Mechanical projectile and target game

Abstract

In one implementation, a game apparatus includes a base with a playing surface that has (i) a first end with a first designated area for cups and (ii) a second end; a game piece; a tether that attaches the game piece to the base so as to permit the game piece to move freely within the tether's range; and a first launcher that includes a mechanism to launch the game piece as a projectile, the first launcher being positioned at or around the second end to launch the game piece toward the first designated area for cups, wherein the first designated area for cups and at least a portion of the first launcher are within the tether's range.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A beer pong game comprising:
 a base with a playing surface that has (i) a first end with a first designated area for cups and (ii) a second end;   a game piece;   a tether that attaches the game piece to the base so as to permit the game piece to move freely within the tether's range; and   a first launcher that includes a mechanism to launch the game piece as a projectile, the first launcher being positioned at or around the second end to launch the game piece toward the first designated area for cups, wherein the first designated area for cups and at least a portion of the first launcher are within the tether's range.   
     
     
         2 . The beer pong game of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second designated area for cups at the second end of the playing surface; and   a second launcher that is positioned at or around the first end to launch the game piece toward the second designated area for cups, wherein the second designated area for cups and at least a portion of the second launcher within the tether's range.   
     
     
         3 . The beer pong game of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the first launcher is positioned at the second end behind the second designated area for cups such that the second designated area for cups is located between the first end than the first launcher along the playing surface, and   the second launcher is positioned at the first end behind the first designated area for cups such that the first designated area for cups is located between the second end and the second launcher along the playing surface.   
     
     
         4 . The beer pong game of  claim 1 , wherein the first designated area for cups comprises one or more recesses defined by the playing surface and that are sized and shaped to hold one or more arrangements of cups. 
     
     
         5 . The beer pong game of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more recesses comprise a plurality of distinct recesses defined by the playing surface that are each sized and shaped to hold one of a plurality of cups. 
     
     
         6 . The beer pong game of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more recesses comprise at least one recess that is sized and shaped to hold a plurality of cups. 
     
     
         7 . The beer pong game of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a tray that is removably inserted into the one or more recesses, the tray being sized and shaped to hold the one or more arrangements of cups.   
     
     
         8 . The beer pong game of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a plurality light sources that are positioned within the one or more recesses;   a power source to provide power to the plurality of light sources;   a plurality of switches that are positioned within the one or more recesses, each of the plurality of switches activating one or more light sources from the plurality of light sources upon insertion of a cup at a particular location in the one or more recesses and deactivating the one or more light sources upon removal of the cup from the particular location.   
     
     
         9 . The beer pong game of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a light source that is located within the game piece; and   a power source the provides power to power to the light source so as to illuminate the game piece, the power source being located either internally within the game piece or external to the game piece and supplying power to the light source through an electrical connection provided through the tether.   
     
     
         10 . The beer pong game of  claim 1 , wherein the first launcher includes a top portion from which the game piece is launched and a bottom portion that is inserted into or otherwise mounted to the base. 
     
     
         11 . The beer pong game of  claim 10 , wherein the second end of the base includes a plurality of mounting positions that are arranged laterally across the second end, the bottom portion of the first launcher being removably inserted into or otherwise removably mounted to the base via the plurality of mounting positions. 
     
     
         12 . The beer pong game of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of mounting positions comprise a plurality of recesses that are defined by the playing surface. 
     
     
         13 . The beer pong game of  claim 10 , wherein the top portion of the first launcher is laterally rotatable relative to the base. 
     
     
         14 . The beer pong game of  claim 1 , wherein the mechanism comprises a spring that is connected, either directly or indirectly, to an arm that is adapted to cradle the game piece, wherein application and release of an external force greater than a threshold level to the spring causes the arm to launch the game piece as a projectile. 
     
     
         15 . The beer pong game of  claim 1 , wherein the tether's range comprises a three-dimensional space that is defined by a length of the tether and a location on the base to which the tether is anchored. 
     
     
         16 . The beer pong game of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 one or more base magnets that are affixed to or embedded within the base; and   a tether magnet to which a first end of the tether is affixed, a second end of the tether being affixed to the game piece, wherein the tether magnet is magnetically coupled to the base at the location via the one or more base magnets.   
     
     
         17 . The beer pong game of  claim 1 , wherein the game piece comprises a ball. 
     
     
         18 . The beer pong game of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a hinge that rotatably adjoins the first end to the send end, the hinge having a range that includes, at least, (i) the base being in an unfolded configuration in which the playing surfaces of the first and second ends extend along a same plane and (ii) the base being in a folded configuration in which the playing surface of the first end faces an opposite direction of the playing surface of the second end.   
     
     
         19 . A game apparatus comprising:
 an elongated and planar game surface that defines one or more first recesses and one or more second recesses, wherein the first recesses and the second recesses are sized and shaped to each hold one or more arrangements of cups;   a ball;   a tether that connects the ball to the elongated and planar game surface;   a first launcher that is located at a first end of the elongated and planar game surface, the first launcher including a first launching mechanism that is calibrated to, at least, launch the ball as a projectile toward the second recesses; and   a second launcher that is located at a second end of the elongated and planar game surface, the second end being opposite the first end, the second launcher including a second launching mechanism that is calibrated to, at least, launch the ball as a projectile toward the first recesses.   
     
     
         20 . The game apparatus of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a second ball;   a second tether that connects the second ball to the base.