GB2258410A - Target apparatus for games - Google Patents

Abstract

Targets towards which a ball is struck have a ball-receiving portion (1) which will receive an accurately-struck ball. The targets are formed from one or more laminar components (5, 6) which are initially flat and which are folded and, as necessary, interconnected to form an operative target. The targets may have a ball-guidance portion (2) to lead the ball away from the ball-receiving portion (1), and out of the target. A set of targets of various forms may be provided to be played in turn. The targets may have a number (9) to indicate the order in which they should be played. <IMAGE>

Description

APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A GAME The present invention relates to apparatus for playing a game based on the game of crazy golf.

Crazy golf is a game which is usually played using a golf putter and a golf ball. The game is normally played, like golf, as a round comprising a plurality (often nine or eighteen) of holes. At each hole the player attempts to putt the ball from a starting position into a target hole taking as few shots as possible. In crazy golf, obstacles are placed between the starting position and the target hole. These obstacles may typically be in the form of ramps over which the ball must be played, pipes through which the ball must be played, and obstructions, such as small blocks, in the line of play off which the ball may rebound, etc.

In the type of course on which crazy golf is normally played the holes are formed as permanent structures, typically with concrete playing surfaces.

Owing to the size, cost and permanence of this type of crazy golf course they are generally only suitable for installation in public places for use of the general public.

It is the aim of the present invention to provide apparatus for playing a game incorporating some of the features of crazy golf, the apparatus being suitable for use in a domestic environment.

The present invention provides, from a first aspect, a target for use in playing a game, the target having a ball-receiving portion adapted to receive a ball struck at the target and the target comprising at least one laminar component which, in a first, storage condition is substantially flat and in a second, operative condition is folded into a non-planar condition so as to form an operative target or part of an operative target.

Thus, the invention provides a target which may occupy a minimum of space when it is to be stored and which can easily be assembled into a structure of reasonable size when it is to be used.

The target, in use, is placed on a playing surface, such as a carpet or an area of grass. A player strikes a ball towards the target using, for example, a golfing putter. In a typical game, each one of a plurality of players, in turn, places a ball at a predetermined starting point and strikes a ball towards the target, the winner being deemed to be that person whose ball enters the ball-receiving portion of the target after the least number of strikes.

The ball-receiving portion may take many forms.

For example, it may include a ramp, a tunnel, or an arch.

The target may also comprise a ball-guidance portion which leads out of the target a ball struck into the ball-receiving portion. The ball-guidance portion may also include, for example, a ramp, a tunnel, or an arch.

The ball-receiving portion and the ball-guidance portion are preferably arranged to provide a challenging game and to direct the ball through the target in an amusing manner.

From a second aspect, the invention provides a set of apparatus for playing a game comprising a plurality of targets according to the first aspect of the invention.

In use, typically, the targets are arranged on a playing surface and each of a plurality of competing players plays to each target in a predetermined order, the outcome of the game being determined by the aggregate number of strikes taken by a player to cause their ball to enter the ball-receiving portions of all of the targets.

The targets in the set are preferably of a wide variety of forms to add interest to the game.

The targets in the set are preferably provided with sequential, visible numbers to indicate to the players the order in which the targets should be played.

A suitable ball and/or a golfing putter may be included in the set.

The targets are preferably made of a flat plastics material. Corex is suitable. (Corex is a laminate with a corrugated central layer sandwiched between two flat layers.) During manufacture, folding lines are preferably formed in the material to aid assembly of the targets.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of a target for use in the invention in perspective from the front and the side respectively.

Figures 3 shows components of the target of Figure 1; Figure 4 shows, in perspective, a second target embodying the invention; Figure 5 shows the components of the target of Figure 4, Figure 6 shows a third target embodying the present invention; Figures 7 and 8 show, from the front and rear respectively, a fourth target embodying the invention; and Figures 9 and 10 show, from the front and rear respectively, a fifth target embodying the invention.

An embodiment of the second aspect of invention comprises a set of apparatus for playing a game comprising a conventional golf putter and a plastic ball of similar size to a golf ball but made hollow and of plastics material so that it is light in weight, together with a set of targets being embodiments of the first aspect of the invention, such as those illustrated in the drawings. The targets are supplied in a flat form and assembled prior to use, as described below.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a first target has a ball-receiving ramp 1 towards which the ball is played. The ramp leads from a base level to a raised platform 2. The platform 2 is generally rectangular in plan with a semi-circular cut-out 3 in an edge opposite the ramp 1.

The ramp 1 and the platform 2 are bounded by walls 4 which extend part-way around their edges and project above their upper surfaces. A wall is not provided on the edge having the cut-out 3 and gaps in the walls 4 are left at both ends of the ramp 1. The walls 4 serve to retain a ball struck onto the ramp 1, and serve as guidance portions to direct a ball on the platform 2 towards the cut-out 3, and thence out of the target.

The walls 4 which extend along the sides of the platform 2 (that is to say along the two edges which have neither the cut-out 3 nor the ramp 1) are extended below the platform 2 to said base level to provide supports for the platform to support it above that level.

The target is made up from three laminar components illustrated in Figure 3. A first laminar component 5 forms the platform 2 and the ramp 1. The first laminar component 5 has an elongate rectangular portion which constitutes the ramp 1 extending centrally from one edge of a second rectangular portion which constitutes the platform 2. The second rectangular portion has a semi-circular cut-out 3 constituting the cut-out in the platform 2.

The target is completed by identical second and third laminar components 6 (only one of which is shown in Figure 3) which constitute the walls 4. The second and third laminar components 6 are in the form of a first elongate rectangular portion 4' extending from a second rectangular portion 4" of greater width than the first. The major axes of the rectangular portions are parallel and one of the longer edges of the first rectangular portion 4' is aligned with one of the longer edges of the second rectangular portion 4". The first rectangular portion 4' constitutes those walls 4 which do not extend below the platform 2 while the second rectangular portion 4" constitutes those walls 4 which do extend below the platform 2.

The first laminar component 5 has a plurality of lugs 7 projecting from its edges while the second and third laminar components 6 have corresponding slots 8.

To assemble the target, the second and third laminar components 6 are folded to correspond to the peripheral shape of the first laminar component 5 and the lugs 7 on the first laminar component 5 are then pressed into the slots 8 in the second and third laminar components 6. The second and third laminar components 6 are folded such that their first rectangular portions 4' extend at an angle from their second rectangular portions 4" so that the free end of the ramp 1 extends down to the level of a playing surface on which the target stands.

The laminar components 5, 6 are made from corrugated plastic laminate such as Corex and fold lines are formed in the components during manufacture to ensure accurate folding during assembly of the target.

Other targets as illustrated in Figure 4 to 10 may be included in the apparatus according to the invention to add variety to the game. All of these are constructed in a comparable manner to the target described above, and in the following description, similar reference numerals have been used to refer to components comparable to those described above.

The target illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 has a double ramp forming a ridge 10 over which the ball must be putted, and an arch 12 in an end wall through which the ball leaves the target. The first, upwardly-directed ramp 10' is the ball-receiving portion of the target while the second, downwardly-directed ramp 10" is a ball-guidance portion.

The target is constructed from five laminar components, a first one of which 11, which is generally an elongate rectangle, forms the double ramp and the end wall and the other laminar components 14 form, side walls 13. The first laminar component 11 is folded in upon itself at three fold lines to form four portions 10', 10", 11', 11". One end portion 11" forms the end wall, the adjacent portion 11' forms a flat base, and two next consecutive portions 10", 10' form, respectively, the upwardly-directed ramp and the downwardly-directed ramp of the double ramp. Lugs 7 at the free end of the second ramp portion 10" engage in slots 8 in the end wall 11". The other laminar components are attached to the first component by interengaging lugs 7 and slots 8 formed, respectively, on the first and the other laminar components.

A further form of target is shown in Figure 6.

This target is formed as a cuboidal box 22 with two, opposing, open ends. A pair of rectangular notches 20 each extend from one of the open ends into a wall of the box 22, the two notches 20 being disposed centrally on opposite walls of the box 22. A liner 21 shaped generally as an inverted squared U is inserted through both of the notches 20. The liner 21 is dimensioned to fit closely within the notches 20 and to extend between the notches 20 without projecting substantially beyond the walls of the box 22. The liner is shown separated from the box designated 21' in Figure 6. The purpose of the liner is to serve as a guidance portion for a ball received through one of the notches 20. The liner 21 guides the ball to the other notch 20 where it leaves the box 22.

The box 22 is formed by folding a flat rectangular laminar component along three parallel fold lines and connecting the free ends of the component together.

The liner is formed by folding a rectangular, laminar component along two parallel fold lines to form a squared U shape.

Yet another form of target is shown in Figures 7 and 8. This target comprises a box 30 with a ball-receiving arch 31 and an exit arch 32 formed in opposite faces of the box, the ball-receiving arch 31 being located higher in its face of the box 30 than the exit arch 32 when the target is in the operative position. A ball-receiving ramp 33 leads from a base level to the entry arch 31 to receive a ball and guide it towards the entry arch 31, and a ball-guidance ramp 34 spans between the arches 31, 32 within the box 30.

Each ramp 33, 34 is formed from a laminar base component and a pair of laminar side wall components while the box 30 is formed by folding a single laminar component.

A simple form of target is shown in Figures 9 and 10. This target is made from a single laminar component which when in its storage (flat) condition, is generally a U-shaped strip. The legs of the U are folded in on themselves twice, the free end of each leg having a lug 7 which engages in a slot 8 in the leg close to the conjunction of the legs.

The material from which the laminar components are made is suitably Corex. That is, a plastics material comprising a corrugated plastics filler layer sandwiched between two flat plastics outer layers.

The material is cut to size and shape and impressed with fold lines.

It will be appreciated that the laminar components of the various targets described above can all be manufactured, sold and stored in a first condition in which the component is flat. Prior to use, they are transformed to a second, operative condition (as described above) by folding along the fold lines made in the components during manufacture. Each laminar component thus becomes three-dimensional to form at least part of an operative target. After use, the laminar components can be restored to their first, flat condition for convenient storage.

Each target is provided with a visible numeral, as indicated at 9, the numerals being sequential within the set, to indicate the order in which play to the targets should be attempted.

It will be understood that the targets described herein are only examples of the targets that can be made according to the first aspect of the invention. A very wide range of alternative arrangements can be envisaged so that, for example, no two targets in a set according to the second aspect of the invention need be the same.

Claims (17)

1. A target for use in playing a game, the target having a ball-receiving portion adapted to receive a ball struck at the target and the target comprising at least one laminar component which, in a first, storage condition is substantially flat and in a second, operative condition is folded into a non-planar condition so as to form an operative target or part of an operative target.

2. A target according to claim 1 having a ball guidance portion which guides out of the target a ball struck into the ball receiving portion of the target.

3. A target according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the ball receiving portion and/or the ball guidance portion comprises a ramp, a tunnel, or an arch.

4. A target according to any preceding claim which consists of a single laminar component folded to form an operative target.

5. A target according to claim 4 in which the laminar component has adapted releasable interengagement to maintain the laminar component in its operative condition while the target is being used.

6. A target according to any one of claims 1 to 3 comprising a plurality of laminar components which co-operate to form the target.

7. A target according to claim 6 in which the laminar components have co-operating formations adapted for releasable interengagement to maintain each laminar component in its operative condition and/or to connect the laminar components together while the target is being used.

8. A target according to any preceding claim in which the or each laminar component is made of laminated plastics material.

9. A set of apparatus for playing a game comprising a plurality of targets according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A set of apparatus according to claim 9 in which the targets are of a plurality of varied forms.

11. A set of apparatus according to claim 9 or claim 10 in which the targets have prominently-displayed, sequential numbers to indicate to a player the order in which the targets should be played for.

12. A target for use in playing a game substantially as described with reference to Figures 1-3 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A target for use in playing a game substantially as described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A target for use in playing a game substantially as described with reference to Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.

15. A target for use in playing a game substantially as described with reference to Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.

16. A target for use in playing a game substantially as described with reference to Figures 9 and 10 of the accompanying drawings.

17. A set of apparatus for playing a game substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.