Amusement devices: games – Aerial projectile game; game element or accessory therefor... – Target
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-23
2001-08-07
Layno, Benjamin H. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Aerial projectile game; game element or accessory therefor...
Target
C273S317300, C273S400000, C273S402000, C273S405000, C273S398000, C273S138300, C273S440000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06270080
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to vending and game machines and, more particularly, is concerned with a coin-operated item vending and game apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Coin-operated vending machines have been popular for many years. Gum ball machines have been a favorite type of coin-operated vending machine. Various gum ball machines have been developed. Some gum ball machines have games associated with them. Other types of coin-operated vending machines also have games associated with them. Still other types of coin-operated machines are just games or coin banks.
Representative examples of coin-operated item vending machines and other coin-operated machines are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 553,078 to Smith et al., U.S. Pat. No. 1,138,261 to Troidl, U.S. Pat. No. 2,606,088 to Leaf, U.S. Pat. No. 2,675,238 to Leaf, U.S. Pat. No. 2,959,415 to Peterson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,243,227 to Strongin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,297,807 to Buettner, U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,414 to Karkkainen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,417,435 to Peretz and U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,828 to Smathers et al. In particular, the Smith et al., Troidl and Leaf patents disclose vending machines, including gum ball machines, which have games associated with them, and the Peretz patent is just a game machine. While each of these prior art vending and/or game machines may be satisfactory in use for the specific purposes for which they were designed, none of these prior art machines seem to combine a coin-operated item vending machine and a game in an optimally effective way to encourage use of the vending machine.
Consequently, a need remains for an apparatus which provides a solution to the aforementioned problem in the prior art without introducing any new problems in place thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a coin-operated item vending and game apparatus designed to satisfy the aforementioned need. The vending and game apparatus of the present invention combines an item vending machine, such as a gum ball machine, and a game module in a more effective way to encourage use of the apparatus. The apparatus allows an user to attempt to make a target with a coin. Also, the apparatus allows the user to be able prove when the target is made in case the proprietor of the apparatus has offered a prize when the target is made. The coin thereafter may be used to obtain a vendable item from the machine both when the target is made and when the target is missed.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a game module for a coin-operated item vending machine. The game module comprises: (a) a housing positionable substantially within an interior cavity of a globe of a coin-operated item vending machine and between an elongated central support member of the machine and a side of the globe of the machine, the housing including (i) opposite upper and lower end portions, (ii) a front wall disposable adjacent to the side of the globe of the machine and defining a slot, (iii) a back wall disposable adjacent to the support member of the machine and (iv) opposite side walls disposed between and interconnecting the front and back walls and together therewith defining an interior cavity open at and converging to the lower end portion of the housing which is extendable through a hole in a top portion of a support base of the machine such that the lower end portion of the housing is disposable exteriorly of the machine and above a slot of a coin deposit of the machine and the interior cavity of the housing is aligned with the slot of the coin deposit of the machine to allow for passage of a coin through the lower end portion of the housing and into the slot of the coin deposit of the machine; (b) a target disposed within the interior cavity of and mounted to the housing; and (c) a flexible resilient lever having opposite inner and outer ends and defining means thereon for retaining a coin, the lever being disposed below the target and extending through the interior cavity of the housing and mounted at the inner end of the lever to the housing, the lever also extending through the slot of the front wall of the housing and extendable through a slot in the side of the globe of the machine such that the outer end of the lever is disposable exteriorly of the globe of the machine and the coin retaining means of the lever is disposed interiorly of the front wall of the housing, the slot of the front wall of the housing and the slot of the side of the globe of the machine each allowing for manual inserting by an user of the coin therethrough such that the coin can be placed on the coin retaining means of the lever, the outer end of the lever for gripping by one or more fingers of the user and being depressible downwardly by the user causing bending of the lever from an initial condition and creating an upward force because of the resiliency of the lever such that release of the lever by the user allows the lever to spring back to the initial condition and toss the coin upwardly such that the coin will either make or miss the target depending on the skill of the user and the coin upon missing the target will fall onto the housing walls and be guided by the lower end portion thereof into the slot of the coin deposit causing the dispensing of a vendable item to the user upon rotation of a knob of the coin deposit by the user.
More particularly, the housing is made of a substantially transparent material. The lower end portion of the housing has a cross-sectional configuration substantially converging to cross-sectional configurations of the coin and of the slot of the coin deposit of the machine and has a cross-sectional size slightly greater than the cross-sectional size of the coin and substantially the same as the cross-sectional size of the coin deposit slot. The housing has a lid removably mounted to the upper end portion thereof. The target is mounted to the back wall and spaced below the upper end portion of the housing. The target has a substantially tubular configuration and opposite upper and lower ends and defines an interior passage open at the upper and lower ends. The interior passage of the target has a substantially cylindrical configuration and a diameter slightly greater than a diameter of the coin so as to allow for passage of the coin therethrough. One of the side walls of the housing defines a hole and the target defines a slot aligned with the hole of the housing and with a hole in the side of the globe of the machine. The coin retaining means of the lever is a depression defined at an intermediate position on the lever and having a substantially circular configuration conforming to the configuration of the coin for receiving the coin thereon.
The game module further comprises a coin capture and release mechanism including an elongated member having opposite inner and outer ends and extending through the slot of the target and the hole of the one side wall of the housing and extendable through the hole of the side of the globe of the machine such that the outer end of the elongated member is disposable exteriorly of the globe of the machine and such that the coin target plate is disposed interiorly of the one side wall of the housing, the elongated member being movable between an extended position and a retracted position. The mechanism also includes a coin target plate formed on the inner end of the elongated member such that when the elongated member is in the extended position the coin target plate is disposed within the interior passage of the target for receiving the coin thereon which lands within the interior passage of the target so that the user can prove that the target was made whereas when the elongated member is in the retracted position the coin target plate is disposed exteriorly of the target for allowing the coin resting on the coin target plate within the interior passage of the target to drop through the rest of the interior passage of the target and pass through the lower end of the target such that the coin falls onto the h
Flanagan John K.
Flanagan John R.
Flanagan & Flanagan
Layno Benjamin H.
LandOfFree
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