Abstract:
The invention is a game difficulty modifier for the traditional lawn game known as cornhole or bean bag toss which utilizes inserts to change the standard target aperture in the cornhole game board. The insert adapter changes the difficulty level of the game by either altering the size or nature of the game board&#39;s target aperture. The insert adapters are designed to be easily installed and removed from the game board allowing players to experience different levels of difficulty during the same game.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Provisional Patent Application No.: 61/855,300 
         [0002]    Filing Date: May 13, 2013 
         [0003]    Relationship: Provisional application was for the same invention 
         [0004]    Provisional Patent Application No.: 61/959,407 
         [0005]    Filing Date: Aug. 23, 2013 
         [0006]    Relationship: Provisional application was the celebratory sound addition of the invention 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0007]    This invention was not made by an agency of the United States Government nor under a contract with an agency of the United States Government. 
     
    
     PARTIES TO JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
       [0008]    Not Applicable. 
       REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING 
       [0009]    Not Applicable. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    Whether it is called corn toss, soft horseshoes, bean bag toss or tailgate toss, the lawn game cornhole is increasing in popularity across the United States. There are numerous associations and clubs for the game including the American Cornhole Association (www.playcornhole.org), the American Cornhole Organization (www.americancornhole.com), the Central Alabama Cornhole Club (www.alabamacornhole.com), and the Maryland Cornhole Organization, Inc. (www.marylandcornhole .org). The exact origins of the game are unknown. One version of its history says the game originated in Germany during the fourteenth century and reemerged in Kentucky approximately one hundred years ago. Another version has the game originating in Ohio during the last century. Regardless of its origins, the game appeals to people of all ages. 
         [0011]    The game consists of two elevated platforms, typically made of wood, located several feet apart in a level area. The platforms are elevated on an angle with the lower end located typically two to four inches above the ground and the higher end approximately twelve inches above the ground. A standard platform general measures two feet wide by four feet long with a six inch circular aperture centered horizontally on the board approximately nine inches from the edge of the higher end. In a standard game, the platforms are placed facing each other approximately twenty-seven feet apart. Players take turns tossing a small bag filled with dried beans, corn or other pellets at the platform the farthest from them. Points are awarded for landing the bag on the platform or sending the bag through the target aperture, with a greater number of points awarded for sending the bag through the target aperture. The bag can go through the target aperture by either hitting the target aperture directly or sliding the bag across the board into the aperture. When competing players have significantly different levels of skill or experience, lack of competition can reduce the enjoyment of the game. Typically a handicap is offered by having the more skilled player toss from a greater distance from the target than his opponent. The invention described in this application is intended to provide the players the option of changing the difficulty level of the game by modifying the target aperture through which the players desire to send their bag. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    The purpose of the invention in this application is to provide cornhole players adapters that can be utilized to change the difficulty level for one or more players engaging in the lawn game cornhole. A standard cornhole game board is flat surface two feet wide by four feet long set on an angle where the lower end is approximately two to four inches above the ground and the higher end approximately twelve inches above the ground. A circular six inch diameter aperture is located in the horizontal center of the board approximately nine inches from the top end upper edge. Players attempt to toss a bean bag through this target aperture. The invention is a method and device that changes the difficulty of the game by utilizing the described adapters to modify the standard six inch target aperture. The adapters either decrease the size of the target aperture or provide a trap door that can only be opened by a direct hit of the thrown bag on the target. 
         [0013]    The invention encompasses game modifiers that are individually inserted into the game board&#39;s standard six inch aperture. The modifier inserted from the top of the board has the advantage that it can be easily inserted and removed before the game begins and throughout the course of the game without moving the game board. This allows the difficulty level to be increased for more experienced players and maintained at the game standard for the less experienced players as the game progresses. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  show a view of the underneath of the basic invention. A flat circular disk ( 1 ) is affixed to a ring ( 2 ). The flat disk ( 1 ) has a hole in its center which aligns with the open area of the ring ( 2 ) to provide the new target aperture for the game. The flat disk is thicker at the center and tapers towards the outer edges; this is to provide minimal obstruction for a bean bag sliding towards the target aperture. Two support braces are attached to the ring; one is stationary ( 3 ) and the other designed to rotate ( 4 ). Note that the drawing is not to scale. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  shows a view of the top of the basic invention. When inserted into the game board&#39;s aperture, only the flat disk portion of the invention is visible to the players. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  shows a side view of the basic invention. The flat circular disk ( 1 ) is affixed to one side of the ring ( 2 ). The support braces ( 3  and  4 ) are affixed to the opposite side of the ring ( 2 ). The ring is of sufficient height so that when the invention is inserted into the game board&#39;s aperture the support braces fit underneath the game board. This is to prevent the invention from being jostled out of the game board due to vibration of the board from impact of the tossed bags. Note that the drawing is not to scale. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  shows a bottom side view of the trap door variation of the basic invention. In addition to the thin circular disk ( 1 ) and ring ( 2 ) with support braces ( 3  and  4 ), a secondary circular disk ( 5 ) is attached to the ring&#39;s stationary support brace ( 3 ) using a spring hinge mechanism ( 6 ). Note that the drawing is not to scale. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  shows a top view of the trap door variation of the invention. Note that the drawing is not to scale. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    Cornhole, also known as soft horseshoes, bean bag toss, or tailgate toss, is a popular lawn game played across the country. The game consists to two elevated platforms, typically made of wood, located several feet apart in a level area. The platforms are elevated on an angle with the lower end located typically two to four inches above the ground and the higher end approximately twelve inches above the ground. A standard game platform (game board) measures two feet wide by four feet long with a six inch diameter circular aperture centered horizontally on the board approximately nine inches from the edge of the higher end. Players take turns tossing a small bag filled with dried beans, corn or other pellets at the platform the farthest from them. Points are awarded for landing the bag on the platform or sending the bag through the target aperture, with a greater number of points awarded for sending the bag through the target aperture. The bag can go through the target aperture by either hitting the target aperture directly or sliding the bag across the board into the aperture. The invention described in this application is intended to increase the difficulty of the game by modifying the target aperture through which the players desire to send their bean bag. The adapters either decrease the size of the target aperture or provide a trap door that can only be opened by a direct hit of the thrown bag on the target. 
         [0020]    The invention is an adapter designed to be inserted into the game board from the top side (the side that faces the players) and is shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3 . It consists of a thin circular disk ( 1 ) with an outer diameter greater than six inches and an inner diameter less than the standard six inches of a cornhole game board affixed to one side of a ring ( 2 ). The disk is tapered such that it is thickest near the center and thinnest at the outer edge. This is done to minimize obstruction to a bag sliding across the game board toward the target aperture. The ring has an outer diameter of slightly less than six inches and an inner diameter sufficiently large to allow the bag to pass through freely. The height of the ring is approximately the same as the thickness of a standard cornhole game board. Two support braces are affixed at the bottom edge of the ring. One brace ( 3 ) is stationary while the second brace ( 4 ) is affixed in a manner to allow it to pivot from a placement oriented to the inside of the ring for insertion of the adapter and then to be pivoted 180 degrees so that the lug is positioned behind the game board. The two braces prevent the adapter from being loosened from the game board during game play. 
         [0021]    When utilizing the invention, the ring ( 2 ) is inserted into the standard aperture of the game board such that circular disk ( 1 ) partially covers the game board&#39;s aperture on the playing surface of the game board creating a smaller aperture through which the players attempt to toss their bags. This increases the difficulty level of the game. The ease of installation of the invention allows it to be inserted, used and then removed throughout the course of the game without moving the game board. Thus the game can be made more difficult for the experienced skilled player, while allowing the less experienced player to enjoy the original game. 
         [0022]    The addition of a “trap door” to the basic invention further increases the cornhole game difficulty. This variation of the invention is shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . A solid thin circular target disk ( 5 ) is located inside and covering the target aperture open space. The target disk is attached to the insertable adapter by means of a spring hinged mechanism ( 6 ). When using the trap door variation, a player must toss his bag directly onto the trap door to score the higher number of points awarded for sending a bag through the target aperture. A bag sliding across the surface of the game board onto the trap door would not have sufficient force to cause the “trap door” to open. When the “trap door” opens, it allows the bean bag to fall through the aperture and then returns to the original position. 
         [0023]    The “trap door” adaptation can also include a celebratory sound feature. When the trap door is opened, it activates a sound mechanism that will play a celebratory sound to herald the score. Devices are currently available in the market place that would allow the game owner or seller to customize the celebratory sound played. 
         [0024]    The materials of construction for the invention can be as varied as the materials used to construct cornhole game boards. As the game boards as typically made of wood, prototypes of the invention were also constructed of wood. However, the invention would not be limited to a wooden construction but could be made of various materials, such as plastic or other organic polymers. 
         [0025]    Previous United States Patents for toss games with varying sized target apertures disclose entire games and not a means of modification of an existing commercially available game. U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,591 (Multiple Type Target Game, granted Feb. 23, 1988 to Clyde R. Johnson) describes a toss game with multiple apertures of varying sizes through which the player attempts to throw an object. U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,832 (Changeable Target Game Apparatus, granted Jun. 16, 1998 to Walter M. Huff) discloses a game with a game board (target panel) with a large aperture. A rotating panel with multiple varying sized apertures is affixed to the target panel. The rotating panel can then be turned to align an aperture on the rotating panel to the aperture of the underlying target panel. Although both of these inventions involve varying sized target apertures through which a player attempts to toss a game piece as does the present invention, the invention disclosed in this application is an adapter that can be utilized with the multitude of cornhole game boards already in existence and not the acquisition of an entirely new game. 
         [0026]    A potential patent classification for this invention is Class 273, Amusement Devices Games; Sub-Class 354, Having means to vary size of projectile receiving target aperture or target opening. 
         [0027]    The present invention described above and shown in the accompanying drawings is visualized as the preferred embodiment of the invention. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in forms and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. It is therefore intended that the present invention not be limited to the exact forms and details described and illustrated herein, but falls within the scope of the appended claims. 
         [0028]    The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and the are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. 
         [0029]    Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the specification and relevant art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity. 
         [0030]    It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on”, “attached” to, “connected” to, “coupled” with, “contacting”, etc., another element, it can be directly on, attached to, connected to, coupled with or contacting the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being, for example, “directly on”, “directly attached” to, “directly connected” to, “directly coupled” with or “directly contacting” another element, there are no intervening elements present. It will also be appreciated by those of skill in the art that references to a stricture or feature that is disposed “adjacent” another feature may have portions that overlap or underlie the adjacent feature.