Water driven roller coaster game

• US 5,480,148 A
• Filed: 11/15/1994
• Issued: 01/02/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dennis Bartosik
• Original Assignee: Dennis Bartosik
• Inventors: Bartosik, Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US08/339,836
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 273/86 R, 273/86 F, 273/86 G, 273/86 B, 273/349, 273/387
• US Class Current: 463/60
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/0428 being squirted
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/02 Shooting or hurling games throwing-implements for sports or recreational use A63B65/00; throwing or projecting toys per se A63H33/18; gun simulators F41A33/00, e.g. light- or radiation-emitting guns F41A33/02; practice apparatus for gun-aiming F41G3/26, e.g. using a light-emitting device F41G3/2616; targets, target ranges, bullet catchers F41J, photo-electric hit-detector systems F41J5/02
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/14 Racing games, traffic games, or obstacle games characterised by figures moved by action of the players racing games using dice A63F3/00

Abstract

A water activated roller coaster game system for fun and amusement and prizes is disclosed. The system comprises a game housing having an enclosed rear face and an enclosed side face and an enclosed top roof and an enclosed bottom floor and an open front face for the people to participate and observe the progress of the game. A plurality of roller coasters and race tracks are disposed within the game housing in a parallel orientation, each roller coaster being dedicated to traverse one of the race tracks from a start line to a finish line. A plurality of game consoles are disposed adjacent to the game housing and control one of the roller coasters. A plurality of motor means are disposed in the game housing. Each motor means is electrically coupled to one roller coaster for moving the roller coaster. Each console has a switch means disposed therein and further being in an electric circuit therebetween one of the consoles and one of the roller coasters for moving the roller coaster when in a closed status and halting the roller coaster when in an open status. A second plurality of switch means are disposed in the game housing at the finish line of one of the race tracks and further being in an electric circuit therebetween the finish line of one race track and a pop-up winner indicator disposed rearwardly on one of the game consoles.

Claims

1. A water activated roller coaster game system for use by people for fun and amusement and prizes comprising in combination:

a game housing having an enclosed rear face and an enclosed side face and an enclosed top roof and an enclosed bottom floor and an open front face for the people to participate in the game and observe the progress of the game;

a plurality of roller coasters and a plurality of race tracks disposed within the game housing in a parallel orientation, each roller coaster being dedicated to traverse one of the race tracks from a start line to a finish line;

a plurality of game consoles disposed adjacent to the game housing and outside the front face, each game console for activating and controlling the traverse of one of the roller coasters over one of the race tracks;

a plurality of motor means disposed in the game housing and adjacent to the race tracks, each motor means being electrically coupled to one roller coaster for moving the roller coaster over one of the race tracks;

a plurality of switch means, each switch means being disposed in one of the game consoles and further being therebetween one of the consoles and one of the roller coasters for moving the roller coaster over the race track when in a closed status and halting the roller coaster when in an open status;

a second plurality of switch means, each second switch means being disposed in the game housing at the finish line of one of the race tracks and further being therebetween the finish line of one race track and a pop-up winner indicator disposed rearwardly on one of the game consoles, the second switch means for raising the pop-up winner indicator when a winning roller coaster reaches the finish line.

2. A water activated roller coaster game system for use by people for fun and amusement and prizes as recited in claim 1 wherein each race track further includes a pair of elongated tubular members in a parallel relationship, each race track having a plurality of horizontally disposed sections and an arcuate section forming a closed loop 360°

traverse therebetween the horizontally disposed sections.

3. A water activated roller coaster game system for use by people for fun and amusement and prizes as recited in claim 2 and further including a plurality of arcuate sections.

4. A water activated roller coaster game system for use by people for fun and amusement and prizes as recited in claim 3 wherein the plurality of arcuate 360°

loops are oriented between the start line and the finish line, each loop being connected to the other loop by a section of horizontally disposed race track.

5. A water activated roller coaster game system for use by people for fun and amusement and prizes as recited in claim 2;

wherein each roller coaster is disposed above the race track and traverses the 360°

arcuate loop inside the loop.

6. A water activated roller coaster water game system for use by people for fun and amusement and prizes as recited in claim 2 wherein each roller coaster is coupled to the race track and disposed below the race track for traversing the arcuate 360°

loop outside the plane defined by the loop.

7. A water activated roller coaster game system for use by people for fun and amusement and prizes as recited in claim 1 wherein each race track further includes a cable oriented in a second plane defined by the elongated tubular members, the cable being coupled to the roller coaster for guiding the roller coaster along the race track and keeping the roller coaster in rolling communication with the race track irrespective of the orientation of the roller coaster to the race track and the 360°

arcuate loop.

8. A water activated roller coaster game system for use by people for fun and amusement and prizes as recited in claim 7 wherein each roller coaster further include a plurality of wheels disposed under the roller coaster and being adapted for urging rolling communication with the race track.

9. A water activated roller coaster game system for use by people for fun and amusement and prizes as recited in claim 7 wherein each race track further includes a plurality of pulleys attached to the tubular member, and being in rotational communication with the cable for urging smooth movement of the roller coaster along the race track towards the finish line.

10. A water activated roller coaster game system for use by people for fun and amusement and prizes as recited in claim 2 wherein the 360°

arcuate loops form a transverse tunnel along the horizontally disposed race tracks.

11. A water activated roller coaster game system for use by people for fun and amusement and prizes as recited in claim 2 wherein the 360°

arcuate loops are oriented along the length of the horizontally disposed race tracks in a non-coplaner pattern for not forming any transverse tunnel relationship.

12. A water activated roller coaster game system for use by people for fun and amusement and prizes as recited in claim 1 wherein each console further includes an aiming device and a target, the aiming device for directing a stream of fluid at the target for urging the roller coaster to traverse the race track towards the finish line.

13. A water activated roller coaster game system for use by people for fun and amusement and prizes as recited in claim 12 wherein each target is adapted with a recess having a base for receiving the stream, the base being adapted to move rearwardly when the stream hits the base, the base further being in electrical circuit communication with one of the motor means and a microswitch that closes when the base moves a desired distance rearwardly, the base still further having a spring disposed rearward of the base on an exterior side and being biased to return the base to a resting position that opens the microswitch when the stream does not strike the base.

14. A water activated roller coaster game system for use by people for fun and amusement and prizes as recited in claim 13 wherein each recess further includes graphic indicia on an interior side urging the person to direct the stream at the interior face of the base in order to move the roller coaster along the race track towards the finish line.

15. A water activated roller coaster game system for use by people for fun and amusement and prizes as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of race tracks are disposed within the game housing on the bottom floor in an upstanding orientation and also disposed downwardly from the top roof in an up-side-down orientation for doubling the number of players per game.