GB2198656A

GB2198656A - Hit-registering dartboard

Info

Publication number: GB2198656A
Application number: GB08726601A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Gillies
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-11-15
Filing date: 1987-11-13
Publication date: 1988-06-22
Also published as: GB8627363D0; GB8726601D0

Abstract

A dartboard comprises aligned filaments (3) of low electrical conductivity, outer end filament portions (5) constituting the target face (7), those of the outer end portions (5) disposed within individual scoring sectors (6) being provided with fibre conductor means e.g. an impregnation or coating of a higher electrical conductivity. Each scoring sector has two spaced apart conductor elements (10) in electrical contact with the fibre conductor means. When the point of the dart enters a scoring sector displacing some of the fibre outer end portions, the electrical resistance between the conductor elements (10) is changed. This change is sensed for scoring purposes. <IMAGE>

Description

DARTBOARD SCORING DEVICE The present invention relates to an automatically scoring dartboard device for the game of darts and a dartboad suitable for use in such a device.

With conventional dartboards determination of the running total of each players score requires manual inputting of the recalculated score after each dart or set of darts or at least the manual inputting of the score achieved by each individual dart. Such a system is prone to human error and inevitably involves some delay between the throwing of each dart and the recording of the new score total.

It is an object of the present invention to avoid or minimize one or more of the above disadvantages.

The present invention provides a dartboard suitable for use in an automatic score calculating dartboard device wherein the dartboard body is made up of a body of closely packed axially aligned fibres or filaments of low electrical conductivity, outer end portions of said fibres or filaments constituting the target face of the dartboard, those of said outer end portions disposed within individual scoring sectors of the board being provided with fibre conductor means of a higher elecrtrical conductivity, the scoring sectors being provided with first and second spaced apart conductor elements in electrical contact with fibre conductor means at spaced apart portions of the scoring sectors so that upon introduction of a dart point, in use of the dartboard, into a scoring sector displacing some of the fibre outer end portions, the electrical resistance between said conductor elements is changed, said conductor elements having connector means for connection, at least in use of the dartboard, to an electrical circuit means formed and arranged for supplying a predetermined electrical input to said conductor elements and monitoring changes in electrical output from the conductor elements of each scoring sector.

In a further aspect the present invention provides an automatic score displaying dartboard device for the game of darts, said device comprising a dartboard of the invention, an electrical circuit means having an electrical power supply connection means, conductor elements electrical supply input means, conductor elements electrical output monitoring means formed and arragned for providing scoring sector output signals corresponding to the identity of a scoring sector with a changed electrical output, player turn monitoring means formed and arranged for providing an end of turn output signal, a signal processing means formed and arranged for producing an output corresponding to at least one of the darts score attained by a player's dart or set of darts in the scoring sector(s) with changed electrical output at least upon detection of the player's end of turn, and a calculated score based on said dart score, and score display connection means for connection of the system, in use thereof, to a score display means.

Preferably the player turn monitoring means comprises a body weight detector means for example, a pressure mat switch, arranged in the player's throwing location in use of the system, for detecting departure of the player from said location to retrieve his darts at the end of his turn.

Further preferred features and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following detailed description given by way of example of a preferred embodiment illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section through part of a dartboard of the invention;, Figure 2 is a partially cut-away detail front perspective view of the dartboard of Figure It and Figure 3 is a general view of a dartboard system of the invention in use in a game of darts.

Fig. 1 shows part of a dartboard 1 of the invention comprising a base board 2 and a large number of closely packed axially aligned fibres 3 surrounded on the board by an outer clamping ring 4. The fibres are of a substantially non-conducting material such as a suitable plastics material or a natural fibre such as animal hair, for example, horse hair. The outer end portions 5 of those of the fibres 3 disposed within scoring sectors 6 of the board 1 and which constitute the target face 7 of the dartboard 1 are impregnated and/or coated with a material of higher electrical conductivity 8 such as, in the present example, copper sulphide.

The sectors 6 are delimited by a generally conventional wire frame type of structure 9 in which the wire is of an electrical non-conductive material or has a coating of an electrical non-conducting material. Each sector 6 also has two generally 'L' shaped conductor elements 10 (see also Fig. 2) disposed at opposite sides 11 of each sector 6 in direct electrical contact with the electrical conducting outer end portions 5 of the fibres 3.

Each of the conductor elements 10 has an insulated connector 12 extending through the board base to a connecting pin portion 13 projecting from the rear 14 of the base board 2 for coupling to a connector wire 15. The connector wires 15 are formed into a cable 19 which connects the dartboard to an electrical circuit (indicated schematically in Fig. 3) which circuit includes an electrical power supply connection means 16, conductor elements electrical output monitoring means 17 for providing scoring sector output signals corresponding to the identity of a scoring sector (eg "20") in which a dartl8 has lodged, pushing apart the adjacent fibres 3 and thereby altering the overall electrical resistance between the two conductor elements 10 of that sector.The electrical sector also includes a player turn monitoring means 20 including pressure mat switch 21 disposed at the dart throwing position 22 at which a player 23 stands during his dart throwing turn. Thus when the player steps forward off the mat 21 to retrieve the thrown darts 18 at the end of his turn, the changed status of the pressure mat switch 21 is detected by the turn monitoring means 20. Also included in the circuit is a signal processing means 24 for producing an output corresponding to the running total score of the player, this being obtained by deducting the score of each dart 18 still embedded in a scoring sector 6 at the end of the player's turn.

With the above described arrangement, the system can allow for deviations from the normal course of play such as the falling out of a dart from the board during the course of a player's turn by cancelling the score of that dart in the processing means 24 so that the correct score is recorded at the end of the player's turn as detected by the turn monitoring means. Any localised wear (for example at "double top") in the main body of the dartboard can moreover be readily compensated for by providing at the rear 14 of the base board 2 a connector board 25 having a plurality of sockets 26 for receiving the connector pins 12 of each sector 6, which connector board can be connected to the base board 2 in several different rotationally displaced positions.

Thus by removing the main body from the connector board 25 and rotating it through an angle corresponding to an integral number of sectors 6, a less worn sector can be brought into the position of an actual sector suffering .from a greater degree of wear, whilst at the same time maintaining the correct scoring values of the sectors.

Naturally where this facility is made use of, the visual identification of the numerical values 27 of the sectors around a peripheral portion 28 of the board should not be rotationally displaced. This can readily be achieved, for example, by the use of a separate annular portion 28 on which the numbers 27 are displayed which portion remains fixed relative to connector board 25.

Regarding the drawings it should be noted that each of the scoring sectors 6 will be provided with conductor elements 10 although for the sake of clarity this has not been shown on the drawings. In Fig. 2 it may also be noted that the outer end portions 5' of the fibres 3 immediately adjacent the wire frame structure 9 are truncated and/or.prepared so that they do not have any electrically conductive material in order to avoid any possible electrical contact between adjoining sectors 6.

Claims

1. A dartboard'suitable for use in an automatic score calculating dartboard device wherein the dartboard body is made up of a body of closely packed axially aligned fibres or filaments of low electrical conductivity, outer end portions of said fibres or filaments constituting the target face of the dartboard, those of said outer end portions disposed within individual scoring sectors of the board being provided with fibre conductor means of a higher elecrtrical conductivity, the scoring sectors being provided with first and second spaced apart conductor- elements in electrical contact with fibre conductor means at spaced apart portions of the scoring sectors so that upon introduction of a dart point, in use of the dartboard, into a scoring sector displacing some of the fibre outer end portions, the electrical resistance between said conductor elements is changed, said conductor elements having connector means for connection, at least in use of the dartboard, to an electrical circuit means formed and arranged for supplying a predetermined electrical input to said conductor elements and monitoring changes in electrical output from the conductor elements of each scoring sector.

2. A dartboard as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fibres or filaments are formed of synthetic plastics material.

3. A dartboard as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fibres or filament are formed of stiff animal hair.

4. A dartboard as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the conductor means having said higher electrical conductivity comprise copper sulphide.

5. A dartboard as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the scoring sectors of the board are provided with L-shaped first and second conductor elements.

6. A dartboard as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the board is provided with a connector board at the rear thereof, said connector board having a plurality of electrical connection contacts, provision being made for relative rotation between the connector board and the sections of the dartboard, so that the connector board may be electrically connected to different sectors to equalise wear, sector identifying numerals being mounted upon an annular board portion fixed with respect to the connector board.

7. An automatic score displaying dartboard device for the game of darts said device comprising a dartboard according to claim 1, an electrical circuit means having an automatic score displaying dartboard device for the game of darts, said device comprising a dartboard of the invention, an electrical circuit means having an electrical power supply connection means, conductor elements electrical supply input means, conductor elements electrical output monitoring means formed and arranged for providing scoring sector output signals corresponding to the identity of a scoring sector with a changed electrical output, player turn monitoring means formed and arranged for providing an end of turn output signal, a signal processing means formed and arranged for producing an output corresponding to at least one of the dazrts score attained by a player's dart or set of darts in the scoring sector(s) with changed electrical output at least upon detection of the player's end of turn, and a calculated score based on said dart score, and score display connection means for connection of the system, in use thereof, to a score display means.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the player turn monitoring means comprises a body weight detector means arranged in the player's throwing location for detecting departure of the player from said location to retrieve his darts at the end of the turn.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the body weight detector means comprises a pressure mat switch.

10. A dartboard for use in an automatic score displaying device, constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the drawings.

11. An automatic score displaying device for the game of darts constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the drawings.