Floating ball game table

Field and Background of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a table game to be played in a water environment, such as a pool.

Table tennis is a well known and popular game and sport, comprising of a table with a net mounted across its center. Two or more players, which stand on opposite sides of the table holding hand rackets by which they hit a small celluloid ball in order to transfer it over the net into the opponent's side of the table.

As an official sport, the rules of table tennis and the specification of the equipment used, have been constant over the years. As a social game however, table tennis game can be played in any manner one wishes.

Many recreation and leisure activities like bathing, swimming, sailing, fishing are carried out in water. Frequently people get bored in the water or want to enhance their enjoyment by having a social activity as playing a game such as water polo, volleyball or basketball in it. These games require many participants, typically eight or more. There thus exists a need for occupying and keeping bathers entertained while in a pool.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention establishes a new table tennis game that resembles table tennis, by providing the elements needed to relocate the familiar same to water.

The players will typically stand in shallow water on the floor of a swimming pool on opposite sides of a floating platform which has a net mounted across its center, and will use hand racquets to deliver a bouncing ball over the net to each other side of platform.

The platform is designed to have a rigid flat and void free upper surface while its lower section comprises of low-density material such as plastic foams, special low-density wood and a like. The platform will float on water, due to its low mean density. Alternatively, the table may be a rigid flat surface supported by floating air bags.

The platform size is typically smaller than that of the official table tennis table because the water limits the movements of the players. No legs for the table support are needed, although provisions for its anchoring are provided.

With some modifications, such as the installation of a rail around its rim and providing holes at its upper surface, the platform will serve as a play table for snooker or billiard game in an aquatic environment.

It is therefore the object of the invention to enhance the joy and enthusiasm of people staying in a swimming pool by providing them a new way of playing familiar games.

It is another object of the invention to provide a play table for playing table ball games in an aquatic environment.

It is another object of the invention to provide a play table for playing table ball games in an aquatic environment which is smaller and lighter then the terrestrial table and which is easier to store and to transport.

It is another object of the invention to provide a platform for playing singles table tennis game in an aquatic environment.

It is another objective of the invention to provide a platform for playing doubles or multi player table tennis game in an aquatic environment.

It is another objective of the invention to provide a platform of playing a billiard game in an aquatic environment.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention is here described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

• Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of the two sections of a floating table tennis play surface according to the present invention.
• Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the assembled platform with a net across it where it is prepared to serve as a floating table tennis table according to the present invention.
• Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the assembled platform with a rail around it, and holes in its upper surface to accommodate balls where it is prepared to serve as a billiard table according to the present invention.

Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment

Referring now to Fig.1, the floating platform comprises two sections: Section 11, hereinafter the "male" section, and section 12 hereinafter the "female" section. Sections 11 and 12 have a layered structure of which the lower layer 13, typically 15 cm. thick, is made of foamed (expanded) Polystyrene or Polyurethane or other low-density material. In order to float, the mean specific density of the platform has to be less then that of water. The upper face 14 of both sections 11 and 12 is made of Formica or any other layer of smooth and hard veneer needed to obtain an upper surface on which the ball will bounce properly. The upper layer is attached to the thicker lower layer with glue or any other suitable attachment means, mechanical or otherwise. Alternatively. the face 14 may float on air bags (not shown).

The area of the combined sections 11 and 12 is smaller then the area of a regular table tennis table because the players movement is limited in the aquatic environment.

For a firm and accurate coupling of the two sections 11 and 12, the sides that are to be mated have a special design, which comprises a notch 15 in section 12, which fits an extension 16 at section 11. The two sections are attached to each other by inserting extension 16 of section 11 into the matching notch 15 of section 12.

Each of the sections 11 and 12 has a hole 17 near its edge to allow the insertion of the posts of the net mounting assembly 21. The barrel of the holes 17 runs through the entire thickness of the notch 15 in section 12 and through the extension 16 of section 11. When properly assembled, the bores of both sections become aligned to accommodate the post 21 of the net, further assisting in keeping sections 11 and 12 tightly together and preventing their separation.

In order to anchor the platform, two or more hooks 18, (only one shown), are mounted near the middle on the opposite edges of section 11 and through which a rope (not shown), which ties the platform to fixed objects, such as the sides of the pool (not shown), can be threaded.

The installation of the platform proceeds as follows: The two sections 11 and 12 are placed in the water and the extension of section 16 is pushed into the notch of section 15. The posts of the net 9 are inserted into their respective holes 17 and the net 20 is stretched between them. The platform is anchored by tying it through its hooks 18.

It should be understood that although a platform made of two sections has been described, it might comprise one section solely. In this case, the single section would provide the holes 17 to receive the posts of the net 21 and the hooks 18.

The net, the hand racquet and the ball do not have to follow the specifications of the official sport. Many variations of the formal table tennis game can be improvised and new basic rules can be established. It is also possible to attach as many sections as wished, of any dimensions to provide a table game of the desired size.

The use of a floating platform for use in an aqueous environment can be utilized for the play of other games as well, such as the billiards, or snooker game. In the floating snooker game whose platform is shown in Fig. 3, appropriate holes 31 are made in the upper sections of the floating platform, and a low profile rail 30, which ricochets the balls back to table, surrounds the rim of the platform.

The preferred embodiments herein are not intended to be exhaustive and to limit in any way the scope of the invention, rather they are used as examples for the clarification of the invention and for the enabling of other skilled in the art to utilize its teaching.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.