Patent Publication Number: US-11638866-B2

Title: Game table

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 62/920,087 filed Apr. 15, 2019, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference herein. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present application relates to a game using balls rolled on a game table. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to one embodiment, a game table is provided with a generally flat playing surface having opposed playing ends position spaced apart in a length dimension to allow players to participate from each of the playing ends. The playing surface has a length dimension greater than a width dimension of the playing surface. A plurality of holes is formed with a V-shaped pattern oriented in the length dimension. The V-shaped pattern is positioned adjacent each of the playing ends. The V-shaped pattern has a plurality of holes that increase in diameter away from the end hole. A gutter surrounds the playing surface. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a front-side perspective view of a game table according to one embodiment. 
         FIG.  2    is a front perspective view of the game table  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  3    is a top view of the game table of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  4    is a front view of the game table of  FIG.  1   , where the back view is identical to the front view. 
         FIG.  5    is a right-side perspective view of the game table of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  6    is a right-side view of the game table of  FIG.  1   , where the left-side view is identical to the right-side view. 
         FIG.  7    is a front section view through line  7 - 7  of  FIG.  3   . 
         FIG.  8    is a top section view through line  8 - 8  of  FIG.  4   . 
         FIG.  9    is a detailed view of the playing end and the hole pattern. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. 
       FIG.  1    illustrates a game table  10  with a flat playing surface  12  having two playing ends  14 . Each player/team rolls balls  16  from each playing end  14  of the table to score points. Points are scored by making a ball  16  in a hole in the hole pattern  20 . Each hole in the hole pattern  20  has a different point value. The large outer holes  26  are assigned one point, the intermediate holes  24  are assigned three points and the small-end hole  26  is assigned five points. The game is played to twenty-one points. The holes may be assigned other point values and different games and scoring values may be used. 
     The game starts with each player/team rolling balls, one at a time from one playing end  14  toward the hole pattern  20  at the opposite playing end. The game table  10  may include eight balls, four for each player/team, however any suitable number of balls is possible. Players/teams alternate rolling their balls after each player&#39;s turn. In one variation of the game, the object of the game is to score exactly twenty-one points by a combination of the holes  22 ,  24 ,  26 . If a player&#39;s/team&#39;s score goes over twenty-one points at any time during their turn, that player&#39;s/team&#39;s score then goes back to fifteen points and they finish out their turn. When a player/team rolls exactly twenty-one points the game is not over yet and at this time, any remaining balls are rolled back to the opposing player/team. The opposing player/team always gets a chance to tie the game at twenty-one points with one final turn using all four balls. If the opposing player/team is not able to tie twenty-one points on this final turn, the game is over and the first player/team that scored twenty-one points wins. If the opposing player/team is able to tie twenty-one points on this final turn, then the game goes to sudden death. Sudden death is played by each player/team getting one final turn with all four balls and the high score wins the game. 
     The game table  10  of the present application allows players/teams to participate from each playing end  14 . A two person game (one-on-one) or a four person game (two-on-two, or team play), where players/teams stand at opposite playing ends  14  of the game table  10  to play the chosen game. Unlike many one-ended games, such as bowling, skeeball, or arcade game, the game table  10  allows play from each of the playing ends  14 . The game table  10  is a head-to-head game played by alternating the roll of balls  16  per player, per turn. When playing one-on-one, only four balls are required, and when playing teams, eight balls may be used. Some examples of play using the game table  10  include: ‘One ball’, ‘Two ball,’ or ‘Four ball.’ One ball is played by each player rolling four balls one at a time per turn (total of four rolls). Two ball is played by each player rolling two balls at a time per turn (total of two rolls). Four ball is played by each player rolling all four balls at one time per turn (total of one roll). Other games or numbers of balls may be used with the game table  10 . 
     In one embodiment, the game table  10  and playing surface  12  are formed of wood. Wood offers a different grain and allows for variation in how the balls  16  roll on each individual game table. This gives every single table is own uniqueness and makes playing more fun because the players have to learn how each table rolls. Wood also looks aesthetically pleasing. The game table  10  may be built of wood and the necessary hardware or adhesives to assembly the table such as steel/metal screws wood glue, and other suitable fasteners. Other materials may be used to construct the game table, including but not limited to plastic, metal, aluminum, vinyl, or rubber. As shown, the game table  10  is supported by four legs  18  and cross-supports. However, the game table  10  may also be placed on any support surface such as a table. 
     As shown in  FIGS.  1 - 6   , the game table  10  is designed using a shadow box  30  making up the outside walls of the game table  10 . The shadow box  30  has side walls  32  extending in a length direction L and end walls  34  adjacent the playing ends  14  and extending in a width direction W. The playing surface  12  is offset within the shadow box walls  32 ,  34 . In the illustrated embodiment, the shadow box  30  has length of approximately 94-98 inches and a width of 10-20 inches. The shadow box walls  32 ,  34  have a height of 7-8 inches. In other embodiments, the shadow box has a length of 6-12 feet. The shadow box  30  may also have a length of 1-5 feet. However, other sizes and dimensions of the shadow box  30  are contemplated. 
     The playing surface  12  for the game table  10  is generally flat and planar. The playing surface  12  may be formed of a sheet of wood. In the illustrated embodiment, the playing surface  12  has a length of approximately 87-91 inches and a width of 15 inches. In other embodiments, the playing surface  12  may range in size from 1-12 feet in length. In another embodiment, the length of the playing surface  12  is at least five times the width. In further embodiments the length dimension of the playing surface is in the range of 2.5 to six times the width dimension. However, other sizes and dimensions of the playing surface  12  are contemplated. Further, the playing surface  12  may have different shapes. For example, the playing surface  12  may be oval, circular, rectangular, or square. The playing surface  12  may have an aspect ratio where the length is greater than the width, but the region along the playing end  14  may be semi-circular, parabolic or triangular for example. 
     The game table  10  has pair of hole patterns  20  defined adjacent each playing end  14 . As shown in the Figures, each hole pattern  20  is V-shaped. The V-shaped hole pattern  20  is oriented in the length dimension to be symmetric about a longitudinal centerline  44  of the playing surface  12 . The hole patterns  20  are spaced apart in the length dimension and are mirror images of each other about a midline  46  between the two opposing ends  11 . 
       FIG.  9    illustrates the playing surface  12  and one playing end  14  in more detail. Each hole pattern  20  is formed of two rows  28  of holes intersecting at the end hole  22 . The holes  22 ,  24 ,  26  decrease in size towards the point of the V-shaped pattern. As the holes decrease in size the point value increases. In the illustrated embodiment, the two outer holes  26  have a diameter of approximately 2.5 inches and are worth one point. The outer holes  26  are the largest holes and closes to the midline  46 . The outer holes  26  may have a diameter larger than the ball  16  provides the most clearance to the ball  16 . The two intermediate holes  24  measure approximately 2 inches in diameter and are worth 3-points holes. The intermediate holes  24  are larger than the balls  16  and smaller than the outer holes  26 . The small-end hole  22  is worth 5-points and measures 1.25 inches in diameter and positioned closest to each playing end  14  of the game table  10 . The center end hole  22  is the smallest hole and is centered on the playing surface  12  in the width direction W. The dimensions of the holes  22 ,  24 ,  26  may change based on the overall dimensions of the playing surface  12  or the size of the ball  16 . 
     The game table  10  includes balls  16  that may be steel ball bearings. In the illustrated embodiment, the steel ball bearings may be standard size such as 1.0625 inch diameter. The size of the ball  16  may vary based on the size of the holes  22 ,  24 ,  26 . In another embodiment, the balls  16  may be steel ball bearings with a diameter of 16 millimeters to 0.75 inches. The balls  16  used with the game table  10  can be any suitable material wood, plastic, rubber, or steel. In the illustrated embodiment, the smallest center hole  22  has a diameter approximately 19% greater than the diameter of the ball  16 . In another embodiment, the smallest center hole  22  has a diameter approximately 15-30% greater than the diameter of the ball  16 . greater than the diameter of the ball  16 . In the illustrated embodiment, the intermediate hole  24  has a diameter approximately 94% greater than the diameter of the ball  16 . In another embodiment, the intermediate hole  24  has a diameter approximately 80-120% than the diameter of the ball. In the illustrated embodiment, the largest outer hole  26  has a diameter approximately 144% greater than the diameter of the ball  16 . In another embodiment, the largest outer hole  26  has a diameter approximately 125-175% greater than the diameter of the ball  16 . In a further embodiment, the smallest center hole  22  has a diameter up to 150% greater than the diameter of the ball, the intermediate hole  24  has a diameter up to 300% greater than the diameter of the ball  16 , and the outer hole  26  has a diameter up to 500% greater than the diameter of the ball  16 . 
     The holes in the hole pattern  20  are sized and positioned to allow a fun, yet challenging game between two players or teams of players. The holes  22 ,  24 ,  26  are spaced apart so that every roll does not result in the ball  16  going in one of the holes, but it is not impossible or too difficult to roll the balls  16  in the holes. The players must learn skill and accuracy to roll the balls in one of the holes  22 ,  24 ,  26 . For example, each of the holes  22 ,  24 ,  26  are spaced apart in the width direction W by a hole-spacing distance that is less than a diameter size of the ball  16 . For example, the outer holes  26  are spaced apart from the intermediate holes  24  by a first hole-spacing distance A. Similarly, the intermediate holes  24  are spaced apart from the center-end hole  22  by a second hole-spacing distance B. The second hole-spacing distance B is greater than the first hole-spacing distance A, which makes it more challenging to roll the ball in the center-end hole  22 . In the illustrated example, the first hole spacing distance A is approximately 0.625 inches and the second hole spacing distance B is approximately 0.875 inches. Depending on the speed and how a player releases the ball  16 , the ball  163  may roll just between each of the holes  22 ,  24 ,  26 . This spacing gives the game just enough of a challenge to make it competitive but still have the games play fast. If the spacing was any wider between the holes, it would be more challenging to score, slowing down the pace of play. 
     The hole pattern  20  may have a pattern width C that is less than the width W of the playing surface  12 . In the illustrated example, the pattern width C is approximately 13.25 inches where the width W is 15 inches. In one embodiment, the hole pattern  20  may have a pattern width C that is at least 75% of the width W. As such, the outer hole  26  may be offset from a longitudinal edge  36  of the playing surface  12  by an outer-dimension D. In the illustrated example, the outer dimension D is approximately 0.75 inches. 
     Each hole pattern  20  is formed of two rows  28  of holes having an outer hole  26 , an intermediate hole  24  and small end hole  22 . As illustrated, the two rows  28  intersect at the end hole  22  and therefore share the end hole. The rows of holes  28  are oriented at an angle E to form the V-shaped pattern  20 . As illustrated, the angle E is 38 to 40 degrees. The angle E may be any angle that allows hole-spacing in the width direction so that the holes  22 ,  24 ,  26  do not overlap in the width direction. The V-shaped hole pattern  20  may have a pattern length F. In the illustrated example, the whole pattern length F is approximately 8.5 inches. The pattern length F may be less than the pattern width C. In one embodiment, the hole patterns  20  are spaced apart in the length direction by 4-7 times the pattern length F. In the illustrated example, the hole patterns are spaced apart by in a length direction by approximately 66-70 inches. 
     The holes in the hole pattern  20  are shown as circular holes but can be many different shapes including squares, rectangles, triangles, hexagons, or octagons, for example. 
     A gutter  40  surrounds the playing surface  12 . The gutter  40  catches any balls  16  that roll off the playing surface  12  during a player&#39;s roll. As shown in  FIGS.  1 - 6   , the gutter  40  is defined between the walls of the shadow box  30  and the playing surface  12 . In another embodiment, the gutter may be formed only along the longitudinal sides adjacent the side walls  32  of the shadow box  30 . In the illustrated embodiment, the gutter  40  may have a depth of 1 inch from the playing surface  12 . In another embodiment, the gutter  40  may be approximately 0.75-3 inches in depth from the playing surface  12 . In the illustrated embodiment, the gutter  40  may have a width of 1.75 inches. The width of the gutter  40  may be greater than a diameter of the ball  16  to ensure the ball  16  falls into the gutter  40  and does not easily bounce off the walls  32 ,  34  of the shadow box  30  and remain on the playing surface  12 . 
     The hole pattern  20  may have a plurality of pockets corresponding to each of the holes  22 ,  24 ,  26  that do not extend through the playing surface  12 . The balls  16  are retrieved from the pockets after each roll and scored. Alternatively, the hole pattern  20  may have a plurality of through-slots that extend through the playing surface to a ball catch  50 . The game table  10  may have a pair of ball catches  50 , where one ball catch  50  is disposed below the each of the hole patterns  20 . 
     The ball catch  50  has a plurality of channels  52  the corresponds to each of the holes  22 ,  24 ,  26  with dividers to keep balls  16  directed to the specific channel for the hole scored. Each ball catch  50  has a return opening  54 . The return opening  54  is disposed outboard of the gutter and allows the players to easily retrieve and keep track of the score of the balls. The channels  52  will vary in length, width and depth depending on the size of the game table  10 . Lines and Numbers 
     The game table  10  may have lines applied to the playing surface  12  for aiding in score and playing (four at each end of the table). Two foul lines  42  extending in the width direction and are placed between the midline  46  and the hole pattern  20 . The players must release the ball  16  before the foul line  42 . In one embodiment, the foul lines  42  are positioned 24 inches from the back edge  38  of the playing surface  12 . The score lines and numbers  48  may also be applied to the playing surface  12  to indicate the score of each hole. 
     The game table  10  may also include a ball holder  60  for storing the balls  16 . The ball holder may include a ball rack having pockets for securely holding the balls  16 . The pockets in the ball rack may be sized slightly smaller than the balls  16  so the balls fit snug in each pocket holding them securely in place even if rack is tilted at a 45-degree angle. 
     The playing surface  12  having the V-shaped hole pattern  20  and the gutter  40  may be scaled in size for different applications and different style games. For example, a table top version of the game table  10  may be portable to taking the game table camping, to parks, tailgates, the beach, etc. The mobile game table allows players to place the playing surface  14  on an existing table or surface. The mobile game table may be made by using a single piece of material such as wood, plastic, vinyl, PVC board, metal that forms the playing surface  12 , gutters  40  and outside walls  32 ,  34 . The gutters  40  may be routed out into this single piece of material creating the playing surface  12  in the center and walls  32 ,  34  defining the periphery. Holes for scoring points will remain in a “V” shape hole pattern  20 . The holes  22 ,  24 ,  26  may be pockets that do not extend through the playing surface  12 . The players may retrieve the balls  16  from the pockets after each roll. The mobile game table may have a ball catch with a single channel corresponding to the center end hole  22 . 
     In another embodiment, the playing surface  12  may also be a green turf putting surface to play a golf-style game. The golf game table  10  may have a width dimension of 4-5 feet and a length dimension of 12-15 feet in length. 
     In another embodiment, a bowling-style game may be played with using the hole pattern  20 . The playing surface may have a width dimension of 8-12 feet and a length dimension of 40-50 feet. At the end of each playing surface there will be five holes in a V-pattern that extend through the playing surface. The smallest center hole  22  may measure 8-12 inches in diameter. The intermediate holes  24  may measure 16-20 inches in diameter. The largest outer holes  26  may measure 24-30 inches in diameter. The hole spacing A between the outer hole  26  and the intermediate hole  24  may measure 2.5 feet. The hole spacing B between the intermediate hole  24  and the center end hole  22  may measure 2 feet. The balls used for the bowling style game may be 1.5 lbs-2.5 lbs and 3.5-4.5 inches in diameter. The balls may made of hard plastic, wood, or metal, and can be painted solid or given unique finishes such as marbleized, opaque, pearlescent, or even glow-in-the-dark. The playing surface may be wood with a clear high gloss finish. In another embodiment, the playing surface may be a smooth firm flexible rubber. This can allow the option of 6-12 hydraulic lifts to be placed under the rubber playing surface at symmetrical spots. Each hydraulic lift can raise from 0.5-6 inches changing the flexible rubber playing surface. 
     THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
     
         
         
           
               10 —Game table 
               12 —playing surface 
               14 —playing ends 
               16 —balls 
               18 —legs 
               20 —hole pattern 
               22 —small center-end hole 
               24 —intermediate holes 
               26 —large outer holes 
               28 —rows of holes 
               30 —shadow box 
               32 —side walls 
               34 —end walls 
               36 —longitudinal edge of playing surface 
               38 —back edge of playing surface 
               40 —gutter 
               42 —foul lines 
               44 —longitudinal centerline 
               46 —midline 
               48 —score lines 
               50 —ball catch 
               52 —ball catch scoring channels 
               54 —ball catch opening 
               60 —ball holder 
           
         
       
    
     While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.