GB2034590A - Games for use with darts - Google Patents

Abstract

A dartboard has a sheet (10) of paper, card or like material removably fixed over its playing surface, the sheet having target areas at which darts are thrown. A set of games sheets may be provided, with the sheets bearing all the information necessary for the playing of a distinctive game, the information including a plurality of discrete target areas and the rules characteristic of that game. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Games for use with darts Description The conventional game of darts played on a dartboard is popular world-wide In its basic form the game consists of starting with a given number and reducing this by amounts equal to the total scored as a result of throwing darts at the numbered segments of the board until one player reaches zero.

Various other "games" have been devised making use of the score achieved from throwing darts at the board, but in every case one is using the conventional board and the conventional marked target areas on the board, such as singles, doubles, and trebles.

Although one can achieve some variations on the basic game by devising special rules, these games are usually thought to be somewhat artificial.

Moreover, a person who plays darts only occasionally may find the conventional games of darts too difficult, requiring as it does a high degree of skill in order to play well, and such a person may therefore be discouraged from playing.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative to the conventional game of darts by providing sheets of paper, card or like material which are adapted to be fixed to a dartboard or other dart-receiving backing member, these sheets representing different games which can for example be graded in respect of the skill necessary to play them and thereby providing new and distinctive games which can be played by persons of all abilities.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a dartboard having removably fixed over the playing surface thereof a sheet of paper, card or like material provided with target areas at which darts are to be thrown.

Preferably, the cover sheet is continuous over the area of the playing surface of the dartboard.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a set of games comprising disposable sheets of paper, card or like material adapted to be fixed to a dartboard or like dartreceiving backing member to be penetrated by darts thrown at the sheets, the sheets bearing all the information necessary for the playing of a distinctive game requiring darts to be thrown at the sheets, the information on each sheet including a plurality of discrete target areas at which darts are to be thrown and the rules according to which the game characteristic of that sheet is to be played.

Preferably, the target areas, i.e. the scoring areas, have intermediate non-scoring "dead" areas between them.

Each of these sheets, bearing as it does the necessary target areas and also the rules, enables a person simply to pin the sheet over an existing dartboard or on to some other backing member and thereby have a ready-made game which, although making use of standard darts, is not limited by the rules of the conventional game. The games represented on the sheets can be of any nature. For example, one can devise games of cricket, football, treble chance, shopping purchases, games using representations of coins as target areas, etcetera.

The actual nature of the target areas represented on the sheets and of the rules accompanying them can be extremely wide ranging.

Although the sheets may be circular in shape in order to match up with the conventional dartboard, they are preferably rectangular, generally square.

One advantage of using square or otherwise rectangular sheets, particularly with the actual game area defined within a circle, is that the four corners can then be used to carry either the rules or advertising material.

The disposable sheets may be of any desired material so long as they are capable of being penetrated by the darts. A heavyweight paper or light card has been found to be particularly suitable.

Contrary to what one might expect, it has been found that fewer darts bounce back from the board when it is covered with the sheet than occurs normally from darts striking the wires of the dartboard. The sheets may be perforated along one edge or margin, particularly if square or rectangular in shape, so that they can be detached one at a time from a common strip.

The accompanying drawing shows two examples of typical games sheets for fixing to a dartboard in accordance with the present invention.

The game shown in Figure 1 is based upon representations of playing cards. The sheet 10 is square in shape, and the playing area is defined within an inner circle 12. This circular playing area is surrounded by an annular margin 14 which carries printed wording, including the rules. The diameter of the inner circle 12 is preferably substantially equal to that of the wire "doubles" ring of a conventional dartboard. The actual target area, namely the playing cards, is positioned within the first circle 12 and in this particular embodiment the individual target areas are spaced from each other only by lines so that the target area is essentially unbroken. The central area 16 where the radial wires of the conventional dartboard meet at the bullseye is left blank in this particular game, although the target area can be continuous right up to the centre of the sheet. It will be appreciated that with the provision of a circular target area on a square sheet one is left with four corner areas which can be used for advertising material, or for the rules, or for any other appropriate purpose. Alternatively, one can simply provide circular sheets matched to the size of the dartboard.

Figure 2 shows an alternative game, namely cricket, in which the only essential difference as compared with Figure 1 is that the individual target areas are here spaced from each other with intermediate non-scoring dead areas between them.

In use, the games sheets of paper, card or like material are removably fixed to a dartboard by any suitable means, such as by pins, with the sheet masking the wires on the board. The players then throw their darts at the target areas, scoring in accordance with the rules characteristic of the particular sheet which is being used.

Claims (10)

1. A dartboard having removably fixed over the playing surface thereof a sheet of paper, card or like material provided with target areas at which darts are to be thrown.

2. A dartboard as claimed in claim 1, in which the cover sheet is continuous over the area of the playing surface of the dartboard.

3. A dartboard as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the sheet bears all the information necessary forthe playing of a distinctive game requiring darts to be thrown at the sheet, the information including a plurality of discrete target areas and the rules according to which the game characteristic of that sheet is to be played.

4. A dartboard as claimed in claim 3, in which the target areas have intermediate non-scoring dead areas between them.

5. A dartboard as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, in which the sheet is rectangular with the actual game area defined within a circle on the sheet of substantially the same diameter as the diameter of the outermost wire ring of the dartboard.

6. A set of games comprising disposable sheets of paper, card or like material adapted to be fixed to a dartboard or like dart-receiving backing member to be penetrated by darts thrown at the sheets, the sheets bearing all the information necessary for the playing of a distinctive game requiring darts to be thrown at the sheets, the information on each sheet including a plurality of discrete target areas at which darts are to be thrown and the rules according to which the game characteristic of that sheet is to be played.

7. A set of games as claimed in claim 6, in which the target areas have intermediate non-scoring dead areas between them.

8. A set of games as claimed in claim 6 or 7, in which the sheets are rectangular with the actual game area defined within a circle on the sheet.

9. A set of games substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A dartboard provided with a games sheet substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.