Portable game scoreboard

• US 7,404,373 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2005
• Issued: 07/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Backyard Scoreboards, LLC
• Original Assignee: Keith Bailey
• Inventors: Bailey, Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; R. A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Courson; Tania C
• Application Number:
  US11/242,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20070074650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 116222-224, 116/309, 116/311, 116/313, 116/316, 116/318, D10/46.1
• US Class Current: 116/223
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0672 using non-electronic means

Abstract

A game scoreboard for displaying game scores of two opponents, which scoreboard comprises front and rear panels with multiple scoring discs mounted on each of the panels, such that the discs may be overlapped to minimize the size of the scoreboard and optimize game score digits displayed on the front side of the discs.

Claims

1. A game scoreboard for optimizing the size of at least two digit game score displays for at least two opponents on a relatively minimal size scoreboard, which scoreboard comprises:

a rear panel of scoreboard and a front panel of scoreboard superimposed over the rear panel of scoreboard;

a pair of spaced display windows in said front panel of scoreboard;

a first pair of front panel spaced score discs rotatably mounted on a rear side of said front panel of scoreboard, each of said first pair of front panel score discs having multiple score indicia on a front face thereof with one indicia of a first one of said front panel score discs being selectively alignable with and visible through a first portion of one of said spaced windows on said front panel of said scoreboard and with one indicia of a second one of said front panel mounted score discs selectively alignable with and visible through a first portion of a second one of said spaced windows on said front panel of said scoreboard;

a second pair of rear panel spaced score discs rotatably mounted on a front side of said rear panel of said scoreboard, each of said second pair of rear panel score discs having multiple score indicia on a front face thereof with one indicia of a first one of said rear panel score discs being selectively alignable with and visible through a second portion of said first one of said spaced windows in said front panel of said scoreboard and with one indicia of a second one of said rear panel mounted score discs selectively alignable with and visible through a second portion of said second one of said spaced windows on said front panel of said scoreboard;

said first pair of spaced score discs being rotatably mounted on first and second spaced axes on said front panel of said scoreboard independently of support from said rear panel of said scoreboard and said second pair of spaced score discs being rotatably mounted on third and fourth spaced axes on said rear panel of said scoreboard independently of support from said front panel of said scoreboard, said first, second, third and fourth axes all being spaced from one another; and

all of the indicia visible through said first and second windows of said front panel being visible without viewing through a transparent portion of any score disc.

2. The game scoreboard of claim 1 wherein said scoreboard is generally rectangular and has two side edges and top and bottom edges, one of said first and second pair of rotatable score discs extending beyond said side edges of said scoreboard and the other of said first and second pair of rotatable score discs extending beyond the top or bottom side edges of said scoreboard, thereby to enable a portion of said score discs extending beyond the edges of the scoreboard to be manually grasped and moved to change the display indicia visible through said spaced windows.

3. The scoreboard of claim 1 wherein said front and rear panels of said scoreboard are maintained in an assembled relationship by a U-shaped channel extending around the side edges of the scoreboard, said channel having a first flange engageable with the front side of said front panel of the scoreboard and a rear flange engageable with the rear side of said rear panel of scoreboard.

4. The scoreboard of claim 1 wherein said first pair of rotatable score discs are rotatably secured on the rear side of said front panel of scoreboard by a first pair of spaced axles, each of said first pair of axles extending through said front panel and through the center of one of said first pair of rotatable score discs;

and

said second pair of rotatable score discs being rotatably secured on the front side of said rear panel of scoreboard by a second pair of spaced axles, each of said second pair of spaced axles extending through said rear panel of said scoreboard and through the center of one of said second pair of rotatable score discs.

5. The scoreboard of claim 1 which further includes a fifth rotatably movable disc having multiple indicia on a front face thereof, said fifth disc being selectively movable to position one indicia in alignment with a third window in said front panel.

6. The scoreboard of claim 5 wherein said fifth disc has a portion which extends beyond an edge of said scoreboard to enable said portion of said fifth disc to be manually grasped and moved to change the display of indicia visible through said third window.

7. The scoreboard of claim 1 wherein at least one pair of said scoring discs are rotatably mounted on axles which are overlapped by said other pair of scoring discs.

8. A game scoreboard for optimizing the size of at least two digit game score displays for at least two opponents on a relatively minimal size scoreboard, which scoreboard comprises:

a rear panel of scoreboard and a front panel of scoreboard superimposed over the rear panel of scoreboard;

a pair of spaced display windows in said front panel of scoreboard;

a first pair of front panel spaced score discs rotatably mounted on a rear side of said front panel of scoreboard, each of said first pair of front panel score discs having multiple score indicia on a front face thereof with one indicia of a first one of said front panel score discs being selectively alignable with and visible through a first one of said spaced windows on said front panel of said scoreboard and with one indicia of a second one of said front panel score discs selectively alignable with and visible through a second one of said spaced windows on said front panel of said scoreboard;

a second pair of rear panel spaced score discs rotatably mounted on a front side of said rear panel of scoreboard, each of said second pair of rear panel score discs having multiple score indicia on a front face thereof with one indicia of a first one of said rear panel score discs selectively alignable with and visible through said one of said spaced windows in said front panel of said scoreboard and with one indicia of a second one of said rear panel score discs selectively alignable with and visible through said second one of said spaced windows on said front panel of said scoreboard;

said score discs all being rotatably mounted on axles, which axles are all spaced from one another without any of the axles being coaxial, and at least one axle of each pair of score discs being overlapped by portions of said other pair of score discs.

9. A game scoreboard for optimizing the size of at least two digit game score displays for at least two opponents on a relatively minimal size scoreboard, which scoreboard comprises:

a rear panel of scoreboard and a front panel of scoreboard superimposed over the rear panel of scoreboard;

at least a pair of spaced display windows in said front panel of scoreboard;

a first pair of front panel spaced score discs rotatably mounted on a rear side of said front panel of scoreboard, each of said first pair of front panel score discs having multiple score indicia on a front face thereof;

a second pair of rear panel spaced score discs rotatably mounted on a front side of said rear panel of scoreboard, each of said second pair of rear panel score discs having multiple score indicia on a front face thereof;

one indicia of a first one of said front panel score discs being selectively alignable with one indicia of a first one of said rear panel score discs to indicate a two digit score of one opponent, said two digit score being visible through one of said spaced windows on said front panel of said scoreboard;

one indicia of a second one of said rear panel score discs being selectively alignable with one indicia of a second one of said front panel score discs to indicate a second two digit score of a second opponent, said second two digit score being visible through a second one of said pairs of spaced windows in said front panel of said scoreboard; and

said score discs all being rotatably mounted on spaced axles without any of the axles being coaxial, and the spacing of all of the axles being such that all of the indicia visible through said first and second windows of said front panel are visible without viewing through a transparent portion of any other score disc.