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  Locker dart game systemUSPTO Application #: 20070029732Title: Locker dart game system Abstract: Magnetic locker darts with a grip region of length equal to the width of a human thumb provide throwing accuracy while minimizing contact with other locker contents. The target is a decal that can be attached to the inside of a metal locker door or other metal appliance. (end of abstract) Agent: Beck And Tysver P.l.l.c. - Minneapolis, MN, US Inventor: Thomas Charles Herrmann USPTO Applicaton #: 20070029732 - Class: 273348300 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Amusement Devices: Games, Aerial Projectile Game; Game Element (e.g., Target, Etc.) Or Accessory Therefor Other Than Projector Or Projectile, Per Se, Target, Having Magnetized Material For Adherence Of Projectile Thereto Or Made From Material Adapted For Adherence Thereto Of Projectile Having Magnetized Material The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070029732. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates generally to locker accessories. More particularly, it relates to a dart game including darts designed for use with a metal locker and a target decal that can be attached to a locker door. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] A dart game system consists of darts and a target. The target is partitioned into regions and is marked with symbols, allowing users to play various games involving throwing the darts at the target. The regions of the target have meaning of significance within those games adapted to a particular target layout. A player attempts to excel by throwing her darts so that they stick to regions of the target associated with high scores within the context of the game at hand. [0003] A variety of different target layouts and games have been created. All the games emphasize accuracy in throwing the darts at specific regions of the target. The target is typically mounted or printed on the surface of a dart board. Classical dart boards used in taverns are made of cork, straw, or paper. [0004] According to the official rules of the World Darts Federation, "darts . . . shall not exceed an overall length of 30.5 cm, nor weigh more than 50 grams. Each dart shall consist of a needle shaped point which shall be fixed to a barrel. At the rear of the barrel there shall be attached a flighted stem, which may consist of separate parts." (WDF Playing and Tournament Rules, 6th Rev. Ed., Dec. 1, 2003) Historically, the flighted stem contained feathers, which have been replaced in many modern darts with fins. Each fin or feather is approximately planar, with the plane of each fin including the common centerline of the barrel and the point. The metal point at the tip of the dart sticks to the target by penetrating through the surface into the fabric of the underlying board. [0005] Needle-nose darts can cause injuries to the players, bystanders, the wall on which the board is mounted, or other nearby objects. This safety consideration has led recently to a variety of new materials and designs for dart/target combinations in which the sharp points are replaced by flat surfaces. Many of the new game systems use darts with tips that consist wholly or partially of magnets. The magnet tips cause the darts to stick to surfaces that contain ferromagnetic material. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, "ferromagnetic" is defined as: "Of or characteristic of substances such as iron, nickel, or cobalt and various alloys that exhibit extremely high magnetic permeability, a characteristic saturation point, and magnetic hysteresis." Ferromagnetic material has the capability of being turned into a magnet, but which might not itself be magnetic. Magnetic darts sometimes employ dart tips that are rare-earth magnets, which are significantly stronger than more common iron magnets (e.g., Jonsson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,694; Gittens, U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,694). [0006] Some magnetic darts, such as those described by Kettlestrings (U.S. Pat. No. 4,119,316) and Seymour (U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,997), differ significantly in both shape and structure from traditional needle-nose darts, because they are designed for use primarily by children. But many magnetic darts retain the traditional elongated barrel and flighted stem design (e.g., Jonsson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,694). [0007] Prior art magnetic dart game systems contain a target board including either a rigid layer of magnetic material or a relatively rigid rubber layer impregnated with magnetic material. Jonsson (U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,694) suggests covering a board that includes magnetic material with a printed plastic decal target, attached to the board with an adhesive, which is easy to remove from the board SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008] The present invention dart game consists of magnetic darts and a matching target designed for use in a metal locker, such as those commonly found in a school or an athletic facility. A locker has very limited space for the occupant to store possessions. A prior art magnetic dart has a barrel of length approximately equal to that of typical traditional pointed darts. Such a long dart, sticking to a target mounted on the inside of a locker door, will protrude unnecessarily far into the interior volume of the locker when the door is shut. As the locker door is being closed or opened, the dart can come into contact with other locker contents--coats and other clothing, books, athletic gear, footwear, and shelves. In consequence, the dart may become dislodged and fall, or might even disturb other items stored in the locker. From this standpoint, darts smaller than those of the prior art are generally preferable as locker darts. [0009] On the other hand, the skill in every dart game consists of accurately targeting the darts, so a dart should have a barrel length large enough to fit conveniently within a human hand. These two opposing length scale considerations suggested to the inventors the ideal size of the magnetic locker darts described herein, having a central barrel portion (i.e., between the retainer enclosing the magnetic tip and the fins) that just comfortably fits between an adult's thumb (having a width of approximately 24 mm) and forefinger. The dart of the preferred embodiment of the present invention has a length of about 50 to 70 mm. [0010] Because of its short length and strong magnetic tip, a locker dart can be helpful for purposes other than dart games. In a manner analogous to tacks on a message board, a dart can be used to post a sheet of paper, fabric, or other thin material on the inside of the locker door or elsewhere within the locker. The posted material is held between the magnet tip of the dart and the metal surface of the locker. Alternately, a lightweight article, such as a pair of swim goggles, can be hung from a dart, where the dart so employed serves as a peg. [0011] One aspect in which the locker darts game system of the present invention differs from the prior art is that it includes a target but no board. Its target contains essentially no metal or metal-impregnated surfaces or layers. Instead, the system takes advantage of the magnetic material present in a locker door, external to the product itself, to attract the magnetic dart tips. The target is printed on a thin sheet of plastic material. Once a backing is peeled off, the plastic sheet will adhere to a locker surface, by static electricity in the preferred embodiment. Of course, the target will also stick to various other objects having relatively smooth metal surfaces, such as some refrigerator doors and clothes washers, providing alternative environments where the darts game can be played. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0012] FIG. 1 is an isometric drawing of several lockers, one of which contains the present invention. [0013] FIG. 2 is an isometric drawing of a prior art magnetic dart. [0014] FIG. 3 is an isometric drawing of the magnetic dart of the present invention. [0015] FIG. 4 is a longitudinal view of a dart of the present invention showing details of the nose section and the tail section. [0016] FIG. 5 is a longitudinal view of the dart of the present invention illustrating various dimensions. [0017] FIG. 6 is a longitudinal view showing how the geometry of a dart of the present invention relates to gripping the dart with a human hand. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0018] The locker dart game of the present invention is used within a locker 100 made of ferromagnetic material such as steel or iron. FIG. 1 shows a row of such metal lockers 100, one with an open door 110. Attached to the door 110 is a target 700 decal. A locker dart 300 is stuck to the target 700 (or more precisely to the door 110 behind the target 700). Two other locker darts 300 are being used to post a slip of paper 120 to the inside of the locker door 110. The locker door 110 is typically steel, a ferromagnetic material. [0019] FIG. 2 illustrates a typical prior art magnetic dart 200. It preserves much of the look and feel of a competition needle-nose dart, including a tip 210 and an elongated barrel 220 that terminates in a flighted stem 230. The length of the prior art dart 200 shown is 100 mm (3.9 inches). The magnet tip 210 is a rare-earth magnet. Rare earth magnets have significantly stronger magnetic properties, and retain their magnetic properties better after repeated collision impacts, than ferrite magnets, which are more conventional. The feathers 240 of the flighted stem 230 are plastic fins 240. Continue reading... Full patent description for Locker dart game system Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Locker dart game system patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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