Game of hand-eye skill

• US 6,971,648 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2003
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jamie Mackinnon
• Original Assignee: Jamie Mackinnon
• Inventors: MacKinnon, Jamie
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiu, Raleigh W.
• Application Number:
  US10/408,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20040201173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 273/440, 273/441, 273/118.R, 273/108, 273/123.R, 273/129.R, 273/129.K, 273/459, 273/120.R, 273/119.R, 446/168
• US Class Current: 273/119.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 11/0051 Indicators of values, e.g. score counters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2007/282 Gutter-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2007/4087 Tethered balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/2427 with laterally movable, slidable projecting mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/02 Shooting or hurling games throwing-implements for sports or recreational use A63B65/00; throwing or projecting toys per se A63H33/18; gun simulators F41A33/00, e.g. light- or radiation-emitting guns F41A33/02; practice apparatus for gun-aiming F41G3/26, e.g. using a light-emitting device F41G3/2616; targets, target ranges, bullet catchers F41J, photo-electric hit-detector systems F41J5/02

Abstract

In a game requiring hand-eye coordination, the present invention comprises a game box, a liner tray with dividers forming cavities of various sized, an arch assembly having a tethered projectile, a curved rail portion, a target ball, a target-ball release, and a score-keeping. A player holds the suspended projectile, and then the target ball is released where it will sway back and forth atop the channel of the curved rail portion, using hand-eye skill the player attempts to strike the target ball with the suspended projectile in order to de-rail the target ball into the highest scoring cavity in the liner tray. Two players can each take turns and the player who reaches the highest score wins.

Claims

1. A game of hand-eye skill comprising:

a. a game box having a generally rectangular plan and raised edges around its periphery,

b. a liner tray fitted to the inside of the game box having a plurality of downwardly protruding cavities of various sized located along both long edges of said tray,

c. an arch assembly having two game box attaching portions, two upwardly and inwardly projecting arch members, and vertical planar arch connecting members,

d. score marking means frictionally and slidably engaged to the upper portions of each arch member,

e. a free-ball curved rail member releasably and firmly attached to both game box attaching portion,

f. an arch-connecting clip,

g. a tethered projectile,

h. a free-ball releasing means.

2. The game of hand-eye skill of claim 1, wherein the value at the center cavities is lowest while the value increases for each cavity outward from the tray liner'"'"'s center cavities as a means of increasing the game'"'"'s complexity level.

3. The game of hand-eye skill of claim 1, wherein each vertical planar arch-connecting member has a greater width when viewed from the end than that of its corresponding arch rail integrally attached to its respective arch member forming a generally mitered connection when both arch members are in a mirrored position to each other.

4. The game of hand-eye skill of claim 1, wherein the upper outside edges of the arch member is provided with a raised profile longitudinally with said arch member, and the upper inside edges of the scoring marker is relationally indented therefore, the scoring marker can slide longitudinally with the arch member while ensuring it remains positively engaged to said arch member, and said scoring marker is adapted with a viewing window through its upper portion so as to allow the permanently marker numerals on the arch members to be viewed.

5. The game of hand-eye skill of claim 1, wherein the free-ball curved rail further comprises a generally extruded profile having a vertical central narrow portion, a lower horizontally perpendicular portion integrally attached to the central portion, an upper upwardly curved rail portion also integrally attached to said central portion forming a generally I-beam profile where the upper portion of said I-beam is slightly curved upwardly, and two end connecting members adapted to relationally and releasably attached to each game box attaching portion.

6. The game of hand-eye skill of claim 1, wherein the arch-connecting clip further comprises a generally upside-down U-shaped body with a channel removed along all its inner edges so as to further form a C-shaped profile, and said channel is adapted be equal in inner width than the combined thickness of both vertical planar members of the arch members so as to be generally taut when the arch-connecting clip is slidably engaged over the side edges of the vertical planar arch connecting members.

7. The game of hand-eye skill of claim 1, wherein the tethered projectile further comprises a spherical projectile through which a bore is made at its center, a tether is knotted at one end then the opposing end is threaded through the projectile'"'"'s bore so as to retain the projectile from further downward slippage, and the loose end of the tether is then frictionally and securedly attached between both vertical planar members of the arch members which are retained by the arch-connecting clip.

8. The game of hand-eye skill of claim 7 wherein the tether can be adjusted in height by means of disconnecting the arch connecting clip thereby loosening the tension between both arch members, at which time the loose end of the tether can be pulled or released according to the desired height of the projectile, once adjusted, the arch-connecting clip can be lowered over the vertical planar members of the arch members so as to secure the tether at this now desired length.

9. The game of hand-eye skill of claim 1, wherein the free-ball releasing means further comprises a free-ball retaining portion, a pivoting portion, and release lever wherein the pivoting portion is adapted with an axle horizontally traversing through the pivoting portion of the free-ball releasing means and protruding outward from each side of said pivoting portion into an indent within each inner wall surfaces of the arch member thereby providing a fixed axis to the axle member so as to allow pivotal movement of the free-ball releasing means.