Vibratory Game

Abstract

A competitive action game having a rectangular frame providing a playing surface defined by a stiffly resilient sheet member supported at its perimeter on the frame and over which a plurality of playing pieces move in response to vibration of the sheet member. The vibration of the sheet member is achieved by the use of a vibratory motor, or the like. An alternate means for vibrating the sheet member comprises a plurality of rotatable shafts which extend below the sheet member at generally right angles to the sides of the frame and are located at approximately the mid-points of the sides. The shafts are manually rotatable by handles on the ends of the shafts on the outside of the frame. The shafts have wheels secured thereto with toothed peripheries beneath the sheet member for contact with projections depending from the underside of the sheet member, whereby the vibrations are introduced into areas of the sheet member upon individual rotation of the shafts. The game apparatus also is provided with a plurality of push-button levers supported at the perimeter of the resilient sheet. The levers have pins protruding through the playing surface for movement relative thereto to permit the players to upset their opponent's playing pieces moving over the playing surface.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to games, and in particular to vibratory games in which game pieces are made to move over a playing surface in response to vibration of the playing surface.

2. Brief Description of the Prior Art

Games have been provided in which a relatively stiff resilient sheet member is supported at its perimeter and defines a playing surface which is vibrated, generally perpendicular to such surface, so as to move game pieces over the playing surface. In existing games of the character described, the vibration of the playing surface is effected by electrically energized means, and usually is the sole play determining element of the game, wherein the playing pieces are simply moved over the playing surface until a particular event takes place, without interference by the players. Games also have been provided wherein the vibration of the playing surface is effectuated by a manual means which provides a new element in that the players can increase or decrease the frequency of the vibrations, causing the playing pieces to move faster or slower, but again with no direct interference with the playing pieces. This invention is designed to provide a new and improved vibratory game of the character described.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The competitive action game of the present invention has a relatively stiff resilient sheet member, for example of sheet metal or plastic, supported at its perimeter and defining a playing surface on the top thereof. A plurality of game pieces are movable over the playing surface in response to vibration of the sheet member. The game apparatus includes, in one embodiment, an electrically energized vibratory motor, and in another embodiment a plurality of individually operable shafts rotatably mounted below the resilient sheet member for imparting vibrations thereto. The shafts have end portions projecting beyond the perimeter of the sheet member carrying handles by which the shaft can be manually rotated. At least one wheel is secured on the shaft, with a toothed periphery of the wheel in contact with a projection depending downwardly from the resilient sheet member so that rotation of the shaft causes vibration of the sheet member by reason of the contact of the projections with the toothed periphery of the wheels.

It is an object of this invention to provide a game of the described character wherein new elements of skill are provided, thus increasing the competitiveness and enjoyment of the players. A plurality of lever members are provided whereby opposing players may interfere with and upset the opponent's playing pieces, the object being to have one's playing piece the last upright playing piece when all others have been upset.

The sheet member is provided with a wall around the perimeter thereof formed of joined annular sections providing guiding and directing walls which prevent the playing pieces from stopping in a corner of the playing surface as occasionally happens with previously known games of this type.

Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent when viewed in light of the specification and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a game apparatus embodying the concepts of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmented top plan view of the game apparatus of FIG. 1, on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front-to-rear sectional view of one of the playing pieces shown in FIG. 1, on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a game apparatus of an alternative embodiment, with parts broken away;

FIG. 6 is a fragmented vertical section taken generally along the line 6--6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the vibratory motor of the alternate embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-4, the vibratory game, generally designated 10, includes a playing surface defined by a stiffly resilient sheet member 12 mounted on a raised frame, generally designated 14. The sheet member 12 has four holes 16 angularly spaced generally equidistant around the mid-point of the playing surface 12. The perimeter of the playing surface is defined by a generally four-leaf clover shaped wall 18 which is integrally formed as part of the frame 14. Base flats 20 of the frame support the game apparatus on a table top or the like.

The frame 14 also is provided with a plurality of support ribs 14a beneath the sheet member 12, extending inwardly from each apex of the wall 18, a continuous inwardly extending horizontal support flange 14b formed at the bottom of the wall 18, and a centrally located cylindrical hub 14c connecting the innermost portions of the support ribs 14a, as best seen in FIG. 2. The ribs 14a, flange 14b and the hub 14c support the sheet member 12 which defines the playing surface and preferably are unitarily molded with the frame 14 and the walls 18 of plastic or other suitable material.

The game apparatus is provided with a plurality of game pieces, generally designated 22 (FIG. 4) which may be molded of plastic or other suitable material, with a shell-like housing 23. Each game piece is provided with an interior base 24 on the underside thereof having resilient filaments or slender prongs 26 depending from the base to engage the playing surface 12 at their lower ends. The filaments or prongs 26 are inclined or oblique to the playing surface so as to determine the direction of movement of the playing pieces. As shown, the playing pieces simulate vehicles and the filaments or prongs are slanted rearwardly so as to move the vehicles forwardly in response to vibration of the playing surface 12, as the game pieces move over the playing surface.

The desired vibrations of the sheet member 12 for effecting movement of the game pieces 22 are generated by means of a plurality of shafts 28 disposed below the playing surface 12. The shafts have opposite end portions journalled in bearing apertures 30 and 32 carried by the frame 14. Apertures 30 are disposed in flanges 31 depending from the underside of the frame, and apertures 32 are formed in the sides of the frame 14. The outer end portions of the shafts 28 are provided with cranks 34 carrying handles 36 by which the shafts 28 can be conveniently manually rotated. Each shaft 28 also is preferably supported at approximately its mid-point by an aperture in an addition flange 37 depending from the underside of the support ribs 14a of the frame 14.

A wheel 38 having a toothed periphery, for example, in the form of a gear wheel, is secured on the inner end of each shaft 28 for rotation therewith. The toothed periphery 40 of each wheel 38 is in contact with a projection 42 directed downwardly from the support ribs 14a (FIG. 3). Thus, upon rotation of the shafts 28, the engagement of the projections 42 with the toothed peripheries of the wheels 38 causes vibration of the support ribs 14a, which vibrations are transferred to the playing surface 12. A lever 44 is located adjacent each shaft 28. Each lever is pivotally mounted by means of a pin 52 between two support tabs 46 carried on the underside of the frame 14. On the outer end of each lever 44 is located a depressor tab 54 for use in manually actuating the lever 44 by pressing down on the tab 54 in the direction of arrow A (FIG. 3). The inner end of each lever 44 is angled laterally (see FIG. 2) such that a pin 56 formed on the inner tip of the lever 44 is located on the rotational axis of the adjacent shaft 28. Each pin 56 protrudes upwardly through one of the holes 16 in the playing surface 12 when the lever 44 is actuated. If a playing piece 26 is located above the hole, a player can interfere with the playing piece in an attempt to turn that playing piece over to disengage the prongs 26 on the underside thereof from the playing surface 12.

It will be apparent that the speed at which the shafts 28 are rotated will determine the speed of the playing piece 22 caused by the resulting increased vibrations. Each player can lessen or intensify the frequency of vibration on the playing surface 12 in the immediate area surrounding his respective wheel 38 and projection 42 at the end of the shaft 28. The fact that the shaft 28 is manually rotated and thus can be driven by a relatively large force makes it possible to provide vibrations of relatively large amplitude which are determined by the size and/or configuration of the teeth on the periphery of the wheel 38. Further, it is apparent that each player using a combination of vibrations set up by his particular shaft and toothed wheel 38, in combination with the use of his lever 44, may guide other player's playing pieces into the area the hole 16 through which the pin 56 on the end of this lever 44 emerges and upsets the playing pieces.

The curvature of the walls 18 is designed to direct the movement of the playing pieces 22, when in contact the wall 18, back toward the center of the playing surface 12 toward the holes 16. Thus, the action or play of the game is not interrupted by playing pieces which could become "stuck" in the corners of a rectangular or square playing surface.

In the alternate embodiment of the invention (FIGS. 5-7), an alternative method is illustrated for vibrating the playing surface. In this embodiment, most of the elements are identical to those used in the previous embodiment, and therefor the same numbers as used previously will be used again when identifying similar elements.

In this embodiment an electrically vibrating source, generally designated 70, is used to impart vibrations into the playing surface 12. More particularly, an electric motor 72 is mounted in a casing 74 which is molded integrally with the hub 14c of the frame 14. A relatively heavy disc 76 is secured to the end of the motor shaft 78, with the shaft 78 being off-set or eccentric with respect to the center of the disc 76. Thus, when the motor 72 is energized, the rotation of the disc 76 will cause the motor and thus the hub 14c to vibrate. The motor is connected by a conductive wire 80 to one side of a switch 82 which is mounted on the frame 14 by two rivets 84. The motor is connected by a conductive wire 86 to one end of a battery and contact frame 88. An additional conductive wire 90 connects the opposite end of the battery frame 88 with the opposite side of switch 82. The battery frame 88 is mounted on the frame 14 beneath the playing surface 12 and is formed of metal or other flexible material which will hold a battery 92 and establish contacts therefor. A button 94 on the switch 82 extends through an opening in the frame 14 such that it may be conveniently switched on and off.

With this embodiment, the rotating shafts 28 are not necessary and therefor the levers 44 are positioned at the mid-points of the sides of the frame 14. Therefore, the levers 44 do not have to be laterally angled since the holes 16 are directly opposite the mid-points of the sides of the frame 14.

Although the illustrated embodiments have been described in detail herein with reference to the drawings, it is understood that the invention is not limited to a precise embodiment, in that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as described in the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A game apparatus, comprising:

a support frame;

a relatively stiff, resilient sheet member supported by the frame defining a playing surface;

vibratory means associated with the playing surface for imparting vibrations thereto;

a plurality of playing pieces at least one for each player of the game and adapted for movement over said playing surface in response to the vibrations imparted thereto; and

a plurality of individually operable upsetting devices mounted on the support frame for operation by players of the game and movable into positions relative to said playing surface for upsetting an opposing player's playing piece as it moves over the playing surface.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said upsetting devices each include an upwardly projecting pin which is selectively movable through apertures in the playing surface providing means for upsetting the playing pieces.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said vibratory means includes a plurality of individually manually operable devices for individual players of the game for imparting vibrations to selected areas of the playing surface, so that different frequencies and amplitudes of vibration may be imparted to different areas of the playing surface to facilitate determining the direction and speed of movement of the playing pieces by players of the game.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said vibratory means includes a plurality of manually rotatable shafts mounted on the support frame below the playing surface and a wheel having a toothed periphery in operative association with the bottom of the playing surface for imparting vibrations to the playing surface.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the playing surface includes a plurality of downwardly projecting detents in contact with the toothed peripheries of the wheels.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the shafts each have an end portion projecting outwardly beyond the frame with a handle thereon by which the shafts can be manually rotated.