Patent Publication Number: US-2005127609-A1

Title: Game involving tossing object into box

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      This invention relates to improved methods and apparatus concerning games.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Various games are known in the prior art in which an object is tossed so that the object hits a target.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention in one or more embodiments provides an apparatus comprising a first device and a second device. The first and second devices may be identical. Each of the first device and the second device may have a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface being at an angle with respect to the bottom surface, the top surface having a opening. The apparatus may also include a first object, which is small enough to fit into both the opening of the first device and of the second device. A plurality of objects identical to the first object may be provided. The objects may be beanbags.  
      The present invention also includes a method comprising placing the first device and the second device a distance apart. The method may further comprise throwing the first object towards the opening of the second device while standing behind the first device and while standing farther away from the second device than the first device. The method may further include retrieving the first object, and throwing the first object towards the opening of the first device while standing behind the second device and while standing farther away from the first device than the second device. The method may include awarding one or more points in a game to a person who throws the first object into the opening of the first or the second device. A plurality of objects may be thrown into the openings and a person throwing the last object into an opening during a round may be awarded points equal to the total number of objects thrown into the particular opening during the round. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1A  shows a left side perspective view of a first device for use in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 1B  shows a right side perspective view of the first device of  FIG. 1A ;  
       FIG. 1C  shows a rear view of the first device of  FIG. 1A ;  
       FIG. 1D  shows a bottom view of the first device of  FIG. 1A ;  
       FIG. 2A  shows the first device of  FIG. 1A  and a second device identical to the first device of  FIG. 1A , and a person tossing an object into the second device; and  
       FIG. 2B  shows the first device of  FIG. 1A  and the second device, and the person tossing the object into the first device of  FIG. 1A . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1A  shows a left side perspective view of a device  10  for use in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 1B  shows a right side perspective view of the device  10 .  FIG. 1C  shows a rear view of the device  10 .  FIG. 1D  shows a bottom view of the device  10 .  
      Referring to FIGS.  1 A-D, the device  10  may be comprised of a sloped or slanted top surface  12 , a bottom surface  22 , a side  14 , a side  18 , and a rear surface  20 . The top surface  12  may have an opening  16 , which may have a diameter of D1, which may be six inches. The opening  16  may be spaced D4 inches from the rear surface  20  and D5 inches from a bottom edge  12   a  of the top surface  12 . D4 may be three inches and D5 may be twenty inches. The opening  16  may be spaced D3 inches from the side  14  and D2 inches from the side  18 . D2 and D3 may each be three inches. The height, H1, from an edge  22   a  of the bottom surface  22  to an edge  12   b  of the top surface  12  may be twelve inches. The top surface  12  may make an angle of A, which may be 30 degrees with respect to the bottom surface  22 . The top surface  12  and the bottom surface  22  may be planar surfaces. The device  10  may be a closed container or box with the exception of hole  16 . The hole  16  may be large enough for an average adult human hand to reach into the hole  16  to retrieve an object previously thrown into the hole  16 . As shown in  FIG. 1B , the device  10  may have a length D6, which may be about twenty-six inches.  
       FIG. 2A  shows the device  10  and a device  110  identical to the device  10 , and a person  140  tossing an object  150  into the device  110 . The device  110  may include top surface  112 , sides  114  and  118 , rear surface  120  and bottom surface  122 , similar to similarly numbered components for apparatus  10 . The top surface  112  may include opening  116  placed in a similar or identical location to opening  16  of device  10 .  
      In operation, an individual such as person  140 , may space the device  10  and the device  110  apart a certain distance such as D10, as measured from edge  12   a  to an edge  112   a  of apparatus  10 . D10 may be an optional distance depending on the age of the players. A typical distance may be twenty-five to thirty feet. The person  140  may then pick up an object  150 , with a hand  146 , attached to the lower arm  144 , attached to the upper arm  142  of the person  140 . The object  150  when first picked up is shown, by dashed lines, at location  150   a  in  FIG. 2A . The person  140  may then throw or toss the object  150  using one or more of the individual&#39;s upper arm  142 , lower arm  144 , and hand  146 . In the example shown in  FIG. 2A , the object  150  travels through positions  150   a ,  150   b ,  150   c ,  150   d , and  150   e , and then into opening  116  of the device  110 . The person  140  should be standing behind rear surface  20  of device  10  when the throw or toss is made towards the opening  116  of the device  110 .  
      After the person  140  has thrown the object  150  or a plurality of objects like object  150  towards the device  110 , the person  140  then walks over to the device  110  and picks up the object  150  or any additional objects like  150 . The person  140  may reach into opening  116  to retrieve any objects, which landed inside of the device  110 . The person  140  next stands behind the rear surface  120  of the device  110  and then proceeds to throw the object  150  back towards the device  10 . In the example of  FIG. 2B , the person  140  tosses or throws the object  150  so that it passes through positions  150   f ,  150   g ,  150   h ,  150   i ,  150   j , and into opening  16  of device  10 .  
      The object  150  may be a beanbag or hackey sack (trademarked). Ten objects identical to object  150  may be provided. The object  150  may have a heavy cloth enclosure inside of which beans or beads may be located to give lift, weight, and flexibility. The object  150  needs to be able to fit into the opening  16 . The object  150  may have a length of about four inches or less, a width of about four inches or less, and a thickness of about one inch or less, allowing the object  150  to easily fit into the typically six inch diameter opening  16 .  
      A game may be played using the device  10  and the device  110  and a plurality of objects, identical to object  150 . As an example, one person or player to six players can play. Each player would stand behind the rear surface  20  of the device  10  and take turns trying to toss or throw an object, like object  150 , into the hole  116  of the device  110 . In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the last player or person to throw an object, like object  150  into the hole or opening  116  of the device  110  would receive a number of points equal to the number objects thrown into the opening  116  on that round. For example, if six objects, like object  150 , were thrown into the opening  116 , the last person to throw an object in would get six points. After all the bags or objects like  150 , have been thrown towards the device  110  from behind the device  10 , the player or players next moves to the position shown in  FIG. 2B  and throws the one or more objects, like  150 , back at the device  10  from behind the device  110 .  
      Points may be awarded based on how many objects (like object  150 ) are thrown into an opening (such as opening  16  or  116 ) or when an object is thrown into an opening. Keep in mind that the last object to end up in the hole (such as opening  16  or  116 ) of one of the boxes or devices (such as devices  10  and  110 ) will typically score all the points of as many objects in that particular box or device for that round of toss. For example, if player one throws one bag or object  150  in the hole or opening  16  of the box or device  10 , respectively, that player would have one point. If the next player should get a further object (like object  150 ) in the opening  16  then the first player has zero points and the second player has two points, since there are now two objects or bags that have gone through through opening  16  during this round of toss and now reside in the device  10 . If then the first player gets one further bag or object (like  150 ) in an opening (such as  16 ) after that, then the first player has three points and the second player has zero points. At this point there would now be three bags or objects (like  150 ) in the device  10 , that have gone through the opening  16 . If a round includes four total bags or objects (like  150 ) thrown, and if all four bags or objects are thrown or tossed through the opening  16  and into the device  10 , then that the last player to throw an object in the opening  16  would have a total of four points and the other player would have zero.  
      Although the invention has been described by reference to particular illustrative embodiments thereof, many changes and modifications of the invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to include within this patent all such changes and modifications as may reasonably and properly be included within the scope of the present invention&#39;s contribution to the art.