Patent Publication Number: US-6655691-B2

Title: Shooting game machine

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (a) Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a shooting game machine, and in particular, to an improved shooting game machine capable of preventing a bullet shot from a gun from being damaged, due to an impact against wall of a housing of the shooting game machine, by applying impact absorbing means to the walls, giving a player aiming stability and preventing the gun from being stolen by fixing the gun to the housing, and making it easy to arrange targets. 
     (b) Description of the Related Art 
     Heretofore shooting game machines have been known in which targets are arranged in playing spots with model guns utilizing compressed air such that a gift is given to the player when a target is hit by a bullet shot from the gun. 
     FIG. 1 shows a conventional shooting game machine designed to allow a player to shoot the model gun while aiming at a target and FIG. 2 shows a target below which a gift is suspended. 
     As shown in FIG.  1  and FIG. 2, the conventional shooting game machine  102  is provided with a plurality of target holders  100  supported by a pair of rotational chains in a housing in such a manner that the target holder is horizontally interposed between the chains and both ends of the target holder  100  are connected to the chains  101  such that a target  103  rotates according to the chain rotation. The target  103  is made out of material that can be easily torn off in order for the gift  105  to fall down when the target is hit to tear. 
     Also, the shooting game machine  102  is provided with one or more aiming openings  104  formed on a front wall of the housing such that the gun is aimed at the target inside in housing by inserting a barrel of the gun. The gun is held in a gun-rest box  106  provided at the lower part of the front wall of the housing when the gun is not used. 
     However, the conventional shooting game machine has some drawbacks in that it is difficult to aim the model gun at the target because the gun is not supported by any tool but the aiming opening and it is likely to be stolen because the gun is kept in a separate gun-rest box when the gun is not used. 
     Also, the bullets can be broken by impact against the wall of the housing because the bullets are shot with highly compressed air. 
     Furthermore, when it is required to replace the used target with a new one, firstly the target holder  100  should be manually detached from the chains  101  and then putted in the place again after attaching the new target  103  to the target holder  100 , resulting time-consuming. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been made in an effort to solve the above problems of the prior art. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a shooting game machine capable of preventing a bullet shot from a gun from being damaged, due to an impact against the wall of housing, by employing impact absorbing material as the wall of the housing of the shooting game machine. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a shooting game machine capable of improving aiming stability and preventing the gun from being stolen by pivotally fixing the gun to the aiming opening. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide a shooting game machine capable of reducing target replacement time by simplifying the target holding mechanism. 
     To achieve the above object, the shooting game machine of the present invention comprises a housing which is provided with at least one opening formed on a front wall thereof, a gun supporter mounted inside of the opening on the front wall of the housing for supporting the gun, and a target holding mechanism installed in front of the gun in a predetermined distance for holding at least one target. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional shooting game machine; 
     FIG. 2 is a front view showing a target suspended from a target holder of the shooting game of FIG. 1 together with a gift; 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a shooting game machine according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a gun supporter of the shooting game machine of FIG. 3 together with a gun fixed thereto; 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the gun supporter of the shooting game machine of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 is an exploded view for illustrating how the gun supporter is assembled; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view for illustrating how the gun supporter is mounted to a housing the shooting game machine; 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view for illustrating how the gun is supported by the gun supporter; 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a target holder and targets of the shooting game machine according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective view for illustrating how the target is suspended from the target holder; and 
     FIG. 11 is a partial perspective view showing a wall of a housing of the shooting game machine according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 3 shows a shooting game machine according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     As shown in FIG. 3, the shooting game machine of the present invention comprises a housing  1  having a shape of rectangular box, target holding means installed near a rear wall of the housing  1  for holding a plurality of targets, at a gun supporter  8  mounted around an opening formed on a front wall of the housing  1  for supporting a gun. The gun shoots bullets using compressed air supplied from an air compressor. 
     FIG.  4 -FIG. 8 are perspective views for illustrating how the gun supporter is assembled and mounted on the housing. 
     As shown in the drawings, the gun supporter  8  is fixedly mounted around an opening  6  formed on the front wall  4  of the housing  1 . The front wall  4  is manufactured using a transparent material such as plastic or glass such that the player can watch and aim the gun at the target. 
     The gun supporter  8  comprises a rotation ring  14  having a outer diameter less than inner diameter of the opening  6 , a pair of connectors  10  for pivotally connecting the rotation ring  14  to a circumferential edge of the front wall at upper and lower end portions of the opening  6 , and a pair of studs  16  oppositely and coaxially fixed on the rotation ring  14  for rotationally connecting the gun to the rotation ring  14 . 
     The rotation ring  14  has a pair of projections  12  perpendicularly projected from the rotation ring  14  confronting each other and having respective connection holes  46  coaxially arranged. 
     Each connector  10  comprises a connecting bracket  32  having a shape of “U” such that an indented space thereof is engaged with circumferential edge of the opening  6  of the front wall  4 , the bracket  32  having holes  38  coaxially crossing the indented space of the connecting bracket  32 ; and a cylindrical shaft  36  of which one end is tightly inserted into a receiving hole  34  formed on the connecting bracket  32  in an opposite direction of the indented space of the connecting bracket  32 , the shaft  36  having a hole  40  formed coaxial with the holes  38  of the connecting bracket  32  when the shaft  36  is fixed in the receiving hole  34  of the connecting bracket  32  and having a stepped portion  44  having a smaller diameter than that of the shaft  36  of which end portion is threaded so as to be screwed into a nut  50  after the stepped portion  44  is inserted into the hole  46  formed on each projection  12  of the rotation ring  14 . 
     The studs  16  are oppositely and coaxially fixed on the rotation ring  14  at an angle of 90° relative to the positions of the projections  12  and each stud has stepped end portion  18  having a smaller diameter than that of the stud  16  and threaded, such that a pair of connecting plates  22  pivotally mounted on the studs  16  by inserting the end portions  18  of the studs  16  into holes  24  formed on the connecting plates  22  and screwing nuts on the end portions  18 . 
     Accordingly, the gun is pivotally suspended from the studs  16  by fixing the gun to the connecting plates  22  by screwing bolts  28  into fixing holes (not shown) at a lower portion of a barrel of the gun  2  through fixing holes  30  formed lower portion of the connecting plates  22 . How the rotation ring  14  is mounted to the housing together with the gun  2  will be described hereinafter. 
     Firstly, the shaft  36  of the connector  10  is rotationally connected with the rotation ring  14  by inserting the stepped portion  44  of the shaft  36  into the connecting hole  46  formed on the projection  12  of the rotation ring  14  and screwing nut  50  around the thread end portion of the stepped portion  44 . The other ends of the shaft  36  is inserted into the receiving hole  34  of the connecting brackets  32  in order for the hole  40  of the shaft  36  to be arranged coaxially with the holes  38  of the connecting brackets  32 , and the brockets  32  are engaged with the circumferential edge of the opening  6  such that fixing hole formed on the front wall  4  near a top and bottom ends of the opening  6  are arranged coaxially with respective holes  38  of the brackets  32  and the hole  40  of the shaft  36  and screwing up the bolts  42  into the holes  38 . Accordingly, the rotation ring  14  is able to rotate in the opening  6  on the axes of the shafts  36 . 
     Next, the gun  2  is rotationally connected to the rotation ring  14  in such a manner that the two connecting plates  22  are fixed to the gun  2  by interposing the gun  2  between the plates, screwing the bolts  28  into the fixing holes (not shown) formed both side of the lower portion of the barrel of the gun  2  through the fixing holes  30  formed at the lower portion of the connecting plates  22 , and pivotally connecting the connecting plates  22  to corresponding studs  16  by penetrating the stepped portions  18  of the studs  16  into the holes  24  of the connecting plates  22  and screwing the nuts  26  on the threaded end  20  of the stepped portions  18 . Accordingly, the gun  2  is mounted to the rotation ring  14  so as to rotate on the axes of the studs  16  perpendicular to the axes of the shafts  36 . 
     FIG. 9 partially shows a target holder and targets of the shooting game machine according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     As shown in FIG. 9, the target holder  70  is provided with a plurality of slots  71  having a shape of “T” and the target  60  has a body  62  and a suspender  63 , having a shape of “T” corresponding to the slot  71 , upwardly extended from the target  60  such that the target  60  is suspended from the target holder  70  in such a manner that the suspender  63  of the target  60  is inserted to the slot  71  through a wide opening portion  71   a , moved down in order for a narrow neck  64  bridging the body  62  and the suspender  63  to be received into a holding part  71   b  of the slot  71 , and pulled down. 
     Accordingly, the suspender  63  of the target  60  is held by the narrow holding part  71   b  of the slot  71  (see FIG.  9 ). 
     A gift  61  is suspended lower end of the target  60  and the target is preferably made out of a material which can be easily torn such that the gift  61  falls down when the target  60  is hit and torn by bullet. 
     FIG. 11 shows an impact absorbing member applied to inner walls of the housing  1  of the shooting game machine of the present invention. 
     As shown in FIG. 11, the impact absorbing member  80  comprises a plurality of elastic columns  84  projected from a inner surface of a plate  82  in a predetermined density. The impact absorbing member  80  is applied to a rear, upper, and side walls such that the impact of the bullets against the walls is absorbed by the elastic columns  84 . This prevents the bullets from being broken. 
     The operation of the above structured shooting game machine of the present invention will be described hereinafter. 
     The rotation ring  14  is mounted in the opening  6  of the front wall  4  of the housing  1  using the connector  10  such that the rotation ring  14  can rotate left and right on the axes of the shafts  36  of the connector  10 . Next, the gun  2  is installed in the rotation ring  14  by interposing the gun  2  between the studs  16  and connecting the gun  2  to the studs  16  using the connecting plates  22  and bolts  28  such that the gun  2  is able to pivot up and down on the axes of the studs  16  in the rotation ring  14 . Consequently, the gun  2  can be controlled in all directions on the axes of the shafts  36  and the studs  16 . 
     Also, since the front wall  4  of the housing  1  is transparent, the player can aim at the target  60  with the gun  12  while staring the target  60  through the transparent front wall  4 . 
     Once a bullet is shot from the gun  2  in power of the compressed air after aim and misses the target, the bullet impact against the wall. In this case the impulsive force of the bullet against the wall is cushioned by the impact absorbing member  80  applied to the wall such that it is possible to speed down the bullet bouncing from the wall and prevent the bullet from being broken. 
     The target  60  is suspended from the target holder  70  by inserting the suspender  63  of the target  60  into the slot  71  of the target holder  70  and pulling down the target in order for the narrow neck  64  of the target  60  to be engaged with the holding part  71   b  of the slot  71  and for the suspender  63  to be held in the holding part  71   b  of the slot  71 . 
     The target  60  is made out of a thin and scissile material such that if the target  60  is hit several times by bullets, the target is torn, resulting in falling the gift suspended from a lower end of the target  60 . When replacing the target torn by bullets with new one, the target  60  is removed by putting up the target  60  in order for the suspender  63  to be located in the wide portion  71   a  of the slot  71  and pulling in frontward and then the new target is held in the same manner described above. 
     As described above, since the walls of the housing the shooting game machine is applied by the impacting absorbing member, the bullets missed the target can be prevented from being broken against the walls and the bouncing speed of the bulled can be slowed down. 
     Also, since the gun is fixed on the front wall of the housing  1 , even when it is not used, by means of the supporter so as to rotate on the two axes, the player can more stably aiming at the target and it is prevented that the gun is stolen. 
     Furthermore, the target holder and the target are modified so as not to need to separate the target holder from the shooting game machine for changing the target such that the target replacement time is reduced.