AU660106B2

AU660106B2 - Game apparatus

Info

Publication number: AU660106B2
Application number: AU44808/93A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Alan Thomas Hunt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-10-20
Filing date: 1993-08-20
Publication date: 1995-06-08
Anticipated expiration: 2013-08-20
Also published as: AU4480893A

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION For a Standard Patent 6601 06 ORIGINAL Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: ALAN THOMAS HUNT ALAN THOMAS HUNT Address for Service: a me WRAY ASSOCIATES, Primary Indrstry Terrace, Perth, Western Australia, 6000.

House, 239 Adelaide Attorney code: WR Invention Title: GAME APPARATUS a a e Details of Associated Provisional Application: No: PL5395 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- 1 2 This invention relates generally to game apparatus, and in particular relates to apparatus for use in the games of baseball, softball and teeball.

Many outdoor games require a person to run or jump onto a bag or mat, or to run over and past a bag or mat. For instance, padded gymnastic mats are often used by schools for childrens sporting classes, and these are sometimes used on school ovals and the like. Further, field athletic games such as high jump and pole vaulting utilise large padded bags and mats for competitors to land on after completing their jump or vault. Further still, and having particular relevance to the present invention, competitors in softball, baseball and teeball have padded bases between which the competitors run.

Of course, the competitors in softball, baseball and teeball are often required to stand on the bases, and to dive at the bases in an attempt to avoid being given out.

Having particular reference to the bases in softball, baseball and teeball, the bases regularly receive impact from the competitors, whether that simply be running over the 20 bases or diving at and hitting the bases, which causes the bases to move away from their desired location. Accordingly, the bases have evolved to include pins that project through the base from the top thereof to secure the base to the ground.

The pins that are traditionally used to achieve the securing of the bases to the ground regularly cause injury to the competitors by virtue of the bags working loose from the ground, and by virtue of the pins working loost from the bags, as the competitors impact the bags. Indeed, injuries occur frequently as competitors collide with the bag and pin or collide with just the head of the pin as it pulls out of the ground.

'I 3 An aim of the present invention is to provide game apparatus suitable for use as bases in softball, baseball and teeball that will overcome, or at least partly alleviate, the above difficulties. However, it must be appreciated that while the present invention finds particular use as apparatus in these games, the invention may also find use in other situations where bags or mats are required to be secured to the ground.

The present invention provides a game apparatus for use as bases in the games of softball, baseball or teeball, the apparatus comprising a bag having an upper surface and a lower surface, and a ground engaging means having a ground engaging portion and a head, the head having an upper surface that in use remains substantially exposed above ground level for interaction with the bag, wherein the upper surface of 15 the head and at least a portion of the lower surface of the bag are capable of being detachably connected such that the force required to displace the ground engaging means when still connected to the bag is greater than the force required to break the connection between the bag and the ground engaging means.

By utilising the game apparatus of the present invention, any impact on the bag that might be sufficient to cause the ground engaging means to withdraw from the ground and possibly cause injury, would disconnect the bag from the head of the ground engaging means prior to there being an opportunity to displace the ground engaging means from the ground. For example, if a competitor were to slide at a base in a softball game hitting the base with sufficient force that would otherwise have caused the pin in a conventional bag to pull out of the ground, the bag of the apparatus of the present invention would firstly detach from the head of the ground engaging means and the competitor would simply slide over the head of the ground engaging means without causing any injury to the person. This would also be the case if there was repeated impact, such as might be present

I

4 simply by competitors continuously running over and stepping on a base, that would otherwise cause a conventional bag to work loose, and thus the ground engaging means of the apparatus of the present invention would remain firmly within the ground while the bag would detach therefrom.

If the bag of the invention does detach from the head of the ground engaging means, the nearest person may simply reconnect the bag to the head of the ground engaging means as required.

In a preferred form of the invention, the connection of the bag to the head of the ground engaging means is achieved by using a velvet type fastener, such as a hook and loop type fastener, between the upper surface of the head and the portion of the lower surface of the bag to which it is to connect. For example, the material known by the trade name VELCRO is the most preferred material, and the use of this material allows, for example, the hook portion of the VELCRO to be secured to the upper surface of the head while the loop portion of the VELCRO may be secured to the lower surface of 20 the bag.

Of course, any type of fastener may *be utilised that is capable of providing the required degree of adhesion between the bag and the gr6und engaging means, but which presents on the surface of the head of the ground engaging means a surface that will not injure a person if the person slides over and hits that surface. For example, a form of adhesive may be utilised, although difficulties would be encountered with dirt and the reusability of such adhesive, as may connectors in the form of &cuds. However, as indicated above, a fastener such as VELCRO or other like types of fasteners, is preferred.

It will also be apparent that the degree of adhesion required between the bag and the head of the ground engaging means may II I 5 vary depending upon the ground in which the ground engaging means will be inserted, the speed and size of the competitors in the game, and indeed the game itself. Thus, the same area of VELCRO may not be required to be used when a reasonably soft ground is the venue for the game, when compared to ground that is particularly hard. This variation in adhesion may be achieved by having a greater surface area of the head of the ground engaging means, and thus in the preferred form a greater area of VELCRO, or may be achieved by providing a material having the same surface area but greater density and thus greater adhesive capacity.

The adhesive ability of the head of the ground engaging means may also be affected by providing the head in one of a variety of configurations. For example, the head may be 15 domed and may fit flush within a concave portion in the lower surface of the bag. Alternatively, the head of the ground engaging means may be rectangular so as to fit within a rectangular aperture in the lower surface of the bag. Again, it must be appreciated that it is highly preferred to have a substantially smooth configuration for the head such that injuries will not occur if competitors slide over the head after impacting upon the bag.

The ground engaging means is preferably provided by an elongate pointed shaft, of a size that may be dictated by the nature of the game, the strength of the required adhesion between the head and the bag, and the conditions of the ground. Of course, it will be appreciated that any type of pin or shaft may be utilised where necessary.

The invention will now be described in relation to a preferred embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, it must be understood that the following description is not to limit the generality of the above description.

6 In the drawings:- :igure 1 is a plan view of the lower surface of a bag according to a preferred embodiment of the game apparatus of the present invention; and Figure 2 is a sectional schematic view of the bag of Figure 1 in use with the ground engaging means of the preferred embodiment of the game apparatus of the invention.

Illustrated in Figure 1 is a bag 10 that may be used as a base in the games of softball, baseball or teeball. The base is illustrated in plan view to show the lower surface 12 thereof which includes Ehe portion 14 that is capable of detachably connecting to the head of the ground engaging means. In this particular embodiment, the portion 14 is a concave portion centrally located in the lower surface of the bag The interaction of the ground engaging means 16 with the bag is better illustrated in Figure 2. In Figure 2, the ground engaging means 16 is in the form of an elongate shaft 20 18 having a pointed end 20 for assisting in insertion of the shaft 18 in the ground, and a headA The head A -is domed and includes on its upper surface a hook and loop type o.

fastener material such as VELCRO. A further layer of VELCRO is located within the concave portion 14 in the lower surface 2- 12 of the bag 10, such that the headA 2 may be located within the concave portion 14 such that the VELCRO fastener connects the headA& to the bag Also illustrated in Figure 2 is a winglet 22 secured to the shaft 18 to assist in preventing rotation of the shaft 18 within the soil 24. However, in an alternative version, the shaft 18 may be provided with threaded fluting or the like, allowing the ground engaging means 16 to be screwed into the ground. Of course, such an alternative would only be desired 7 where ground conditions were suitable for this type of engagement.

It will thus be seen that the game apparatus of the present invention provides a base for the games of softball, baseball or teeball that does not present injury potential due to the possible protrusion of metal pins from the ground. Indeed, the bag of the present invention is easily able to come away from the ground engaging means of the present invention, leaving only a relatively flat and smooth head exposed to the competitors.

Finally, it will also be understood that there may be other **modifications and alterations to the configurations described herein that are also within the scope of the present invention.

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II

Claims

2. A game apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the connection of the bag to the head of the ground engaging means is achieved by using a velvet type fastener, such as a hook and loop type fastener, between the upper surface of the head and the portion of the lower surface of the bag to which it is to connect. ee. e
3. A game apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the velvet type fastener is VELCRO (trademark). A game apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the hook portion of the VELCRO (trademark) is secured to the upper surface of the head while the loop portion of the VELCRO (trademark) is secured to the lower surface of the bag. A game apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the head has a substantially smooth configuration.
6. A game apparatus according to any one of claims I to 5, wherein the head is domed and fits flush within a concave portion in the lower surface of the bag, 9
7. A game apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the ground engaging means is provided by an elongate pointed shaft, of a size that may be dictated by the nature of the game, the strength of the required adhesion between the head and the bag, and the conditions of the ground.
8. A game apparatus according to claim 1 substantially as herein described in relation to the accompanying drawings. DATED this TWENTIETH day of AUGUST 1993 ALAN THOMAS HUNT Applicant. S. WRAY ASSOCIATES, Perth, Western Australia, Patent Attorneys for the Applicant. .9 AB STRACT A game apparatus for use as bases in the games of softball, baseball or teeball, the apparatus comprising a bag 10 having an upper surface and a lower surface 12, and a ground engaging means 16 having a ground engaging portion 18 and a head 20, the head 20 having an upper surface that in use remains substantially exposed above ground level for interaction with the bag 10, wherein the upper surface of the head and at least a portion of the lower surface 12 of the bag 10 are capable of being detachably connected such that the force required to displace the ground engaging means 16 when still connected to the bag 10 is greater than the force required to break the connection between the bag 10 and the ground engaging means 16.