CA1260976A - Portable grid for a game - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
The grid is made up of a number of individual U-shaped, H-shaped or straight elements which interconnect to form the complete grid. The elements are interconnected by means of studs formed on some elements which are accommod-ated within apertures in other elements. Either the studs, the walls of the apertures or both are resiliently deform-able so that the studs can be selectively inserted in the apertures to interconnect the elements. Afterward the studs can be removed from the apertures in order to dismantle the grid. Each element is sufficiently light-weight that it can be readily carried by a single individual.

Description

C OSS P~EFERENCES TO PRIOR Af7'L' Canadian patent ~lo. 625,082 - Toy Construction, Reider Viken issued Auyust 8, 1961 Canadian patent ~o~ 908,436 - Connecting Arrange-ment for Use in a Toy Assembly Kit, ~rtur F~ischer issued August 29, 1972 BACKGROUND OF T~-l E I N VENT I ON
___ This invention relates to grids for use in conjun-ction with games played upon a grid such as hopscotch, tennis, football and the like. r~ore particularly this invention relates to grids made up of light portable ele-ments which may be readily transported Erom one place to another.
Grids for games such as hopscotch, tennis and football are conventionally drawn or painted on the surface on which the game is played. The grids cannot be convenient-ly redrawn and accordingly restrict the surface on which they are displayed to one game. For example a grid for football is not suitable for soccer or field hockey.As a result football but not soccer or field hockey can be played on a football grid. Moreover conventional grids once drawn cannot be moved. As a result every time the location of a game is changed, a new grid must be drawn.
SUM_~RY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a grid which is portable, may be readily set up for use and may be easily removed and stored when not in use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a grid made up of a number o~ components which may be readily interconnected for use and disconnected after use. The components are composed of light-weiyht material and may be readily carried by an individual without mechanical assist-ance.
These and other objects are accomplished by a portable grid for use in conjunction with games played upon a grid such as hopscotch, tennis, football and the like comprising: a plurality of elements which interconnect to define a complete grid, each element being sufficiently light-weight to be readily carried by a single individual and having means for removable interconnection to like elements adjacent thereto in the grid.
DESCRIPTION _ THE DRA~ING
The invention is described in detail with refer-ence to the accompanying drawing in which:
Figure 1 is a plan view of the grid of the invent-ion arranged for use in conjunction with the game of hop-scotch;
Figure 2 is a plan view of an "H" shaped const-ituent element of the grid;
Figure 3 is a elevation of the element illustrated in Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a plan view of a straight element;
Figure 5 is a plan view of an invented "U" shaped element;

Figure 6 is a plan view of another straig~t ele-ment;
Figure 7 is an elevation oE the element i]lust~
rated in Figure 6; and Fiyure 8 is a section, in enlaryed scale, of portions of two interconnected elements.
Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the description of the drawing.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EM~ODIMENT
With reference to Figure l, the portable grid of the invention, indicated yenerally by the numeral 10, is made up of a number of congruent rectangles, some of which being arranged one beside the other along the longitudinal axis X-X of the grid and the remainder being arranged parallel to the lateral axis Y-Y of the grid. I'he illust-rated grid is for use in conjunction with the game of hopscotch and is composed of a number of variously shaped elements 12 which interconnect to form the complete grid.
The elements of the grid are each sufficiently light-weight that they can be readily carried by a single individual without mechanical assistance. Preferably the elements are composed of molded resilient polymeric mater-ial.
The elements of the grid are in three shapes, an "H" as illustrated in Figure 2 and identified by the num-eral 14, a straight section illustrated in Figures 4 and 6 and identified 16 and 18 respectively and an inverted "U"

as illustrated in Fiyure 5 and identified 20 in that figure.
With reference to Fiyure 2, element 14 is composed of a pair of parallel flanges 22 interconnected by a web 24. A stud 26 is connected to the element adjacent t~ the two ends of each flanye. As illustrated in Fiyure 8 the stud is made up of a conical base 28, a frusto-conical intermediate portion 30 and a cap 32 at its free end. A
like stud 3~ is formed at each end of U -shaped element 20 and at the centre of straiyht element 18, the latter stud identified by the numeral 36 in Figure 7.
Straight elements 16,18 have an aperture 38 formed at each end thereof. The cross-section of the aperture is greater than that of the base and intermediate portion of the stud but is slightly less than that of the cap so that the stud may be readily inserted and removed from the aperture. The cap is resiliently deformable and ser~es, as illustrated in Figure 8, to secure or lock the stud within the aperture. The cap however deforms when the two inter-connected elements are forced apart to permit the stud tobe removed from the aperture.
It will be understood of course that modifications can be made in the preferred embodiment described herein without departing from the scope and purview of the inven-tion as defined in the appended claims. ~or example the grid illustrated and described above is for use in con-junction with the game of hopscotch but may be modified to form a grid-iron so that it would be suitable ~or use in conjunction with -the game oE football. To this end, the grid would be composed of elements haviny the same or, if desired, different shapes from those described above but those elements would be similarly portable and would be interconnectable in the same manner.
It is also understood that the elernents r3escribed above can be used to extend the hopscotch grid in any direction desired. They can also be used to form a straight line, a large rectangle and many other shapes.

Claims (3)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A portable grid for use in conjunction with games played upon a grid such as hopscotch, tennis, football and the like comprising: a plurality of variously shaped elements which inter-connect to define a complete grid, certain of said elements having a pair of spaced flanges and a web which extends there-between, and others of said elements being straight, means being provided on said flanges of elements provided with same and at both ends of the straight sections for removably interconnecting said elements to other elements adjacent thereto in said grid, each said element being sufficiently light-weight to be readily carried by a single individual.

2. The grid as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for inter-connection includes an aperture formed in one said element and a stud formed on an adjacent said element, said stud conforming to the shape of said aperture and being removably accommodated therein to thereby interconnect said adjacent elements.

3. The grid as claimed in claim 2 wherein said stud has a free end which extends outwardly from the aperture when said stud is accommodated therein, said free end being provided with a cap of resiliently deformable material and having a cross-sectional area larger than the area of the aperture adjacent thereto, said cap serving to maintain said stud within said aperture but deforming resiliently to permit removal of said stud from said aperture when a separating force is applied to said interconnected ele-ments.