| US3853321A | 1974-12-10 | |||
| US4118027A | 1978-10-03 | |||
| US4167078A | 1979-09-11 | |||
| US4186514A | 1980-02-05 | |||
| US4662633A | 1987-05-05 | |||
| GB1370580A | 1974-10-16 |
| 1. | What is claimed is: An educational game for children comprising: a) a stand; b) a hollow container suspended from said stand; c) an opening in the bottom of said hollow container; d) a closure member pivotally mounted within said opening, said closure member being movable between a horizontal position closing said opening and a vertical position opening said opening; e) means for releasably latching said closure member in its horizontal position closing said opening; f) means for releasing said latching means to permit said closure member to pivot from its horizontal to its vertical position; . |
| 2. | The game set forth in claim 1 further including: g) a plurality of strings attached on one end to said closure member and the other end being free so that the players may pull from said string members to release said closure member from its horizontal position. |
| 3. | The game set forth in claim 2 wherein said latching means includes a tab member outwardly extending from the periphery of said closure member and said container includes an inwardly extending flange that cooperates with said tab member to keep said closure member in the horizontal position. |
| 4. | The game set forth in claim 2 wherein said latching means includes a plurality of pressure sensitive pads of one type mounted adjacent to the periphery of said closure members and the lower edge of the lateral wall of said container and further including a corresponding plurality of pressure sensitive straps of the opposite mating type and of sufficient dimensions to cover substantially said pads. |
| 5. | An educational game for children comprising: a) a stand; b) a hollow container suspended from said stand; c) an opening in the bottom of said hollow container; d) a closure member pivotally mounted within said opening, said closure member being movable between a horizontal position closing said opening and a vertical position opening said opening; e) means for releasably latching said closure member in its horizontal position closing said opening; f) means for releasing said latching means to permit said closure member to pivot from its horizontal to its vertical position ; g) a plurality of game objects of different sizes and shapes having means to divide said objects into different distinguishable sets; h) a plurality of distinguishable game boards, each having means to associate that game board with one of the sets and having apertures therein of the same size and shape as the game objects of the associated set; and i) means for timing the game; whereby each game player may take a game board, the game pieces may be placed in the container, the closure may be closed and subsequently released thereby freeing the game objects to fall therefrom, and the players may race against the timer and each other to place the associated game objects into the matching recesses of their game boards. |
| 6. | The game set forth in claim 5 further including: j) a plurality of strings attached on one end to said closure member and the other end being free so that the players may pull from said string members to release said closure member. |
| 7. | The game set forth in claim 6 wherein said closure member includes at least one latching tab member that is releasably holding said closure member in the horizontal position. |
| 8. | An educational game for children comprising: a) a stand; b) a hollow container suspended from said stand; c) an opening in the bottom of said hollow container; d) two closure members pivotally mounted within said opening, said closure members being movable between a horizontal position closing said opening and a vertical position opening said opening; e) means for releasably latching said closure member in its horizontal position closing said opening; f) means for releasing said latching means to permit said closure member to pivot from its horizontal to its vertical position ; g) a plurality of game objects of different sizes and shapes having means to divide said objects into different distinguishable sets; h) a plurality of distinguishable game boards, each having means to associate that game board with one of the sets and having apertures therein of the same size and shape as the game objects of the associated set; and i) means for timing the game; whereby each game player may take a game board, the game pieces may be placed in the container, the closure may be closed and subsequently released thereby freeing the game objects to fall therefrom, and the players may race against the timer and each other to place the associated game objects into the matching recesses of their game boards. |
| 9. | The game set forth in claim 8 further including: j) a plurality of strings attached on one end to said closure member and the other end being free so that the players may pull from said string members to release said closure member. |
| 10. | The game set forth in claim 9 wherein said latching means includes a tab member outwardly extending from the periphery of said closure member and said container includes an inwardly extending flange that cooperates with said tab member to keep said closure member in the horizontal position. |
| 11. | The game set forth in claim 10 wherein said two closure members include mating longitudinal vertical and horizontal walls on the abutting straight edges and said walls face each other sandwiching between them opposite magnetic means mounted thereon thereby urging said closure members to stay in a horizontal plane. |
| 12. | The game set forth in claim 10 wherein said two closure members include mating longitudinal vertical and horizontal walls on the abutting straight edges and said walls face each other sandwiching between them pressure sensitive pads of opposite types thereby releasably keeping said closure members in a horizontal plane. |
| 13. | The game set forth in claim 9 wherein said latching means includes a plurality of pressure sensitive pads of one type mounted adjacent to the periphery of said closure members and the lower edge of the lateral wall of said container and further including a corresponding plurality of pressure sensitive straps of the opposite mating type and of sufficient dimensions to cover substantially said pads. |
II. TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to piήata games, and more particularly, to those piήata games that are reusable.
III. BACKGROUND ART
Piήata designs usually include a container that is filled with candy bars and toys. The Mexican piήatas are typically hit by one of the children playing the game and the Cuban pihata involve the pulling of ribbons to make an opening through the bottom of a container. Both of these pi ή ata designs involve the destruction of the piήata.
IV. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one of the main objects of the present invention to provide a reusable piήata game that can be utilized several times.
It is another object of this present invention to provide such a pi ή ata game that is educational requiring the participating children to recognize the shapes of tokens dropped by the piήata and encourages them to do this within given time parameters.
It is yet another object of this present invention to provide such a game that is inexpensive to manufacture and reuse while retaining its effectiveness.
Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitations thereon.
V. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
With the above and other related objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 represents a view in perspective of the present invention after the strings are pulled showing the different tokens being dropped by the container portion of the piήata.
Figure 2 shows an elevational view of the container.
Figure 3 illustrates a bottom view of the preferred embodiment for the container of the pinata.
Figure 4 is a representation of a partial view taken along line 4- 4 in figure 3.
Figure 5 shows an alternate embodiment incorporating the present invention showing the centrally hinged bottom sections in an open position.
Figure 6 is a bottom view of the alternate embodiment of figure 5 in closed position.
Figure 7 is a representation of a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 in figure 6.
Figure 8 illustrates a second embodiment of the present invention showing a centrally pivoted unitary closure member.
Figure 9 shows a bottom view of the second embodiment shown in figure 8 with the bottom in the closed position.
Figure 10 is a representation of a cross-sectional view taken along line 10-10 in figure 9.
Figure 11 shows a third embodiment of the present invention with closure members of semicircular shape similar to those of figures 2; 3 and 4 having complementary edge walls at the straight edges.
Figure 12 shows a bottom view of the third embodiment shown in figure 11 , in the closed position.
Figure 13 shows a detail view of the straight edge of the semicircular closure members incorporating magnetic elements positioned on the horizontal walls.
Figure 14 shows a detail view of the straight edge of the semicircular closure members incorporating Velcro pads on the horizontal walls.
Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 15-15 in figure 12.
Figure 16 illustrates a fourth embodiment of the present invention showing a unitary closure member held in place by several Velcro straps and cooperatively positioned pads.
Figure 17 shows a bottom view of the fourth alternate embodiment shown in figure 16.
Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 18-18 in figure 17.
VI. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to figure 1 , where the present invention is generally referred to with numeral 10, it can be observed that it basically includes adjustable height stand assembly 20, hollow container member 30, game objects 40, game boards 50 and timer 60 mounted preferably on assembly 20.
Stand assembly 20 comprises base member 22 having a sufficiently large footprint to provide the necessary stability to the structure which extends upwardly and horizontally with pole member 24 and arm member 26. Hook member 28 is located preferably at the
outer end of arm member 26 to provide suitable means for supporting container 30 through loop 31. Container 30 is hollow and it is suspended from the end of arm 26. The outer surface of container 30 is designed with an attractive ornamental shape and look and it is made out of a washable material, such as, plastic or equivalent. Container 30 includes an opening in the bottom where two closure members 32 and 32' are pivotally mounted off-center, as best shown in the preferred embodiment in figures 2 and 3 and in the third alternate embodiment in figures 11 and 12. The first alternate embodiment is shown in figures 5 and 6 and it discloses two closure members 132 and 132' that are hingedly mounted at the flat side of a semicircle. The second alternate embodiment consists of a unitary closure member 232 that is centrally hingedly mounted so that it pivots over its centerline, as best shown in figures 8 and 9.
Closure members 32 and 32' ; 132 and 132'; 232; 332 and 332' are releasably latched in the closed position when in the horizontal plane as shown in the drawings. Latching tab members 34 and 34', 134 and 134'; 234 in the preferred, first and second alternate embodiments can be implemented in a number of ways including a resilient termination that is capable of holding the closure members in the horizontal position and, upon the exertion of a predetermined downwardly pulling force through strings 36. Simple means for releasably holding closure members 32 and 32'; 132 and 132' and 234 in a horizontal plane is thereby provided. Latching tab members 34 and 34' rest on inwardly extending flange 35 . Closure members 32 and 32', as well as integrally built latching tab members 34 and 34', are made of a resilient material that allows for certain deformation when strings 36 are pulled thereby exerting a downward force on closure
members 32 and 32'. The deformation is sufficient to cause a deflection on closure members 32 and 32' allowing tab members 34 and 34 * to slip down. Closure members 32 and 32' are pivotally mounted to lateral wall 39 of container 30 through pins 38 and 38', as best seen in figures 2; 3 and 4.
First alternate embodiment works like the preferred embodiment with the exception of the manner in which closure members 132 and 132' are hingedly mounted and using only one pivoting point implemented with pin 138. The first alternate embodiment can be appreciated in figures 5; 6 and 7.
The second alternate embodiment uses only one closure member 232 that is centrally pivoted and releasably held in place by tab member 234, as seen in figures 8; 9 and 10. The third alternate embodiment disclosed in the present application is similar to the preferred embodiment disclosed above except that instead of tab for releasably holding the closure members in place, The straight edge of semicircular closure members 332 and 332' have complementary vertical and horizontal walls 331 ; 331 '; 333 333'; 335 and 335', as best seen in figures 13 and 14. To keep these walls in locking abutment, flat magnetic members 336 and 337 with opposite poles facing each other may be used, as seen in figure 13. Also, Velcro pads 340 and 341* can be used to keep closure members 332 and 332' in a horizontal plane.
The fourth alternate embodiment, shown in figures 16; 17 and 18, utilizes a unitary closure member 442. Member 442 is held in place by several Velcro pads 445 that are mounted on the periphery of
the outer face of closure member 442 and on the lower portion of * * lateral wall 39 and straps 446 of opposite type that mates with pads 445.
A number of tokens or objects 40, with a variety of shapes, are loaded into container 30. When they are dispensed, as the result of the children pulling strings 36, they fall so that they can be picked up by the players and matched with the cavities or apertures 52 in boards 50. A timer 60 is mounted to pole member 24, preferably, so that the players can be timed, if desired.
It is believed the foregoing description conveys the best understanding of the objects and advantages of the present invention.
Different embodiments may be made of the inventive concept of this invention. It is to be understood that all matter disclosed herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.
It is apparent from the previous paragraphs that an improvement of the type for such piήata games is quite desirable for a reusable pi ή ata game that can be utilized several times and that is educational requiring the participating children to recognize the shapes of tokens dropped by the piήata and encourages them to do this within given time parameters.