Abstract:
A prize redemption game apparatus includes an elongated runway, an elastic abutment member at the second end of the runway, and a rollable object disposed for rolling travel along the runway between the first end and the second end. The playing is disposed within an enclosure to prevent player interference with the object. The rollable object is adapted to be initially propelled in one direction from a starting position toward the abutment member and if the object engages with the abutment member it is propelled in an opposite direction by a rebounding force of the abutment member. The rollable object adapted to stop rolling while moving in either direction at a final position along the runway between the first end and the second end. An electronic game controller determines the position of the stopped object and determines a winning value associated with the final position. An electronic display system includes a first display board disposed along the runway for displaying multiple value zones and associated winning value for each value zone.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     a) Field of the Invention 
     The invention is related to an entertainment and skill game for one or more players and, more particularly, to a game wherein an object, that is enclosed within a playing area, is propelled along a track until it strikes a means for reversing the direction of the object. The player&#39;s ability to control and regulate the striking force of the object determines the score and results in rewards to the player(s) and the enclosure prevents player interference with the object. 
     B) Description of Related Art 
     There exist various board games, game apparatuses and machines for one or more players where an object is propelled along a surface to obtain a score based on the player&#39;s ability to accurately control the speed and position of the object. However, these prior art games and devices suffer from inherent drawbacks in their ability (or lack of ability) to adequately calculate and relay the score for each player, as well as adequately challenge the skill level of each player. Additionally, the conventional gaming devices fail to include any means for changing and displaying multiple scoring zones and associated winning value for each scoring zone. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is prize redemption game apparatus including an elongated runway having a first end and a second end, an elastic abutment member at the second end of the runway, and a rollable object disposed for rolling travel along the runway between the first end and the second end. The entire playing area is disposed within an enclosure and sensors are provided to prevent a player from interfering or otherwise altering the outcome of each attempt. The rollable object is adapted to be initially propelled in one direction from a starting position toward the abutment member and if the object engages with the abutment member it is propelled in an opposite direction by a rebounding force of the abutment member. The rollable object adapted to stop rolling while moving in either direction at a final position along the runway between the first end and the second end. 
     The invention features an electronic game controller which determines the position of the stopped object and determines a winning value associated with the final position. 
     The game apparatus features an electronic display system including a first display board disposed along the runway for displaying multiple value zones and associated winning value for each value zone. The electronic display system is connected with the electronic game controller to allow the winning value to be determined. 
     The game controller is capable of varying the first display board to change the score zones and the winning values between successive plays of the game propelling the object. 
     Another aspect of the game apparatus according to the invention is a prize dispensing system for dispensing a prize based on the winning value determined by the game controller. The prize dispensing system is controlled by the game controller. 
     The prize dispensing system may include a ticket issuing device which issues according to the wining value. 
     The prize dispensing system may include a toy or candy prize dispensing unit which dispenses a toy or candy prize according to the winning value. 
     The game apparatus according to the invention further features an automated object return mechanism for automatically retrieving and returning the object from the final position to the initial position. The automated object return mechanism is controlled by the game controller. In the preferred embodiment, the object return mechanism uses an elongated spring rod that engages a horizontal bar under the chassis of the car, which allows a motorized pulley to move the spring and car back to the player. 
     The game apparatus also features a second display board for displaying a player&#39;s status information and wining value information for the player. 
     The invention further includes an automated game initiation system for initiating a predetermined number of games to be played on the game apparatus by insertion of a predetermined number of coins associated with the predetermined number of games into a coin receptacle. The automated game initiation system is controlled by the game controller. 
     These and other features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art when taken in connection with the following description and drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external view of a game machine embodying the present invention with references to internal components of the game machine. 
     FIG. 2 is a vertical partial side view showing an internal pulley system employed by the game machine according to the invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a prize ticket issuing device provided in the game machine according to the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, an exterior of the game machine  1  embodying the present invention is shown in perspective view. The game machine includes a generally box-shaped housing  2  having a game playing portion  3  defined in a top surface of the housing and an upright game display portion  4  on a rear of the housing. The display portion  4  is provided with characters  5  and/or figures on an outer surface thereof and an illuminated display board  6  which indicates a players score and remaining plays. A coin input area  8  to an internal coin-operated unit  9  is present on a front surface  10  of the housing, as is a prize ticket output portion  12  from an internal prize ticket issuing device  13 . Also located on the front surface  10  is a toy prize dispensing bin  14  which dispenses toys prizes from an internal toy dispensing unit  15 . 
     The game playing portion  3  of the game machine has a game car  20  positioned within a guide track  22  which extends substantially along the length of the game playing portion from the front  10  of the housing to the display portion  4 . The car  20  has rotatable wheels which roll when the car is pushed by a player, against the surface of the game playing portion adjacent the track  22 . The car  20  has an undercarriage which engages the guide track  22  to maintain the car  20  in an upright and guided position along the track  22 . To prevent a player from interfering with the position of the car  20  during play, the game playing portion  3  is substantially enclosed within a plastic opaque enclosure  28 . During the play of the game, a player manually pushes the car  20  from the front end of the guide track  22  toward the far end of the track. On the undercarriage of the car, there is a horizontal tab that permits the optical switches on the bottom of the playing surface to locate the position of the car on the track. The far end of the guide track is provided with a rubber recoil bumper  23  which projects the car  20  in a reverse direction back toward the front end of the guide track. 
     Adjacent to the track  22  on opposite sides thereof are located dome lights  25  which become illuminated as the car  20  passes. A portion of the undercarriage of the car located below the game playing surface  3  cooperates with optical sensor switches located below the game surface (not shown) to the dome lights  25 , such as will be understood by those skilled in the art, to illuminate the lights  25  as the car passes. In a first portion of the guide track  22  a foul line  22   a  is displayed upon the playing surface which has a corresponding foul line sensor switch (not shown) to indicate a foul (i.e. the player&#39;s hand crossing the foul line  22   a ) committed during a play of the game. The foul line sensor is preferably a motion detecting sensor provided at the foul line  22   a . Also provided adjacent to the guide track is a score zone display  29  board which illuminates during the play of the game device to indicate the scoring zones located between the dome lights  25  provided for the particular game as it is played. The optical sensor switches additionally provide signal as to the location of the car to a computerized game controller  30 . 
     The game controller  30  randomly selects a scoring zone scenario prior the game play which is lit up on the display board  29  so as to add an enhanced element of skill to the game play, as each game is not a repeat of the previous. The player has a different scoring zone displayed for each turn, so that the position which the player attempts to land the car will be different for each push. The final position of the car  20  is known by the controller  30  via the optical sensors and the car location is matched with the scoring zone indicated by the score zone display board  29  to determine the final score of the game played. The scoring information is displayed on the display board  6 . 
     In the illustrative embodiment of the game machine  1  described herein, the scoring zone correspond to a number of prize tickets and toy prizes. The scoring zones can include a preselected final car location for winning toy prizes. The game controller  30  changes the score zone scenario by varying the location and sizes of the scoring zones for each turn at pushing the car  20 . This can also include have a car landing sequence that must be achieved in consecutive pushes to dispense a toy prize in addition to prize tickets. 
     For a certain coin deposit amount into the coin input area  8 , a player is given a predetermined number of turns to accumulate as many tickets or toy prizes as possible. The number of turns for a given player will be displayed on the display portion  6 . At the end of the players turns, the total number of prize tickets and toy prizes will be dispensed via the internal ticket issuing device  13  and toy dispensing unit  15 . The game controller interacts with the coin operated unit to initiate the game play and to display the number of games remaining to be played. The particulars of the coin operated unit are not considered to be critical to the invention, and as such any known type of coin operated unit suitable for the game machine according to the invention may be employed. 
     Referring now to FIG. 2, the mechanics of the game machine will be described. FIG. 2 shows a partial side view of the inside of the game housing  2  which includes a car return pulley system  32  which is used to return the car  20  back to the player at the starting position of the track  22  after each turn. The pulley system  32  includes two support brackets  33  mounted to the underside of the game playing portion  3  of the housing. A reversible motor  34  is supported by one of the support brackets  33 . A drive pulley  35  is connected to a shaft (not shown) of the motor  34  so as to be rotated by the motor. A idler pulley  36  is supported on the other support bracket  33  by suitable bearings (not shown) to allow the idler pulley  36  to rotate. A belt  38  is driven by the rotation of the drive pulley  35 . 
     A belt channel  40  guides and supports the belt  38  to prevent the belt from creeping off center of the pulleys  35 ,  36  and to support the underside of the belt between the pulleys from sagging. The belt channel  40  is held by support members  42  which are mounted to the underside of the game playing portion  3 . An upright rod  44  is attached to the upper surface of the belt  38 , and a flexible spring member  45  is attached to the rod and extends upward therefrom. The undercarriage of the car  20  has a plate member  46  which extends downward from the underside of the car  20  passing through the guide track  22 . The guide plate  46  support an idler pulley  47  which is free to rotate. 
     Once a player has taken a turn at pushing the car  20  from the starting position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and it has recoiled back down the track  22  from the recoil bumper  23  and landed in a final position, the game controller  30 , signals the pulley motor  34  to advance the belt  38  and rod  44  to retrieve the car  20 . As the rod  44  is moved by the belt  38  past the car position, the spring member  45  flexes and bends so as to pass against the a horizontal rod connecting pulley  47  to plate  46 , positioning the rod  44  on the opposite side of the pulley  47 . Then the motor  34  is reversed and the belt  38  and rod  44  are moved back toward the pulley  47 . On the return of the car  20 , the rod  44  and spring member  45  remain upright against the pulley  47  to push the car back to the starting position. When the car reaches the stating position, the plate  46  hits a stop against the end of the track  22 . The belt  38  continues to advance the rod  44  so as to bend the spring member  45  past the pulley  47  to position shown in FIG.  2 . Then the car is in position to be pushed again by the player. 
     The rubber recoil bumper  23  is used to limit the return of the car back down the track after striking the bumper  23 . The bumper is designed to restrict the maximum return speed of the car, by absorbing the kinematic energy of the car as it strikes the bumper, thereby slowing the speed of the car. The bumper is also used to protect the both the car  20  and the housing cabinet from damage, which could otherwise occur under excessively hard pushes by a player. A solid rubber block is depicted in the described embodiment. However, other rubberized bumpers may be employed, such as a rubber strap or band extended between two support members or pins. 
     Next, the prize ticket issuing device  13  will be described with reference to FIG.  3 . The prize ticket issuing device  13  issues tickets corresponding to the total score achieved by a player. The device  13  includes a support plate  56  attached to an inner surface (not shown) of the housing  2  in an appropriate location adjacent the ticket dispensing portion  12  shown in FIG. 1, a supporting shaft  57  attached to the support plate  56 , a rolled ticket tape  50  mounted on the support shaft  57 , guide plates  51  attached to the support plate for guiding the issued tickets to an outlet window  55  provided in the ticket dispensing output  12 , a pair of feed rollers  52  upstream of the guide member  51  for feeding the ticket tape  50  forward, and a motor  53  supported on the support plate  56  for driving the feed rollers  52 . 
     The ticket tape  50  is provided with a number of sections having the same length. Each section is printed with a particular figure or character. Also, perforations  61  are provided between adjacent tickets to facilitate the tearing off of the dispensed tickets from the ticket tape  50 . Markings  62  may be provided on the tickets which are recognized by a sensor  54  that communicated with the game controller  30  to count the number of tickets dispensed and to control the motor  53  to feed the correct amount of ticket tape or tickets corresponding to the game score. It will be appreciated that other ticket dispensing means may be employed in the game machine without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that of course, the ticket issuing device  13  as described in connection with the game machine according to the invention can be omitted from the game machine in favor of the toy dispensing unit  15  alone, or vise versa. 
     The toy dispensing unit  15  is an optional component to the game machine according to the invention. The toy dispensing unit  15  may employ a known device such as those common to vending machine. In such vending machines, a wire spiral coil connected to a motor is driven by the motor to turn a predetermined amount and dispense an item retained in between the spirals of the coil, at the end of the spiral furthest from the motor. When the game controller in the present invention determines that a prize item has been won by the player, the game controller signals the motor in the dispensing unit to rotate the coil, and an item is released from the coil and dropped in to the dispensing bin  14 . Of course other types of dispensing units may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, and further a variety of items may be dispensed such as toy cars, candy or snacks, stuffed animals, etc. 
     While the invention has been described with references to various embodiments, the description is illustrative and is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Various modifications and changes may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.