Abstract:
A picture matching game includes a display box and three rotating members rotatable in the display box. Each rotating member has three display surfaces, any one display surface being stopped in a display position, and the three rotating members being stopped with three display surfaces in display positions to jointly form a display pattern. All possible display patterns are printed on playing cards, which are scattered face up before playing. When the rotating members are stopped and a display pattern is displayed, players reach for and take a card which matches the displayed pattern, the fastest player being the one to take the card.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to amusement devices and more particularly to a picture matching game having a picture pattern displaying machine on which picture patterns are randomly displayed, and playing cards having picture patterns theron which are matched to the machine displayed picture patterns. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A machine in which picture patterns are matched at random is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho 54 (1979)-42777. In this conventional technique, line patterns are displayed on the polyhedron of a triangle column. When one knob is operated, a rack engages with a pinion of the polyhedron to rotate it and when another knob is operated, an engagement plate determines the stop position of the polyhedron. These line patterns displayed on the various faces of the polyhedron are constructed to be joined at the respective faces. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is an improvement in which an apparatus is used to match the various picture patterns at random in order to carry out a picture matching game using the matched picture patterns in a manner similar to that of the Japanese card game Karuta. 
     The invention improves upon devices previously described. In the present invention, a picture pattern displaying device has a plurality of rotary members which are rotatably supported thereon and a front opening portion having a plurality of matchable picture patterns. The rotary members are cooperatively coupled with a rotary force generating member storing driving force when a push button formed on the picture pattern displaying machine is pushed and stopped when it engages a stop mechanism of the rotary member. The picture pattern displaying device has a plurality of picture cards displaying all picture patterns matchable to the picture patterns displayed on the display face. 
     In playing the game, a plurality of picture cards are randomly arranged in front of the picture pattern displaying device and the rotary member is rotated when the push button on the picture pattern displaying device is pushed. When the rotary members are stopped, the picture cards depicting the same patterns as that displayed on the display front face of the rotary member are taken by opposing players on the basis of first-come/first-serve. 
     The faster player will win by taking more cards than the opposing player or players. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment; 
     FIG. 2 is a front view, partly cut-away, showing a part of the picture pattern display device of the FIG. 1 embodiment; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the sliding lever and the sliding member of the FIG. 1 embodiment; 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the picture pattern displayed on the display faces of the rotary bodies of the FIG. 1 embodiment; and 
     FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the construction of the picture pattern display device. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1-5, a picture displaying box 1 is vertically oriented and has a wide bottom portion for improving stability. A front opening 7 has rotary members 14(A), 14(B), 14(C) rotatably arranged therein. A push button 4 is placed in and extends through a through-hole 1b formed in a top wall of the picture pattern display box 1. In front of the picture pattern display box 1, a plurality of picture cards 2 displaying all picture patterns matchable to patterns displayed on the display face of the rotary members 14(A), 14(B), and 14(C) are randomly arranged. A suction bar 3 is held in the hand of a player in order to take a picture card 2 by gripping with a suction portion 3a attached on the end of the bar 3. 
     As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a sliding lever 5 is integrally formed on the lower portion of the push button 4. This sliding lever 5 has a sectional shape of ]-character and the interior of the lever 5 has a sliding member 12 which is slidably arranged therein. At the side of the sliding lever 5, there are three grooved holes 8 formed thereon through which three projections formed on the sliding member 12 extend. Racks 12a are formed at the upper edges of the projections and are fitted through the grooved holes 8. Three engagement projections 6 are positioned on the lever 5 positions slightly lower than the positions of the grooved holes 8. An engagement projection 5b is provided at the side wall of the sliding lever 5. A cut-out portion 5c is formed under the engagement projectors 5b. A L-shaped spring or elastic member 12b extends outwardly from the sliding member 12 through the cut-off portion 5c and a bent portion extends upwardly along the side wall of the sliding lever 5. The front end of the elastic member 12b is divided into two portions, one longer and the other shorter. Projection 12c is provided at the shorter end portion and projection 12d at the longer end portion. The projection 12d formed on the long end is engageable with an engagement projection 5b formed on the sliding lever 5 and the other projection 12c formed on the short end is engageable with an engagement slant face of a release projection 1a formed on the inner wall of the picture pattern display box 1 to bend or deflect the end of the elastic member 12b and to release the engagement of the engagement projection 5b to another projection 12d. 
     The lower end of the sliding member 12 is free and has a shape able to fit into the partition wall 5d formed on the sliding lever 5 and a ]-character-shaped frame of the sliding lever 5. A compression spring 24 is compressed in the space between the wall 1c formed on the inner wall face of the picture pattern display box 1, and partition wall 5d. The spring 24 always biases or pushes the sliding lever 5 upwardly. Another compression spring 23 is compressed in the space between the end inner wall 12e of the sliding member 12 inserted into the sliding lever 5 and the erected wall 1b formed on the inner wall of the picture pattern display device 1. The compression spring 23 always biases or pushes the sliding member 12 upwardly. 
     The rotary bodies 14(A), 14(B), and 14(C) each have the shape of a polyhedron and small shafts 9 are rotatably supported on the bearing plate 10. Pinions 11 are mounted on the small shafts 9. Polyhedron shafts 13 triangular in cross-section are formed on the sides of pinions 11. 
     The displaying face, being formed by respective faces of the rotary bodies 14(A), 14(B), and 14(C) displays the picture patterns displayed in FIG. 4. That is, on the display face of the upper rotary body 14(A), three alternative picture patterns are displayed. Similarly, three alternative patterns are displayed on the three surfaces of rotary member 14(B) and 14(C). 
     When the picture pattern display box 1 is actuated by pushing downwardly on push button 4, the sliding lever 5 is moved vertically against the force of the spring 24. At this time, the engagement projection 5b formed on the sliding lever 5 is engaged with the other projection 12d formed at the end of the spring clip member 12b of the sliding member 12 to move downwardly the sliding member 12 against the force of the pressing spring 23. When the sliding lever 5 is moved downwardly, a rack 5A formed on the lower end of the sliding lever 5 engages with the small gear 17 on the gear shaft 18 to move the gear shaft 18 downwardly in the oval hole 15a of the bearing member 15. Owing to this downward movement of the gear shaft 18, the gear 16 and a small gear 21 are separated and so that the governor mechanism constructed with a ratchet wheel 20 and oscillating pawl member 22 is not moved. As a result, the sliding lever 5 easily moves down and a driving force against the pushing springs 24, 23 is stored. 
     When the sliding lever 5 reaches a predetermined lower most position, the projection 12c formed at the end of the spring clip member 12b rides on the engagement slant face of the release projection 1a to deflect the end of the elastic member 12b, resulting in a release of the engagement between the projection 12d and the engagement projection 5b. After disengagement of the engagement projection 5b to the projection 12d, the sliding member 12 is suddenly moved up by means of an elastic force of the pushing spring 23, so that the rack 12a engages to the pinions 11 of the rotary bodies 14(A), 14(B), 14(C) to rotate these rotary bodies 14(A), 14(B), 14(C). That is, the sliding member 12 and the pushing spring 23 constitute a rotary driving force mechanism for the rotary bodies 14(A), 14(B), 14(C). 
     When the downward pressing force on the push button 4 is released, the sliding lever 5 moves upward by the elasticity force of the pushing spring 24 to engage the rack 5a formed on the lower end to the small gear 17, the gear 16 moved upwardly by the elasticity force of the spring 19 engages to the small gear 21 on the same shaft as that of the claw wheel or ratchet wheel 20, so that they are slowly move up by means of the governor mechanism of the oscillating pawl member 22 engaged with the ratchet wheel 20 and moved oscillately. The rotary bodies 14(A), 14(B), 14(C) rotate sufficiently until the rack 5a is separated from the small gear 17, whereupon the sliding lever 5 suddenly moves upwardly. Then, the engagement faces 6a formed on the upper ends of the engagement projections 6 formed on the sliding lever 5 engages with one of the polyhedron shafts 13 to stop the rotary motions of the rotary bodies 14(A), 14(B), 14(C). As a result, the sliding lever 5, the engagement projections 6, and the pushing spring 24 constitute a rotation stoppage mechanism for the rotary bodies 14(A), 14(B), 14(C). When the polyhedron shafts 13 are stopped by the engagement projections 6 the display the display faces of the rotary bodies 14(A), 14(B), 14(C) are always set to face to the front of the opening 7 of the picture pattern display box 1. 
     The number of the kind of the picture pattern matching displayed on the three rotary bodies 14(A), 14(B), 14(C) having three display faces is twenty seven (27) and so twenty seven (27) picture cards 2, respectively displaying the picture pattern corresponding to the picture patterns above are prepared. This is due to the fact that the displayed picture is made of three parts, each part having three possible selections. With a one in three chance of any given picture pattern being displayed, the number of possible combinations will be 3 3  or 27. With four rotary members and three choices, the number of possible combinations would be 4 3  or 64. Variations in numbers of rotary members and polyhedron surfaces will fall within the present invention, although the perferred embodiment uses three rotary members with each having three surfaces. 
     When the push button provided on the picture display device is actuated, the rotary bodies displaying picture patterns on their display faces rotate for a predetermined time duration and then stop. The picture cards displaying the same picture pattern as that displayed on respective face of the rotary bodies are competitively taken by the players. This picture matching game according to the present invention can be enjoyed even by preschool children.