GB2175220A - Darts game - Google Patents

Abstract

A darts game is played on a board 11 with targets 12 which are removable and insertable as the game progresses. The targets may be representative of balls in a snooker, pool or like game. The targets are preferably in the form of cylindrical plugs whose length exceeds that of receiving bores in the board so that they stand proud of the board rear surface. The board is mounted for rotation relative to a back board 10 from which it is spaced by feet 17. Rotation of the board aligns the feet with wells 18 in the back board so that the board 11 may then be moved back so that the plugs 12 are pushed forward to facilitate removal. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Darts game This invention relatesto darts games, bywhich is meant games played by aiming projectiles at a board marked with target areas. Generally speaking, darts as played in pubs, clubs and like places uses pointed, flighted, hand-thrown projectiles aimed at a wound card orfibre board marked in segments numbered from 1 to 20 and having double, treble and bull rings, but "darts games" as used herein can also include games played with Velcro (trade mark) tipped projectiles against a felt board and also even arrows shot at largertargets over greater distances from bows or other means of delivery.Therterm can also comprehend video versions of the game in which an im aginary projectile is "aimed" ata target on avideo screen by a joystick or by manipulating a keyboard or by a light beam aimed atthe screen from a hand-held 'gun'.

Unless played with considerable skill or in competition orfor money, conventional darts games are usually so simple in concept as to be somewhat boring after a while since the main they involve a straigh fforward raceto atarget-say301 or501 scored.

The present invention provides a darts game which has a substantially higher interest level.

The invention comprises a darts game played on a board with targets which are removable and insertable as the game progresses.

Said targets may comprise inserts for cooperating recesses in the board.

Said targets may be reversible and may for example have a target face and a background face which when outermost merges with the board background.

Said targets may comprise circular inserts and may be of different colours, which may be representative of balls in a snooker, pool or like gamewhich may then be simulated, at least to some extent, in the darts game.

The board may be made out ofthe conventional wound paper, and can be hung against a backing wall with the faces ofthetargetflush with the face of the board and the back faces flush with the back of the board againstthewall. Then, when the game is over, and all the targets have been reversed,the board merely has to be lifted offthewall andturned around to be ready for the next game.

This is not possible, however, with the more expensive, higher quality and exposed face, there being an integral backing board so that the board cannot be reversed. It is, of course, then necessary to restore the board to its condition for the start of a new game by removing the plugs and reversing them.

This is, however, time-consuming and inconvenient becausetheplugs lie in flush withtheface ofthe board.

The present invention provides also, however, means by which the plugs may be now easily removed so that a fresh game may be more rapidly and easily set up.

The invention alsocomprisestothatenda darts or like game board having targets insertable and removable from the board which are in the form of plugs which extend through recesses in the board, the plugs being longerthan the depth of the board so thatwhen the faces of the plugs project from behind the board, the board being normally mounted spa cud from a backing wall but being movable theretowards to push the plugssothattheirfaces stand proud of the face of the board, for ease of removal thereof.

The board may be mounted against a backboard and normally held spaced therefrom by feed which when the board is moved over the backboard drop into wells in the backboard to allow the board to move against the backboard to push the plugs proud oftheface of the board.

The board may be mounted for rotation on the backboard, and may be mouned for rotation on a central plug target fixed to the back board.

The said wells may have ramps.

Embodiments of darts games according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa front elevation of a darts/snooker game, Figure2 is a front elevation of a darts/pool game, Figure 3 is a cross-section through a part of a dart board showing one form of insert, Figure 4 is a cross-section like Figure 3 showing anotherform of insert.

Figure 5 is a part cut away front elevation of a game board, and Figure 6is part sectioned side elevation ofthe board illustrated in Figure 5.

The darts games illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 are played on a board 11 with targets 12 which are removable and insertableasthegameprogresses.

The targets 12 comprise insertsforthe board 11, which has cooperating recesses 13 lined with a metal or plastics material linerl3a.

The targets 12 are reversible, and have atargetface 12a and a background face 12bwhich, when outermost, merges with the board background 11 b.

The board 11 itself may be reversible (Figures 1 to 4),which gives not only two playi ng faces for extended life but also facilitates setting upfora new game after a game has finished. Atthe end of a game, all of the targets will have been reversed, as will be explained below, and so the board 11 can be simply turned round to start a fresh game. A backing board 10 may be provided against which the board 11 lies in use and which can form a baseforlying orcarrying the board 11 flat so thatthetargets do not drop out.

The targets 12 comprise circular inserts. As shown in Figure 3, one form of target 12 comprises a circular cylinder, which is conveniently ofthe same fibre material as the board 11 contained in a sleeve 14 e.g. of metal or plastics material. Figure 4 illustrates a differentform of circulartargetwhich,though generally similarto that shown in Figure 3, has the targetface 12a in the form of a reduced diameter, upstanding portion 15-givingasomewhatthree-dimensionalef fectto the board - which portion 15 fits into a corresponding recess 16 on reversal sothattheback- ground face 1 2b lies flush with the face 11 b ofthe board 11.

In this version also is illustrated an attractive upstanding rim 17tothe board 11.

Thetargets 12 are of differentcolours simulating snooker balls (Figure 1) and pool balls (Figure 2). The snooker ball targets comprise fifteen red targets (R), yellow (Y), green (G), brown (BR), blue (BL), pink(P), and black (BK) targets each having a green (different from the target green ) background face. A board may beadaptedfora shortgame byhaving only ten red targets or by reversing some of the fifteen targets.

Agame may be played using some of the rules of snooker. For example,thefirst dart (or darts) will be aimed art a red target. If hit (or "potted") one point is scored and thattargetwill be reversed. The player can now throw for a colour and may elect black. It hit, this target is not reversed on this occasion (in fact, black need never to be reversed in this game unless the board is reversible as above described) and seven points are scored. The player may now aim at red and coloured balls in succession, like in snooker, until he misses, when his opponent has a turn. When all the reds have been "potted" the colours are attacked in the orderY (2 points), G (3), BR (4), and so on as in snooker.

A "snooker" may be attempted by nominating the target ball as a snookerand aiming for it.A hit might then be deemed to requiretheopponentto hitthe snookered ball target within a certain numberof throws - say up to three -failure constituting a "foul stroke", points going to the other player.

In the pool darts game illustrated in Figure 2, a special snooker ball target (SN) is used forth is purpose, which is normally reversed but turned face side out when called into play. The other ball targets comprise seven red (R) and seven yellow (Y) targets and a black (BL).

In general, turning the reversible targets presents no problemsincetheywill normallyonlybesore- versed when hit and can be arranged to slid out easily when an impacted dart is pulled onforremoval.

The darts orlike game board illustrated in Figures5 and 6comprises a non-reversible bristle board 11 having a playing face 11 a and a back 14 ofwood or hardboard or other material. Circular recesses 13 extend through the board from face to back and house cylindrical plug targets 12 which are a sliding fit therein and which can be removed and reversed. One end face of each plug is coloured green in the same shade astheface 1 1a ofthe board, the other is colou- red red or another colourcorresponding to the col- ours ofthe snookerballs.

The plugs 12 are longerthan the depth ofthe board 11 so thatwhen one end face is flush with the playing face 11 a ofthe board, the other end face projects from behind the board.

A central plug target 16, however, is fixed to a backboard 10. The board 11 is rotatable aboutthe plug 16.

Feet 17 on the backofthe board 11 normally maintain the board 11 spaced from the backboard by an amount such that the plugs 12 lie against the back board 10andareatthesametimeflushwiththeface 11 a ofthe board.

Wells 18 in the backboard are situated so that when the board 11 is rotated aboutthe central plug 1 6,the feet 17 drop into the wells and allowthe board 11 to be moved back into contactwiththe backboard 10.

This causes the plugs 1 to stand proud of the face 11a ofthe board sothattheycan be easily removed.

The wells 18 have ramps up the front face ofthe backboard.

Oncetheplugs 12 are causedto stand proud,they can be easily extracted and reversed and pushed back into the same recesses to abut the backboard.

The board 11 can then be rotated back to its former position where it is once again spaced from the back board 10 bythefeet 17. Now,the plugs 12 can be pushed in to lie with their faces flush with the face lia.

The backboard is part of a well-mounted cabinet 21 having hinged doors 22 and a lower shelf 23 on which darts can be rested.

In the lower shelf 23 are two scoring counters comprising bobbins 23 marked with digits 0-9 which show th rough windows 25 and having knobs 26 by which they may be rotated. If desired, but it is probably completely unnecessary, the bobbins can be connected by a carry mechanism which advances (or reduces) the 'tens' bobbin as the 'units' bobbin passesfrom 9to Oorviceversa.

Of course, many different arrangements can be imagined using the underlying principles herein described. For instance - staying with snooker and pool simulations, further realism can be added by making the board rectangular and having pocket targets so thatnotonlywould it be necessaryto hita ball target to avoid a foul "stroke", but itwould also be necessaryto hita pockettargetto effect a pot.

Further variations and different games can be played within the scope ofthe concept.

Claims (14)

1. A darts game played on a board with targets which are removable and/or insertable as the game progresses.

2. Adarts game according to claim 1,inwhich said targets comprise inserts for the board which has cooperating recesses.

3. A darts game according to claim 1 orclaim 2, in which said targets are reversible.

4. A darts game according to claim 3, in which said targets have a targetface and a background face which when outermost merges with the board background.

5. A darts game according to anyone of claims 1 to 4, in which said targets comprise circular inserts.

6. A darts game according to anyone of claims 1 to 5, in which said targets are of differentcolours.

7. A darts game according to any one of claims 1 to 6, in which said targets are representative of balls in a snooker, pool or like game.

8. A darts or like game board having target insertable and removable from the board which are in the form of plugs which extend through recesses in the board, the plugs being largerthan the depth ofthe board sothatwhen the faces ofthe plugs project from behind the board, the board being normally mounted spaced from a backing wall bat being movable there towards to push the plugs so that their faces stand proud of the face of the board, for ease of removal thereof.

9. Agame board according to claim 8, in which the board is mounted against a backboard and is norma Ily held spaced therefrom by feet which when the board is moved overthe backboard drop into wells in the back board to allow the board to move against the backboard to push the plugs proud oftheface ofthe board.

10. A game board according to claim 9, inwhich the board is mounted for rotation on the backboard.

11. A game board according the claim 10, the board being mounted for rotation on a central plug target fixed to the backboard.

12. Agame board according to any one of claims 9 to 11, in which the said wells have ramps.

13. A darts game substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed, and havethefollowing effect: A new claim hasbeenfiledasfollows:-

14. A darts or like game board having targets insertable in and removable from the board which are in the form of plugs which extend through recesses in the board and which are reversible so as to expose a target which stands proud oftheface ofthe board and a background face, when reversed,which merges with the background face of the board.