Patent ID: 6705486
Filing Date: 2004-03-16
Classification: G07F

Abstract:
A merchandise game apparatus for delivering at least one of a plurality of items of merchandise to a player, the apparatus comprising:a plurality of trays, each tray for holding at least one of the items of merchandise, each of the trays having a respective front end proximal a front face of the game apparatus and lying in a common plane, each of the trays having a respective rear end distal from the front face of the game apparatus, each of the trays hingedly connected adjacent its respective rear end to a fixed support so that it can be pivoted from a substantially horizontal resting position into a respective tilted delivery position by lifting the respective front end far enough so that the at least one item slides off the rear end of the tray into a delivery chute under the influence of gravity; a tripper disposed adjacent the front face and extending away from the front face far enough that a portion of the tripper lies in the common plane defined by the fronts of the trays; a tripper traversing mechanism for oscillating the tripper along a first axis parallel to the common plane at a selected rate unaffected by any action of the player, the traversing mechanism also for moving the tripper, responsive to an input from the player, along a second axis, perpendicular to the first axis and parallel to the common plane; and a player operated mechanism for supplying the input; whereby the apparatus delivers the at least one item of merchandise only if the tripper strikes a front portion of one of the trays and pivots that tray about its respective hinge into its respective product delivery position.