REBOUND BALL GAME
A portable stepball game including a lightweight, simulated stairway that is collapsible into a portable carrying case or frame which may be easily transported to and erected in virtually any play environment. The stairway comprises at least one step including an essentially vertical riser portion and an essentially horizontal tread portion wherein the tread portion includes nosing on its player-facing edge which overhang the riser portion therebeneath.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/012,144, filed Dec. 7, 2007.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates in general to a recreational game and in particular to a portable rebound ball game.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONStepball or stoopball (the terms are used synonymously herein) is a game involving one or more players in which a ball is thrown at an outdoor flight of steps or stairway to strike one of the steps and rebound back toward the players. The object of the game is for a player to catch a ball thrown at the stairway after it has rebounded off one of the steps.
Because a suitable stoop or outdoor stairway may be unavailable or inaccessible for a variety of reasons, several portable stepball apparatus have been proposed by which players may conceivably play stepball in such places as a street, a parking lot, a playground, a park or campground, a back yard, a school yard, a driveway, on the beach or virtually any other outdoor location. Examples of such apparatus are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,133,531; 5,407,210; 5,531,449; 5,967,519 and 6,585,610.
Of these, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,531,449 and 6,585,610 disclose devices comprising front and rear panels joined at an upper edge to form an assembly which, in operation, assumes the shape of an inverted “V”. The sloped front panel of these devices functions as the game playing surface.
Classic stepball is played against an actual stoop or outdoor stairway consisting of steps having horizontal foot-supporting tread portions and vertical riser portions. In contrast, the sloped front panels U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,531,449 and 6,585,610 merely have slightly raised ridges or protrusions provided along sloping “riser” portions of the sloped front panel. The ridges or protrusions are neither structurally nor functionally equivalent in size, shape, depth, orientation or surface area to a tread portion of a step of a conventional stairway. And, the slope of the “riser” portions of the front panel distorts the rebound that would be realized by a conventional vertical step riser. As such, the apparatus taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,531,449 and 6,585,610 are in many ways incapable of simulating the rebound characteristics of stepball played on a conventional stairway.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,133,531; 5,407,210 and 5,967,519 disclose portable stepball apparatus having essentially vertical riser portions and essentially horizontal tread portions. While the apparatus disclosed in these patents more closely simulate the experience of “classic” stepball, they still cannot produce an optimal stepball experience.
In particular, none of these disclosures teach the use of “nosing” on the forward or player-facing edges of the treads which protrude over (i.e., overhang) the risers beneath. The significance of nosing is that, in combination with treads of substantial depth (unlike the mere ridges or protrusions described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,531,449 and 6,585,610), a ball which strikes the nosing—in contrast with a simple “noseless” riser/tread edge—will undergo more complicated and unpredictable bounces, caroms or rebounds, thereby enhancing the experience and challenge of a stepball game. That is, tread nosing produces an element of rebound unpredictability which is unattainable by the aforementioned patents.
An advantage exists, therefore, for a portable stepball game apparatus including a stairway at least one step having an essentially vertical riser portion and an essentially horizontal tread portion and further including nosing on the forward or player-facing edges of the tread portion(s) which protrudes over the riser portions therebeneath, whereby the apparatus enables players to enjoy a more challenging experience than heretofore offered by portable stepball/stoopball devices heretofore known in the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a portable stepball/stoopball game apparatus including a lightweight, simulated stairway that is collapsible into a portable carrying case or frame which may be easily transported to and erected in virtually any play environment. The stairway comprises at least one step including an essentially vertical riser portion and an essentially horizontal tread portion wherein the tread portion includes nosing on its player-facing edge which protrudes over the riser portion therebeneath.
Preferably, the frame includes a handle for transporting the apparatus. Optionally, the frame or the stairway may include wheels, rollers, casters, skids and/or other means for facilitating pulled transport of the apparatus. The frame further desirably includes a compartment for storing at least one ball suitable for use in playing stepball.
Other details, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description of the presently preferred embodiments and presently preferred methods of practicing the invention proceeds.
The invention will become more readily apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof shown, by way of example only, in the accompanying drawings wherein:
Referring to the drawings wherein like or similar references indicate like or similar elements throughout the several views, there is shown in
As shown in
As generally described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,449, typical, although non-limitative, rules of a game played with the apparatus 10, which have a number of similarities with baseball are as follows:
- 1. Any number of players can play the game;
- 2. The ball 16 is thrown at a striking face of apparatus 10;
- 3. The rebounding ball 16 must stay in bounds;
- 4. If ball 16 bounces outside of unillustrated foul lines it is an automatic out;
- 5. All other outs are made by the opposing player(s) 14 catching the ball 16 on the fly;
- 6. Each player or team gets three outs;
- 7. Games can be played using a team or having each player keep their own individual scores;
- 8. The highest score wins; and
- 9. The usual length of a game is nine innings.
It will be understood, however, that players may invent any number of rebound games and rules therefor using apparatus 10 to satisfy their needs, desires and imagination.
Frame 22 preferably has opposed side members 24 and opposed end members 26 affixed substantially transverse to the side members. Frame 22 further includes first support means 28 (
Frame 22 desirably includes a carrying handle 30 for easy transport of the apparatus and a compartment 32 for carrying at least one resilient playing ball 34. As most clearly shown in
Apparatus 10 also includes second support means 42 for releasably sustaining stairway 18 in an upright, operative position, as described below. Second support means 42 may comprise one or more removable single or multiple piece braces or struts which may be stored in compartment 32 or other suitable location exteriorly or interiorly of frame 22. In the alternative, as illustrated, second support means 42 may comprise at least one, preferably two or more, hinged two-link collapsible struts or braces (only one of which is shown in the figures) pivotally supported at their opposite ends to the stairway 18 and frame 22. Second support means 42 is preferably disposed at an angle α (
For both compactness of the apparatus and protection of the stairway in transport and storage, it is preferred that in a collapsed, inoperative position (as shown in dashed line in
Stairway 18 includes at least one “step” comprising a riser portion 46 and a tread portion 48. The riser and tread portions of stairway 18 are supported by one or more stringers 50. Significantly, and unlike currently known stepball/stoopball game apparatus, the present invention includes protruding edges or “nosing” 50 provided on tread portion(s) 48 on the player-facing side of stairway 18 that overhang the riser portion(s) 46 therebeneath. Nosing 50 produces complicated unpredictable bounces, caroms or rebounds, thereby enhancing the experience and challenge of a stepball game. That is, tread nosing 50 produces an element of rebound unpredictability which is unattainable by portable stepball/stoopball apparatus heretofore known in the art. An example of a rebound influenced by the presence of nosing 50 is depicted in
Although the invention has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration, it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that variations can be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed herein.
Claims
1. A portable rebound ball game apparatus comprising:
- a carrying frame; and
- a stairway carried by said frame, said stairway including at least one step having a tread portion, a riser portion and a stringer connecting said tread and riser portions, said stairway being disposable into operative and inoperative positions with respect to said frame whereby a player throws a ball toward said at least one step when the stairway is disposed in the operative position and whereby the stairway is received in said frame in the inoperative position, said tread and riser portions of said at least one step being respectively disposed essentially parallel and perpendicular to said frame when the stairway is in an operative position, said tread portion further comprising a protruding edge on a player-facing side thereof which overhangs said riser portion.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said stairway is pivotally connected to said frame.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said stairway is pivotally connected generally proximate a first end thereof to said frame.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a compartment carried by said frame for receiving at least one resilient ball suitable for play with the apparatus.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said frame comprises side members and opposed end members connected to said side members, wherein at least one of said side members and said end members establish a height, and wherein said stairway lies substantially at or below said height when said stairway is in an inoperative position.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said frame includes a handle.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said frame includes means for facilitating pushed or pulled transport of the apparatus.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising first means for supporting said stairway in an inoperative position with respect to said frame.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising second means for supporting said stairway in an operative position with respect to said frame.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said second support means comprise at least one brace disposed at an angle of from about 20° to about 90° with respect to said frame when said stairway is in an operative position.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for supporting said stairway in an operative position with respect to said frame.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said means for supporting comprise at least one brace disposed at an angle of from about 20° to about 90° with respect to said frame when said stairway is in an operative position.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 5, 2008
Publication Date: Jun 11, 2009
Inventors: Anthony C. Gelzinis (Oaklyn, NJ), Michael A. Gelzinis (Oaklyn, NJ), Theresa Gelzinis-Enoch (Marlton, NJ)
Application Number: 12/329,049
International Classification: A63B 63/00 (20060101); A63B 69/00 (20060101);