Control-lever for a game

• US 4,503,299 A
• Filed: 08/02/1982
• Issued: 03/05/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomson-Brandt
• Original Assignee: Thomson-Brandt
• Inventors: Leduc, Michel, Jacquemin, Marie-No/e/ lle, Henrard, Jos/e/
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ginsburg, Morris
• Application Number:
  US06/404,493
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 273/DIG. 28, 273/85 G, 273/18, 273/313, 200/61.45 R, 200/61.45 M, 200/61.46, 200/61.47, 200/61.48, 200/61.49, 200/61.5, 200/61.51, 200/61.52, 200/61.53, 200/61.11, 200/220 , 200/61.85, 200/157, 200/61.0, 200/61.1, 200/DIG. 29, 307/10 AT, 307/121, 340/669
• US Class Current: 200/61.52
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/14 movable in more than one direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/02 Switches operated by change of position, inclination or orientation of the switch itself in relation to gravitational field tilting mercury container H01H29/20; change of position due to change of liquid level H01H35/18
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 200/29 Ball

Abstract

A control-lever for a game in which a movable object is displaceable by gravity to operate a detector. In one embodiment the movable element is a pendulum and in a second embodiment the element is a ball rolling in one or more channels. The ball can be a solid object or a ball of mercury.

Claims

1. A control stick for a game comprising:

a housing;

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° 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;

detecting means mounted at a position of each said channel remote from said common rest position for each indicating displacement of said stick in one of four directions;

a ball within said housing for rolling movement along any of said channels from said rest position in response to manual movement of said housing from said reference orientation and for causing a different control signal to be produced when said ball rolls into contact with each one of said detecting means.

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°

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.

3. A stick according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the detecting means is a double-blade electric contact.