Abstract:
The present invention provides a tabletop game with a non-distorted view of the playing field. In particular, the present invention provides clear sidewalls that our substantially flat and extended. The extended sidewalls inhibit a game piece from leaving the playing surface without distorting the view.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION:  
       [0001]     This patent application is related to U.S. Design patent application No. 29/186,526, filed Jul. 16, 2003, now Design patent D490,476, and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 60/488,074, filed Jul. 16, 2003, incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
     Field of the Invention:  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to tabletop games and, more particularly, to tabletop games with clear sideboards.  
         [0003]     Many arcade style tabletop games exists. Some of the more popular arcade style tabletop games simulate hockey, such as for example, table hockey games, which simulates regulation hockey having movable players and goalies, and AIR HOCKEY games, or soccer (or football as it is known outside of the United States). These games typically comprise a tabletop playing field that simulates the field and typically players of the actual game, although AIR HOCKEY games do not have representative players. While the below application refers to table hockey games, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize other table-top games can be substituted, such as, for example, AIR HOCKEY, foosball, tabletop baseball, tabletop football, tabletop basketball, tabletop bowling, and the like.  
         [0004]     A table hockey game includes representative forwards and defensemen for the game (typically five men) suspended over a hockey rink simulation by slidable, rotatable rods. The rods generally slide parallel to the length of the playing field to allow movement of the players along a track. The rods rotate to spin the players to provide shooting, passing, and a checking simulation. The goalie rod is slightly different than the general rods in that the rod generally slides perpendicular to the length of the playing surface to simulate the goalie moving side to side across the goalmouth. Some limited parallel movement may be allowable by pushing and pulling the goalie rod. Of course, other games may have different, but still conventional, player arrangements.  
         [0005]     While generally enjoyable, the flow of many tabletop games is impaired because low sidewalls allow game pieces to easily exit the playing field. U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,169, titled Table Hockey Apparatus, issued Jun. 25, 2002, to Sutter, shows one sample of a tabletop hockey game with low sidewalls, incorporated herein by reference. To counter this problem, the low sidewalls could be extended, but the solid, opaque nature of the sidewalls would cause large increases manufacturing and shipping costs as well as obstructing the player&#39;s view of the playing field.  
         [0006]     Alternative to extending the sidewalls, some games use transparent covers or domes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,833, titled Amusement Game, issued Nov. 6, 1984, to Barcelow et al, shows one sample of a domed tabletop hockey game, incorporated herein by reference. The domes provide increase game flow because the game piece is inhibited from leaving the playing field, but the clear, curved dome obstructs the playing field. In particular, the curved dome reflects the overhead or general room lighting making it difficult to view the playing field. The reflection is increased as the overhead or area light increases. Moreover, the dome causes distortion when attempting to view the overhead scoreboard, which simulates authentic NHL hockey rinks.  
         [0007]     As one of skill in the art will recognize, the dome could be converted for use with only a limited number of other tabletop games, such as, foosball, tabletop baseball, tabletop basketball, and the like, but would still suffer from the same drawbacks. Also, the dome is not useable with some tabletop games, such as AIR HOCKEY, tabletop bowling, and the like, because the players need access to the playing field.  
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       [0008]     To attain the advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, tabletop games with clear sideboards are provided. In particular, the tabletop games have substantially straight clear extensions. The extensions inhibit the game piece from leaving the playing field, provide views of the playing field and scoreboards without distortion.  
         [0009]     The foregoing and other features, utilities and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0010]     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles thereof. Like items in the drawings are referred to using the same numerical reference.  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  shows a front perspective view of a table hockey game illustrative of the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  shows a front perspective view of the overhead scoreboard of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  shows a top plan view of one of the goals of  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  shows a functional block diagram of the goal lamp illumination system. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]     The present invention will be explained with reference to  FIGS. 1-4 . While the present invention is explained with reference to a table hockey game, one of skill in the art will recognize on reading the disclosure that other tabletop games, such as AIR HOCKEY, tabletop foosball, tabletop baseball, tabletop football, tabletop basketball games, tabletop bowling, and the like could employ the present invention as well.  
         [0016]      FIG. 1  shows a front perspective view of a table hockey game  100 . Table hockey game includes a stand  102  and a playing surface  104 . Playing surface  104  has a length L and a width W. Suspended above playing surface  104  are a number of representative hockey players  106 . Stand  102  has a plurality of legs  108 , and a stand base  110 . Optionally, a plurality of stand sidewalls  112  may extend up from stand base  110  to slightly beyond playing surface  104 . Thus, a top portion  114  of stand sidewalls may comprise a small opaque sidewall for the playing surface as desired. Alternatively and also optionally, top portion  114  could be replaced by separate a separate sidewall that resided around playing surface  104 .  
         [0017]     An open space, not specifically shown, exists between playing surface  104  and base  110  to house player control and electronics. The player controls and electronics, which will be described in more detail below as they relate specifically to the present invention, are generally known in the art and will not be further explained herein. Sample player controls and scoring controls are shown in the &#39;833 Patent and the &#39;169 Patent incorporated by reference above. Rods  116  extend from stand sidewalls  112  to allow a player to control representative players  106 .  
         [0018]     Attached to about playing surface  104  is a clear sideboard extension  118 . Sideboard extension  118  is made of a translucent material, such as clear plastic or glass, but the material could be colored as desired. Sideboard extensions are shown, and preferably, allow for completely clear sideboards around playing surface  104 , but sideboard extensions  118  could be made in a plurality of sections connected by opaque connectors  120 , such as plastic, wood, or the like. For example, the corner sections of the sideboards could be opaque connectors  120 . Sideboard extensions can encompass playing surface  104  as shown, or only reside at select positions to allow access to playing surface  104 . For example, for AIR HOCKEY, sideboard extensions  118  may only reside along the length L of playing surface  104  and not along the width W of playing surface  104  to allow player access to playing surface  104 . Sideboard extensions  118  are substantially perpendicular to playing surface  104  and define opening  122  above playing surface  104 . By having opening  122  instead of the conventional dome, the player&#39;s vision is less obstructed. Further, opening  120  cannot reflect light similar to conventional domes. Also, sideboard extensions  118  being relatively straight (and/or flat) instead of curved like conventional domes, tends to provide less glare even if playing surface is viewed through sideboard extensions  118 . Lastly, sideboard extensions simulate actual hockey rinks. In particular, NHL hockey rinks contain an ice surface similar to playing surface  104  surrounded by lower opaque sideboards, similar to top portion  114 . Extending above opaque sideboards, NHL hockey rinks have clear plastic extensions similar to sideboard extensions  118 .  
         [0019]     Table hockey game  100  further has a superstructure  124  to hold a scoreboard  126 . Not shown in  FIG. 1 , but shown in  FIG. 2 . Connections of the superstructure  124  to tabletop games are generally known in the art and will not be specifically described herein. Superstructure  124  comprises a plurality of vertical support members  128  extending from stand sidewalls  112  (or top portion  114 ). Connecting the vertical support members  128  is a crossbar member  130 . Crossbar member  130  is coupled to scoreboard  126  in any conventional manner, such as, for example, providing channel through which crossbar member  130  can pass to hold scoreboard  126 . Scoreboard  126  is similar to conventional scoreboards generally known in the art. Wires internal to superstructure  124  supply power and other signals to scoreboard  126 .  
         [0020]     Scoreboard  126  includes a visitor score display  132 , a home score display  134 , a light  136 , and a time display  138 . The displays, which may be more, less, or other displays as a matter of design choice, are generally known in the art and controlled by conventional mechanisms known in the art. For example, the score display is incremented when a switch below opening  308  indicates a game piece scored. The switch, display, and electronics to increment the score are generally known in the art and will not be further explained.  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  shows a goal  300  associated with table hockey game  100 . Goal  300  includes a frame  302  and net  304 . Frame  302  defines a goalmouth  306 . Behind goalmouth  306  an opening  308  exists in playing surface  104 . When a game piece crosses goalmouth  306 , it falls through opening  308  and exists at a game piece return. Various game piece return systems exist. Internal to opening  308  (generally in a channel below opening  308 ) resides a switch that is toggled when game piece drops into opening  308 . The toggling of the switch sends a signal to scoreboard  126  to increase the respective score display. The signal to scoreboard  126  and switch is generally known in the art. Some table hockey games attempt to simulate actual game conditions by using the signal to generate sound indicative of the roar of a crowd when a score occurs, see the &#39;833 Patent. The increase in the score and the sound only partially simulates actual game conditions, however. As can be seen, goal  300  includes a goal light  310 . As shown, goal light  310  resides on top of frame  302 , but could reside on sidewall extensions  118 , which more closely resembles actual NHL rinks, but is more difficult to manufacture. Power can be supplied to goal light  310  via wires (not specifically shown) either threaded into net  304  or internal to frame  302 .  
         [0022]     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the signal from the switch is used to trigger a light circuit  402  that closes and supplies power (power can be from a conventional AC plug, a battery, or the like) to goal light  310  to light goal light  310  when a goal is scored. Preferably, the signal trips a switch that closes for a period of time, such as maybe controlled by a simple RC circuit, so goal light  310  is illuminated for several moments after a goal is scored. To better simulate actual NHL rinks, goal light  310  could be a flashing light or siren type light although goal light  310  could be any conventional light. A processor  404  (shown in phantom) could receive indication of a goal and cause light circuit  402  to supply power to goal light  310 . After a predetermined time delay, processor  404  would turn off the power supply. Light circuit  402  and processor  404  could be integrated into a single component.  
         [0023]     While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to an embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various other changes in the form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.