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  System and method for providing a portable gameUSPTO Application #: 20070057463Title: System and method for providing a portable game Abstract: A game is assembled from elements formed at least in part from packaging materials such as a carton, article carriers, and plastic bottles or other containers. In the exemplary embodiment, a game board is formed from a game board blank that is detached from a carton. Additional game board elements, including goals, player pieces, game balls, and a control bar assembly, are formed from article carriers, bottle caps, and other article accessories such as straws. The game board elements are assembled with the game board to form the game such that the goals are secured to the bottom panel of the game board, control bars extend between the side walls of the game board, and the player pieces are attached to control bars. (end of abstract) Agent: Parks Knowlton LLC - Atlanta, GA, US Inventor: Myrna Anne Del Valle Del Rincon USPTO Applicaton #: 20070057463 - Class: 273285000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Amusement Devices: Games, Board Games, Pieces, Or Boards Therefor, Collapsible Board (e.g., Folding) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070057463. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/699,293, filed Jul. 13, 2005, the entirety of which is herein incorporated by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention generally relates to cartons, and specifically relates to a carton that can be converted into a game board. BACKGROUND [0003] To supplement advertising efforts, manufacturers and retailers may increase the sales of consumer products by giving away promotional items. It can easily be appreciated that, to be effective, such promotional items must be attractive to the consumer and inexpensive for the company. [0004] A multiple-player simulated sports game is attractive to consumers. For example, many soccer fans enjoy playing a simulated soccer game that is commonly called foosball. Foosball generally recreates a soccer field that has goals on each end. In addition, objects or game pieces are mounted on rods and positioned transversely above the soccer field to represent soccer players. Users rotate and slide the rods to move the game pieces with the intention of propelling a ball into the opponent's goal. [0005] Typical simulated soccer games are very large and expensive and usually found only in arcades at a per use cost. Home versions have been developed, but are bulky and costly as well. Disadvantageously, such home games take up substantial floor or table space and are not easy to temporarily stow. Therefore, consumers would appreciate an inexpensive and storable simulated sports game. [0006] Board games have been provided as promotional items in the past. However, to remain inexpensive, the games are detached from the back of product boxes, such as cereal boxes, and are typically single-player games. In addition, the known promotional games and giveaways do not provide the consumer with a fully usable multiplayer game. Further, there are no collapsible and inexpensive tabletop sports games that simulate a playing field with movable playing pieces that can be simultaneously controlled by one or more players. [0007] Therefore, deficiencies and inadequacies exist in the prior art that are solved by providing attractive and inexpensive multiplayer tabletop games to be given as promotional items. SUMMARY [0008] The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a simulated sports game board that is inexpensive to manufacture and desirable to the consumer. The game is an excellent promotional item for increasing sales of products as it is preferably formed from product packaging that includes logos and other marketing information that would otherwise be discarded and as it incorporates product accessories or packaging components as game pieces or components. [0009] The invention provides a foldable and collapsible game board made of paperboard or other suitable substrate that is easy for the consumer to assemble and store. Playing pieces and other movable game board elements can also be constructed from the same substrate and/or from product accessories, such as bottle caps, article carriers, and straws. [0010] One advantage of the present invention is that the games provided have great play value. The consumer is enticed to buy the related products because the promotional games are entertaining and durable. The present invention further provides an inexpensive but sturdy game for multiple players. [0011] In the exemplary embodiment, the invention provides for a tabletop version of the popular soccer game known as foosball. Game board elements, such as player pieces representing soccer players, can be made available to the consumer as detachable components of product packaging. In addition, a collapsible paperboard game board can be provided directly to consumers as a promotional item with or without a cost, or provided as part of the product packaging. For example, the game board can be integral to and detachable from a carton. It can be appreciated that such a game board would encourage consumers to collect the game board elements and thus promote the sale of more products. Additionally, other sports and games of skill may be simulated with the present invention. [0012] Generally described, one embodiment of the foldable and collapsible simulated sport game board is formed from a suitable substrate of foldable sheet material. The game board is easily erected and assembled and game board elements, including a control bar assembly, are attached thereto. Player pieces are attached or mounted to the control bar such that the control bar assembly facilitates controlling player pieces. The control bar suspends the player pieces above the bottom panel of the game board. The structure and configuration of the game board lends itself to being provided as part of the secondary packaging a consumer product, including but not limited to a carton for enclosing consumable food or beverage products. [0013] According to the exemplary embodiment, the game board is formed from a blank of a single uniform sheet of paperboard, corrugated board, plastic, laminates, any combination thereof, or the like, although it is contemplated that the game board may be formed from multiple sheets or from a substrate that is nonuniform. The blank is includes an essentially rectangular bottom panel with side and end panels along edges of the rectangle. Each side and end panel is foldable along fold lines to form side and end walls. [0014] Certain game board elements are held in place by means for attaching the elements to the game board, such as retention tabs and mated receiving slots. For example, goals are mounted to the bottom panel of the game board by means for attaching. The retention tabs are capable of passing through corresponding holes or slots, which can be defined by severance lines, frangible lines, or any combination of cuts, half-cuts, scores, or perforations. The side and end panels are folded and retained in an erected condition by means for securing to create walls on all sides of the game board. Means for securing the side and end panels in an erected condition can similarly include retention tabs and mated receiving slots. [0015] In the exemplary embodiment, player pieces, such as those shaped like soccer players, may be available to the consumer either separately or as part of primary or secondary product packaging. The consumer can collect the representative players of their favorite teams by repeatedly purchasing the product. Alternatively, one or more game board elements, such as an entire team of player pieces, may be purchased by the consumer or provided to the consumer as a giveaway item. [0016] According one aspect of the invention, means for controlling player pieces includes one or more control bar assemblies. The control bar assemblies may be rotatably and slidingly attached to the sidewalls of the game board so that they are suspended above the game board. In one exemplary embodiment, the control bar assemblies are constructed of drinking straws and plastic bottle caps. For example, two beverage straws are connected end-to-end and mounted in the opposing sidewalls of the game board. The control bar assemblies further comprise a bottle cap and paperboard stopper on one end, which are assembled to form a control knob for the control bar assembly and to prevent the control bar assembly from sliding too far through the side wall of the game board. The paperboard stopper is sized to fit snugly within the threaded interior of the plastic bottle cap, and includes an aperture or hole through which one end of the control bar assembly is disposed in order to attach the control knob to the control bar. Thereby, the control knob is rotated and translated to control the player pieces attached to the control bar. [0017] According to another aspect of the invention, a game ball is provided to the consumer. In the exemplary embodiment, a game ball blank includes two portions that include trapezoidal flaps around the perimeter of a hexagonal center section. The consumer folds and connects the end tabs of opposing flaps into a game ball having a near-spherical shape. In other embodiments, a bottle cap is used as a game ball. [0018] After attaching the control bar assemblies, with player pieces mounted thereon, to the sidewalls of the game board and after placing the assembled ball on the game board, two or more users can simulate a soccer game by sliding and rotating the control bar assemblies or otherwise controlling the player pieces in an attempt to propel the ball through the opening defined by the opponent's goal. While the offensive users try to advance the ball with their player pieces, the defensive users try to block the advancing ball with their player pieces. [0019] The consumer is thereby afforded a portable soccer game that is easily storable and provides great play value. The product marketer is thereby afforded a promotional item that is inexpensive to manufacture, attractive to the consumer, and may encourage further purchases from the consumer. The foregoing has broadly outlined some of the aspects and features of the present invention, which should be construed to be merely illustrative of various potential applications of the invention. Other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed information in a different manner or by modifying the disclosed embodiments. Accordingly, other aspects and a more comprehensive understanding of the invention may be obtained by referring to the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Continue reading... Full patent description for System and method for providing a portable game Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this System and method for providing a portable game 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. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like System and method for providing a portable game or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Systems, methods and articles to facilitate playing card games with intermediary playing card receiver Next Patent Application: Card game Industry Class: Amusement devices: games ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the System and method for providing a portable game patent info. 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