Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
21~162~
This invention relates to a game table and more particularly
to a game which may be played by one or more players which involves
the players attempting to strike balls such that the balls fall
into particular holes on the surface o the game table.
Various game tables which involve the striking of balls into
holes are known. E'or example, the game of billiards has en~oyed
worldwide popularity for a long time. The present invention falls
into the category of game tables which are both portable and can be
enj oyed by both children and adults .
One of the limitations of other game tables has been the
difficulty in adapting the games so thae different numbers of
players can participate at different times. The present inventio~
solves this problem and also strikes a balance between providing a
game which is easy to learn and, at the same time, challenging
enough to r^;ntF~;n the interest of participants.
The present inventio~ in one aspect provides a game table for
use with a ball, having a flat surface, the surface having a
plurality of holes; an elastic border PYtPn~lin~ upwardly from and
around the periphery of the surface; a first group of obstacles
20 ad~ acent the holes; removable elastic material placed about the
obstacles adjacent each hole ~30 as to ob~truct access to such hole;
and a second group of obstacles pro~ecting upwardly from the
surface 80 as to impede the ~ v. of the ball across the
surface. The obstacles are preferably situated 80 as to make it
21~1~2~
.
difficult or impo9sible for a player to strike the ball when
positioned near the elastic border such that the ball moves
directly across the Yurface and into the hole opposite the starting
position of the ball,
In a further aspect of the invention, the surface is polygonal
with posts at each vertex for supporting the elastic border which
extends around the periphery of the surface. The Hecond group of
obstacles are arranged in concentric circles having the middle Q
the surface as their centre. Preferably, the surface is octagonàl
The in~ention, as exemplified by a preferred embodiment, is
described with reference to the drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preerred embodiment of
the game table of the invention; and
Figure 2 is a top view of the game table shown in Figure 1
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a game table 10 for use with a
ball comprises a flat ~urface 12 having a plurality of holes 1~.
The surface is octagonal in shape, although a wide variety of other
shapes, for example, a circle, would also be suitable. Posts 16
project upwardly from the surface at each vertex 18 Material 19
20 having at least some elasticity in the transverse directior. is
connected to the posts such that the material pro~ ects upwardly
from and extends around the periphery of the surface. As can best
~ 21~1625
be seen from Figure 2, the suriace has eight holes in all, adjacent
each post 16.
There is a ~irst group of obstacles in the form of a pair of
pegs 20 on opposite sides of each hole. Removable elastic bands 22
are placed around each pair of pegs such that the elastic bands
obstruct access to the holes and deflect the path of the ball when
it comes into contact with one of the elastic bands. Depending
upon the number of players which are participating in the game,
certain of the elastic bands can either be lef t in place or
10 removed, as P~l ;: i nf~(l below . The pegs act as obstacles and also
hold in place the elastic bands which obstruct the holes.
Figures 1 and 2 show a second group of obstacles 24 arranged ~ =
in two concentric circles having the middle of the surf ace as their
centre. Within each circle of obstacles, the obstacles are equally
spaced apart and arranged such that the arrangement of obstacles
will appear to be the same when viewed from any vertex.
Shown in Figure 1 is the ball 25 which is used to play the
game. Marbles are preferred, but a variety o~ other objects would
also be suitable provided that they are of an d~.LU~I iate size and
20 are capable of either rolling or sliding across the surface.
Also shown in Figure 1 is a stick 28 which i9 used by a player
to strike the balls. Although the stick shown in Figure 1 is
shaped like a miniature hockey stick, a variety of other objects in
21~162S
variou~ ~hape~ and ~ize~ would al~o be suitable.
Side panel~ 30 depend from the surface and support the game
table on a ~upporting ~urface such a3 a table or floor. The ~ide -=
panels contain a number of openlng~ 32 which are large enough to
allow a player to place his or her hand in the opening and retrieve
the ball~ which have fallen through the above hole 14 in the
surface. Not shown in the drawings i8 a bottom panel whic~ i~
parallel to the surface of the game table and i~ attached to the
bottom edge~ of the ~ide panels. Also not 6hown are the levelling
10 leg~ which can be attached to the bottom surface of the bottom
panel and adju~ted to level the game table.
The ~urface 12 may be made from a variety of material~ ~uch a~
wood or pla~tic. The 3urface may al~o be covered by a fabric such
a~ felt. The advantage of covering the surface with felt i~ that
felt provides enough friction ~o that the ball or ball~ will remain
in place once they have been struck and have come to re~t, without
unduly restricting the movement of the ball~ once they have been
~truck. Any combination of surface material and covering i~,
however, suitable ~30 long a~ the combination permit~ the ball to
20 move acroE3~ the ~urface when it i~ ~truck and holds the ball in
place once it has come to re~t.
The ela~tic border can be made of any suitable material. ~n
~ome embodiment~ of the invention, the border may be a bumper of
the pool table type.
21~2~
Although the rules of play ean vary, it is ;nt~n~lr(1 that the
game will generally proceed along the following lines: Each player
will be assigned a number of balls of a partieular colour. Based
on a roll of the diee, eaeh player chooses a starting hole 14 and
places hiY or her ball3 in specified locations 34 in front of his
or her starting hole. The goal of each player is to slnk his or
her balls in a target hole 14 directly opposite his or her starting
hole. For this reason, each player must remove the elastic band
which is eovering his or her target hole . The L~ 1 n~Pr of the
10 elastie bands will remain in plaee. The game proceeds with eaeh
player, in turn, attempting to strike a ball into his or her target
hole. The player~s turn rrnt;n~ 80 long as he or she is
suceessful in sinking one of his or her balls in his or her target
hole. The player may strike his or her ball regardle~s of where it
is loeated on the surface. If a player~s ball is obstrueted by the
elastic border whieh exi~ends along the surfaee's periphery, the
player may strike the ball by striking the border f irst . Once a
player i8 unsuceessful in sinking one of hiEi or her balls, play
continues in a eloekwise or countercloekwise direetion. As will be
20 obvious from the drawings, the obstaeles will often prevent a
player from directly striking one of his or her balls into his or
her target hole. In such circumstanees, the player will likely
wish to use any eombination of the obstaeles, elastic border or
elastic bands to strike the ball into or near his or her target
hole .
2i~1~25
Although only a ~ingle embodiment of the pre~ent invention has
been de~cribed and illusrated, the pre~ent invention i~ not limited
to the ieature~ of this embodiment, but includes all variation~ and
modif ication~ within the spirit and scope of the claim~3 .
