Source: http://patents.com/us-4503299.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 23:06:32
Document Index: 125645475

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 93', 'art 93', 'art 95', 'art 95', 'art 96', 'art 95', 'art 97']

US Patent # 4,503,299. Control-lever for a game - Patents.com
United States Patent 4,503,299
Henrard , et al. March 5, 1985
Inventors: Henrard; Jos/e/ (Paris, FR), Jacquemin; Marie-No/e/ lle (Paris, FR), Leduc; Michel (Paris, FR)
Appl. No.: 06/404,493
Aug 07, 1981 [FR] 81 15364
Current U.S. Class: 200/61.52 ; 200/6A; 200/61.47; 200/DIG.29; 345/156; 463/38
Current International Class: G06F 3/033 (20060101); G01C 9/00 (20060101); G01C 9/14 (20060101); H01H 35/02 (20060101); H01H 035/02 ()
Field of Search: 273/DIG.28,85G,18,313 200/61.45R,61.45M,61.46,61.47,61.48,61.49,61.5,61.51,61.52,61.53,61.11,220 307/1AT,121 340/669
1855581 April 1932 Meade
1908430 May 1933 Lapsley
2099483 November 1937 Hinde
2127753 August 1938 Radtke
2758195 August 1956 Ludwig
2823367 February 1958 Huron
3108750 January 1962 Hill
3348844 October 1967 Lemelson
3601729 August 1971 Hierta
3876850 April 1975 Amberny
4377210 March 1983 Monte
2320974 Nov., 1974 DE
1033121 Mar., 1952 FR
1390318 Jan., 1965 FR
2339947 Aug., 1977 FR
2428316 Jan., 1980 FR
911151 Nov., 1962 GB
1048121 Nov., 1966 GB
support means within said housing having a frusto-conical surface with a flattened central area defining a rest area with at least four channels in said frusto-conical surface displaced from each other by 90.degree. and inclined with respect to the horizontal when said housing is in a reference orientation and extending from common rest position at said rest area;
2. A stick as in claim 1 including second means disposed opposite said support means and having a frusto-conical surface with a flattened central area at a common rest position defining a rest area and at least four channels in said frusto-conical surface of said second means displaced from each other by 90.degree. and inclined with respect to the horizontal when said housing is in said reference orientation and extending from said rest area of said second means, the inclination of said channels of said second means being opposite the inclination of said channels of said support means so that said ball rolls from the rest position of said second means along any of said channels of said second means in response to manual movement of said housing and a different control signal is produced when said ball rolls into contact with each one of said detecting means.
Furthermore, the eventual angle of inclination of the channels with respect to the horizontal must be limited so that too wide a slope of the housing is not prescribed in order to prevent too wide movements and too sharp rebounding. If the angle is too small, the sensitivity of the device risks being too great and consequently its use requires too much attention. In praxis, an inclination angle in the range of 10.degree. is satisfactory.
According to the lateral view of FIG. 16a, and the corresponding view from above 16b, an improved device 90 designed to be held in the palm presents at least one of its upper and lower faces 94 and 94' inclined at an angle .alpha. with respect to the plane orthogonal to the generator-lines of the cylinders defining the control-lever. Thus, when the control-lever is held in the hand in rest position, faces 94 and 94' being horizontal, the longitudinal axis of said lever form an angle .alpha. with the vertical. This angle is selected approximately equal to 20.degree. or 25.degree., which corresponds approximately to the advance shifting of the recess that defines the palm of the closed hand when the forearm is horizontal and the wrist in normal position. Under these conditions, the adjusting of the rest position of the control-lever is facilitated since said position corresponds to the rest position of the hand. FIG. 16b shows more clearly the section of the control-lever or grip for a game. It comprises a front part 93 having a rounded shape favoring the hand hold or grip. At the end the most advanced towards the front, i.e. the end where the angle beween the generator-lines of the front part and the plane 94 is the smallest, the front part 93 bears a cavity 91 in which is housed a switch 91'. The rear part and the lateral walls 92 can have a general rounded shape. The lower face 94' can be formed in such a way that the control-lever can be placed on said face without falling.
FIG. 17a represents a lateral view of a control-lever 89 for a game that can be placed on a support (table, arm, etc . . . ) and with this purpose presents on its lower part a flattened part 95 surrounded by a rounded portion 96. When the flattened part 95 of control-lever 89 is placed on a horizontal support, the lever is in rest position. It can be sloping in all directions by rolling on the rounded part 96. Rest position can be restored at any moment due to the flattened part 95. This realization can, of course, (cf. FIG. 17b) apply to a control-lever 90 inclined or sloped at an angle of .alpha. towards the front.
According to the section of FIG. 18a, a control-lever 89 is inserted in an elastic fold 98 of a support 99. Its lower part 97 is preferably at least in part rounded so as to allow its rotation like a ball-and-socket joint in a notch corresponding to support 99. The elastic fold 98 ensures a resilient return of the control-lever in the rest position. In FIG. 18b, this realization is applied in the case of a control-lever for a game sloping at an angle .alpha. towards the front.
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