SCOOP AND BALL TOSS TO BUCKET GAME

A game and its components are disclosed which comprises, in one embodiment, one or more buckets for arranging on a playing surface, and scoops for receiving a malleable ball wherein players may toss the malleable balls or at the bucket in an effort to score points. Also disclosed are various methods for playing the game. The preferred arrangement of components of the invention includes two buckets that may stand alone or equidistant from the other bucket and opposite each player (or, if the players are more numerous than two-opposite each team of players), two identical malleable spherical balls which are shaped and sized such that the balls form a friction fit with two equally sized identical scoops, and two scoops for tossing the aforementioned balls into the bucket. The scoops can be used for catching and throwing without the buckets.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a game system and method for use thereof (IE: instructions as to how the game may be played and different variations of the game), and which invention relates more specifically to a competitive single and or multi-player versus game system with scoop-and-ball/bucket toss elements which scoops and balls are able to be coupled within the bucket component for easy storage and transport.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

People have tossed projectiles at targets as a leisure activity for decades, perhaps even hundreds of years. In the game of horseshoes, for example, players alternate turns tossing horseshoes at stakes in the ground which are placed 40 feet apart. Points are scored by throwing “ringers” or by throwing the horseshoe nearest to the stake.

Leisure games, being played in yards and or on beaches across the globe, are growing in popularity but they are also growing in size, bulkiness, complexity, and price.

United States Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0127609 (Raslowsky) discloses a bean bag toss game having a first device and a second device which are identical. The devices each have a top surface and a bottom surface where the top surface is at an angle with respect to the bottom surface and the top surface has an opening. Additionally, the game disclosed in Raslowsky includes an object, for example, a bean bag, which may be thrown toward and into the openings of the devices for points. It should be noted that the thrown devices disclosed in the foregoing patent are thrown by hand and there are no side nor “backboard” stopping devices included to stop the projectiles.

“Cornhole” is another known bean bag tossing game. In the game of Cornhole, there are two sets of bean bags (four bags in total) and two platforms arranged as targets facing each other. Each platform is 2 feet×4 feet with a 6-inch hole centered 9 inches from the top. Each platform is also angled. The platforms are typically arranged with 27 feet between the bottoms of the platforms. Bags are tossed from a rectangular area directly to the left or right of a platform. In order to earn points, bags must either be tossed into the hole or thrown such that the bags land on the board. Again, the thrown devices disclosed in the foregoing patent are thrown by hand and there are no side nor “backboard” stopping devices included to stop the projectiles.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,041 (Calvo), discloses a game apparatus for a projectile tossing game. The Calvo apparatus includes a horizontally disposed playing surface having four sides, three of which include upstanding surfaces extending therefrom. The three upstanding surfaces constitute a backboard and sideboards. Each of the sideboards are sloped. However, the Calvo apparatus is heavy and bulky and the projectile is thrown by hand.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,243,229 (Huser et al.), also discloses a game apparatus for a projectile tossing game wherein the projectile is in the form of a disk. The target of the game apparatus includes an upright transverse backboard and a forwardly inclined playing board. Players throw the disks at the target for points. However, the playing board has only a single surface for deflecting thrown discs which are thrown by hand.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,028 (Sciandra et al.) discloses a disc throwing game, sold under the trademark KanJam®. The disc throwing game includes two cylindrical targets, each having an open top and a slot proximate to the top of each target. The game is played by placing the two targets a distance from each other. Each target faces the other. Players take turns throwing a disc toward each target and deflecting the disc into the target, with each throw being scored. However, the disc throwing game fails to include playing and deflecting or “backboard” surfaces which are planar and again, the projectiles are thrown by hand.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,707,062 (Perillo, M.T., et al.), discloses a bucket ball game with a plastic molded receptacle having a conical configuration and a method of play allowing for team play and scoring to suit various player skills. However, the aforementioned game players only use their hands to toss the ball into the receptacle.

Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,175 (Ricks, A., et al.), discloses a vertical scoring receptacle intended to receive a ball that has been bounced off the ground. Again, the aforementioned game players only use their hands to bounce the ball.

None of the above referenced patent examples describes the invention claimed in this application. Thus, there is a need for a simple game comprised of common items that people can play at a beach or in a yard which is multipurpose, portable, unique, functional, and affordable. The apparatus configuration and method of play, notably the addition of friction fitting balls into scoops used by the players to toss the balls into the bucket and the ability to have a differentiated and distinguished scoring system, defines this invention from other prior art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to teach a method of playing a tossing game which incorporates a scoop shaped throwing apparatus, a malleable ball which is shaped and sized such that the ball(s) and the scoop(s) form a friction fit to each other, and a bucket preferably having a high back and for which the handle of the bucket may be used to direct the ball into the bucket in which the ball is tossed that is easily played and simple to understand by children and adults alike despite the varying playing skills possessed by such different players (in one embodiment the players may use their scoop to toss the ball from one player to the other—wherein the other player tries to catch the ball with that player's scoop—before utilizing the scoop to toss the ball into the bucket). It is a further object of the present invention to teach a tossing game, utilizing scoops, friction fitting balls, and a bucket type receptacle that can be easily produced and whereby it is simple to vary the scoring difficulty to accommodate different levels of playing skills and, whereby the buckets may be easily nested with other such bucket type receptacles to minimize retail packaging space and costs or storage space. In the ideal solution, the level of difficulty or challenge can be varied or modified by modifying the number or location of buckets and players who scoop and then subsequently toss the ball(s) into the bucket(s) where the buckets have been specifically oriented relative to the tossing player.

There is provided herein a scooped ball-toss game or the like having a bucket like container wherein the player scoops a specifically sized ball with a similarly shaped and sized scooping device which creates a Velcro-like friction grip upon the ball. In a similar embodiment a plurality of identically sized containers are placed equidistant and opposite the tossing players so as to create a two-way playing space. Various non-limiting methods of arranging the containers and playing games including the containers are described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Various representations are shown throughout the figures hereinafter to help describe the invention. These figures are to be used to satisfy the legal applicable process but should not be interpreted as limited. The embodiments to the invention illustrated by the figures and descriptions should not be taken as limited.

All fundamental terminology and examples in this documentation should be considered basic so all parties can understand the references, materials and concepts. Any internal or external functions to the accessory device or attachments associated with the attachment system are not limited to the components shown in the drawings or descriptions.

The invention will now be described by the drawing and labels in the figures. The present invention includes one or more buckets 6 shown in FIG. 4. The buckets may be any shape or size. In preferred embodiments the disclosed ball tossing game is played with an apparatus consisting of one bucket 6 at a specific distance from a player (not shown) or a plurality of identical buckets 6 that stand equidistant from each player or team of players and opposite the other player or team of players. The buckets 6 may have a top with a smaller aperture affixed to them which may be used to increase the difficulty of the game. The buckets 6 are stackable and may be circular or square (depending on style of bucket) with a backboard or arc 7 shown in FIG. 4 that goes above the circular or square rim 9 in FIG. 5 and which when used in conjunction help slow, stop, or block the ball from going overtop of the bucket 6 so as to score points making the game more competitive and playable for all age levels. The bucket 6 can hold 3.5-5 gal but not limited to and is lightweight for portability. In one embodiment the bucket 6 may be filled with liquid and or aggregate (such as sand or dirt) so as to stabilize the bucket for gameplay 6 and make scoring points with the ball(s) 4 in FIG. 2 easier. The bucket may have a raised backboard 6 to stop balls; wherein the raised backboard may have a decline 8 shown in FIG. 5 to allow for the balls to bounce straight up in the air after hitting the backboard.

The present invention also includes one or more scoops 3 shown in FIG. 1. In preferred embodiments the scoops 3 are identically shaped and sized scoops 3 that are used to toss balls 4 shown in FIG. 2. into the bucket 6 in FIG. 4. Further, in preferred embodiments, the scoop(s) 3 may be made of any hard or semi-hard material (like plastic, metal, rubber, etc). The scoop(s) are comprised of a handle 2 shown in FIG. 1 and a rounded protrusion 3 extending outward from the scoop(s) 3 handle 2. The scoop(s) 3 are of such a shape and size that the rounded “shovel-like” protrusion 3 opposite of the handle 2 of the scoop(s) 3 may be used to fill the bucket 6 with liquid and or aggregate. The scoop(s) 3 may also be used to retrieve the balls 4 from the surface upon which the balls 5 are resting or from the bucket 6 as a result of the friction coupling that takes place between the scoop(s) 3 and the balls 4. The main purpose of the scoop(s) 1, however, is to be friction coupled with the balls 4 and used by the player(s) to toss the balls 4 at or into the bucket 6 thereby scoring points. The scoop(s) 3 are held in the hand of the player(s) and by using a “flinging” motion—whereby the player strokes their scoop 3 containing the ball 4 from the rear of their body forwardly—the ball's 4 weight overcomes the friction coupling with the scoop 3 and the ball 4 is forced toward the bucket 6. The scoop(s) 3 and balls 4 may also be used as a fidget so as to entertain the players and or create a distraction for other players while a player waits for their turn to toss during a game or otherwise.

The present invention also includes one or more malleable spherical balls 4 which are sized and shaped so as to create a friction fit within the scoop's 3 rounded protrusion 3. The balls 4 may be constructed of any suitable material such as plastic or rubber and may be filled with malleable aggregate and or air (with differing volumes of malleable aggregate and or air so as to change the friction coefficient of the balls 4 with the scoop's 3 rounded protrusion 3 and increasing or decreasing the force needed to “toss” the balls 4).

The game can be played outdoors or indoors in an area with sufficient space and may be played as a practice game with one player using only one bucket, as a one-versus-one game using both buckets, or as a versus game with multiple players who generally would form teams which are equal in number (generally 2 versus 2) using both buckets 6 and potentially more than the two scoops 3 which are included in the game kit. The aforementioned balls 4 are tossed at the bucket 6 by players using scoop(s) 3. In the preferred embodiment each player's toss would be evaluated based on whether the ball 4: 1) bounced or rolled and hit the bucket—being worth one point; 2) hit the bucket without first touching the ground or objects which are not the bucket—being worth 2 points; or 3) landed inside the bucket whether the ball bounced first or landed in the bucket without first being obstructed by and/or redirected by objects which are not the bucket—in which case the player who made the toss (or their team) would automatically win the game. Both teams are actively engaged in play at all times. The game is played until the completion of a predetermined number of team turns, or a predetermined number of points (usually between 11 and 21 points) are scored and a winner is declared as the team with the higher score.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiment outlined above, various alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements and/or substantial equivalents, whether known or that are or may be presently foreseen, may become apparent to those having at least ordinary skill in the art. Listing the steps of a manufacturing, clasping, and or loading method in a certain order does not constitute any limitation on the order of the steps of the method. Accordingly, the embodiment of the invention set forth above is intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Persons skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is intended to embrace all known or earlier developed alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements, and/or substantial equivalents.

In the description of embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merely intended for convenience of description and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as “equidistant,” “forward,” “rear,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivative thereof (e.g., “downwardly.” “upwardly.” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that any apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated as such. Terms such as “attached,” “connected,” “coupled.” “interconnected,” and similar refer to a relationship wherein structures and or components are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.

This disclosure describes the best mode or modes of practicing and or playing the game as presently contemplated. This description is not intended to be understood in a limiting sense, but provides an example of the invention presented solely for illustrative purposes by reference to the accompanying drawings to advise one of ordinary skill in the art of the advantages and construction of the invention. In the various views of the drawings, like reference characters designate like or similar parts.