Abstract:
An amusement game is disclosed that includes a skilled based feature that allows players to try to time the activation of a pressure sensitive switch at the same time a light is illuminated at a target position, and if the player accurately times the activation of the switch, a central proceeding unit sends a signal to a stepper motor to energized and completely open a door that is mounted in a horizontal plane by pivoting downwardly. The door is designed to supports a prize that will be distributed to a player. If the timing is not precise, a signal is sent to a central proceeding unit to incrementally open the door. As the door continues to be opened, any prize that is supported by the door will eventually distributed as the door is allowed to be directed to the prize to a receiving area. Sensors provided on the door detect the absence of a prize on the door and send a signal to a central processing unit to activate a claw mechanism that transfers prizes from a retaining area to a position on said door.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Application No. 61/401,941. The present invention is directed to an amusement game where the object of the game is to win a prize by accurately timing the activation of a switch to correspond with the position of a light at a target location that is sequentially illuminated around a dial. The game includes a light dial for game play, a bulk storage area for prizes, a prize chute, a trap door connected to the prize chute on which a prize that is play resides, and a claw mechanism for delivering prizes from the bulk storage area to the surface of the trap door. After a prize has been distributed, the claw mechanism is activated to engage a prize from the bulk storage area and deliver the prize to the trap door. To win the prize that has been placed on the trap door, a player tries to time the activation of a switch when the light is at or near the target position. The activation of the switch when the light is illuminated at the exact target position will cause stepper motors to be activated that will open opposite door flaps completely, wherein the flaps are oriented in a vertical orientation. In the event that the switch is activated when the light is illuminated at a position near the target position, the opposite door flaps are incrementally opened from an existing position to a further opened position. As the flaps are incrementally opened they will eventually reach a position that allows the prize to fall through the doors to an area accessible to the player. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       [0002]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention. 
         [0003]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the light dial feature of the first embodiment of the invention. 
         [0004]      FIG. 3  is a rear perspective view of the prize chute and trap door assembly. 
         [0005]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the claw and claw travel assembly. 
         [0006]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the track element and engagement of the track element by the claw travel assembly. 
         [0007]      FIG. 6  is a side view of top portion of the device including the claw assembly, the claw travel assembly, and the light dial suspended from the top of the device. 
         [0008]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a claw assembly according to the first embodiment of the invention in an open position. 
         [0009]      FIG. 8  is a side view of the claw assembly depicted in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0010]      FIG. 9  is a side view of the claw assembly depicted in  FIG. 7  with the contact plate displaced toward a claw arm support member. 
         [0011]      FIG. 10  is a side view of the claw assembly depicted in  FIG. 7  with the contact plate displaced toward the claw support member and the claw arms in a closed position. 
         [0012]      FIG. 11  is a schematic diagram depicting the various electronic devices used in the invention in communication with a central controller. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    Now referring to  FIG. 1 , a front view of a first embodiment of the invention is depicted showing light dial display  101  that is positioned in the center of cabinet  103 . The cabinet  103  has transparent panels in its side walls including front door panel  104 . Light display dial  101  is supported from the top  105  of cabinet  103  and by prize chute  107 . Front sidewall  109  of prize chute  107  is made of a transparent material such as glass, plexiglass or other transparent synthetic resin to allow the player to inspect a prize that may be located on trap doors  113  and  114  in the prize dispensing position. A claw  120  is depicted in a home position behind light dial  101 . Surrounding prize chute  107  is a bulk storage area that is defined by the sidewalls of the cabinet and the exterior sidewalls of the prize chute  107 . The bulk prize storage area may be inspected by prospective players through transparent wall panels of the game cabinet. The bulk storage space may be accessed by door  140  which is secured by lock  145 . 
         [0014]    Now referring to  FIG. 2 , the light display dial  101  includes 35 lights arranged in 35 locations around the dial. When the game is activated, a light chases around the circle, sequentially illuminating each light. The player pushes a button or switch to try to stop the light at a winning position that has been indicated on the dial. If the light stops in the center jackpot target position  205 , the prize doors completely open to release the prize through the trap door. If the player stops the light near but not on the target jackpot position, such as at position  207  identified as “4× crank,” the doors incrementally open a predetermined amount. Adjacent to the “4× crank” position  207  is “2× crank” position  209 . If the button is activated so that the light stops in this location, the doors will open a predetermined distance that is less than the 4× crank distance. 4× crank positions and 2× crank positions are also provided on the opposite side of the dial that also correspond with the same predetermined distances. The remainder of the positions, such as position  20 , are identified as “1× Crank.” In the event that a player activates the switch at a time corresponding to the lights passing by the positioned that have a value of 1×, the doors will open a smaller distance than the distance the doors will open when the light is stopped at positions that correspond with larger values. The prize can therefore be won eventually by the successive play of the game, wherein each play will opens the door some distance until the door opening is wide enough to allow a prize to fall through. If a player leaves the machine before winning a prize, the doors remain in the same position where the last player left the game. A prize that is released from the trap doors is directed to a prize access area that may be accessed by a player. 
         [0015]    Now referring to  FIG. 3 , the prize chute  107  contains two doors  113  and  114  each or which cover half of the chute opening when in a closed position. These doors  113  and  114  can form a plane that is horizontal and parallel with the support surface on which the amusement game is placed. Counterweight  141  is provided on opposite side of the door shaft  145  on the opposite side of door  113  to overbalance the door toward the closed position. The door  113  can pivot on shaft  145  that is attached to one side of the door. One end of shaft  145  is seated in opening  160  which allows for pivotal movement. On the opposite side shaft  145  extends through spur gear  150  and into pin plate  120 . Worm gear  148  drives spur gears  150  and  151  that are attached to the door shafts  145  and  146  and to open and close the trap doors. The spur gears  150  and  151  float on the pin plates that are fixed to the door shafts  145  and  146  and thereby allow for limited concentric movement. When a prize is positioned on the doors  113  and  114  in chute  107 , the weight of the prize causes the shaft that is attached to the door to rotate within the spur gear until it reaches a stop (about 5 degrees). When the door is rotated to this position, a flag mounted on pin plate  170  interrupts an optical sensor  172 , which is mounted on spur gear  150  indicating the presence of a prize. At the same time, flag  180  is displaced from interfering with the light from light detector  182  which assists with the detection of the doors when they are at the closed home position. When there is no prize in the chute the counterweight acts to rotate the shaft within the spur gear toward the closed position and flag  180  passes through the photo detector  182 . This signal is sent to the controller which in turn activates the claw assembly. The doors are prevented from further movement by a stop  185  attached to the rear of chute  107 . The closed position is also detected by an optical sensor mounted on the chute that detects the presence of a pin  190  that is provided on the pin plate. In an alternative embodiment the pins are provided with a reflective material that transmits infrared radiation to a photo detector. The optical sensors include a light source such as an infrared light source or LED and a photo detector. The photo detectors transmit a signal to a central processor when light impinges on its surface. When an object is placed between the light source and the photo detector, no signal is transmitted and the processor will detect the absence of a signal. The counterweight  141  causes the door to be completely pivoted to a closed position. Thus, when a prize is placed on the trap doors, because the drive shaft is connected to the spur in a floating arrangement, the doors may be displaced slightly downwards. The position of the doors may then be detected by the optical sensor  172 . The home and closed position of the doors, is reflected by the presence of the flag  180  within optical sensor  182 . While the flag may remain in the optical detector, the weight of the prize will slightly displace the doors downward which is detected by sensor  172 . Upon the reception of a signal from detector  172 , the game is ready for play and the controller will accept a signal from the credit switch permitting play. The spur gear which controls the opening and closing of the doors is driven by worm gear  148  which is connected to sprocket  162  that translates power from stepper motor  193  via drive belt  195 . 
         [0016]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a spring loaded claw assembly  401  and claw travel assembly  404  is used to load the prizes into prize chute  107  from a bulk storage location within the cabinet that surrounds the sides and rear of the prize chute. The bulk storage area is generally a U shaped region that surrounds the sides and rear of chute  107 . The claw travel assembly  404  includes a drive roller  409  and track guide pin  411  that is attached to a claw support plate  413 . The drive roller  409  is powered by drive stepper motor  410  and is activated by the controller. A pulley  470 , which can wind and unwind line that connects the travel support plate portion of the travel assembly to the claw assembly  401  in response to signals from a central controller, is powered by pulley stepper motor  421 . The pulley stepper motor is also controlled by a central controller. Also provided with the claw travel assembly are top stabilizing wheels  425  and  426  and bottom stabilizing wheels  428  and  430 . These stabilizing wheels engage the top and bottom of the track plate element  420 . 
         [0017]    As seen in  FIG. 5  the track guide  411  on the claw travel assembly  404  is received in track groove  417  that is provided in upper track plate element  420 . Track plate element  420  is suspended from the top of the cabinet by spacers  421  and bolt  425 . A home position optical sensor  430  is also provided on the track plate element  420  which detects when the claw assembly is in the home position. The travel drive roller  409  is powered by stepper motor  421  and controlled by a central processor. Because the device uses a stepper motor, the controller can accurately determine the location of the claw assembly based upon the steps taken by the motor from the home position. Upon the detection of the absence of a prize on the trap doors, as reflected by signals from detectors  172 ,  182  and  195 , the claw travel assembly  404  will travel from the home position to a first position over the bulk prize storage area and stop. Next spool  470  will unwind line dropping the spring loaded claw  401  toward the prize storage area. Upon contact, a trigger releases the compression on a spring and the opposite arms of the claw may engage any prize that is within the range of the arms. 
         [0018]    After the spring is released, the claw assembly is retracted to a first position wherein the flanges  781  and  782  of vertical support plate  752  and  753  contact the claw travel assembly support ring  452 . Next the claw travel assembly, including the claw is driven by stepper motor  421  to a location above the prize chute. The location of the chute with respect to the claw travel assembly is tracked by the number of steps that the stepper motor has incremented from its home position. In contemplated embodiments, additional detectors may be provided adjacent to the track to detect the presences of the claw travel assembly. When the claw assembly is above the prize chute, the pulley motor is again activated to further reel in the line. As the flanges  781  and  782  engage support ring  452 , the springs on the guide rods are compressed and the arms of the claw pivot thereby releasing any item caught between the arms of the claw causing the item to fall into the chute and on to the trap doors. This procedure essentially cocks the spring loaded arms. Accordingly, as the springs are compressed, the trigger is locked and maintains the claw arms in an open and loaded position. If the controller does not receive a signal from the optical sensors that reflects the presence of a prize on the trap doors, the motor is again energized for a calculated number of steps which causes the claw assembly to travel to a second position above the bulk storage area, and the claw is again lowered and the arms spring closed upon contact. This process is repeated until a prize is detected so that the claw assembly may be positioned at numerous predetermined locations above the bulk storage area until the controller receives a signal that reflects that a prize has been released onto the trap door. If after a predetermined number of attempts no signal reflecting a prize has been received in the prize chutes, the processor will interpret the condition of the machine as empty and the processor will deactivate the power. If a prize is detected on the trap doors, the claw assembly will return to the home position and the play may begin by the activation of a credit switch. The home position includes an optical sensor wherein the controller receives a signal to reset a counter that tracks the incremental activation of the stepper motor. 
         [0019]    As best seen in  FIG. 7 , the claw is depicted in the open and locked position and includes arms  701  and  702  which have engagement fingers  709  and  711 . The claw is locked by the engagement of claw level trigger  713  by fixed bearing  720 , floating lock disk  722  and fixed bearing  724 . To lock the claw in the cocked position, coiled springs that are placed around claw guide rods  731  and  732  are compressed between vertical plate  740  and horizontal base plate  742 . As the pulley retracts line  750 , the coiled springs (not shown) that are positioned around claw guide rods  730  and  731  are compressed between vertical plates  752  and  753  and horizontal base plate  742 . As horizontal base plate  742  moves towards the vertical plates  752  and  753 , the bearing  712  rolls along fixed bearing  720  and pushes floating lock bearing  722  upwards. After the diameter of the trigger bearing  712  passes floating lock bearing  722 , floating bearing falls to a position where it is supported by ledge  789  provided through vertical plate  752 , fixed bearing  724  and trigger bearing  712  and locks the trigger in place. 
         [0020]    When contact plate  745  comes into contact with an object, such as a prize or the bottom surface of the bulk surface area, the contact plate rod  760  lifts lock bearing  722  from ledge  789 . When lock bearing  789  is lifted a predetermined distances, the trigger is activated, allowing bearing  712  to pass by fixed bearing  720  and lock bearing  722  and compression spring is allowed to release and expand causing the support plate  742  and vertical plates  752  and  753  to separate. As the plates separate, control linkage  765 , which is attacked to the vertical plates  752  and  753 , pulls the point of attachment  767  on the linkage. As seen in  FIG. 10 , as point of attachment  767  is pulled around axis  780  by linkage  767 , the fingers  709  swing downward and mesh with opposite fingers  711 . In the event that a prize is in the path of the arms, the prize may be engaged and retained by the claw wherein the springs bias the arms in a closed position. 
         [0021]    As discussed above, after the arms are triggered; the pulley motor reverses and lifts the claw assembly up and away from the bulk storage platform to a first position. The drive motor is then activated and the claw travel assembly is driven to a position above the prize chute. As discussed above, the claw that is disclosed herein uses a spring to drive the claw arms closed. A pulley motor  421  moves the claw assembly up and down by either releasing or taking up line  477 . When the claw is driven upwardly to a first position wherein the flanges contact support ring  452 , the stepper motor is presented with a load that is detected by the processor. The position of the claw assembly can alternatively be determined by the counting of the incremental steps of the stepper motor by the controller. The claw can then be lowered into the prize area. When the contact plate located at the bottom of the claw contacts a prize, the trigger is unlocked, allowing the springs to force the claw arms closed, capturing a prize. When the claw is raised up again beyond first position, the claw is again opened, releasing any prize that may have been engaged by the arms over prize chute  107  and resetting to a loaded position. The claw disclosed is particularly effective at engaging plush items that are used as prizes positioned in the prize bulk storage area. The claw assembly is moved over bulk storage area and chute by traveling on a track located at the top of the machine. 
         [0022]    Now referring to  FIG. 11 , the device includes central controller  905  that receives input from numerous components including a coin acceptor, or dollar bill acceptor that will detect the presence of genuine currency, coins or tokens and provide a credit. A credit activation switch  909  which will activate the game play control switch  911 . As described above, the game play control switch  911  is activated to try to stop the chasing lights at a predetermined target location. The controller of the device further includes feedback signals from trap door optical sensors  195 ,  172  and  182  that detect the location of the trap doors. Also depicted is input from the claw assembly including home position detector  410 . The controller transmits control signals to the game play field lights  141  on light dial  101 , the game trap door motor  193 , the claw drive motor  410 , the pulley motor  421  and decorative patterned lights  909  that are used in an attract mode on signage relating to the game (not shown). A power supply  950  is also depicted that energizes the controller and the electronic components of the game. 
         [0023]    While the claw that is disclosed herein is a spring loaded device, the trap door feature of the device can be used in combination with other prior art claw engagement devices that are typically used in crane machines. While the spring loaded arms have certain advantages as discussed herein, it is contemplated that prior art crane claws that have a control such as a solenoid may also be advantageous used with the trap door controlled prize chute. However, claws that are controlled by a solenoid may be more expensive to make, are more complicated to control and require drive energy such as electricity, delivered to the solenoid. An alternative prior art claw that may be used in connection with the invention uses an air powered piston to close arms of the claw which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,344,789 and which is incorporated by reference herein. In yet a further contemplated embodiments, the engagement of the prize or other items within the game cabinet in may use a vacuum engagement. In yet further contemplated embodiment the prizes may be introduced to the trap door by a chute located above the door. 
         [0024]    The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part of this disclosure. While a specific embodiment of the invention is shown and described in detail herein to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles. For example, while an embodiment of the present invention discloses a device wherein the player attempts to time the activation of a switch to correspond with a chasing light at a target position, other of exercises of skill, including timing games, shooting games, trivia games, games that involve successfully hitting a target, may also be employed with a trap door prize distribution feature of the invention. Upon the successful exercise of any game, the trap doors as described may be opened, either completely or incrementally. Likewise, the claw mechanism may be advantageously used in connection with other amusement devices or other distribution machines such as vending machines. 
         [0025]    In yet further contemplated embodiments, the opening of the trap door, or the degree that a trap door may be opened, is determined at random. For example, in place of the chasing lights, a plurality of rotating wheels such as those provided on a conventional slot machine may be used to control the opening of the trap door. If a jackpot is won, the trap doors will completely open; if the player achieves a partial win, such as the matching of a plurality of identical icons but not all the icons, the door may be opened incrementally based upon the upon the respective value of the partial win. For example, if two out of three icons match, the doors may be incrementally opened. 
         [0026]    The player&#39;s ability to inspect the prize at the doors incrementally are opened is an exciting feature of the game that attracts players to continue to play until the prize is distributed. A player that initiates play will not want to leave the doors in a partially opened state because the game machine it may appear to be close to distributing the winning the prize. There is therefore an incentive for a player to continue to play when the doors are in a partially opened position because it will provides an advantage to the next player who may be unrelated to the previous player of the name. 
         [0027]    While there has been shown and described what is considered to be preferred embodiments of the invention, it will, of course, be understood that various modifications and changes in form or detail could readily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is therefore intended that the invention be not limited to the exact forms described and illustrated, but should be constructed to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.