Amusement devices: games – Physical skill or ability – Game element capture or pick up using manual dexterity
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-17
2004-08-10
Chiu, Raleigh W. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Physical skill or ability
Game element capture or pick up using manual dexterity
C273S441000, C273S460000, C472S029000, C472S032000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06773016
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to game apparatuses accommodating grab articles within a holding section and configured for play at catching the grab articles by manipulating fetching means equipped with grasping hands.
2. Description of Related Art
To date, apparatuses such as shown in
FIG. 20
have been known as an example of the above-noted game apparatuses. As shown in the same drawing, the game apparatus
200
is composed of a casing-like body
201
, a plurality of grab articles
203
that are accommodated in a holding section
202
furnished in the body
201
, and fetching means
204
disposed above the grab articles
203
and within the holding section
202
.
Each fetching means
204
is composed of a grasping hand
205
installed to be open/closable and configured for clasping a grab article
203
when closed; a support rod
206
that supports the grasping hand
205
; a (not-illustrated) drive means for shifting the support rod
206
and grasping hand
205
omnidirectionally in up-and-down, left-and-right and back-and-forth directions; means for controlling the operation of the (not-illustrated) drive means and the grasping hand
205
; and actuation buttons
207
that input signals to the (not-illustrated) controlling means and actuate operations of the (not-illustrated) drive means and grasping hand
205
.
Further, a pitch-in port
208
is provided within the holding section
202
, and meanwhile a take-out port
209
is provided in the apparatus body
201
opening on an outside face thereof. The pitch-in port
208
and take-out port
209
are communicated with each other.
Further, the grab articles
203
are made up of spherical transparent capsules and character goods, for example, housed in the capsules. Here, in some cases character goods as the grab articles
203
are stowed as they are, unpackaged.
The game apparatus
200
becomes operable by means of the actuation buttons
207
when a player inserts coins for a prescribed charge; the(not-illustrated) controlling means receives signals from the actuation buttons
207
and controls operations of the (not-illustrated) drive means and grasping hand
205
to have the grasping hand
205
execute predetermined specific motions it is to execute. Specifically, when for example the actuation button
207
for shifting the grasping hand
205
in the left-and-right direction is pressed, the grasping hand
205
in the same direction is caused to reciprocate back and forth from a home position; and when the push button is released, the grasping hand
205
is halted. Next, when the actuation button
207
for causing the grasping hand
205
to shift in the back-and-forth direction is pressed, the grasping hand
205
in the same direction is caused to reciprocate from the halt position; and when the push button is released the grasping hand
205
is halted and subsequently made to execute an ensuing series of auto-drive operations (grasping motions).That is, after the grasping hand
205
is caused to drop it is actuated to close; in due course it is elevated and along the way is caused to reciprocate in the left-and-right and back-and-forth directions; and after it is shifted to above the pitch-in port
208
, the grasping hand
205
is actuated to open and in due course is returned to its home position. Here, the operations through the actuation buttons
207
, by which the grasping hand
205
is caused to reciprocate in the left-and-right and back-and-forth directions, are each limited to a single time.
Thus, in terms of the game apparatus
200
, by a player operating one time only the respective operation buttons
207
that shift the grasping hand
205
in the left-and-right and back-and-forth directions, after the grasping hand
205
is shifted to a position where it is judged that a capsule housing a desired character item can be grasped it is halted, and thereafter the grasping hand
205
executes the above-noted series of grasping operations in auto-drive. If the capsule is grasped by the grasping hand
205
, it is pitched into the pitch-in port
208
. Then the capsule that has been pitched into the pitch-in port
208
is transferred to the take-out port
209
communicates with the pitch-in port
208
, and the player may acquire the character item by taking out the capsule from the take-out port
209
.
In this way, by means of the game apparatus
200
, since a player is able mechanically to acquire desired character items by operating the fetching means
204
consisting of machinery, the player may satisfy curiosity regarding mechanical manipulations and enjoy an amusement brimming with appeal. Further, the fact that the operations for acquiring a character item are limited to a single time puts thrill into the game for the player to enjoy, and moreover lets recreational and material cravings to be able to get a character item be satisfied.
From another aspect, however, since the player him or herself is outside and merely operates the game apparatus
200
, a realistic feel is lacking in that an element that lets the player him or herself sense things bodily is absent. The present inventor arrived at the present invention as a result of concerted efforts to develop a game apparatus that in addition to the actions and effects that the foregoing game apparatus
200
provides—which are: 1) enabling satisfaction of curiosity regarding mechanical manipulations, 2) enabling enjoyment of an amusement brimming with appeal, 3) enabling enjoyment of a thrilling game, and 4) enabling recreational and material cravings to be satisfied—lets players themselves bodily sense a feeling of reality, still further enables satisfying curiosity regarding mechanical manipulations, and still further enables enjoying an amusement brimming with appeal.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is a game apparatus that enables players themselves to bodily sense a feeling of reality and lively motion, that enables satisfying curiosity regarding mechanical manipulations still more, and that enables enjoying still more an amusement brimming with appeal.
In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention includes an holding section that holds and accommodates a plurality of objects in a fixed area, and a boarding portion on which a player boards, and is further provided with a ride apparatus in which the corresponding boarding portion is installed so as to move and rotate, and a fetching means that is attached to the corresponding ride apparatus and picks up one of the above-described objects from the above-described holding section by an operation made by the above-described player.
According to the invention, a player is able to enjoy himself as described below: That is, first, the player boards the boarding portion of a ride apparatus. Next, the ride apparatus moves or turns to an appropriate position automatically or by an operation made by the player. And, the player performs a game of picking up an object accommodated in an holding section by operating the fetching means attached to the ride apparatus. In such a game, the player is able to satisfy himself in regard to curiosity pertaining to mechanical operations, and enjoy himself in a game which is filled with interests. In addition, since the player can board the ride apparatus and move or turn thereon, the player can physically feel a sense of reality and enjoy the motions, and can satisfy himself in regard to the curiosity pertaining to the above-described mechanical operations. At the same time, he is able to enjoy a game that is filled with interests. If the above-described objects are decided to be premiums such as character goods in which players are keenly interested, the interest and material desire of the players for acquiring such character goods can be further satisfied.
The above-described ride apparatus may be composed of an operation portion that is used to move and rotate the above-described boarding portion, wherein the above-described boarding portion can be moved and turned by an operati
Chiu Raleigh W.
Judge Patent Firm
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