced, horizontally disposed relation to the ground or other flat support surface upon which the players stand or move about in the course of the game,

said support means comprising a relatively thick base member of generally rectangular configuration,

said base member having a thickness, or height, of approximately one foot,

said base member having a flat bottom surface that abuttingly engages the ground or other flat support surface,

said playing surface, accordingly, being disposed approximately one foot above the ground or other support surface,

said base member having length and width dimensions less than the corresponding length and width dimensions of said playing surface to provide an overhang of said playing surface relative to said base member on all sides of said apparatus,

a ball member adapted to bounce on said playing surface,

said ball member having a core surrounded by a layer of rubber surrounded by a plastic covering,

a racquet member for striking said ball,

a transversely disposed net member disposed in bisecting relation to said playing surface,

means to attenuate the amplitude of bounce of a ball member landing near said net member,

said attenuation means provided in the form of a relatively soft area of said playing surface disposed substantially mid-length of said playing surface upon which said ball member bounced poorly, said soft area being generally rectangular in configuration and being disposed substantially in registration with said net so that it is bisected by said net,

said soft area being imperforate and being flat so that a ball member bouncing thereon reacts against such soft area in the same manner that such ball member reacts against the playing surface, with the only difference in reaction being an attenuation in the amplitude of the bounce of the ball member,

said soft area being coplanar with said playing surface so that a ball member landing upon said soft area will remain in play despite the poor bounce caused by said soft area and so that the path of travel of a ball member landing on a point of demarcation between said soft area and the playing surface will not be deflected or changed by landing on such point of demarcation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising,

a service area spaced from said playing surface within which a player must stand while serving said ball member,

a service line defining the forwardmost portion of said service area, across which line said player cannot cross during said service,

said service line having a rectilinear configuration,

said service line being parallel to the transverse edges of said playing surface and hence normal to the longitudinal edges thereof,

and said playing surface of said apparatus including only that portion of the apparatus supported by said base member.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the longitudinal edges of the playing surface are beveled inwardly.