Disc toss game

Abstract

A disc tossing game for a plurality of players: This game consists of players tossing discs onto a base target component that is physically connected by hinging/casing components to a backstop component to form a game system. The backstop can be locked into a relatively perpendicular relationship to the base target. The base target and backstop planar surface pieces can be folded flat to each other for transport and storage. A carrying handle is built-in. Participating players, in turn, each toss a disc at the base target of the game system. The player whose disc ends up on the base target closest to the backstop for that turn of play wins all other discs tossed by other participants. This is a competitive game that is safe and can be played either indoors or outdoors by young or old.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable

REFERENCE TO A “SEQUENCE LISTING”

Not applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention(s). It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art, or material, to the presently described or claimed inventions, or that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to the field of games and more specifically relates to a disc tossing game.

2. Description of the Related Art

This relates to an object tossing game. Families often play object tossing games at family get-togethers and reunions as a tool for relaxing and bonding with other family members. Some families regularly play object tossing games as a form of entertainment and friendly competition. Object tossing games utilize a wide variety of devices and combinations of devices, along with myriads of different rules. Some games are played on a larger scale and played on a larger area such as a floor or outside in a yard. The thing that many of these object tossing type games have in common is that they are often competitive in nature.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The general purpose, but not only purpose, of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide entertaining camaraderie during a game playing session. In general, this disc tossing game is a disc toss game system similar to a table game, but played on a larger scale, such as on a floor or outside on a sidewalk or a driveway. The game board system, in this current embodiment, consists of a planar, rectangular, hard-surfaced base target component connected by a double-hinged, casing component to a hard-surfaced backstop component. The planar non-play surfaces of the target base and backstop are encased by a game board casing component. The backstop component can be locked into a position that is relatively perpendicular to the base target component. Two or more game participants toss discs, in this embodiment metallic and approximately the size and weight of a United States 50 cent piece, in turn, at the game board. Each participant strives to toss his disc in a manner that leaves his disc as close to the upright backstop as possible. The participant that leaves his disc closest to the backstop wins on any given turn of play and collects the losing discs from the game board area when he picks up his winning disc from the game board target base. The object of the game is to win as many discs as possible from the other participant or participants. The winning player is the one that ends up with all of the discs or who ends up with the most discs after playing a predetermined number of rounds or for a predetermined time period. The game board system can be easily configured for three different skill levels of play, beginner, intermediate, or expert, through the use, or non-use, of fold-down tabs that are attached to the underside of the game board base target component. The game board system can be folded up to be flat in order for it to take up less space during non-play periods or for storage. There is a carrying handle built into the casing component to make for greater ease in carrying the game board when it is in the non-play mode. There is a small chain with a clip that is attached to the casing component of the game board that is used to attach the tossing disc container, in this embodiment a small draw string bag, to the game board. The present invention holds significant improvements and serves as a disc toss game. For purposes of summarizing this invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. A player's skill level is important in order to be able to compete successfully at this game, but due to the somewhat unpredictable nature of a disc, in this particular embodiment, a hard metallic disc approximately the size and weight of a United States 50 cent piece, bouncing off of a base surface, in this particular embodiment a 13 inch by 13 inch porcelain floor tile and perhaps rebounding off of a 13 inch by 13 inch porcelain tile backstop, the unpredictable luck of the bounce can also become a significant factor in the outcome of a round of play. A method of handicapping among opposing players, that may or may not be used, also significantly increases the chances for players of obviously different skill levels, such as that between a parent and a young child, to have highly competitive games. The game board could also be placed on an elevation, such as a tabletop, to make it easier for players to retrieve their discs after tossing them, eliminating the need to bend over to pick the discs up. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel, such as the foldable, portable, floor/wall-like game board system with a built in carrying handle, are particularly pointed out and are distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specifications. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with references to the following drawings and detailed descriptions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a participant playing the disc toss game.

FIG. 2 shows a front perspective view illustrating an “in-use” condition of the disc toss game board system, several discs, and a small draw string bag for holding the discs, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a back perspective view of a game board system that has been opened and locked into place

FIG. 4 is a back perspective view of a closed game board.

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of a closed game board system from the underside that shows the front and back-side fold-down tabs extended downward.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Detailed descriptions of the invention are provided as required. However the preferred embodiment as provided is not intended to be limiting. It is to be understood that the invention can be embodied in various forms comprised of various materials and/or sizes. As discussed above, embodiments of the present invention relate to a disc tossing game, and more particularly to a disc tossing game as used to improve the camaraderie of a social group and/or to provide an opportunity for competition with the possibility of a gambling aspect for adults. Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference there is shown in FIG. 1 a perspective view illustrating an in-use condition of the disc toss system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The disc toss game may comprise of a kit having a game board system, a set of discs, a container for the discs, a small chain and clip for attaching the disc container to the game board, and a set of playing instructions. The game board may be comprised of a planar, hard-surfaced, rectangular base target component that is linked to a similarly planar, hard-surfaced, rectangular backstop component that can be fixed into a relatively perpendicular relationship to the base target component. The game board base target and backstop components may be made of a hard-surfaced material, such as a porcelain or ceramic tile, as in the current embodiment. The discs, which may be metallic as in the current embodiment, are identical, and may be of any reasonable quantity. Play consists of rounds: 2 to 5 players may play a round at a time. Each player starts with a pre-agreed upon number of discs. A round consists of: Participants take turns tossing 1 disc onto the base target area or against the backstop. The participants agree on the distance that they will stand from the game board and mark the distance and boundary with a marker so that all participants will be standing the correct distance from the game board (suggested distance of 4 feet for age 12 and younger, 5 to 6 feet for age 13 and older, and 7 feet or more for expert players), before tossing their discs, one participant at a time, at the game board. Two or more participants, in turn, toss single discs, onto the base or against the backstop of the game board in a manner calculated to leave their disc as close as possible to the game board backstop. This is difficult to do as the game board may be hard-surfaced, such as a porcelain or ceramic tile, as in the current embodiment, and the discs may be metallic, as in the current embodiment. This combination can exaggerate and make somewhat unpredictable the bouncing effect of the disc, thereby introducing a substantial element of luck into what is still basically a game of skill. The participants will determine the winner of the round after each player participating in that round has tossed one disc toward the base target area or backstop of the game board. The winner of the turn will be the participant whose disc is lying closest to the backstop and he/she collects the losing discs. The participants may measure distances to determine the winner of the round if there is any question as to whose disc is closest to the backstop. All participants will do a re-toss to determine the winner of the round if there is a tie. If one tossed disc should hit another disc already lying on the base area, and if this results in a situation where the participants can't agree whose disc is whose, then all participants will do a re-toss. The disc must be lying wholly supported by the base target component of the game board, not touching the floor, in order to be eligible to be the winning toss; if no player has a disc that is on the game board then all players take a re-toss. The disc must also have initially made contact against either the base target component or the backstop component of the game board in order to be eligible to be a winner. This can easily be determined by the sound that the disc makes when it hits against the game board. A disc that lies touching against the backstop is the closest that you can get and is always a winner, unless another disc also lies touching the backstop. Another variation of the game may be played in which the player whose disc ends up on the base target area, the farthest, not the closest, from the backstop at the end of a round of play is declared the winner. The winner of any round is required to toss first on the next subsequent round. As skill levels of players increase, the game can be made more difficult to play by having participants stand back farther from the game board while playing and/or by tilting the game board forwards by extending downward the 2 fold-down tabs found under the handle end of the base target component area, thereby making it more difficult to keep the disc on the game board. This game can be made easier to play by having participants stand closer to the game board while playing and/or by tilting the game board backwards by extending downward the fold-down tab found under the front end of the base target component area, thereby making it easier to get a disc to stay closer to the backstop portion of the game board.

Handicapping—Some games can become boring to play if the same player or small group of players seem to always win. The players that have a small chance of ever winning against the more skillful players can lose interest in playing a game that they seem to have small chance of ever winning. Players of unequal skill levels can have competitive, interesting games playing each other by using a form of handicapping. This form of handicapping would have to be prearranged and agreed upon by all players in advance of starting a particular game. This method of handicapping would take the form of having players with obviously different skill levels stand different distances from the game board while competing against each other. The lower skill level players would be allowed to stand closer to the game board than the higher skilled players. For example, a young child may stand 3 feet from the game board while his or her parent may stand 6 feet from the game board. A lower skilled player may get to stand 5 feet from the game board while tossing his disc and a more highly skilled player playing in the same round of tosses may have to stand 6 feet from the game board while tossing his disc. Using this method of handicapping would allow for more competitive play between players of obviously different skill levels, limiting the dominance of the more skillful players, and keeping the game more interesting for the lower skilled players. Adult players that wish to gamble monetarily may do so by assigning monetary value to the game discs used or may play with discs of value such as, but not limited to, United States or other nations' coins of the realm, precious metals bullion coins issued by governments, and precious metals rounds. The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous embodiments, modifications, variations, and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. It should be understood that any number of games may be devised using the game system of the present invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstracts is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers, and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosures of the application. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIG. 1-5, the present invention features a new disc tossing game system 100. The game 100 comprises a game board with a base target component 110, a backstop component 120, a linked double-hinging component 130, a game board casing component 140, a built-in carrying handle 150, a plurality of tossing discs 160, a tossing disc container 170, a small chain with clip 180, a fold-down front-side tab 190, and 2 fold-down back-side tabs 200.

Various modifications of the invention, in addition to those described herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description. Such modifications are also intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. Each reference cited in the present application is incorporated herein by references in its entirety.

Various modifications of the invention, in addition to those described herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description. Such modifications are also intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A disc tossing game apparatus comprising wherein, in combination, a game apparatus consisting of a generally rectangular planar base target component connected by a linked double-hinged component and a game apparatus casing component to a generally rectangular planar backstop component with the base target component each being enclosed on the non-play surfaces with the game apparatus casing component thereby allowing the base target component and the backstop component to be either folded flat together or be locked together into an essentially perpendicular relationship, and having a built-in carrying handle in the casing component, and wherein has a plurality of tossing discs, a container to hold said tossing discs, a front-side fold-down tab on the front of the underside of the base target component and 2 back-side fold-down tabs on the underside of the handle end of the base target component.

2. A disc tossing game method wherein that comprises basically a game of skill with a significant element of unpredictability involved due to the unpredictable bouncing nature of a tossed disc, wherein participants toss discs at a game apparatus that is configured to resemble a portable small floor with a small wall attached in an essentially perpendicular position, and that the goal of the game method is to have your tossed disc end up closer to the wall portion of the game apparatus than your opponents' discs, or in an alternative version of the game method, farther from the wall portion of the game apparatus than your opponent's discs.

3. The game apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein that has a backstop component that may be manipulated to lock into a relatively perpendicular relationship to the horizontal base target component from the non-playing mode by:

raising the backstop component up from the non-playing mode into an upright position,

thereby allowing the backstop component, when the backstop component is upright over the slot that appears in the space between the horizontal base target component and the linked, double hinged component, to drop into and lock into place with the base target component,

thereby creating a relationship wherein the game apparatus can essentially be considered an easily handled, portable version of a small floor with an attached upright small wall, and,

that this embodiment could be modified to allow the game apparatus to open up and lock into any reasonable angle other than the approximate 90 degree angle featured in the current embodiment.

4. The game apparatus as claimed in claim 1 that can be configured into 3 different settings of skill levels consisting of:

Beginner—by extending fully downward the front fold-down tab under the front-side of the base target component, thereby tilting the base target component backwards, and

Intermediate—by not extending down either the front-side tab or the back-side tabs, thereby allowing the base target component to lay flat, and

Expert—by extending fully downward the 2 back-side fold-down tabs of the base target component, thereby tilting the base target component frontwards, and that other variations of “Expert” could be added by making and using fold-down tabs on the underside of the base target component, thereby allowing the base target component to be tilted side to side.

5. The game apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein that the game apparatus may be configured into the non-play, or storage mode, from the play mode by:

raising the backstop component up enough to clear it from the slot between the base target component and the linked, double-acting hinging component,

and pushing the backstop component towards the linked, double-acting hinge and lowering the backstop component down flat onto the base target component.

6. The game apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the base target component and the backstop component of the game apparatus may be made of any material or to any reasonable size but that the current and preferred embodiment of the game apparatus utilizes hard surfaces, such as, but not limited to, porcelain or ceramic tiles, but could also involve using any bounce-inducing material, for the base target component and the backstop component, in order to make it more difficult to get the tossed disc to remain up close to the backstop component after the disc is tossed.

7. The game apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tossing discs may be made of any material or of any reasonable size but that the tossing discs in the current embodiment are made of a hard metallic substance approximately the size and weight of a United States fifty cent piece and wherein the hardness of the metallic disc landing on a hard surface, such as a porcelain or ceramic tile, as in the current embodiment, makes it difficult to get the disc, after being tossed, to remain up close to the backstop component, thereby creating a game wherein both skill and luck become significant factors in the outcome of a round of play.

8-9. (canceled)

10. We claim an adjustable, portable apparatus comprising, wherein, in combination, a rectangular planar base component that is porcelain or ceramic with both a play and a non-play surface; a rectangular planar backstop component that is porcelain or ceramic with both a play and a non-play surface, an apparatus casing component that encases the non-play surface of said base component and non-play surface of said backstop component, said apparatus casing component connecting said base component and said backstop component by means of a built-in double-acting hinge, said apparatus casing component having a built-in locking slot that is comprised of a small space between said base component and said double-acting hinge that provides a means for configuring said portable apparatus into a play mode when locking said backstop component perpendicularly to said base component, said portable apparatus provides a means for configuring said portable apparatus into a storage mode when said backstop component is lifted from said locking slot in said apparatus casing component, and by means of said double-acting hinge, said backstop component is laid flat on said base component, said apparatus casing component having both a carrying handle end and a non-handle end, as being defined by either the presence or absence of a carrying handle, said apparatus casing component having a built-in said carrying handle, a plurality of metallic tossing discs, a container to hold said tossing discs, an adjustable fold-down tab on said non-handle end of the said apparatus casing component, and two adjustable fold-down tabs on said handle end of said apparatus casing component.