System and Method for a Curved Dice Toss Game

Description

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to the field of toss games and gaming apparatuses. More specifically, the invention is a dice toss game utilizing a curved target board and soft tossable dice.

Various toss games involving throwing objects at targets or into containers are known in the art. Dice throwing games are widely known and include a variety of combinations of rules, scoring, and game apparatuses. Several such games are played on a game board having indices to indicate scoring or other game functions.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,331 discloses a dice throwing game played on a game board having a results section and a score section. The game apparatus consists of six numbered rows and six numbered columns with the intersection of each row and column marked with a score.

U.S. Pat. No. 10,857,449 to Carroll describes a board game apparatus for playing a dice angle game. The apparatus comprises a playing surface with at least one side wall partially enclosing the playing area, at least one barrier disposed within the playing area, at least one demarcated scoring area, and a plurality of dice.

U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2024/0123328 by Vaught et al. teaches a dice toss game including a pair of spaced apart table units and a cube-shaped die. Each table unit has a frame with an opening, legs coupled to the frame, and a net stretched across the opening to form a die bouncing surface with openings. The die is tossed by a player to bounce off the net on one of the table units, with the openings causing the die to bounce in a random direction.

The prior art demonstrates a comprehensive landscape of dice tossing games. While comprehensive, the prior art does reveal a gap in the space for a dice toss game utilizing a curved target board that can fold for portability along with soft silicone dice. The unique curvature and center hole of the target board in the present invention, combined with the soft dice, allows novel hand-eye coordination skills to develop compared to traditional flat and rigid target surfaces with hard dice.

Therefore, there exists a need for a new and improved dice toss game that incorporates soft tossable dice and a curved portable target board to provide unique game play features and mechanics not found in the prior art. The present invention fulfills this need.

SUMMARY

The present invention is a dice toss game that involves players throwing soft silicone dice at a curved target board and aiming for a center hole. Points are earned based on where the dice land on the board. The game is played with two teams who alternate between offense and defense in each round, with the offensive team tossing the dice and the defensive team attempting to catch them. The game is designed to be played outdoors.

In the preferred embodiment, the game apparatus comprises two silicone dice in the shape of a cube and a curved folding target board with a center hole. The single curved board has hinges on each end so it can fold. In one embodiment, the first team to reach 11 points while leading by 1 points is the winner.

The silicone composition of the dice provides a soft, safe and grippy projectile that bounces and rolls on the curved board in unique ways compared to hard dice on a flat surface. The curvature of the board and the center hole introduce novel targeting challenges for players to master. The dice are made out of 20 silicone and are 1.6 inches×1.6 inches which is the optimal size and type of silicone for the game

Additionally, the folding legs allow the board to be packed flat for easy storage and portability. This enables the game to be played outdoors or in various indoor settings by folding out the legs to provide a stable angled surface.

These features and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric bottom view of the curved target board.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the curved target board.

FIG. 3 provides an isometric top view of the curved target board.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating the game play method using the apparatus of FIGS. 1-3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric bottom view of the curved target board 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The board 10 is constructed from wood veneer sheets or a durable lightweight plastic material, which may be selected from materials comprising polyethylene, polypropylene, and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). The curved target board 10 has 2 outer portions 11 pivotally attached to the main portion 12 of the target board 10 via hinges 14. The hinges 14 are secured in place by ½ inch stainless steel wood screw flat heads 16.

In some embodiments the target board exhibits foldable legs further comprise a locking mechanism adapted to secure the legs in both an extended position during game play and a folded storage position.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the curved target board 10. The board 10 has a concave upper surface 18 with a radius of curvature of 48 inches. The total thickness of the board 10 at its center is ¾ inches indicated by dimension line 20.

FIG. 3 provides an isometric top view of the curved target board 10. The concave upper surface 18 includes a center aperture 22 with a diameter ranging between 3-5 inches. The ends 24 of the board 10 are coated with a rubber material to provide enhanced gripping. A chamfered bumper edge 26 runs along the sides of the board 10.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating one game play method using the apparatus of FIGS. 1-3. The game is played by forming a first team and a second team, each having one or more players, up to a maximum of 4 players per team 41.

Each team alternates between offense and defense during play rounds 42. During an offensive round, each player on the offensive team takes a turn tossing a plurality of silicone dice 28 toward the concave upper surface 18 of the curved target board 10. The silicone dice 28 are substantially cubic in shape and have a Shore OO durometer hardness between 20-40. Each die 28 is orange and glow and the dark. Other embodiments can have a different color selected from red, blue, green and yellow to help visually distinguish the dice during game play.

The offensive team attempts to either miss the board 10 completely, contact the board surface 18, or pass a die 28 through the center aperture 22. The defensive team attempts to catch any dice 28 tossed by the offensive team 43. The offensive team shoots from 21 feet away and the defense stands around the board but can not block the shot. Depending on the age of the players they can stand closer to the board. For example kids 8-14 can stand 15 feet from board.

Points are allotted to the offensive team based on the outcome of each toss according to a predetermined set of rules. For example, 0 points are awarded for a miss or for a die caught by the defense after contacting the board, 3 points for a die that contacts the board but is not caught, and 5 points for a die that passes through the center aperture 22. The offensive team is awarded a bonus round of tosses if they score at least two 2-point tosses in a single round 45. If a player scores they automatically get to shoot again. The round ends when both offensive players have not scored a point.

Teams alternate 46 and the first team to reach a predetermined winning score, for example 11 points, while exceeding the opposing team's score by at least 1 points is declared the winner 47. A player from each team rolls or tosses the dice and whoever gets closer to the front of the board chooses offense or defense to start. The first team to 11 wins. The team who starts on defense will get a rebuttal if the offensive team gets to 11 (or higher) first. The team who starts on defense first must either tie the other team to go to OT or exceed their total points to win. If the team who starts on defense gets 11 before the team who started on offense, the game is over.

In some embodiments the game apparatus may further include a carrying case having separate compartments configured to hold the curved target board 10 in its folded state and the silicone dice 28. The plurality of silicone dice 28 and curved target board 10 are specifically designed to interact in a manner that facilitates optimal dice tossing game play.

For example, in one game play embodiment, there are 2 Teams of 2, with 1 Team on Offense and 1 Team on Defense.

There are a number of different ways that people might decide to score the game. There are various Alternative Scoring methods, for example:

• • Offense Lands in Hole—3 Points
  • Offense Lands on Board and Defense Does not make a catch—1 Point
  • Offense Lands On Board Defense Catches—0 Points
  • Offense Misses Board—0 Points
  • Both players on Offense Score a Point-Offense shoots again.
  • Both Players on Offense Sink Their Shot—Game Over

Various House Rules can also be included, such as:

• • FIFA-Defensive Team can kick dice to teammate for 1 defensive Point.

Calling Game or Lawn Die—Each round a player gets 1 chance to call Game. They can take 2 steps forward but have to toss the dice underhand a minimum of 8 feet in the air. If they sink it in the hole it is game over. If they miss it is 0 points even if it hits the board and is not caught. Defense can use a shot that misses the board off the ground for a defensive point.

The embodiments described above are given for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the interpretation of the present invention. The respective elements and their arrangements, materials, conditions, shapes, sizes, or the like of the embodiment are not limited to the illustrated examples but may be appropriately changed. Further, the constituents described in the embodiment may be partially replaced or combined together.

For example, it is possible to change the size of the board slightly or the material without departing from the scope of the invention. A similar game made out of plastic or a material other than wood can be essentially the same game.