Patent Publication Number: US-2009224474-A1

Title: Big Event, Air Drop Lottery System

Description:
This utility patent application is based on and claims the filing date of the provisional patent application (Ser. No. 61/068,391) filed on Mar. 5, 2008. 
    
    
     COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
     Notice is hereby given that the following patent document contains original material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile or digital download reproduction of all or part of the patent document, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention pertains to lottery systems, and more particularly to lottery systems designed for large entertaining presentations. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     The selection of a lottery number for a large public lottery is often a formal event presented in front of large audiences on the radio or television. An important objective of the lottery operator is to create an environment during the selection process that is not only fun and exciting, but also connotes high quality and professionalism. It is important that good well be established to all viewers and that the selection process is considered fair so more people participate in the lottery in the future. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a large visual lottery that can be presented in a fun, entertaining and unique manner. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Disclosed herein is a big event, air drop lottery system that includes a lifting apparatus, such as a helicopter, a hot air balloon, or a crane that lifts a large container filled with a large quantity of ping pong balls. Each ball includes a unique identifier that matches the unique identifier on a ticket stub held by a participant. The container includes a lower opening that enables the entire quantity of balls to be released from the container when lifted to a desired height above a target area. In the preferred embodiment, the target structure is a pole positioned in the center of a target area. A cup is attached to the pole&#39;s upper end designed to catch one of the balls dropped from the container. A second, third and fourth cup is used to catch additional balls attached at lower levels on the pole or on the ground around the pole. 
     During play, the target area is cleared of all spectators. The pole is then assembled in the center of the target area and the container, filled with a plurality of balls, is lifted to a desired elevation. All of the balls are then released from the container enabling them to fall towards the target area. A ball retained by one of the cups on the pole or ground, or a ball closest to the pole is declared the winning ball. The lottery number on the ball is then determined. The participate holding the lottery ticket with a lottery number that matches the lottery number on the winning ball is declared the lottery winner. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an illustration of a helicopter with a large container filled with ping pong balls being opened so that the ping pong balls fall onto a target area located below the helicopter. 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the large container filled with ping pong balls. 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom plan view of the large container showing the two doors in a closed position. 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of the target pole located in the target area with at least one cup mounted thereon designed to catch a ping pong ball. 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevational view of a ping pong ball and a lottery ticket each having the same lottery number printed thereon. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) 
     Referring to the Figs., there is shown a big event, air drop lottery system  10  that includes a lifting apparatus, such as a helicopter  12 , a hot air balloon  13 , or a crane  14  that lifts a large container  20  filled with a large quantity of ping pong balls  50 . The helicopter  12  lifts the container  20  to a desired elevation above a target area  60  and then opens the container  20  to release the balls  50 . In the preferred embodiment, a target pole  65  is assembled in the center of the target area  60 . The ball  50  that is captured by the target pole  65  or that stops closest to the target  65  is declared the winning ball  50 . Each ball  50  includes a lottery number  52  printed thereon that matches the lottery number  82  on a lottery ticket  80  issued to a participant. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the container  20  includes a hollow large cylindrical container body  22  made of flexible material. The rip cord  27  extends downward from the helicopter  12  and pass through a collar  21  and connects to an upper ring member  23  located near the upper edge of the container body  22 . Formed on the bottom surface of the container body  22  are two pivoting doors  25 A,  25 B that are selectively opened or closed by the lottery operator. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the doors  25 A,  25 B are opened or closed by a plunger arm  26  that extends inward from the container&#39;s lower perimeter edge. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the two doors  25 A,  25 B are both attached to two hinges  47 ,  48  located on its opposite perimeter edges that enable them to pivot downward from their adjacent center edges so that the entire quantity of balls  50  is released from the container body  22 . 
     In a first embodiment, the outer edge of the plunger arm  26  is connected to a rip cord  27  that extends downward through a rigid conduit  28  mounted longitudinally over the outside edge of the cylindrical body  22 . The proximal end of the rip cord  27  extends upward through the rigid conduit  28 , through the upper ring  21  and to a lottery operator located inside the helicopter  12 . The distal end of the rip cord  27  attaches to the plunger arm  26 . In a second embodiment, the rip cord  27  is replaced by an electric solenoid  36  connected to a RF receiving unit  37 . The RF receiving unit  37  is designed to receive RF signals from an RF transmitter  38  held by a lottery representative on the ground or in the helicopter  12 . In the second embodiment, the solenoid  36  is connected to the plunger arm  26 . When the plunger arm  26  is pulled, the pin  45  holding the two doors  25 A,  25 B closed is released so that the two doors open to release the plurality of ping pong balls  50  stored inside the container body  22 . 
     In the preferred embodiment, the container body  22  is designed to hold approximately up to 50,000 ping pong balls  50 . It measures approximately 3 to 8 feet in diameter and 10 to 30 feet in length and is made of reinforced vinyl. The rigid conduit  28  is approximately 2 inches in diameter, 40 feet in length and is made of rigid plastic or aluminum. It should be understood that the container body  22  may be manufactured in any size and shape to hold different quantities (as little as 1,000 balls and as much as 100,000 balls) of ping pong balls  50 . 
     The target area  60  is a flat, rectangular or circular field that measures 100 to 600 feet in width or diameter. In the preferred embodiment, a short fence  62  is built around the perimeter of the target area  60  to keep the ping pong balls  50  in a confined area. Also, an optional bull&#39;s eye-like visual target  64  is created in the center of the target area  60 . 
     Mounted in the center of the target area  60  is an optional target pole  65 . The target pole  65  includes a top cup  66  and a plurality of lower cups  67 ,  68 ,  69  each designed to hold at least one ping pong ball  50 . In the preferred embodiment, the top cup  66  is designated the winning cup if a ping pong ball  50  is captured therein. The lower cups  67 ,  68  and  69  are designated second, third and fourth place winning cups, respectively. In the event, that no ball  50  is captured by the top cup  66  the ball  50  in the next highest cup is declared the winning ball. In the event, no ball  50  is captured by any cup, the ball  50  closest to the target pole  65  is declared the winning ball. It should be understood that size and shapes of the cups may be modified. For example, the cups may be funnel-shaped and capable of receiving a plurality of balls with the first or lowest ball captured therein being declared the winner. 
     As mentioned above and as shown in  FIG. 4 , each ball  50  includes a lottery number  52  printed thereon that matches the lottery number  82  printed on a lottery ticket  80  held by a participant. When the ping pong balls  50  are released from the container  20 , they fall towards the target area  60 . The spectator holding the lottery ticket  80  with a lottery number  82  that matches the lottery number  52  on the winning ball  50  is declared the lottery winner. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the lifting apparatus is a helicopter  12 . It should be understood, however, that the lifting apparatus may be a hot air balloon, or crane. 
     In compliance with the statute, the invention described herein has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features. It should be understood however, that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, since the means and construction shown, is comprised only of the preferred embodiments for putting the invention into effect. The invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the amended claims, appropriately interpreted in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents.