Crane game including vacuum and rotary table
First Claim
1. A game apparatus comprising:
- (a) a prize area having a plurality of prizes provided therein;
(b) a pick up device positioned above said prize area, said pick up device including;
(i) a vacuum head operative to pick up one of said prizes using a suction force, said vacuum head including a vacuum sensor operative to sense air flow through said hose and to detect when a prize has been picked up by said vacuum head;
(ii) a positioning mechanism operative to position said vacuum head along an axis above said prize area, wherein said vacuum head is coupled to said positioning mechanism; and
(iii) a vacuum pump coupled to said vacuum head by a hose and providing said suction force;
(c) a control device for allowing a player of said game apparatus to position said vacuum head over said prize area at a desired position and pick up said prize using said suction force; and
(d) a controller coupled to said control device and said vacuum sensor for controlling operation of said game apparatus.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved vacuum crane game and method. Multiple prizes are provided on a rotating turntable. A player may control horizontal movement of a vacuum pick-up device positioned above the prize area. The pick up device includes a vacuum head that may be raised and lowered relative to the turntable in a z-direction. The vacuum head is used to pick up one of the prizes using a suction force that is provided by a vacuum pump coupled to the vacuum head by a hose and located away from the vacuum head. In one embodiment, a vacuum sensor in the vacuum head may sense whether a prize is picked up. The pick-up device is moved to a dispenser area and the suction force is removed to allow the prize to fall to a conveyor device, which moves the prize to a dispenser where it is delivered to the player.
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Citations
50 Claims
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1. A game apparatus comprising:
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(a) a prize area having a plurality of prizes provided therein; (b) a pick up device positioned above said prize area, said pick up device including; (i) a vacuum head operative to pick up one of said prizes using a suction force, said vacuum head including a vacuum sensor operative to sense air flow through said hose and to detect when a prize has been picked up by said vacuum head; (ii) a positioning mechanism operative to position said vacuum head along an axis above said prize area, wherein said vacuum head is coupled to said positioning mechanism; and (iii) a vacuum pump coupled to said vacuum head by a hose and providing said suction force; (c) a control device for allowing a player of said game apparatus to position said vacuum head over said prize area at a desired position and pick up said prize using said suction force; and (d) a controller coupled to said control device and said vacuum sensor for controlling operation of said game apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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17. A vacuum crane game apparatus comprising:
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a support frame having a surface; a plurality of prizes provided on said surface of said support frame; a vacuum suction device positioned above said plurality of prizes and able to pick up one of said prizes using a suction force; an x positioning mechanism coupled to said support frame and to said vacuum suction device and operative to position said vacuum suction device at a position in along an x-axis approximately parallel to said surface of said support; a z positioning mechanism coupled to said vacuum suction device and operative to move said vacuum suction device along a z-axis approximately perpendicular to said surface of said support; a vacuum sensor coupled to said vacuum suction device for sensing when said vacuum suction device has air flowing therethrough and when said vacuum suction device has picked up one of said prizes. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A game apparatus comprising:
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vacuum means moveable approximately along only an x-axis and a z-axis and providing a suction force; rotating means for rotating a plurality of prizes about an axis of rotation approximately perpendicular to a surface of said game apparatus, wherein said vacuum means is operative to move along said z-axis toward said rotating means and pick up one of said prizes using said suction force; conveyor means for receiving a prize picked up by said vacuum device and dropped on said conveyor means, and for moving said received prize from said dropped position to a dispensing area provided at a perimeter of said rotating means. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for providing a crane game for a player to pick up and receive offered prizes, said method comprising:
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rotating a plurality of prizes on a turntable; using a vacuum pump to cause an air flow to create a suction force from a vacuum head remote from said pump; moving said vacuum head toward said rotating plurality of prizes; picking up one of said prizes with said vacuum head, wherein said suction force causes said prize to cling to said vacuum head; moving said vacuum head to a dispensing area and deactivating said suction force to allow said prize to drop into a dispensing area from which said prize is dispensed to said player; and sensing when said prize has been picked up by said vacuum head. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A game apparatus comprising:
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(a) a prize area having a plurality of prizes provided therein; (b) a crane mechanism positioned above said prize area, said crane mechanism including; (i) a pick up device operative to pick up one of said prizes; (ii) a horizontal positioning mechanism operative to position said pick up device along a horizontal axis above said prize area, wherein said pick up device is coupled to said horizontal positioning mechanism; and (iii) a vertical positioning mechanism operative to position said pick up device along a vertical axis; (c) a turntable provided in said prize area below said pick up device and rotatable about a rotation axis, said prizes resting on said turntable and being rotatable about said rotation axis; (d) a control device allowing a player of said game apparatus to position said pick up device over said turntable at a desired position and pick up one of said prizes; and (e) an actuated moving device positioned below said pick up device, said moving device operative to receive a prize that has been picked up by said pick up device and dropped onto said moving device, and wherein said moving device moves said received prize to a dispenser. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A game apparatus comprising:
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a rotary table supported by a support frame and rotatable about an axis of rotation; a plurality of prizes provided on a surface of said rotary table; a pick up device positioned above said plurality of prizes capable of picking up one of said prizes; a positioning mechanism coupled to said pick up device and to said support frame and operative to position said pick up device to pick up a desired one of said prizes; a conveyor device coupled to said support frame that receives one of said prizes released by said pick up device and moves said received prize to a dispenser area. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50)
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Specification