1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game assembly, and more particularly to a portable board game device that unfolds to create an inclined playing surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
The design of board game devices has long been known. Board game devices are designed with the consumer in mind.
Board game devices have long used different methods to alter the playing surface to give it more appeal to the consumer. One such way was disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,871 to Meyers et al. for “Rotary table ball game” issued Jan. 30, 1979. Meyers generally relates to a high speed rotary game table having nets placed at opposite ends of a playing surface that provides goals at each end with player operated flippers located at various points. The Meyers playing surface is separated into two distinct halves which are connected together in the center by a hinge on the opposite end of the playing surface as to not disturb the game in progress. The halves are hinged so that the game board will fold down the center in order to make the game easier to transport. The gaming surface is inclined so that the highest point occurs at the intersection of the two halves and the lowest point occurs where the goals are placed. The playing surface is intended to be inclined so that the game ball is never at rest. This is particularly important when first dropping the ball in the center of the playing surface so that game play may quickly begin. The inclined surface also serves a benefit of the game ball accelerating quicker as it moves toward the goal because the slope is angled toward the goals. This serves the primary benefit of increasing the overall experience of the game by challenging the players reaction skills thought the rapid motion of the game ball.
Whereas the benefit of the inclined playing surface of the Meyer's patent is to the overall experience of the game play, it was not designed to make the game more convenient to play by making the game board more accessible. It is not known in the art to provide a game device designed to allow the playing surface to incline to create a more accessible game board thus making the making the game more convenient to play. Accordingly it would be desirable to create such a device as it would be well received by the consumer. The inventions discussed in connection with the described embodiments address these and other deficiencies of the prior art.