AU783694B2

AU783694B2 - Puck collection device

Info

Publication number: AU783694B2
Application number: AU52778/02A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Adrien Mamet; Charles Mamet
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-07-04
Filing date: 2002-07-04
Publication date: 2005-11-24
Anticipated expiration: 2022-07-04
Also published as: AU5277802A

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: CHARLES MAMET and ADRIEN MAMET Actual Inventors: CHARLES MAMET and ADRIEN MAMET Address for Service: CALLINAN LAWRIE, 711 High Street, Kew, Victoria 3101, Australia Invention Title: PUCK COLLECTION DEVICE The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us:- 04/07/02.td12157.cs.1 PUCK COLLECTION DEVICE This invention relates to a puck collection device and relates particularly, though not exclusively, to a puck collection device for puck based table games.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a puck collection device which is simple to operate.

A further object of the invention is to provide a puck collection device which is less prone to jamming than existing systems.

With these and other objects in view the present invention provides a puck collection device, said device including a main body having a mouth for receiving a puck, said mouth opening into a passage for aligning said puck in a substantially vertical direction and a channel member opening into said passage to receive said substantially vertically aligned puck and to maintain its substantially vertical alignment.

Preferably said passage converges in a direction towards said channel member. In a preferred form said passage has a ledge where it meets said mouth, said ledge providing an initial support, in use, for a substantially horizontally aligned puck exiting said mouth, whereby, in use, gravity will force said puck to tilt to a substantially vertical orientation by it pivoting about said ledge.

Preferably said channel member opens into a collection chamber for pucks. The channel member may include a slot for allowing pucks of less than a predetermined thickness to pass therethrough and prevent such pucks from being collected in said collection chamber.

In a practical embodiment said collection chamber includes a first apertured sliding plate which in a first position prevents exit of said pucks from said collection chamber and in a second position allows said pucks to exit from said collection chamber through said first aperture. A second apertured sliding plate is preferably mounted below said first apertured sliding plate and moves in tandem with said first apertured plate whereby in said first position said pucks can exit through said second aperture but cannot exit in said second position.

04M7/02,d2157.gpe,2 In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of pool table which incorporates the puck alignment device made in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the pool table shown in Fig. 1 with the playing surface removed; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view along and in the direction of arrows 3-3 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view along and in the direction of arrows 4-4 in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view along and in the direction of arrows 5-5 in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the top left corner of the pool table shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view along and in the direction of arrows 7-7 in Fig. 6; and Fig. 8 is a similar view to Fig. 4 showing a second embodiment of a channel member construction.

In the drawings there is shown a pool type table 10 which has a base 12 supported on feet 14. A flat playing surface 16 provides a surface for pucks 18 which, in use, can glide over the playing surface 16. A peripheral edge 20 acts as a bumper for pucks 18 to allow them to bounce off the bumper. The table has pockets 22 into which pucks 18 enter for scoring in the game. Although a pool type of game is shown any type of puck game, e.g. air hockey, can use the principles of the invention. The shape of the playing surface, number of pockets, position of the pockets and construction of the base can vary to suit the nature of the game. Each pocket 22 is formed of moulded plastics material or other suitable material and is shaped as a square block 24. The block has a conical mouth 26, as best seen in Fig. 7, which opens into a passage 28. A ledge 30 is cut into conical mouth to form an arcuate shaped ledge. Passage 28 converges towards its exit 32 and includes a protuberance 34 which acts as guide for pucks. Exit 32 finishes in a rectangular slot and is attached to a U-shaped channel member 36 which has a downward slope to allow pucks to roll under gravity into a collection chamber 38.

U-shaped channel member 38 has a chute 40 directly below which opens into U-shaped channel member 38. The width of chute 40 is less than the width of channel member 38 0471/O2rtd1 2157.pc.3 -4which allows pucks having a width less than the chute to fall down the chute whereas larger pucks will roll over the chute and continue their journey to the collection chamber 38. Chute 40 opens into a return tray 42 which allows any puck entering chute 40 to be returned to a player. Return tray 42 is coupled to an aperture 44 of base 12 to allow easy access by a player.

Collection chamber 38 is formed from a rectangular hollow tubular member 46 and has the free ends 48 of U-shaped channel members 38 protruding therein at the top of tubular member 46. At the other end 50 tubular member 46 opens into return tray 42. The base of the collection chamber 38 is formed from two sliding plates 52,54. Plates 52,54 are mounted in parallel and move in tandem through bridging piece 56. Plate 52 has an aperture 58 adjacent bridging piece 56 whilst plate 54 has an aperture 60 at the opposite end. A tongue 62 is coupled to an operating slide 64 by fasteners 66. Operating slide 64 is part of a coin operating device 68 which accepts a predetermined number of and types of coins. Coin operating device is a readily available item in which coins are placed in a tray which is pushed by tab 70. If the correct coinage is placed in the tray then operating slide 64 will be moved inwardly to move plates 52,54. The coins will empty into a bin 72.

In use, the pucks 18 are placed on the playing surface 16 in a predetermined arrangement and the game played. Typically, a cue puck (not shown) will be thinner than the other pucks and will be of a thickness less than the width of chute 40. In order to score the players must have the pucks enter pockets 22. Depending on its orientation when it enters the pocket 22 will determine how the puck journeys through pocket 22. If the puck enters in a substantial vertical direction then the puck will fall through passage 28 and exit 32 to enter U-shaped channel member 36. If the puck is off centre it will hit protuberance 34 which will act as a funnel to lead the puck into exit 32. Because of the incline of channel member 36 the puck will roll along its circumference and tumble into collection chamber 38. The puck will come to rest on sliding plate 52 as best seen in Fig. 3. If the puck enters the pocket 22 in a substantially horizontal position as shown in Fig. 7 the puck will initially sit on ledge 30. As ledge 30 supports a minor surface area of the puck, the puck will tilt under the gravitational imbalance of the majority of the weight of the puck being unsupported by ledge 30. The puck will tilt to a vertical position and then fall vertically into passage 28 and through to exit 32.

04i7/02.td12157.sp14 If the puck is the cue puck then the puck will fall through chute 40, instead of tumbling into collection chamber 38. The cue puck will then slide down into return tray 42 and be accessed through aperture 44. In this example the cue puck will be the equivalent of a "cue" ball in the game of pool where it is always returned when it is incorrectly hit into a pocket. Accordingly, the normal thickness pucks will remain in collection chamber 38 whereas the cue puck will always be returned to the player. At the completion of the game a player must insert the appropriate coins into operating slide 64 and push on tab 70 to move the slide inwards. Plates 52,54 will be moved inwards until aperture 58 is located inside collection chamber 38. Pucks 18 will fall through aperture 58 onto plate 54. When tab 70 is released operating slide 64 will move outwardly under its spring bias to retract plates 52,54. Aperture 60 in plate 54 will then be located inside collection chamber 38 to allow pucks 18 to fall onto return tray 42 allowing access thereto by the players. The preferred embodiment has only one moving part i.e. operating slide 64 which increases the reliability of the pool table 10 and substantially reduces the chances of the pucks being jammed inside the table.

Fig. 8 shows a variation of U-shaped channel member 36 where chute 36 is replaced by a slot 74. A guard plate 76 ensures that the puck will stop its forward movement when it falls through slot 74. The puck will fall into return tray 42 and slide down to be accessed through aperture 44.

It is clear that many changes could be made to the invention which would be obvious to the man skilled in the art. The type of coin operating device 68 can be changed and the operation of the sliding plates 52,54 could be replaced by other devices.

The invention will be understood to embrace many further modifications as will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art and which will be deemed to reside within the broad scope and ambit of the invention, there having been set forth herein only the broad nature of the invention and a certain specific embodiments by way of example.

04/07/02,tdl 2157.e,5

Claims

1. A puck collection device, said device including a main body having a mouth for receiving a puck, said mouth opening into a passage for aligning said puck in a substantially vertical direction and a channel member opening into said passage to receive said substantially vertically aligned puck and to maintain its substantially vertical alignment.

2. The puck collection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said passage converges in a direction towards said channel member.

3. The puck collection device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said passage has 1o a ledge where it meets said mouth, said ledge providing an initial support, in use, for a substantially horizontally aligned puck exiting said mouth, whereby, in use, gravity will force said puck to tilt to a substantially vertical orientation by it pivoting about said ledge.

4. The puck collection device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said channel member opens into a collection chamber for pucks.

5. The puck collection device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said channel member includes a slot for allowing pucks of less than a predetermined thickness to pass therethrough and prevent such pucks from being collected in said collection chamber.

6. The puck collection device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said collection chamber includes a first apertured sliding plate which in a first position prevents exit of said pucks from said collection chamber and in a second position allows said pucks to exit from said collection chamber through said first aperture.

7. The puck collection device as claimed in claim 6, wherein a second apertured sliding plate is mounted below said first apertured sliding plate and moves in tandem with said first apertured plate whereby in said first position said pucks can exit through said second aperture but cannot exit in said second position.

8. The puck collection device as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein said sliding plate(s) are associated with a coin operating device.

9. The puck collection device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said channel member is inclined downwardly.

A game playing table including a flat surface over which at least one puck can glide over said flat surface and at least one puck collection device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims to collect said at least one puck when said at least one puck enters said at least one puck collection device. 04/07/O2td121IS7.spe6

11. A puck collection device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A game playing table substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 4 h day of July, 2002. CHARLES MAMET and ADRIEN MAMET By their Patent Attorneys: CALLINAN LAWRIE t^MaY^ 04107/02,tdl2157.p. 7