Abstract:
A tabletop game for simulating basketball including a game court supported by a base and bounded by a containment net, designed for head-to-head competition. The game includes a court floor having ball traps configured to retain a game ball. The game further includes a set of keys configured to actuate shooter mechanisms for ejecting the game ball from the ball traps toward one of a pair of hoops that are sized to receive the ball. The game includes a movable defender configured to obstruct the ejected game ball from entering on of the pair of game hoops.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a simulated basketball game, and more particularly to a tabletop game for head-to-head play of a simulated basketball game.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    Children often enjoy competing in head-to-head play of games that simulate real sports activities. Children like simulated real sports activities because they can pretend to be famous athletes during game play. Pretending to be famous athletes can enhance the play value of a game.  
           [0003]    A variety of popular games that simulate real sports activities are known. For example, Fooze® ball is a popular game that simulates soccer, and Air Hockey is a popular game that simulates ice hockey. One problem with these games is that they require expensive furniture-size equipment that take up considerable space and are not easily moved or packed up.  
           [0004]    It would be desirable to provide a tabletop game that simulates a real sports activity. Such a game would be popular with children and provide a mobile head-to-head format for children to compete. Children could pretend to be famous athletes as they play enhancing the childes experience and the play value of such a game.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    A tabletop game for simulating basketball including a game court supported by a base and bounded by a containment net, designed for head-to-head competition. The game includes a court floor having ball traps configured to retain a game ball. The game further includes a set of keys configured to actuate shooter mechanisms for ejecting the game ball from the ball traps toward one of a pair of hoops that are sized to receive the ball. The game includes a movable defender configured to obstruct the ejected game ball from entering one of the pair of game hoops. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tabletop game according to the present invention.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the game of FIG. 1, showing the location of ball traps on the court floor.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the game of FIG. 1, showing the key structure for ejecting the game ball from the ball traps.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4 is a detailed side view of the shooter structure that works with the key structure to eject the game ball from the ball traps.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 5 is a detailed side view of the key and lever structure that actuates the shooter structure to eject the game ball from the ball traps.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 6 is a perspective assembly view of a basketball goal and a defender structure and defender control structure.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 7 is a side view of the defender control structure of FIG. 6. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0013]    A tabletop basketball game according to an embodiment of the present invention is generally indicated at  10  in FIG. 1. Game  10  includes a game court  12  supported by a base  14 . The game is sized to fit on a tabletop and to be played using a player&#39;s hands. The game court includes a court floor  16  supported by base  14 . The court floor will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 2. Game court  12  includes support members  18  that are configured to support a containment net  20 .  
         [0014]    Within containment net  20  are a pair of basketball goals  22  configured to resemble real basketball goals. Basketball goals  22  include a stand  24  supporting a backboard  26  above the court floor  16 . Goals  22  include a hoop  28  extending from backboard  26  and configured to permit a game ball  30  to pass through the hoop. Game ball  30  may pass through hoop  28  because the outer diameter of game ball  30  is smaller than the inner diameter of hoop  28 . Defenders  32 , which are controlled by a controller structure  34 , defend hoops  28 . Defenders  32  may move vertically and sweep through an arc in order to block game ball  30  as it travels through the air.  
         [0015]    Controller structure  34  includes a support lever  36  for supporting the defender above court floor  16 . A pivot joint  38  connects support lever  36  for rotating through an arc and pivoting up and down in a limited range. A control lever  40  connects to pivot joint  38  and extends outside of game court  12 . A control knob  42  attaches to the distal end of control lever  40 . Control structure  34  moves defender  32  to block game ball  30  that is shot from a ball trap  44  in court floor  16 .  
         [0016]    Ball traps  44  are positioned at various locations in court floor  16 . As illustrated in FIG. 2, court floor  16  includes a plurality of ball traps  44  located in discrete locations. Court floor  16  is not a level surface, but includes a number of contoured sections. Court floor  16  includes ridges  46  and fall lines  48  that define the boundaries of surfaces  50 . Surfaces  50  all angle downward from ridges  46  toward ball traps  44 . This configuration causes game ball  30  to always land in one of the plurality of ball traps  44  during play of the game.  
         [0017]    Keys  52  are linked to ball traps  44  and configured to actuate a shooter mechanism designed to eject game ball  30  from the ball trap as will be explained in more detail below.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3 illustrates how keys  52  are linked to ball traps  44 . A lever  54 , mounted to a pivot  56 , extends from key  52  to a shooter mechanism  58 . Each shooter mechanism  58  is located beneath one of ball traps  44 . Pressing downward on key  52  causes actuation of shooter mechanism  58  that in turn ejects game ball  30  from ball trap  44 . Pivots  56  are positioned approximately in the middle of lever  54 . To facilitate a natural bias of keys  52  toward an upward configuration, pivots  56  may be placed slightly outward toward the keys instead of at the exact mid-point of levers  54 .  
         [0019]    One shooter mechanism  58  is illustrated in FIG. 4, showing a guide  60  configured to support a shooter pin  62 . Guide  60  may be secured to base  14  below court floor  16 . Each ball trap  44  includes two shooter mechanisms  58 . A first player controls one shooter mechanism  58 ; the other is controlled by a second player. Each player attempts to respond to game ball  30  landing in one of ball traps  44  by actuating the key  52  on that player&#39;s end of game court  12 . Actuating the correct key  52  causes game ball  30  to eject from ball trap  44  and travel through the air in the general direction of that player&#39;s goal.  
         [0020]    The interaction between keys  52 , shooter mechanism  58 , and ball trap  44  will be more clearly understood with reference to FIGS. 4, 5A, and  5 B. Ball trap  44  traps ball  30  in place on court floor  16 . Once ball  30  is trapped, competing players race to actuate the appropriate key  52 . Downward movement of key  52  causes upward movement of the opposed end  64  of lever  54 . Opposed end  64  strikes shooter pin  62  causing it to extend upward out of the ball trap impacting game ball  30  and causing it to shoot upward in the general direction of one of the goals. The opposing player&#39;s key  52  works in the same manner, ejecting game ball  30  toward the opposite goal. Pivot  56  may be positioned near the middle of lever  54 , but slightly off center so that opposed end  64  is biased downward.  
         [0021]    In FIG. 5B, another embodiment of a shooter mechanism is shown. This embodiment uses a mallet head  164  mounted at the end of lever  154  opposite key  152 . In this embodiment there is no separate guide or shooter pin. Mallet head  164  strikes the game ball trapped in the ball trap directly. The shape of mallet head  164  may be altered to affect the trajectory of the game ball when it is struck by an upward strike from the mallet.  
         [0022]    Defender  32  and defender controller  34  are illustrated in detail in FIGS. 6 and 7. A player may move defender  32  by manipulating control knob  42  of defender controller  34 . Control knob  42  connects via a control arm  40  to pivot joint  38 . Movements of control knob  42  cause movements of defender  32 . Pivot joint  38  provides two main functions: rotation through an arc above court floor  16 , and vertical movement achieved through a tilting of pivot joint  38 . Pivot joint  38  mounts around stand  24  of basketball goal  22 . Support  36  extends from pivot joint  38  up and over a portion of court floor  16  to provide support for defender  32 . Defender  32  may mount to support  36  or may be molded integrally with support  36 .  
         [0023]    Pivot joint  38  includes an aperture that enables the pivot to fit around the basketball goal and permits the horizontal rotation movement of the pivot joint. FIG. 7 shows the tilting of pivot joint  38  more clearly. Pivot joint  38  has a slightly parabolic, or bowl shape, which enables the vertical movement of defender  32 .  
         [0024]    It is believed that the disclosure set forth above encompasses multiple distinct inventions with independent utility. While each of these inventions has been disclosed in its preferred form, the specific embodiments thereof, as disclosed and illustrated herein, are not to be considered in a limiting sense as numerous variations are possible. The subject matter of the inventions includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and sub-combinations of the various elements, features, functions and/or properties disclosed herein. Where claims recite “a” or “a first” element or equivalent thereof, such claims should be understood to include incorporation of one or more such elements, neither requiring, nor excluding two or more such elements.  
         [0025]    It is believed that the following claims particularly point out certain combinations and sub-combinations that are directed to one of the disclosed inventions and are novel and non-obvious. Inventions embodied in other combinations and sub-combinations of features, functions, elements and/or properties may be claimed through amendment of those claims or presentation of new claims in this or a related application. Such amended or new claims, whether they are directed to a different invention or directed to the same invention, whether different, broader, narrower or equal in scope to the original claims, are also regarded as included within the subject matter of the inventions of the present disclosure.