Miniature Kick Bag Game and Apparatus Kit

Abstract

A miniature kick bag game and apparatus kit for playing a footbag game between opposing teams divided into two zones by a medially positioned two foot high portable reticulated net, or nets, is provided. The reticulated net, or nets, are substantially two vertical feet in height.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is related to, claims the earliest available effective filing date(s) from (e.g., claims earliest available priority dates for other than provisional patent applications; claims benefits under 35 USC §119(e) for provisional patent applications), and incorporates by reference in its entirety all subject matter of the following listed application(s) (the “Related Applications”) to the extent such subject matter is not inconsistent herewith; the present application also claims the earliest available effective filing date(s) from, and also incorporates by reference in its entirety all subject matter of any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc. applications of the Related Application(s) to the extent such subject matter is not inconsistent herewith.

• • 1. U.S. provisional patent application 61/180,867, entitled “MINIATURE KICK BAG GAME AND APPARATUS KIT”, naming Kerry J. Semple and Christopher M. Poirier as inventors, filed 24 May 2009.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Use

The present invention relates to Game Devices and more particularly pertains to a new Kick Bag Game and Apparatus Kit for playing a foot bag game between opposing teams divided into two zones by a mesially positioned portable reticulated net, wherein the players must kick the foot bag back and forth over the net to score points.

2. Description of Prior Art (Background)

The use of kick bag game devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, game devices heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.

Known prior art Game Devices include U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,228; U.S. Pat. No. 5,290,043; U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,277; U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,990; U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,834; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 313,639; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,980.

While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new miniature kick gag game and apparatus kit designed for young children and older adults. For example, an objective of U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,980 to Trotman is to provide a game that incorporates soccer, volley ball, and tennis. It will be appreciated that volley ball net heights are over seven feet. Even tennis nets are upwards of four feet. These net-heights make it almost impossible for young children and older adults to participate in Trotman's game.

In addition the prior art does not disclose a straightforward method for supporting the net and marking the court boundary. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,980 to Trotman discloses cumbersome net support poles with bases that need to be inflated. It will be appreciated that inflatable bases are very susceptible to leakage and damage. Alternatives in the prior art do not easily accommodate portable boundary markers such as line or rope. Nor does the prior art disclose or suggest a game kit with built in markers for marking the court boundaries.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The foregoing and other problems are overcome, and other advantages are realized, in accordance with the presently preferred embodiments of these teachings.

As will be described below, the inventive device includes a built in court boundary marker for marking the court, a portable reticulated net, two feet in height and positioned across the center of the court supported vertically at the ends by a first and second support poles, and supported in the center by a third support pole.

In these respects, and others described herein, the Miniature Kick Bag Game and Apparatus Kit according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of playing a foot bag game between opposing teams divided into two zones by a mesially positioned, portable reticulated net two feet in height, wherein the players must kick the foot bag back and forth over the net to score points.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention a miniature kick bag game and apparatus kit is provided. The miniature kick bag game and apparatus kit includes at least one portable reticulated net formed in an elongated rectangular shape positioned at the elongated center aligned vertically thereby dividing the playing court into two team zones. Also included is at least one net support; a first support structure for engaging one end of the at least one net support; a second support structure for engaging another end of the at least one net support; and a third support structure for supporting the center of the reticulated net, wherein the first support structure, the second support structure and the third support structure are substantially two feet in height when positioned vertically.

The invention is also directed towards miniature kick bag game and apparatus kit having portable reticulated net formed in an elongated rectangular shape positioned at the elongated center aligned vertically thereby dividing a playing court into two team zones. A net support for supporting the portable reticulated net wherein includes a fixed length net support for measuring the side length and width of one side of the playing court The invention also includes a support structure for engaging one end of the at least one net support and includes a linear directional support device for ensuring one side of the playing court boundary is perpendicular to the portable reticulated net. A second linear directional support device ensures a second side of the playing court boundary indicator is perpendicular to the portable reticulated net and parallel to the first side of the playing court boundary indicator. The invention also provides a third support structure for supporting the center of the net support. The first support structure, the second support structure and the third support structure are substantially two feet in height when positioned vertically.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an upper perspective view of a new Miniature Kick Bag Game and Apparatus Kit according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one of the portable reticulated nets supported by the first support structure in accordance with the invention shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the portable reticulated nets supported by the third support structure in accordance with the invention shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a staked line boundary marker in accordance with the invention shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is upper perspective view of a new Miniature Kick Bag Game and Apparatus Kit displaying the built in boundary measuring feature of the invention in accordance with the invention shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 5 thereof, a new Miniature Kick Bag Game and Apparatus Kit embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral 100 will be described.

More specifically, it will be noted that the Miniature Kick Bag Game and Apparatus Kit 100 comprises a court boundary marker 10 displaying a rectangular playing court, portable reticulated nets 16 and 18 formed in an elongated rectangular shape positioned at the center of the rectangular court and aligned vertically thereby dividing the playing court into two team zones, and a foot bag 12 which is kicked by a player 14 with his side of foot 14 over the portable reticulated nets 16 and 18.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, it can be shown that a first support pole 26 engages one end of one of the portable reticulated net supports 20 via an elbow 22. The opposing end of the first support pole 26 engages a T-support 24. T-support 24 is adapted to provide linear directional support and guidance to boundary marker 10. Also shown in FIG. 2, is portable reticulated net 16 suitable attached to net support 20. It will be appreciated that portable reticulated net 16 may be any suitable material suitable for advertisement marking as shown in FIG. 1.

Also shown in FIG. 1, is second support pole 26A engaging one end of one of the portable reticulated net supports 30 via an elbow 22A. The opposing end of the first support pole 26A engages a second T-support 24A. Second T-support 24A is adapted to provide linear directional support and guidance to boundary marker 10. Also shown in FIG. 1, is portable reticulated net 18 suitable attached to net support 30. It will be appreciated that portable reticulated net 18 may be any suitable netting material.

It will be understood that in alternate embodiments net 16, or net 18, may be of sufficient length to reach from the first support pole 26 to the second support pole 26A.

Referring also to FIG. 3 there is shown is a perspective view of the portable reticulated nets supported by the third support structure. The third support pole 34 engages one end of net support 30 via third T-support 32. The other third T-support 32 connects net support 20 to the third support pole 34. The third support pole is also connected to a fourth T-support 36 to provide lateral stability.

It will be understood and appreciated that the assembled height of net support 20 and net support 30 when assembled with the first support pole 26, the second support pole 26A and the third support pole 34 is approximately 2 feet high.

Referring also to FIG. 4 there is shown a perspective view of a staked line boundary marker in accordance with the invention shown in FIG. 1. Boundary marker 10 may be any suitable marker such as rope or line. Boundary marker 10 may be a predetermined length to form a desired perimeter or measured according to the inventive features described herein. FIG. 4 also shows stakes 10A for staking boundary marker 10 and thereby defining a corner of the playing area. Stakes 10A may be any suitable stake such as, but not limited to, plastic camping type stakes.

Referring also to FIG. 5, there is shown an upper perspective view of the new Miniature Kick Bag Game and Apparatus Kit displaying the built in boundary measuring feature of the invention. Net support 20 and net support 30 are predetermined lengths and correspond to the desired dimensions of the court boundaries as shown in FIG. 5. It will be appreciated that this feature is useful when marking the boundaries on a hard surface that does not permit the boundary marker 10 to be staked with stakes 10A. It will be understood that any suitable combination of net support 20 and net support 30 may be used to measure and mark the desired dimensions of the court boundaries. For example the combined length of net support 20 and net support 30 could be, in one embodiment, ten feet. The corresponding court size measured by the combined lengths is on one side of the net a ten by ten foot area. The other side of the net is also a ten by ten foot area.

Basic Rules of the Game—To start the game you must volley for serve. It does not matter who starts the volley, which can be decided by a coin toss or the winner of the last game. During the volley the hackey sack must be kicked over the net three consecutive times. After the third consecutive times the first team who lets the hackey sack touch the ground loses the volley and looses the first serve, at the volley winner's discretion.

The hackey sack is served, i.e., kicked over the net support 20 or net support 30 from outside boundary marker 10. If the hackey sack is kicked out of bounds the serving side loses the serve to the opposing team or player. If the hackey sack is kicked within bounds the opposing team or player may return the serve, without letting the hackey sack touch the ground, with any part of the body except for using their hands. Each side has up to three hits or kicks to return the hackey sack. In the case of team play, one person may use all three kicks or hits, or the hits or kicks, up to three, may be allocated amongst the team.

Points are awarded to the serving player or team when the opposing team lets the hackey sack touch the ground or fails to return the hackey sack within three kicks or hits, or kicks the hackey sack out-of-bounds. A game is won when a team reaches a score of twenty-one points first and is also at least two points over the opposing player or team score; or, alternatively if a player or team reaches fifteen points before the opposing team or player scores any point.

It will be appreciated that the game rules described herein may be suitably modified according to players abilities or preferences.

It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the invention. Thus, various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A miniature kick bag game and apparatus kit comprising:

at least one portable reticulated net formed in an elongated rectangular shape positioned at the elongated center aligned vertically thereby dividing a playing court into two team zones;

at least one net support for supporting the at least one portable reticulated net;

a first support structure for engaging one end of the at least one net support;

a second support structure for engaging another end of the at least one net support; and

a third support structure for supporting the center of the at least one net support, wherein the first support structure, the second support structure and the third support structure are substantially two feet in height when positioned vertically.

2. The miniature kick bag game and apparatus kit as in claim 1, wherein the at least one net support comprises:

a first net support;

a second net support; and

a T-supporting coupler for joining the first net support and the second net support.

3. The miniature kick bag game and apparatus kit as in claim 1 further comprising at least one playing court boundary indicator.

4. The miniature kick bag game and apparatus kit as in claim 3 wherein the at least one playing court boundary indicator comprises:

at least one length of line; and

a plurality of pegs for holding the at least one length of line in a desired playing court shape.

5. The miniature kick bag game and apparatus kit as in claim 3 wherein the at least one playing court boundary indicator comprises a marker suitable for marking a desired playing court shape

6. The miniature kick bag game and apparatus kit as in claim 3 wherein the first support structure further comprises a first linear directional support device for ensuring a first side of the at least one playing court boundary indicator is perpendicular to the at least one portable reticulated net.

7. The miniature kick bag game and apparatus kit as in claim 6 wherein the second support structure further comprises a second linear directional support device for ensuring a second side of the at least one playing court boundary indicator is perpendicular to the at least one portable reticulated net and parallel to the first side of the at least one playing court boundary indicator.

8. The miniature kick bag game and apparatus kit as in claim 1 wherein the at least one net support further comprises a fixed length net support for measuring the side length and width of one side of the playing court.

9. The miniature kick bag game and apparatus kit as in claim 8 wherein the third support structure and the fixed length net support further comprises a right angle playing court measuring device for measuring playing court corners a fixed distance and at right angles to the side length of the playing court.

10. A miniature kick bag game and apparatus kit comprising:

at least one portable reticulated net formed in an elongated rectangular shape positioned at the elongated center aligned vertically thereby dividing a playing court into two team zones;

at least one net support for supporting the at least one portable reticulated net wherein the at least one net support further comprises a fixed length net support for measuring the side length and width of one side of the playing court;

a first support structure for engaging one end of the at least one net support, wherein the first support structure further comprises a first linear directional support device for ensuring a first side of the at least one playing court boundary indicator is perpendicular to the at least one portable reticulated net;

a second support structure for engaging another end of the at least one net support wherein the second support structure further comprises a second linear directional support device for ensuring a second side of the at least one playing court boundary indicator is perpendicular to the at least one portable reticulated net and parallel to the first side of the at least one playing court boundary indicator; and

a third support structure for supporting the center of the at least one net support, wherein the first support structure, the second support structure and the third support structure are substantially two feet in height when positioned vertically.