PORTABLE BEAN BAG TOSS GAME
A portable bean bag toss game having first and second target boards, a plurality of bean bags, a first set of target board legs and a second set of target board legs. Each of the target boards includes a planar top surface and a bottom face and a target hole. The first and second target boards are adapted to be clasped together with the bottom faces back-to-back and carried as a unit with the plurality of bean bags removably stored in pockets within the back-to-back bottom faces and the first and second sets of legs removably stored within mating recesses of the back-to-back bottom faces.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/707,415 filed Sep. 28, 2012 entitled “Portable Bean Bag Toss Game.”
BACKGROUNDBean bag toss games are well known. A typical bean bag toss game comprises eight bean bags and two target boards. The bean bags are divided into two sets of four bean bags each. Each set is preferably a different color to distinguish between each player's set of bean bags.
The target boards have a planar, generally rectangular, top surface of a desired dimension. Typically, the boards are longer in the longitudinal direction than in width in the lateral direction. For example, a common target board dimension is 24 inches long by 18 inches wide, but any other desired dimension or desired shape may be used for the boards. When placed on the ground or a floor surface, the boards are typically configured to slope downwardly from an upper end to a lower end. Each board has a hole which is preferably positioned toward the upper end through which the bean bags are intended to pass through when tossed.
The game is set up by placing the target boards a desired distance apart (e.g., 20 to 30 feet), with the lower ends of the boards toward one another so the slope of the boards are in opposite directions facing each other.
During game play, each player or team takes turns throwing one set of the bean bags, one at a time, from behind one of the target boards toward the opposite target board , attempting to get as many of the bean bags of that player's set of bags through the hole as possible.
Any scoring system may be used. For example, a common or typical scoring system awards three points for each bag tossed that passes through the hole. If a bag is tossed and it lands on the board, but the bag does not go through the hole, the thrower is awarded one point. Zero points are awarded for bags that do not land and stay on the board after all the bags are tossed by all players during a round of play. A round of play ends when all eight bags are tossed toward the opposite board. The players then move to the second board to retrieve the bags that were tossed and each player then takes turns throwing their set of bags toward the first target board. The points are totaled during each round of play and the first player to reach the score of twenty or other desired score is the winner.
It is desirable to provide a portable bean bag toss game which is portable, which provides a convenient way of storing all of the game components when the game is not being used and which is convenient to carry.
Referring now to the drawing figures, wherein like reference numerals designate the same or corresponding parts throughout the several views,
The two target boards 20, 22 are preferably identical. Each target board 20, 22 comprises two mirror image, half sections 102, 104 which, when assembled (discussed later) create a longitudinal seam 106 in the direction of a longitudinal axis. The target board 20, 22 is generally rectangular and is of a desired dimension and is preferably longer in the longitudinal direction than width in the lateral direction. For example, the boards may be 24 inches long by 18 inches wide, but any other desired dimension or desired shape may be used.
The target board 20, 22 has a planar top face 108 and a bottom face 110 (
Two upper legs 122, 124 and two lower legs 126, 128 are provided to support the board 20, 22 on the ground or a floor surface in a downwardly sloped orientation from the upper end 112 to the lower end 114. The slope angle and thus the length of the legs may vary as desired, but as an example, the length of the upper legs 122, 124 may be 8.5 inches and the length of the lower legs 126, 128 may be 4 inches.
The board 20, 22 preferably includes a handle 130 and slidable score keepers 132, 134 (best viewed in
Referring to
Thus, referring to
Referring again to
Referring to
The foregoing description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention and is provided in the context of a patent application and its requirements. Various modifications to the preferred embodiment of the apparatus, and the general principles and features of the system and methods described herein will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art. Thus, the present invention is not to be limited to the embodiments of the apparatus, system and methods described above and illustrated in the drawing figures, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A portable bean bag toss game, comprising:
- a first target board comprising a planar top surface, a bottom face, an upper end, a lower end, left and right sides, a target hole;
- a second target board comprising a planar top surface, a bottom face, an upper end, a lower end, left and right sides, a target hole;
- a plurality of bean bags;
- a first set of target board legs;
- a second set of target board legs;
- wherein the first and second target boards are adapted to secure together for carrying as a unit with the bottom faces back-to-back and with the plurality of bean bags removably stored in pockets within the back-to-back bottom faces and the first and second sets of legs removably stored within mating recesses of the back-to-back bottom faces.
2. The portable bean bag toss game of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second target boards include a handle opening which align to form a through handle when the first and second target boards are clasped together back-to-back.
3. The portable bean bag toss game of claim 1 further comprising clasps for securing the first and second target boards together with the bottom faces back-to-back.
4. The portable bean bag toss game of claim 1 wherein:
- the first set of target board legs includes two long legs and two short legs;
- the second set of target board legs includes two long legs and two short legs;
- wherein the bottom face of the first target board includes two long leg end recesses near the upper end, each for receiving an end of the first set of the two long legs, and two short leg end recesses near the lower end, each for receive an end of the first set of the two short legs, whereby when placed on a substantially horizontal surface with the legs down, the planar top surface of the first target board slopes downwardly from the upper end toward the lower end; and
- wherein the bottom face of the second target board includes two long leg end recesses near the upper end, each for receiving an end of the second set of the two long legs, and two short leg end recesses near the lower end, each for receive an end of the second set of the two short legs, whereby when placed on a substantially horizontal surface with the legs down, the planar top surface of the second target board slopes downwardly from the upper end toward the lower end.
5. The portable bean bag toss game of claim 1 wherein at least one of the left and right sides of at least one of the first target boards and second target boards includes a score keeper.
6. The portable bean bag toss game of claim 1 wherein the first target board and second target board are blow molded.
7. A portable bean bag toss game, comprising:
- a first target board assembly comprising substantially mirror image longitudinal half sections, each longitudinal half section having a planar top surface, a bottom face, an upper end, a lower end, an outer end and an inner end, each longitudinal half section further having a half-target hole, such that when the inner ends of the mirror image longitudinal halves are aligned and assembled together, the first target board assembly includes a longitudinal seam with the half target holes forming a full target hole divided along the longitudinal seam;
- a second target board assembly comprising substantially mirror image longitudinal half sections, each longitudinal half section having a planar top surface, a bottom face, an upper end, a lower end, an outer end and an inner end, each longitudinal half section further having a half target hole, such that when the inner ends of the mirror image longitudinal halves are aligned and assembled together, the second target board assembly includes a longitudinal seam with the half target holes forming a full target hole divided along the longitudinal seam;
- a plurality of bean bags;
- a first set target board legs;
- a second set of target board legs;
- wherein the assembled first target board assembly and the assembled second target board assembly are adapted to be secured together with the bottom faces back-to-back and with the plurality of bean bags removably stored in pockets within the back-to-back bottom faces and the first and second sets of legs removably stored within mating recesses of the back-to-back bottom faces.
8. The portable bean bag toss game of claim 7 further comprising clasps for securing the assembled first and second target board assemblies together with the bottom faces back-to-back.
9. The portable bean bag toss game of claim 7, wherein:
- each of the longitudinal half sections of the first target board assembly includes a half handle opening such that when the inner ends of the longitudinal halves of the first target board assembly are aligned and assembled together, the half handle openings form a full handle opening divided along the longitudinal seam; and
- each of the longitudinal half sections of the second target board assembly includes a half handle opening such that when the inner ends of the longitudinal halves of the second target board assembly are aligned and assembled together, the half handle openings form a full handle opening divided along the longitudinal seam.
10. The portable bean bag toss game of claim 9, wherein the full handle openings of the first and second target board assemblies align to form a through handle when the first and second target boards are clasped together back-to-back.
11. The portable bean bag toss game of claim 7 wherein:
- the first set of target board legs includes two long legs and two short legs;
- the second set of target board legs includes two long legs and two short legs;
- wherein the bottom face of the first target board assembly includes two long leg end recesses near the upper end, each for receiving an end of the first set of the two long legs, and two short leg end recesses near the lower end, each for receive an end of the first set of the two short legs, whereby when placed on a substantially horizontal surface with the legs down, the planar top surface of the first target board assembly slopes downwardly from the upper end toward the lower end; and
- wherein the bottom face of the second target board assembly includes two long leg end recesses near the upper end, each for receiving an end of the second set of the two long legs, and two short leg end recesses near the lower end, each for receive an end of the second set of the two short legs, whereby when placed on a substantially horizontal surface with the legs down, the planar top surface of the second target board assembly slopes downwardly from the upper end toward the lower end.
12. The portable bean bag toss game of claim 7 wherein at least one of the left and right sides of at least one of the first target boards and second target boards includes a score keeper.
13. The portable bean bag toss game of claim 7 wherein the first target board assembly and second target board assembly are blow molded.
14. A portable bean bag toss game package, comprising:
- first and second sets of two substantially mirror image longitudinal half sections of target boards, each longitudinal half section having a planar top surface, a bottom face, an upper end, a lower end, an outer end and an inner end, and an outer end, each mirror image longitudinal half section further having a half target hole, the inner ends of each set of the mirror image longitudinal half sections adapted to matingly align and assemble together to form a target board having a longitudinal seam with the half target holes forming a full target hole divided along the longitudinal seam;
- a plurality of bean bags comprising first and second sets of bean bags of equal number;
- a first set of two long legs;
- a second set of two long legs;
- a first set of two short legs;
- a second set of two short legs;
- the first set of longitudinal half sections stacked with the bottom faces back-to-back with the first set of bean bags received in pockets within the back-to-back bottom faces and the first set of two long legs and the first set of two short legs received within recesses within the back-to-back bottom faces;
- the second set of longitudinal half sections stacked with the bottom faces back-to-back with the second set of bean bags received in pockets within the back-to-back bottom faces and the second set of two long legs and the second set of two short legs received within recesses within the back-to-back bottom faces;
- the stacked first set of back-to-back longitudinal half sections stacked vertically with respect to the stacked second set of back-to-back longitudinal half sections.
15. The portable bean bag toss game package of claim 14 wherein each longitudinal half section further includes a half handle opening.
16. The portable bean bag toss game package of claim 14 wherein at least one of the outer ends of at least one of the first and second sets of longitudinal half sections includes a score keeper.
17. The portable bean bag toss game package of claim 14 wherein the first and second sets of longitudinal half sections are blow molded.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 27, 2013
Publication Date: Nov 13, 2014
Inventor: Michael J. Nally (Whippany, NJ)
Application Number: 14/039,386
International Classification: A63B 67/06 (20060101);