FOOTBALL PLAYING PIECE

• US 20080116643A1
• Filed: 07/20/2007
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Donald John Wanek, Gregory A. Miranda, Kurt Randall Knappen, William W. Brooks
• Original Assignee: Donald John Wanek, Gregory A. Miranda, Kurt Randall Knappen, William W. Brooks
• Inventors: Brooks, William W., Miranda, Gregory A., Knappen, Kurt Randall, Wanek, Donald John
• Application Number:
  US11/781,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20080116643A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 273/317.5
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2007/4068 Sliding play elements, e.g. discs or bodies with a low coefficient of friction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2451 using illumination, e.g. with lamps
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2472 Buzzer, beep or electric bell
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/0058 electric A63F7/027, A63F7/3065 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/0668 the ball being flicked with a finger or hit with a stick, cue or sliding disc which are not connected to the table
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/40 Balls or other moving playing bodies, e.g. pinballs or discs used instead of balls

Abstract

A game piece includes a substantially triangularly-shaped housing, an impact detection apparatus which generates a signal in response to an impacting blow to the housing, and a signaling apparatus which produces an audio or visual signal in response to the signal produced by the impact detection apparatus. A kit includes a first triangular game piece, a set of stickers sized to fit within the bounds of the triangular game piece, and an instruction set for playing a game with the first triangular game piece. Some kits include a second game piece.

Claims

1. A game piece equipped for signaling an impacting blow against the game piece, said game piece comprising:

a body sized for manually impacting the body with a human finger;

an electronic impact sensing unit for generating an electronic signal in response to an impacting blow struck against the body;

a relay for relaying the electronic signal; and

a signaling unit which produces a second signal in response to receipt of the electronic signal from the relay.

2. The game piece of claim 1 wherein the signaling unit includes a light emitting diode.

3. The game piece of claim 1 wherein the signaling unit includes a chip for making sound.

4. The game piece of claim 2 further equipping a printed circuit board having the relay, the impact sensing unit, and a power source communicatively coupled to said sensing unit and the signaling unit.

5. The game piece according to claim 4 wherein the circuit board has a center of gravity that substantially corresponds to the center of the game piece.

6. The game piece of claim 1 wherein the body further comprises a first half and a second half.

7. The game piece of claim 6 further including a printed circuit board, wherein the printed circuit board includes the electronic impact sensing unit, the relay for relaying the electronic signal, and the signaling unit.

8. The game piece of claim 6 further including a printed circuit board sandwiched between the first half and the second half.

9. The game piece of claim 1 further comprising a bumper formed about the periphery of the game piece.

10. A game piece comprising:

a substantially triangularly-shaped housing;

an impact detection apparatus which generates a signal in response to an impacting blow to the housing; and

a signaling apparatus which produces an audio or visual signal in response to the signal produced by the impact detection apparatus.

11. The game piece of claim 10 further comprising at least one light emitting diode, wherein the signaling apparatus produces signals that light the light emitting diode.

12. The game piece of claim 10 further comprising at least one light emitting diode, wherein the signaling apparatus produces random signals that light the light emitting diode.

13. The game piece of claim 10 further comprising a battery carried within the housing and communicatively coupled the at least one light emitting diode, the impact detection apparatus and the signaling apparatus.

14. The game piece of claim 10 further comprising a bumper positioned at the periphery of the game piece.

15. The game piece of claim 10 having a weight in the range of 0.50 ounces to 6 ounces.

16. The game piece of claim 10 further comprising:

a first major surface;

a second major surface;

and a label sized to substantially cover one of the first major surface and the second major surface.

17. The game piece of claim 10 further comprising at least one sound emitting device, wherein the at least one sound emitting device producing audible signals in response to a signal from the impact sensing apparatus.

18. A kit including:

a first triangular game piece;

a set of stickers sized to fit within the bounds of the triangular game piece; and

an instruction set for playing a game with the game piece.

19. The kit of claim 18 further comprising a second game piece, the instruction set further comprising instructions for playing a game with a first game piece and a second game piece.

20. The kit of claim 18 further comprising a goal.