US20030214098A1

US20030214098A1 - Dartboard

Info

Publication number: US20030214098A1
Application number: US10/147,091
Authority: US
Inventors: Wen-Fang Chang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-05-17
Filing date: 2002-05-17
Publication date: 2003-11-20

Abstract

A dartboard consists of an electronic plate (40), a base board (42) mounted on the electronic plate (40), a frame (10) having multiple compartments (12), multiple dart blocks (20) loosely mounted inside the respective compartments (12) and a window frame (70) mounted on the frame (10). Improvements of the dartboard include multiple cutouts (14) being defined in the frame (10) division walls (11) around the compartments (12) allow the frame (10) to accommodate slight variations in the size of dart blocks (20); each dart block (20) having a dart box (21) with smooth outer surfaces to make the dart block (20) easily move inside the compartment (12); and a contact pin (241) formed under the dart block (20) to actuate the electronic plate (40). All improvements in configuration make the dartboard precisely calculate scores.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a dartboard, and more particularly to a electronic dartboard counting scores precisely.

2. Description of Related Art

With reference to FIG. 5, a conventional dartboard comprises an electronic plate ( 40), a base board (42), a sectional frame (50), multiple dart blocks (60) and a window frame (70).

The electronic plate ( 40) has multiple sensing points (not shown) to electrically connect to a circuit board (not shown) to sense and calculate scores. The base board (42) has two faces and an outer edge and is mounted on the electronic plate (40) with one face. Multiple holes (421) are defined in the base board (42) to correspond to the sensing points on the electronic plate (40). A molding (44) is mounted around the outer edge of the other face of the base board (42) opposite to the electronic plate (40) to form a central recess (not numbered) on the base board (42). The sectional frame (50) corresponds to and is mounted in the central recess on the base board (42). Multiple division walls (51) divide the sectional frame (50) into compartments (52) that correspond to different scoring segments (not numbered) on a dartboard. The dart blocks (60) made of soft material such as jute, hemp, cardboard, etc. for receiving the darts have shapes corresponding to the different shapes of the compartments (52) in the sectional frame (50). Each dart block (60) is loosely mounted in the corresponding compartment (52). Each dart block (60) has a front face (not numbered), a rear face (not numbered) and multiple side faces (not numbered) with multiple indentations (not numbered) defined in the rear face. Multiple resilient elements (61) such as springs are mounted on the rear face of each dart block (60). Each resilient element (61) has a first end inserted into a corresponding indentation and a second end inserted through the hole (421) in the base board (42) to abut the electronic plate (40). The window frame (70) mounts on the sectional frame (50) to hold the dart blocks (60) inside the compartments (52) and cover joints between adjacent dart blocks (60). Multiple windows (71) are defined in the window frame (70). Shapes of the multiple windows (71) correspond to but are smaller than the dart blocks (60) so the window frame (70) holds the dart blocks (60) in the compartments (52). When darts strike the dartboard, the impact of the dart pushes the dart block (60) struck toward the electronic board (40), and the resilient elements (61) behind the dart block (60) press the sensing points to make the circuit board calculate scores automatically.

However, the conventional dartboard has the following drawbacks:

1. Because the dart blocks ( 60) are usually made of jute, a great deal of friction is generated between the dart blocks (60) and the division walls (51) so that the dart blocks (60) are hart to move in the compartments (52) or even stick in the compartment (52). Thus, the scoring calculation of the conventional dartboard easily malfunction and is often imprecise.

2. The resilient elements ( 61) secured between the electronic plate (40) and the rear face of the dart blocks (60) are easily deformed, which causes the dartboard to malfunction.

3. Because the compartments ( 52) constructed by the division walls (51) have multiple inner surfaces, these inner surface fully contact with the side faces of the dart blocks (60) when the dart blocks (60) are mounted in the compartments (52). Therefore, the compartment cannot be adjusted when the dart blocks (60) do not precisely match up with the respective compartments (52).

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the disadvantages of the conventional dartboard.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of a dartboard in accordance with the present invention is to calculate scores precisely.

Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view in partial section of a segment of a dartboard in accordance with the present invention; [0013]
FIG. 2 is a front plan view of a segment of the dartboard in FIG. 1; [0014]
FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional side plan view of the dartboard along line [0015] 3-3 in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is an operational cross sectional side plan view of a segment of the dartboard in FIG. 2 showing the movement of a dart block when pressed toward the electronic plate; and [0016]
FIG. 5 is a partially exploded perspective view of a segment of a conventional dartboard in accordance with the prior art.[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIGS. [0018] 1 to 3, a dartboard in accordance with the present invention consists of an electronic plate (40), a base board (42), a main frame (10), multiple dart blocks (20) and a window frame (70). The electronic plate (40) has a front surface, a rear surface and multiple sensing points on the front surface. The base board (42) is mounted on the front surface of the electronic plate (40) and has a hole (423) corresponding to each sensing point on the electronic plate (40). The main frame (10) is mounted on the base board (42) and has multiple compartments (12). The dart blocks (20) loosely mounted in the respective compartments (12). The window frame (70) is mounted on the main frame (10) to keep the dart blocks (20) inside the compartments (12). Because the electronic plate (40), the base board (42), and the window frame (70) have the same configuration as the conventional dartboard, no further description is provided to avoid redundancy. The improvements of this invention comprises:
The main frame ([0019] 10) has multiple division walls (11) to form multiple compartments (12) in the main frame (10) corresponding to scoring segments in the dartboard. Multiple cutouts (14) are U-shaped and defined in the division walls (11) at positions corresponding to the compartments (12).
The dart blocks ([0020] 20) are loosely mounted inside the compartments (12) of the main frame (10). Each dart block (20) consists of a box (21) with smooth outer surfaces, a rear face and an open front face and stuffing (22) inside the box (21). The stuffing (22) is made of soft material, hemp, or jute into which the darts stick, and the boxes (21) are shaped in different shapes corresponding to the compartments (12) so that each dart block (20) is loosely mounted in the corresponding compartment (12). Multiple first round flanges (24) are formed on the outside of the rear face of each box (21), and a contact pin (241) is formed at the center of each first round flange (24) to penetrate the hole (423) in the base board (42). A resilient element (23) such as a spring has two ends and is mounted around the contact pin (241) between the dart block (20) and the base board (42). Additionally, the base board (42) has a second round flange (421) formed around each hole (423). The ends of the resilient elements (23) are received in the first round flanges (24) and the second round flanges (241) respectively. The contact pin (241) also provides a guide and support function to the resilient element (23) to prevent the resilient element (23) from deforming and causing a malfunction.
The dartboard in accordance with the present invention has several advantages that follows. [0021]
1. The smooth outer surfaces of the dart box ([0022] 21) of the dart block (20) contact the division walls (11) of the compartments (12) in the main frame (10). Therefore, friction between the dart block (20) and the main frame (10) is reduced to make the dart block (20) move toward the base board (42) easily and raise the sensibility of the dartboard.
2. The cutouts ([0023] 14) in the division walls (11) allow slight misalignment between the dart blocks (20) and the respective compartments (12).
3. The contact pin ([0024] 241) mounted on the rear face of the dart block (20) provides a guide and support function to make the resilient element (23) more durable.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. [0025]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A dartboard comprising:

an electronic plate (40) having multiple sensing points on a front face;

a base board (42) mounted on the front face of the electronic plate (40) and having multiple holes (423) to correspond to the sensing points of the electronic plate (40);

a main frame (10) mounted on the base board (42) with multiple compartments (12) defined in the main frame (10);

multiple dart blocks (20) having smooth outer surfaces, an open front face and closed rear face loosely mounted in the compartments (12); and

a window frame (70) mounted on the main frame (10) to keep the dart blocks (20) inside the compartments (12);

wherein the improvements of the dartboard comprise:

the main frame (10) having multiple division walls (11) to define multiple compartments (12) in the main frame (10) and multiple cutouts (14) defined in the division walls (11) at positions corresponding to the compartments (12).

2. The dartboard as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cutouts (14) are U-shaped.

3. The dartboard as claimed in claim 1, multiple first round flanges (24) are formed on the outside of the rear face, and a contact pin (241) is formed at a center of each first round flange (24);

the base board (42) further has multiple second round flanges (421) formed around the holes (423) and corresponding to the respective multiple first round flanges (24); and

a resilient element (23) is mounted around each contact pin (241) and has two ends mounted within the corresponding first round flange (24) and the second round flange (421).

4. The dartboard as claimed in claim 2, wherein multiple first round flanges (24) are formed on the outside of the rear face, and a contact pin (241) is formed at a center of each first round flange (24);

5. The dartboard as claimed in claim 4, wherein the resilient elements (23) are springs.

6. The dartboard as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dart block (20) comprises a dart box (21) and stuffing (22) made of soft material inside the box (21).

7. The dartboard as claimed in claim 2, wherein the dart block (20) comprises a dart box (21) and stuffing (22) made of soft material inside the box (21).