Light-emitting game apparatus

Abstract

A game apparatus is provided for placement on a table and playing a hockey-like game, using an air cushion for a puck and handheld paddles. The game apparatus includes a playing surface, a pair of sidewalls, a pair of backwalls, and a pair of opposed goals, one in each of the backwalls. One or more of the playing surface, the goals, the puck, and the paddles may be provided with a light-emitting source to emit visible light during the playing of a game. The light emitting source may be a phosphorescent material embedded in the game component. The playing surface may include the light source on various indicia disposed thereon. The playing surface may be substantially black in color other than at the light-emitting sources. The paddles may be provided with a groove within which a user may dispose the user's finger tips while playing the game. The goals may be provided with a scoring tabulator.

What is claimed as the invention is:  
     
         1 . A game apparatus for playing a hockey-like game, the game apparatus comprising: 
 a playing surface including a first end and an opposed second end and a substantially flat expanse therebetween;    a pair of opposed goals, each at one of the ends of the playing surface;    a puck configured to traverse the flat expanse of the playing surface and to enter the goals; and    a pair of paddles for striking the puck, wherein at least one of the playing surface, the goals, the puck, and the paddles is provided with a light-emitting source to emit visible light during the playing of a game.    
     
     
         2 . The game apparatus of  claim 1  wherein all of the playing surface, the goals, the puck, and the paddles include a light-emitting source.  
     
     
         3 . The game apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the light-emitting source is a phosphorescent material.  
     
     
         4 . The game apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the playing surface is provided with the light-emitting source, and further wherein the light-emitting source is a stripe running across a central portion of the flat expanse of the playing surface.  
     
     
         5 . The game apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the playing surface is provided with a plurality of stripes of light-emitting sources.  
     
     
         6 . The game apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the playing surface is provided with two pairs of circles of light-emitting sources, each pair located adjacent one of the goals, each circle of each pair located on one side of the adjacent goal.  
     
     
         7 . The game apparatus of  claim 6  wherein each circle is sized slightly larger than the puck, and further comprising three additional pucks of substantially the same size as the first puck.  
     
     
         8 . The game apparatus of  claim 1  wherein each goal includes a goal housing defining a goal mouth, each goal also comprising a puck repository communicating with the goal mouth for receiving the puck when the puck enters the goal, and further wherein substantially all of the goal housing is comprised of a light-emitting material.  
     
     
         9 . The game apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a pair of sidewalls extending alongside the playing surface, the sidewalls configured to rebound the puck onto the playing surface.  
     
     
         10 . The game apparatus of  claim 9  further comprising a pair of backwalls, one at each end of the playing surface, wherein each goal is located substantially centrally in each backwall, and further including curved corners interconnecting the backwalls and the sidewalls.  
     
     
         11 . The game apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the playing surface is substantially black in color.  
     
     
         12 . The game apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the playing surface is provided with an array of holes providing for a flow of air through the array of holes to provide support to the puck.  
     
     
         13 . The game apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the game apparatus is less than about four feet in length and is substantially configured to be disposed on a table top.  
     
     
         14 . The game apparatus of  claim 13  further comprising folding legs for selectively supporting the game apparatus on the table top in a first, deployed configuration, or for storing the game apparatus in a second, stowed configuration.  
     
     
         15 . The game apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising three additional pucks, and wherein two of the pucks are a first color and two of the pucks are a second color that is visibly distinct from the first color.  
     
     
         16 . The game apparatus of  claim 15  wherein one of the paddles is the first color and the other one of the paddles is the second color.  
     
     
         17 . The game apparatus of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the paddles is provided with a groove within which a user may dispose the user's finger tips while playing the game.  
     
     
         18 . The game apparatus of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the goals is provided with a scoring tabulator.