Amusement devices: games – Surface projectile game; game element – Disk or ring games
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-20
2001-08-21
Chiu, Raleigh W. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Surface projectile game; game element
Disk or ring games
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276682
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air hockey game apparatus with which game players compete with each other in hitting a puck into a goal. Particularly, the invention relates to an air hockey game apparatus that has a puck sliding surface having blowholes for floating the puck, an air-blower for transferring air into the blowholes, a puck-reflecting frame provided on the puck sliding surface, and goals provided on the puck sliding surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among air hockey game apparatuses that have been suggested and that are being sold, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-322978 discloses an air hockey game apparatus that allows game players to hit a puck into a goal at the end of the opponent. The puck floats on the baseboard that has a large number of blowholes. Each of the goals is partially or completely blocked by a goal barrier. The goal barrier is held at a position where the goal is blocked when a push button provided on a rear side of the goal barrier is pushed down against a spring force to slide in one direction. When the push button is horizontally slid in the opposite direction, and the pushing force is relieved, the goal is urged by the spring force to open.
As described above, the described configuration allows open sizes of the goals to be changed according to operation of pushing the push buttons, thereby allowing a handicap to be provided corresponding to the skill of the game players. However, changing the open sizes of the goals during the game is difficult. Also, the game players are permitted to operate the push button provided on their individual sides at their own discretion, thereby changing the open sizes of the goals. In this case, dynamic characteristics cannot be provided in the game, therefore, the game is apt be monotonous.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Under these circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an air hockey game apparatus that can cause appropriate events in the game, thereby effectively improving amusement characteristics of the game.
An air hockey game apparatus of the present invention has a puck sliding surface having blowholes for blowing air to float a puck, an air-blower for blowing and sending air toward the blowholes, a puck-reflecting frame around the puck sliding surface, goals on the puck sliding surface, blocking members in the goals, opening/closing driving units for changing the open sizes of the goals by using the blocking members, and a controller for controlling the opening/closing driving units, thereby allowing competition for entering the puck into the goals.
With the described configuration, the blocking members are driven by the opening/closing driving units to correspond to a scoring status and movement of the puck, and the open sizes of the goals are changed by the blocking members. This provides dynamic characteristics to the game, thereby allowing amusement characteristics to be improved.
In the described air hockey game apparatus, the controller may be arranged to control operational conditions of the blocking members so as to gradually change the open sizes of the goals. According to this arrangement, the open sizes of the goals are gradually changed so as to correspond to the scoring status and movement of the puck, thereby improving dynamic characteristics and the like of the game.
Also, in the described invention, each of the opening/closing driving units may be arranged to include a driving motor and a power transmission mechanism for transmitting power of the driving motor to the blocking member. According to this arrangement, the blocking members can be driven so as to perform quick and smooth operation according to the driving power inputted from the driving motor via the power transmission mechanism.
Also, the described invention may be arranged such that each of the blocking members is rotatably supported with a vertical axis in the center, has a blocking face spreading in an arcuate shape with the vertical axis in the center, and is rotationally displaced according to driving force of the driving motor which is transmitted by the power transmission mechanism. In this arrangement, the blocking members operate to change the open sizes of the goals easily and safely corresponding to the rotational position of the blocking members that are rotationally displaced with the vertical axis in the center.
Also, the invention may be arranged to further have inputting devices for inputting and specifying the open sizes of the goals, wherein the controller controls the operational conditions of the blocking members to change the open sizes of the goals according to input signals of the inputting device. In this arrangement, the operational conditions of the blocking members are controlled to change the open sizes of the goals according to the input signals of the inputting devices, thereby preliminarily providing handicaps depending on the difference in skills of the game players. This makes the game to be played for fair and strong competition, thereby allowing effective improvement in amusement characteristics to be achieved.
Also, the described invention may be arranged to further include a determination unit for determining the game status, wherein the control device controls the operational conditions of the blocking members to change the open sizes of the goals according to the game status determined by the determination unit. According to this arrangement, the open sizes are changed so that one of the game players is placed in a disadvantageous position depending on a game status determined by the status determination unit. This allows amusement characteristics to be improved.
Also, the described invention may be arranged such that the status determination unit determines the game status according to scores of the air hockey game. According to this arrangement, the open sizes are changed so that, for example, one of the game players who achieved a high score is placed in a disadvantageous position depending on the scores of the air hockey game. This allows the game to be played for fair competition, thereby allowing effective improvement in amusement characteristics to be achieved.
Also, the described invention may be arranged to further include reacting devices for reacting to movement of the puck, wherein the control device controls the drive conditions of the blocking devices to change the open sizes of the goals. In this arrangement, the controller controls the operational conditions of the blocking members to change the open sizes of goals according to results obtained by the reacting devices, which are unforeseeable to the game players. This allows effective improvement in the dynamic characteristics of the game to be achieved.
In addition, the described invention may be arranged such that a pair of goals is provided on the puck sliding surface so as to oppose each other. According to this arrangement, enjoyment can be effectively obtained in match games that allow two game players to compete with each other for scores in entering the puck into the goal at the opposing end.
Furthermore, the described invention may be arranged to further include displaying devices for displaying the open sizes of the goals opened or shut by the blocking devices. According to this arrangement, the game players can effectively recognize the open sizes of the goals, which are displayed on the displaying devices, thereby, allowing improvement in amusement characteristics of the game to be achieved.
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patent: 4971324 (1990-11-01), Grabel et al.
patent: 5104607 (1992-04-01), Driska
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patent: 5931465 (1999-08-01), Miyake et al.
patent: 6105960 (2000-08-01), Carames
patent: 09-322978 (1997-12-01), None
Dohki Hajime
Fujimoto Yusuke
Kada Eita
Kotani Hideki
Minami Kojiro
Chiu Raleigh W.
Jordan and Hamburg LLP
Konami Co. Ltd.
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