Projecting-type shooting game apparatus

• US 4,296,931 A
• Filed: 03/26/1979
• Issued: 10/27/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Yokoi, Gunpei
• Primary Examiner(s): Oechsle, Anton O.
• Application Number:
  US06/023,780
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 273/101.1, 273/101.2, 273/316
• US Class Current: 463/57
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0291 with a simulated projectile, e.g. an image on a screen

Abstract

A projector type shooting game apparatus which provides a target movable on a screen under mechanical and manual control giving a player a feeling of real air fights. The apparatus includes a housing with some distance from a screen, a mirror rotatable in the horizontal and vertical direction in the housing, a mechanism for changing the vertical angle of the mirror, a mechanism for changing the horizontal angle of the mirror, a random driver for driving the above two means at a random direction, a lever for a player to rotate either in the horizontal or vertical direction, a coupling mechanism for connecting the lever'"'"'s vertical rotation to the mechanism for changing the vertical angle of the mirror, and a coupling mechanism for connecting the lever'"'"'s horizontal rotation to the mechanism for changing the horizontal angle of the mirror, wherein the motion of the target on the screen is effected by the random motion by the random driver and by the player'"'"'s manual operation of the lever.

Claims

1. A projector-type shooting game apparatus comprising:

a screen;

a housing having a longitudinal axis and for projecting a target image onto said screen;

a mirror rotatably coupled to said housing such that said mirror is rotatable in first and second axes mutually perpendicular to each other and both of said first and second axes being perpendicular to said longitudinal axis;

a means for changing an angle of said mirror about said first axis;

a means for changing an angle of said mirror about said second axis;

a driving means for driving both said angle changing means;

a lever manually movable about third and fourth axes;

a means for mechanically coupling said lever'"'"'s movement to both said means for changing the angle of said mirror, whereby the motion of said mirror is effected by said driving means and by a player'"'"'s manual operation of said lever.

4. A projector-type shooting game apparatus according to claim 1 or 3 wherein there is provided a first time differential connecting means between said lever and said means for changing the angle of said mirror about said first axis, and also provided a second time differential connecting means between said lever and said means for changing the angle of said mirror about said second axis.

2. A hit sensing device for use in a projector-type shooting apparatus of the type including a screen, a mirror movable about first and second axes which are mutually perpendicular to each other to project a target image onto said screen, a driving means for moving said mirror about said first and second axes, and a bullet image projecting means, said hit sensing device comprising:

an effective hit spot indicator extending from the back of said mirror;

a sensing piece facing said indicator and moved in a longitudinal direction by a driving means of said bullet image projecting means, an end of said sensing piece being positioned to face an end of said indicator when the angles of said mirror about both said first and second axes are in a position to project a target image on the screen at an effective hit spot; and

an electric switch turned on when said indicator and said sensing piece come into contact when said target image is projected onto said screen at said effective hit spot and said sensing piece is moved ahead by operation of said driving means of said bullet image projecting means during shooting operations.

3. A projector-type shooting game apparatus comprising:

a screen;

a housing to project a target image onto said screen, said housing having a longitudinal axis;

a mirror rotatable about mutually perpendicular first and second axes which are both perpendicular to said longitudinal axis in said housing;

a means for changing an angle of said mirror about said first axis;

a means for changing an angle of said mirror about said second axis;

a driving means for driving both said angle changing means;

a lever manually movable about third and fourth axes;

a means for mechanically coupling said lever'"'"'s movement to said means for changing the angles of said mirror whereby the motion of the mirror is effected by said driving means and by a player'"'"'s manual operation of said lever; and

a hit sensing device comprising;

an effective hit spot indicator extending from the back of said mirror;

a sensing piece facing said indicator, the end of said sensing piece being positioned to face an end of said indicator when the angles of said mirror about said first and second axes are in a position to project a target image onto said screen at an effective hit spot;

a means for pushing said sensing piece to move toward said indicator during shooting operation so that the end of said sensing piece contacts the end of said indicator when said mirror is in said position; and

an electric switch turned on when said indicator and said sensing piece contact when said target image is projected onto said screen at said effective hit spot and said sensing piece is moved ahead during shooting operation.

5. A hit sensing device for use in a projector-type shooting game apparatus of the type including a screen, a mirror movable about two mutually perpendicular first and second axes to project a target image onto said screen, a driving means for moving said mirror about said first and second axes and a bullet image projecting means, said hit sensing device comprising:

an effective hit spot indicator extending from the back of said mirror;

a sensing piece facing said indicator, the end of said sensing piece being positioned to face an end of said indicator when the angles of said mirror are in a position to project a target image onto said screen at an effective hit spot;

an electric switch having a switch lever; and

a switch operating arm driven by a crank shaft of said driving means of said bullet image projecting means, said switch operating arm moving said sensing piece in a longitudinal direction so that the end of said sensing piece is contacted with the end of said indicator when said target image is projected onto said screen at an effective hit spot and said switch lever is operated to switch on said switch.