Abstract:
An amusement device having a base with a controller, an interchangeable rotatable inclined game board having a plurality of rolling element pathways thereon, and a rolling element that can be introduced onto the interchangeable game board and manipulated by the user through rotation of the controller to move through a plurality of pathways to an exit hole. The exit chute is alignable, by rotation of the game board using the controller, with a gap in a stabilizing ring and an adjacent recess in the base, to enable the gravitationally assisted removal of a rolling element from the play surface to a storage compartment to store the rolling elements that are successfully moved to the exit chute by the user.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a game apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to an interactive game having two or more interactive game boards so that one game board can be played, and then the other game board can be quickly and conveniently substituted for the original game board. The same base apparatus can receive and secure a large number of different game boards for varied entertainment using the same game board base. 
     Background of the Related Art 
     Interactive games are games in which the user&#39;s input changes the outcome of the game and requires frequent user input in response to changes produced by the user&#39;s past input. Conventional games can become monotonous to the user due to the same features and same display being seen by the user with every use. 
     Pinball machines are one type of amusement game apparatus involving static and dynamic displays on a rolling surface that interact with a rolling member introduced onto the rolling surface by the user. However, pinball machines are generally very heavy and non-portable. 
     Events such as fairs, picnics, festivals, after-school gatherings and the like are often attended by persons, such as children, that would enjoy these types of amusement games but for the difficulty of moving pinball machines to and from the event. 
     Many games exist and offer no variety in the display or require no varied skills to play. Many games are offered with a permanently connected game board or display that never changes. These kinds of games may quickly become routine and lose their entertainment capacity. 
     What is needed is an amusement game that conveniently converts from a light-weight and portable configuration to a configuration in which the amusement game can be used and enjoyed during the event, and subsequently conveniently restored to the portable configuration for easy transport back to storage. What is needed is an amusement game that can be easily changed to offer a new display or a new game that requires new skills and offers new challenges to the player. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     One embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention provides an interactive game apparatus with interchangeable game boards, comprising a base having a game board receptacle, the base adapted for being supported on a surface, a first game board having an introduction port to receive a rolling element, an exit port through which the rolling element can exit the game board and plurality of pathways thereon through which a rolling element can be guided, and a rotating controller for use by the user in controlling the orientation and rotational speed of the game board to guide the rolling element through the pathways. The apparatus further comprises a second game board having a plurality of pathways thereon, at least one of which leads from an introduction port to an exit port. 
     One embodiment of the present invention provides a portable amusement game apparatus having a folded configuration for portability and an opened configuration for use and enjoyment. The apparatus comprises a first open channel portion hingedly coupled to a second open channel portion to facilitate the opening and closing of the apparatus. The apparatus of the present invention comprises two 180 degree hinges that provide enhanced structural stability to the apparatus in the open and in the closed and portable configuration. 
     An embodiment of the present invention provides erectable static and/or erectable dynamic game components on a rolling surface of the apparatus in the open configuration. An embodiment of the present invention with an erectable dynamic game component may further provide a motor connectable to drive the action of the dynamic game component. An embodiment of the present invention with a motor may further provide a battery compartment or retainer to store a battery used to drive the dynamic game component using the motor. 
     An embodiment of the present invention provides a compartment in which one or more rolling members can be stored and secured in the closed configuration. When in the open configuration, the rolling members are introduced onto a rolling surface within the opened apparatus to interact with the user and the game components on the rolling surface. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a frontal view of the game apparatus having an interchangeable game board received thereon for play. 
         FIG. 2  is a frontal view of the base of the game apparatus with the interchangeable game board removed to reveal a stabilizing ring having a gap adjacent to the exit chute. 
         FIG. 3  is a rear view of the base of  FIG. 2  showing the gears enabling the controller to control the interchangeable game board (not shown). 
         FIG. 4  is rear view of the game board showing the rear surface that is opposite the play surface. 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevation view of the base of the game apparatus with an interchangeable game board received thereon for play. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the base of the game apparatus and an interchangeable game board received thereon for play. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is a frontal view of an embodiment of a game apparatus  10  having a base  19  and an interchangeable game board  12  rotatably received thereon for play. A rolling element  52  is initially introduced onto the play surface  17  through the starting gate  16  which, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , includes a small cylinder extending perpendicularly from the play surface  17  and having a gate or opening therein through which the rolling element  52  can escape onto the play surface  17  when the game board is properly oriented by the user using the controller  50 . The game board  12  includes a plurality of barriers  14  defining a plurality of rolling element pathways  15  on a play surface  17  of the game board  12 . The barriers  14  are supported in a spaced-apart configuration from the play surface  17 , and the width of the pathways  15  and the spacing between the barriers  14  and the play surface  17  depends on the diameter of the rolling element  52  to be used on the game board  12 . The barriers  14  are supported on a plurality of barrier supports  24  (not shown in  FIG. 1 —see  FIGS. 5 and 6 ). The barriers  14  are of a width and are supported at a spacing from the play surface  17  to prevent the rolling element  52 , having a fixed diameter, from engaging the barrier supports  24  as it rolls along a barrier  14 . The result is that the rolling element  52  only engages barrier edges  25  as it is manipulated to move through the pathways  15  defined by the barriers  14  on the play surface  17  by changes in the orientation and rate of rotation of the game board  12  by the user. Optionally, the base  19  includes a rolling element accumulator compartment  22  to receive and store rolling elements  52  that have moved through the combination of pathways that lead to the exit chute  18 . 
       FIG. 2  is a frontal view of the base  19  of the game apparatus  10  with the interchangeable game board  12  removed to reveal a stabilizing ring  30  having a gap  32  adjacent to a recess  33 , and to reveal a socket  34  having a receptacle  35  to engage a correspondingly formed rotary bit  62  (not seen in  FIG. 2 —see  FIG. 4 ) on the rear surface  68  of the game board  12 .  FIG. 2  also reveals a recess  33  in the base  19 , the recess  33  adjacent to rolling element accumulator  22 . Once the rolling element  52  is received into the exit chute  18  (see  FIG. 1 ) of the play surface  17 , the user can use the controller  50  to move the exit chute  18  with the rolling element  52  to a position adjacent to the gap  32  in the stabilizing ring  30 . The gap  32  allows the rolling element  52  in the exit chute  18  of the play surface  17  of the game board  12  to be removed from the rear of the play surface  17  by rotating the game board  12  until the exit chute  18  is aligned with and adjacent to the gap  32 .  FIG. 2  reveals the recess  33  into which the rolling element  52  will roll as it leaves the exit chute  18 .  FIG. 2  also shows a plurality of support members  65  that one of slidably or rollably engage the rear surface  68  (not shown in  FIG. 2 —see  FIG. 4 ) of the game board  12 . It will be understood that, in one embodiment, the support members  65  may be of a lubricious material and may slidably engage the rear surface  68  of the game board  12  as the game board  12  is rotated by the user&#39;s operation of the controller  50 . In another embodiment, the support members  65  may comprising a rolling element such as, for example, a wheel or bearing, to engage the rear surface  68  of the game board  12 . 
       FIG. 3  is a rear view of the base  19  of  FIG. 2  showing the controller gear  51 , rider gear  53  and driven gear  61  together enabling the controller  50  to control the orientation and rate of rotation of the interchangeable game board  12  (not shown in  FIG. 3 ). Controller gear  51  comprises a plurality of teeth  54  and is driven by a controller axle  57  (not shown in  FIG. 3 ) coupled between the controller  50  and the controller gear  51 . The rider gear  53  rotates according to the input received from the controller  50  provided by way of the controller gear  51 . The rider gear  53  rotates on rider gear axle  55  that is connected to the rear of the base  19 . The teeth  54  of the controller gear  51  are sized to engage the teeth  56  of the rider gear  53 . It will be understood by those skilled in the mechanical arts that, for each rotation of the controller  50  and the controller gear  51 , the rider gear  53  will rotate a multiple of the number of rotations of the controller gear  51  where the multiple is determined by dividing the number of controller gear teeth  54  by the number of rider gear teeth  56 . 
     Similarly, the rider gear teeth  56  engage the driven gear teeth  60  on the driven gear  61 . The driven gear  61  is connected to the rear side of the socket  34  which is rotatable within the base  19  and which has a receptacle  35  to engage and receive the rotary bit  62  on the rear surface  68  of the game board  12 . It will be understood by those skilled in the mechanical arts that, for each rotation of the rider gear  53  the driven gear  61 , and the game board  12  connected thereto, will rotate a multiple that is determined by dividing the number of rider gear teeth  56  by the number of the driven gear teeth  61 . 
       FIG. 3  also shows the stabilizing ring  30  that prevents the rolling element  52  from leaving the play surface  17  by way of the exit chute  18  (not shown on  FIG. 3 —see  FIG. 1 ) unless the exit chute  18  is aligned with the gap  32  adjacent to the recess  33  (see  FIG. 2 ). 
       FIG. 4  is rear view of the game board  12  showing the rear surface  68  that is opposite the play surface  17  (not shown). The rear surface  68  includes a rotary bit  62  at the center for being received into the socket  34  shown in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 5  is a side elevation view of the base  19  of the game apparatus  10  with an interchangeable game board  12  received thereon for play. The controller  50  is conveniently positioned for access by a user to control the orientation and rate of rotation of the game board  12 . A support member  70  maintains the desired angle of inclination of the base  19 . The support member  70  in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5  may be adjustable by extension or contraction of auxiliary support member  71 . 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the base of the game apparatus  10  and an interchangeable game board  12  received thereon for play.  FIG. 6  better reveals the manner in which the barriers  14  are supported on the game board  12  by the barrier supports  24 . It will be understood that the diameter of the rolling element  52  to be used on the game board  12  determines the dimensions of the barriers  14  and the height of the barrier supports  24  in that the barriers  14  are adapted to engage the rolling element  52  without the rolling element  52  contacting the barrier supports  24 . 
     It will be understood that the user can operate the controller  50  in a manner that enables the user to control the movement of the rolling element  52  through a combination of pathways  15  on the game board  12  that will ultimately move the rolling element  52  to the exit chute  32  of the game board  12 . The exit chute  32  will retain the rolling element  52  until the user operates the controller  50  to position the exit chute  32  adjacent to the gap  32  in the stabilizing ring  30  to cause the rolling element  52  to roll into the recess  33  and further to the rolling element accumulator  22 . 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and/or groups, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The terms “preferably,” “preferred,” “prefer,” “optionally,” “may,” and similar terms are used to indicate that an item, condition or step being referred to is an optional (not required) feature of the invention. 
     The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or steps plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but it is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.