Patent Publication Number: US-9427655-B1

Title: Polygon-shaped game system

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application is a continuation-in-part of pending application Ser. No. 14/026,866 filed Sep. 13, 2013, which in turn is, in turn, a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 14/473,876 filed Sep. 13, 2013 and issued Apr. 28, 2015 as U.S. Pat. No. 9,017,179, the subject matter of which applications is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a polygon-shaped game system and more particularly pertains to fields which are readily assembled for playing games and disassembled for transportation and storage. The assembling and disassembling of fields and the playing of games are done in a safe, convenient, and economical manner. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The use of game fields of known designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, game fields of known designs and configurations previously devised and utilized for the purpose of providing a playing area for games are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
     While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, they do not describe a polygon-shaped game system that allows fields to be readily assembled for playing games and disassembled for transportation and storage, the fields when assembled being arranged for play, the assembling and disassembling of fields and the playing of games being done in a safe, convenient, and economical manner. 
     In this respect, the polygon-shaped game system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing fields which are readily assembled for playing games and disassembled for transportation and storage. The fields when assembled are arranged for play. The assembling and disassembling of fields and the playing of games are done in a safe, convenient, and economical manner. 
     Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved polygon-shaped game system with fields which can be readily assembled for playing games and disassembled for transportation and storage, the assembling and disassembling of fields and the playing of games being done in a safe, convenient and economical manner. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the disadvantages inherent in the known types of game fields of known designs and configurations now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved polygon-shaped game system. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved polygon-shaped game system which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages. 
     To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a polygon-shaped game field with two opposed parallel ends and two opposed parallel sides and a plurality of intermediate sides. Each side and each end are formed of rectangular panels having vertical and horizontal rails. Vertical extender rails extend upwardly from the rectangular panels. A plurality of variously shaped connectors couple together the rails of the rectangular panels and the extender rails. Stabilizer support panels extend outwardly from at least some of the rectangular panels. Flexible fabric netting is located between the rails of the rectangular panels and the extender rails. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved polygon-shaped game system which has all of the advantages of the prior art game fields of known designs and configurations and none of the disadvantages. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved polygon-shaped game system which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved polygon-shaped game system which is of safe, durable and reliable constructions. 
     An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved polygon-shaped game system which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such polygon-shaped game system economically available to the buying public. 
     Lastly, another object of the present invention is to provide a polygon-shaped game system for fields which are readily assembled for playing games and disassembled for transportation and storage. The assembling and disassembling of fields and the playing of games are done in a safe, convenient and economical manner. 
     These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
     For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of a dodge ball game field constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a front elevational view of a panel taken along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a front elevational view of a brace taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a front elevational view of a panel taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a front elevational view of a brace taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a plan view of a dodge ball game field constructed in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a front elevational view of a brace taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
    
     The same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the various Figures. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIG. 1  thereof, the preferred embodiment of the new and improved polygon-shaped game system embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     The present invention, the polygon-shaped game system  10  is comprised of a plurality of components. Such components in their broadest context include a rectangular dodge ball field, rectangular panels, vertical extender rails, a plurality of connectors, and flexible fabric. Such components are individually configured and correlated with respect to each other so as to attain the desired objective. 
     The polygon-shaped game system  10  of the present invention is formed of a dodge ball field  12 . The field is readily assembled for playing games and disassembled for transportation and storage. The assembling and disassembling of fields and the playing of games is done in a safe, convenient, and economical manner. 
     The dodge ball field  12  is polygon-shaped. It has two similarly configured ends  16  spaced by a length, two similarly configured sides  18  spaced by a width, and a plurality of intermediate panels  20 . 
     Each side is formed of side panels  22 . Each end is formed of end panels  24 . Each side panel, end panel, and intermediate panel is rectangular. Each has vertical rails  26  spaced by width. Each side and end panel has horizontal rails  28  with a height. The vertical rails are adjustable in length to vary the height of the side and end panels between a collapsed height and an extended length. 
     Each end panel has extender panels  34  formed of vertical extender rails  36  spaced by a length and laterally spaced by a width. Each extender panel has an upper horizontal extender rail  38  coupling adjacent vertical extender rails. 
     A plurality of variously shaped connectors are provided for coupling together rails of the side panels and the end panels and the extender panels. The various shaped connectors include L-shaped connectors  42 , T-shaped connectors  44 , and corner connectors  48 . The corner connectors have opposed bores forming an angle of 45 degrees. 
     Securement components  54  are provided. The securement components are attached to the side panels and the end panels and extend downwardly therefrom to securely couple the field to a recipient surface. 
     Next provided are stabilizer support panels  56 . The stabilizer support panels extend outwardly from at least some of the side panels and at least some of the end panels. 
     Flexible fabric netting  58  is provided. The flexible fabric netting is located between the rails of the side panels and the end panels and the extender panels. 
     The panels and extenders have a maximum height and form a playing periphery during use. In the preferred embodiment for games with teams of more than two team members, the playing periphery is from 35 to 45 times the maximum height. 
     Lastly, at least one door  64  is formed in a side panel adjacent to an end panel. The at least one door is formed of flexible fabric netting coupled solely to and depending from one of the horizontal rails. 
     In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the securement components  54  are spikes for use with the ground as the recipient surface. 
     An alternate embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . In this embodiment of the system  100 , the playing field  104  has a circular configuration. Panel connectors  108  are provided with bores  110 ,  112  at an angle of less than 15 degrees. In an embodiment for games with teams of two team members, the playing periphery is from 15 to 25 times the maximum height. 
     As to the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.