US20150321108A1

US20150321108A1 - Tossing game system with hand puppets and ball

Info

Publication number: US20150321108A1
Application number: US14/271,422
Authority: US
Inventors: Kenneth Willard Johnson, III; George Timothy Thornton, JR.
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-05-06
Filing date: 2014-05-06
Publication date: 2015-11-12

Abstract

A tossing game system includes hand puppets and a ball whose outer surface is covered in loop type material. A tennis or similar type ball is covered with loop type material. Once tossed, the ball is caught in the mouth of a hand puppet, which is worn on the player's arm and makes a sound effect when the ball is caught. The hand puppet preferably takes the form of an animal, cartoon character, or similarly popular figure and produces a corresponding sound effect. The mouth of the hand puppet contains a contact patch of hook type material. The ball is then thrown with the player's uncovered hand, and caught in the mouth of a similar hand puppet worn by another player. The hook and loop type closures on the surface of the ball and hand puppet will enable small children to easily catch the ball.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to games played with balls, and in particular to a tossing game system involving hand puppets whose mouth is made from hook type material and a ball whose outer surface is covered in loop type material and features sound effects. The parents of small children often have difficulty keeping their children entertained. A tossing game, in which a tennis ball or similar ball covered with loop type material that is caught in the mouth of a hand puppet, where the hand puppet's mouth is lined with hook type material to produce an easy catch by a young child and produce a sound effect will be highly entertaining to the child. The sound produced once the ball is caught by the hand puppet will encourage and entertain the child or children playing the game. This system would provide safe and inexpensive entertainment for young children while encouraging physical activity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the invention is directed to a tossing game system involving hand puppets and a ball whose outer surface is covered in loop type material. A tennis or similar type ball is covered with loop type material. Once tossed, the ball is caught in the mouth of a hand puppet, which is worn on the player's arm and makes a sound effect when the ball is caught. The hand puppet preferably takes the form of an animal, cartoon character, or similarly popular figure and produces a corresponding sound effect. The mouth of the hand puppet contains a contact patch of hook type material. The ball is then thrown with the player's uncovered hand, and caught in the mouth of a similar hand puppet worn by another player. The hook and loop type closures on the surface of the ball and hand puppet will enable small children to easily catch the ball.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification. They illustrate one embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a front view of a hand puppet component and ball component of the first exemplary embodiment displaying the hand puppet 10 having a mouth 11 and contact patch 14, together with a ball 12.

FIG. 2 shows a front view of a hand puppet component with a ball component positioned in the mouth displaying the hand puppet 10, mouth 11, and ball 12.

FIG. 3 shows a front view of the first exemplary embodiment worn on a player's arm, displaying the hand puppet 10, the mouth 11, the ball 12, and the arm of the user 13.

FIG. 4 shows a front view of the first exemplary embodiment displaying the hand puppet 10, mouth 11, contact patch 14, and internal electromechanical voice box 15.

FIG. 5 shows a side profile view of the first exemplary embodiment of displaying the hand puppet 10, mouth 11, and contact patch 14.

FIG. 6 shows a side profile view of the first exemplary embodiment of displaying the hand puppet 10, mouth 11, contact patch 14, internal electromechanical voice box 15, control cable 16, and pressure switch 17.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the invention in more detail, the invention is directed to a tossing game system involving hand puppets 10 and a ball 12. A ball 12, such as a tennis or similar type ball, is at least partially covered with loop type material. The ball 12 is tossed and caught in the mouth 11 of a hand puppet 10, which provides a contact patch 14 of a hook type material concealing an electronic pressure switch 17. The hand puppet 10 preferably takes the form of an animal, cartoon character, or similarly recognizable figure and produces a corresponding sound effect from an electromechanical voice box 15 when the pressure switch 17 is activated, which occurs when the ball is caught. The hand puppet 10 is preferably worn on the player's arm 13. The mouth 11 of the hand puppet 10 is preferably lined with hook type material. The ball 12 is then preferably thrown with the player's uncovered hand, and caught in the mouth 11 of a similar hand puppet 10 worn by another player. When the other player catches the ball 12, a sound effect corresponding to the animal or figure depicted is activated. The hook and loop closures enable small children to easily catch the ball 12. The hook and loop closure is formed when the surface of the ball 12 meets the mouth 11 of the hand puppet 10. The loop type material is comprised of thin fine plastic loops which become entangled in the stiff plastic hooks of the hook type material, when the two materials meet, forming a temporary bond between the two materials.
The ball 12 would preferably be constructed from a tennis size ball, composed of a hollow rubber ball covered with loop type material which covers the entire outer surface. Each of the hand puppets 10 would be constructed to resemble an animal, cartoon character or other popular figure, and would preferably be constructed from a soft, flexible, washable, stain resistant fabric such as cotton, wool, a cotton-rayon blend, or a cotton-polyester blend. Multiple embodiments for the hand puppets 10 are contemplated and additional hand puppets 10 would preferably be made available separately.
Each hand puppet 10 would have an electromechanical voice box 15 designed to react to the impact of the ball 12 in the mouth 11 at the pressure switch 17 concealed within the contact patch 14, and respond with a sound effect corresponding to the animal or figure depicted by the hand puppet 10. A sound recording, a memory device, a microprocessor, and a speaker are included in the electromechanical voice box 15, which is in electronic communication with the pressure switch at the contact patch 14 by a control cable 16. When the ball 10 hits the contact switch at the contact patch 14 in the mouth 11 of the hand puppet 12 the microprocessor retrieves a sound recording from the memory device and plays the sound file through the speaker.
The game system's components will preferably include at least one ball 12 and two hand puppets 10. More or fewer hand puppets 10 are contemplated. Alternate embodiments of the game system would involve licensure and representation, as hand puppets 10, of NASCAR drivers, Disney or Warner Brothers or other famous cartoon or live-action characters, World Wrestling Entertainment characters, or other figures from sports, politics, music, film, television, or popular culture.
Component sizes and materials listed above are preferable, but artisans will recognize that alternate components, could be selected without altering the scope of the invention.
While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is presently considered to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should, therefore, not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.

Claims

We claim:

1. A hand puppet catch game comprising:

(a) at least one hand puppet;

(b) a ball;

(c) said at least one hand puppet having a mouth;

(d) a contact patch;

(e) said contact patch being located inside said mouth;

(f) said ball and said contact patch being configured so as to releasably engage to one another upon contact;

(g) a pressure switch;

(h) a voice box;

(i) said voice box and said pressure switch being in electronic communication;

(j) said voice box being configured so as to play back a sound effect in response to the activation of said pressure switch;

(k) said pressure switch being integral to said at least one hand puppet and located behind said contact patch;

(l) said pressure switch being configured so as to be activated by said ball impacting said contact patch.

2. The hand puppet catch game of claim 1 wherein said at least one hand puppet is shaped and decorated so as to resemble a recognizable figure, and wherein said sound effect corresponds to said recognizable figure.

3. The hand puppet catch game of claim 2 wherein said recognizable figure is a licensed representation of any of the group of: cartoon characters, live action characters, athletes, politicians, NASCAR drivers, World Wrestling Entertainment performers, politicians, musicians, film actors, television actors, or popular cultural figures.

4. The hand puppet catch game of claim 1 wherein the exterior of said ball is at least partially covered by loop type material, and wherein the exterior of said contact patch is covered by hook type material.

5. The hand puppet catch game of claim 2 wherein the exterior of said ball is at least partially covered by loop type material, and wherein the exterior of said contact patch is covered by hook type material.

6. The hand puppet catch game of claim 3 wherein the exterior of said ball is at least partially covered by loop type material, and wherein the exterior of said contact patch is covered by hook type material.

7. The hand puppet catch game of claim 1 wherein two of said at least one hand puppet are provided.

8. The hand puppet catch game of claim 2 wherein two of said at least one hand puppet are provided.

9. The hand puppet catch game of claim 3 wherein two of said at least one hand puppet are provided.

10. The hand puppet catch game of claim 4 wherein two of said at least one hand puppet are provided.

11. The hand puppet catch game of claim 5 wherein two of said at least one hand puppet are provided.

12. The hand puppet catch game of claim 6 wherein two of said at least one hand puppet are provided.