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.

1 . A carton, comprising: 
 a plurality of walls hingedly connected one to another along edges thereof;    a game board blank detachably defined in at least a portion of at least one of said walls, the blank comprising: 
 a bottom panel having a playing surface;  
 at least one side panel hingedly connected to said bottom panel; and  
 means for securing said at least one side panel in an erected condition wherein at least a portion of said at least one side panel is disposed at an angle less than 180 degrees with respect to the playing surface of said bottom panel.  
   
   
   
       2 . The carton of  claim 1 , further comprising means for attaching a game board element to said bottom panel.  
   
   
       3 . The carton of  claim 2 , wherein said means for attaching a game board element to said bottom panel comprises at least one slot for receiving a tab member of a game board element.  
   
   
       3 . The carton of  claim 2 , wherein said game board element is selected from the group consisting of: a ball, a goal, a player piece, and a rod.  
   
   
       4 . The carton of  claim 2 , wherein said game board element is detachably defined in at least a portion of at least one of said plurality of walls.  
   
   
       5 . The carton of  claim 1 , wherein means for securing said at least one side panel in an erected condition comprises a tab member attached to a distal end of said side panel and a slot disposed in the game board blank.  
   
   
       6 . The carton of  claim 5 , wherein said slot is disposed adjacent to the hinged connection between said bottom panel and said at least one side panel.  
   
   
       7 . The carton of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one side panel comprises two side panels hingedly connected to opposite edges of said bottom panel, each of said side panels comprising at least one aperture for receiving an end of a control bar.  
   
   
       8 . A game, comprising: 
 a game board that is detachably formed at least in part from at least one wall of a carton for enclosing articles, the game board comprising: 
 a bottom panel including a playing surface; and  
 a plurality of walls hingedly attached along the perimeter of said bottom panel;  
 at least one goal attached to said bottom panel;  
 at least one control bar assembly extending between two opposing ones of said plurality of walls; and  
 at least one player piece attached to said control bar assembly, said control bar assembly being rotatable and translatable to control said at least one player piece.  
   
   
   
       9 . The game of  claim 8 , wherein said playing surface of the bottom panel includes demarcations that replicate the boundaries of a field.  
   
   
       10 . The game of  claim 8 , wherein at least one of said at least one player piece and said goal is detachably formed from at least one wall of said carton.  
   
   
       11 . The game of  claim 8 , wherein each of said two opposing ones of said plurality of walls comprises at least one support for supporting the ends of said at least one control bar.  
   
   
       12 . The game of  claim 8 , further comprising a game ball, wherein said player piece being controllable to propel said game ball.  
   
   
       13 . A package, comprising: 
 at least one article;    a carton enclosing said at least one article, said carton comprising 
 a plurality of walls; and  
 a game board blank detachably formed from at least one of said walls, said game board blank comprising: 
 a bottom panel;  
 at least one side panel hingedly connected to said bottom panel; and  
 means for securing said at least at least one side panel in an erected condition to form a wall.  
 
   
   
   
       14 . The package of  claim 13 , wherein said package further comprises a plurality of game board elements, at least one of said game board elements being selected from the group consisting of: a ball, a goal, a player piece, and a rod.  
   
   
       15 . The package of  claim 14 , wherein at least one of said game board elements is detachably formed from at least one of said walls.  
   
   
       16 . The package of  claim 14 , wherein at least one article is further packaged within said carton by an article carrier, and at least one of said game board elements is formed from said article carrier.  
   
   
       17 . The package of  claim 14 , wherein at least one of said game board elements is formed from a bottle cap.