Light-emission gun amusement machine for home use

• US 4,229,009 A
• Filed: 05/15/1978
• Issued: 10/21/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Ohta, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): Oechsle, Anton O.
• Application Number:
  US05/906,277
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 273/101.1, 273/310, 273/311, 273/312, 273/358, 35/25
• US Class Current: 463/52
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2444 Light detector
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0291 with a simulated projectile, e.g. an image on a screen
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/2627 Cooperating with a motion picture projector

Abstract

A light-emission gun amusement machine for projecting a light image onto a screen and for receiving a reflected image from said screen. The device uses a light-emission gun, and has a machine housing separate from the light-emission gun and the screen. Within the housing are: a light source, a photoelectric element above the light source; and a lens system between the light source and the photoelectric element within the housing and the screen outside the housing for coaxially aligning the light rays from the light source to the screen and the light rays from the screen returning toward the photoelectric element. Furthermore, there is an electrically operative motor within the housing with a main shaft operatively connected thereto, and an electric power source connected to the light source and the motor. A power source control means actuated by the photoelectric element reverses the electrical connection between the power source and the motor when light is reflected from the screen onto the photoelectric element, thereby reversing the normal rotational direction of the motor. Finally a target producing means is contained within the housing between the light source and the photoelectric element and is operatively connected to the main shaft for producing target and hit images of the light source on the screen.

Claims

1. A light-emission gun amusement device which projects a light image onto a screen and receives a reflected light image from said screen, said device comprising;

a light-emission gun;

a machine housing separate from said light-emission gun and said screen;

a light source within said housing;

a photoelectric element within said housing above said light source;

mirror means within said housing above said light source and said photoelectric element for reflecting said light from said light source to said screen and for reflecting light from said screen to said photoelectric element;

lens means within said housing between said mirror means and said photoelectric element for substantially coaxially aligning the light rays from said light source to said mirror and for substantially aligning said light rays from said screen reflected by said mirror means toward said photoelectric element;

an electrically operated motor within said housing;

a main shaft operatively connected to said motor;

mirror drive means connected to said main shaft and abutting said mirror means for moving said mirror means both vertically and horizontally;

an electrical power source connected to said light source and said motor;

a power source control means actuated by said photoelectric element for reversing the electrical connection between said power source and said motor when said light from said screen is reflected to said photoelectric element, thereby reversing the normal rotational direction of said motor;

target producing means within said housing between said light source and said photoelectric element and operatively connected to said main shaft for producing target and hit images of said light source on said screen, said target producing means comprised of;

a first diaphragm member means pivotally mounted between said light source and said photoelectric element and operatively connected to said main shaft for selectively producing target and hit images, said first diaphragm member means having a target aperture and a hit mark aperture to selectively produce said target image and said hit image when light from said light source shines through said apertures, said target image being produced when said main shaft is rotating normally and said hit image being produced when the direction of the said main shaft'"'"'s normal rotational direction is reversed.

2. A devices as claimed in claim 1, wherein said target producing means is further comprised of:

a second movable diaphragm member means between said first diaphragm member and said photoelectric element and operatively connected to said main shaft for selectively simulating movement of said target image and maintaining a fixed hit image, said second diaphragm member means having first and second shutter openings therethrough, said first shutter opening being reciprocally movable back and forth above said target aperture when said main shaft is turning in the normal direction, thus making the light shining through said target aperture simulate motion of the target image, and said second shutter opening remaining continuously stationary above said hit mark aperture when said main shaft'"'"'s normal rotational direction is reversed, thereby continuously allowing hit image to shine therethrough.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lens means is comprised of a single lens positioned between said photoelectric element and said mirror means, whereby said light emitted from said light source through said target projecting means passes through said single lens toward said mirror means before it is reflected by said mirror means towards its screen and whereby said light reflected from said screen by said mirror means passes through said single lens before contacting said photoelectric element.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said photoelectric element has a surface area smaller than the cross-sectional area of the light reflected from said screen by said mirror means at the point where said reflected light contacts said photoelectric element.

5. A light-emission gun amusement machine for projecting a light image onto a screen and for receiving a reflected image from said screen, said device comprising:

a light-emission gun;

a machine housing separate from said light-emission gun and said screen;

a light source within said housing;

a photoelectric element within said housing above said light source;

lens means in front of said light source and said photoelectric element within said housing and said screen for coaxially aligning the light rays from said light source to said screen and said light rays from said screen towards said photoelectric element;

an electrically operative motor within said housing;

a main shaft operatively connected to said motor;

an electric power source connected to said light source and said motor;

a power source control means actuated by said photoelectric element for reversing the electrical connection between said power source and said motor when light is reflected from said screen onto said photoelectric element and reversing the normal rotationaly direction of said motor;

target producing means within said housing between said light source and said photoelectric element operatively connected to said main shaft for producing target and hit images of said light source on said screen, said target producing means comprised of;

a first diaphragm member pivotally mounted between said light source and said photoelectric element and operatively connected to said main shaft for selectively producing target and hit images, said first diaphragm member means having a target aperture and a hit mark aperture to selectively produce said target image and said hit image when light from said light source shines through said apertures, said target image being produced when said main shaft is rotating normally and said hit image being produced when the direction of said main shaft'"'"'s normal rotational direction is reversed.

6. A devices as claimed in claim 5, wherein said target producing means is further comprised of:

a second movable diaphragm member means between said first said diaphragm member means and said photoelectric element and operatively connected to said main shaft'"'"'s for selectively simulating movement of said target image and maintaining a fixed hit image, said second diaphragm member means having first and second shutter openings therethrough, said first shutter opening being reciprocally movable back and forth above said target aperture when said main shaft is turning in the normal direction to make the light shining through said target aperture simulate motion of the target image, and said second shutter opening remaining continuously stationary above said hit mark aperture when said main shaft'"'"'s normal rotational direction is reversed, thereby continuously allowing said hit image to shine therethrough.

7. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said lens means is comprised of a single lens positioned between said light source and said photoelectric element within said housing and said screen.

8. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the surface area of said photoelectric element is smaller than the sectional area of said light reflected from said screen through said lens means toward said photoelectric element.

9. A light-emission gun amusement device which projects a light image onto a screen and receives a reflected light from said screen, said device comprising:

a light-emission gun;

a machine housing separate from said light-emission gun and said screen;

a light source within said housing;

an electrically operated motor within said housing;

a main shaft operatively connected to said motor;

an electrical power source connected to said light source and said motor;

a power source control means between said power source and said motor for reversing the electrical connection between said power source and said motor and for reversing the normal rotational direction of said motor; and

target producing means within said housing between said light source and said screen operatively connected to said main shaft for producing target and hit images of said light source on said screen, said target producing means comprised of;

a first diaphragm member means pivotally mounted between said light source and said screen and operatively connected to said main shaft for selectively producing target and hit images, said first diaphragm member means having a target aperture and a hit mark aperture to selectively produce said target image and said hit image when light from said light source shines through said apertures, said target image being produced when said main shaft is rotating normally and said hit image being produced when the direction of said main shaft'"'"'s normal rotational direction is reversed.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said target producing means is further comprised of:

a second movable diaphragm member means between said first diaphragm member means and said screen, operatively connected to said main shaft for selectively simulating movement of said target image and maintaining a fixed hit image, said second diaphragm member means having first and second shutter openings therethrough, said first shutter opening being reciprocally movable back and forth above said target aperture when said main shaft is turning in the normal direction to make the light shining from said target aperture simulate motion of the target image, and said second shutter opening remaining continuously stationary above said hit mark aperture when said main shaft'"'"'s normal rotational direction is reversed thereby continuously allowing said hit image to shine therethrough.

11. A light-emission gun amusement device for projecting a light image onto a screen and receiving a reflected light image from said screen, said device comprising:

a light-emission gun;

a machine housing separate from said light-emission gun and said screen;

a light source within said housing;

a photoelectric element within said housing above said light source;

lens means within said housing between said photoelectric element and said screen for substantially coaxially aligning the light rays shining from said light source to said screen and said light rays from said screen reflected toward said photoelectric element;

an electrically operated motor within said housing;

an electrical power source connected to said light source and said motor;

a power source control means between said power source and said motor actuated by said photoelectric element for reversing the electrical connection between said power source and said motor and for reversing the normal rotational direction of said motor; and

target producing means within said housing between said light source and said photoelectric element operatively connected to said motor for producing target and hit images of said light source on said screen.