EP0584025B1 - Footballer for table football game and its connection to a rod - Google Patents

Abstract

Assembly in which each footballer consists of two complementary parts, a male part (3) and a female part (2) respectively, which can be joined to one another, after engagement on the rod segment (4) intended to receive the footballer, and of a notch (11), the bottom of which is designed to match the rod segment (4). According to the invention, each rod segment capable of receiving a footballer has at least one hollow and blind deformation (12), and the notch (11) of at least one (3) of the two parts constituting each footballer has, in line with each hollow deformation of the rod segment in question, a projection (13) of complementary shape, capable of engaging, without clearance, in the corresponding hollow deformation of the rod (4). <IMAGE>

Description

By French patent application FR-A-2666241 in the name of the plaintiff, we know a figurine for table football consisting of two complementary parts, respectively male and female, each of which is designed to be able to be assembled to the other by interlocking partial and jamming and / or latching, completely embracing, together, the bar segment on which they are fixed, each of these parts having, at its assembly end, a notch whose bottom has a substantially identical cross section to the corresponding half cross section of the aforementioned bar segment.

According to this document, the female part represents the head and the bust of the figurine while the male part represents its legs and its pelvis and that of the two constituent parts of a figurine which has a male assembly end present, in the background from its notch, a radial lug and the bar segment considered has a lumen whose perimeter corresponds to the cross section of the lug and which is intended to receive it to constitute, with it, the connecting means in rotation and in translation , from the figurine to the bar.

Unfortunately, it turned out that the burrs and sharp edges inevitably presented by the edges of the punched light in the bar segment quickly led to the cutting of the aforementioned lug, thus destroying any connection between the figurine and the bar .

To remedy this, we put in place, in the bottom of the notch of the part of the figurine which must have this lug, a metal insert overmolded during the molding of this part, with the disadvantage of considerably increasing the cost price of this figurine. .

The present invention aims to remedy these drawbacks.

To this end, as a whole it concerns, which is of the type in which each figurine is made up of two complementary parts, respectively male and female, which can be assembled together, by sliding, wedging and / or snapping , after engagement on the bar segment intended to receive it, a notch which at least one of the parts is provided and whose bottom is shaped to match the aforementioned bar segment, on the one hand, each bar segment susceptible to receive a figurine has at least one hollow deformation, not emerging, and, on the other hand, the notch of at least one of the two component parts of each figurine present, in correspondence with each hollow deformation of the segment of bar considered, a projection of complementary shape, capable of engaging, without play, in the corresponding hollow deformation of the bar.

Thus, whether the hollow deformations of the bar segments are obtained by stamping or not, the fact that they are not through eliminates any risk of the presence of burrs or sharp edges liable to cause premature shearing of the corresponding projections of notches.

It follows that these projections can be obtained by molding, in the manufacture of the figurines, and that it is no longer necessary to constitute them by expensive metallic inserts and subject to corrosion.

In addition, the presence of the lights leads to a weakening of the bar while the stampings have, on the contrary, the advantage of stiffening it.

It should also be noted that a stamping is easier to produce than a light.

According to a first embodiment of the invention, each bar segment capable of receiving a figurine has a single hollow deformation having the shape of a cylindrical or frustoconical well and of axis of revolution oriented radially relative to the axis of the bar, and the notch bottom of one of the constituent parts of each figurine has a projection in the form of a cylindrical or frustoconical stud with dimensions complementary to those of the cylindrical well of the bar and capable of being engaged, without play , in this well, at the end of engagement of the notch of this element on the bar segment considered.

According to another embodiment of the invention, each bar segment intended to receive a figurine has at least one stamped cross section in V, normally oriented to the axis of the bar and the corresponding part of the wall of notch of the male part of the figurine has a complementary projection capable of engaging, without play, in the aforementioned stamping, during the mounting of the male part on the bar.

Preferably, two diametrically opposed stampings are provided and, consequently, two complementary projections carried by the two opposite side walls of the notch of the male part of the figurine.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, each hollow deformation of each bar segment capable of receiving a figurine is constituted by a hollow flat and the corresponding sector of the notch of the component part of the figurine intended to be in correspondence with the aforementioned flat has a projecting flat, of dimension corresponding to that of this bar segment and able to marry it at the end of engagement of the notch of the aforementioned figurine piece on this bar segment.

It can be provided, as well on each bar segment intended to receive a figurine as on the corresponding sector of the notch of one or the other part of the figurine, that a single flat. However, preferably, there are provided, on each aforementioned bar segment, several recessed flats regularly distributed, giving it a polygonal contour, such as hexagonal or octagonal and the notch bottom of at least one piece of figurine present a complementary polygonal contour such that, after engagement of the notches of the two figurine elements and their assembly together, the two notch bottoms of these two elements conform, at least partially, to the polygonal contour of the segment helm.

Naturally, the length of the deformations in the form of flats of the bar segments is substantially equal to that of the projecting flats complementary to the notches of figurine elements, but this length may be equal to or less than the width of the figurines.

It should be noted that, in all cases, the interpenetration of the projections of the notches of the component parts of the figurines and of hollow deformations of the bar segments not only ensures the rotational connection of the figurines to the bar but also their axial immobilization with respect to to this bar.

The two constituent parts of a figurine can, as in the aforementioned French patent application, correspond, one, to the head and bust of this figurine and the other, to its legs and to its pelvis, each of they having an extension allowing their assembly by means of a partial interlocking and the notches of each of them being open in the direction of this extension.

However, according to a variant, one of the parts of this figurine represents almost all of it and its notch is open in the direction of its abdomen or of its back while the second part constitutes the male part which can be engaged both on the chosen segment of bar and in the notch of the other piece by reproducing, as the case may be, the abdomen or the back of this figurine.

According to a first embodiment of this variant, the second part or male part can be engaged in the notch of the other in a radial direction relative to the axis of the bar and its retention, after engagement, is obtained by its locking and / or its jamming at the end of engagement.

According to a second embodiment of this variant, the second part or male part of this figurine can be engaged in the notch of the other part by sliding parallel to the axis of the bar, the edges of the notch of the first part being provided with a male or female profile in dovetail while the corresponding edges of the second part are provided with a complementary profile and its retention is ensured by snap-fastening and / or wedging.

• Figure 1 est une vue éclatée en coupe, radiale par rapport à l'axe de la barre porte-figurines, montrant les deux pièces mâle et femelle de cette figurine en position de préassemblage à la barre dans le cas où le segment de cette dernière, destinée à recevoir cette figurine, présente un embouti sensiblement tronconique ;
• Figures 2 et 3 sont des vues partielles en perspective montrant un segment de barre présentant, respectivement, deux emboutis différents de celui de l'exemple illustré par la figure 1 :
• Figure 4 est une vue en perspective éclatée montrant les deux pièces constitutives femelle et mâle d'une figurine en position de préassemblage à un segment de barre conforme à celui illustré par la figure 3;
• Figure 5 est une vue similaire à figure 4 illustrant une variante d'exécution de la figurine de figure 4;
• Figure 6 est une vue similaire à figure 4 illustrant une variante d'exécution du segment de barre destiné à recevoir une figurine ;
• Figure 7 est une vue en coupe transversale montrant une figurine montée sur le segment de barre destiné à la recevoir et illustrant une variante d'exécution de cette figurine et de ses moyens d'assemblage à la barre.

In any case, the invention will be clearly understood, with the aid of the description which follows, with reference to the appended schematic drawing representing, by way of nonlimiting examples, several embodiments of this assembly:

• FIG. 1 is an exploded view in section, radial with respect to the axis of the figurine bar, showing the two male and female parts of this figurine in the position of pre-assembly to the bar in the case where the segment of the latter, intended to receive this figurine, has a substantially frustoconical stamping;
• Figures 2 and 3 are partial perspective views showing a bar segment having, respectively, two different stampings from that of the example illustrated in Figure 1:
• Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the two female and male component parts of a figurine in the pre-assembly position to a bar segment conforming to that illustrated in Figure 3;
• Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 illustrating an alternative embodiment of the figure of Figure 4;
• Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 illustrating an alternative embodiment of the bar segment intended to receive a figurine;
• Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a figurine mounted on the bar segment intended to receive it and illustrating an alternative embodiment of this figurine and its means of assembly to the bar.

Figure 1 is an exploded view in cross section showing the two component parts of molded or injected plastic material of a figurine, namely, the female part 2 and the male part 3 intended to be assembled to a bar 4 of table football by being linked to it in rotation and axially.

In this example, the female part 2 represents the bust 5 and the head 6 of the figurine while the male part 3 represents its legs 7 and its pelvis 8.

In this example, the head 6 is fixed to the bust 5 by conical wedging but, it is obvious, that the head 6 and bust 5 assembly could be made in one piece.

As was the case in the patent application cited at the beginning of the description of the present application, each female 2 and male 3 part of this figurine has, at its assembly end, a through notch, 9 and 11 respectively, of which the bottom, respectively 9a and 11a, has a partially cylindrical shape with a radius substantially equal to that of the bar 4.

As shown in the drawing, the cylindrical bottoms 9a and 11a of the notches 9 and 11 of the parts 2 and 3 develop over a sector slightly greater than 180 ° so that the width l of their opening is slightly less than the outside radius r of the bar 4. The engagement of the two parts 2 and 3 on the bar 4 to the bottom of the notches 9 and 11 can therefore only be achieved thanks to the elasticity of their constituent material, this elasticity ensuring their retention by snap-fastening on the bar 4.

In addition, as appears from the examination of FIG. 1, each component part 2 and 3 of this figurine has an extension beyond its notch, respectively 9 and 11, so as to allow their partial nesting during their assembly. reciprocal on the bar 4.

It should also be noted that the engagement of the female part 2 on the bar 4 and on the male part 5 has the effect of ensuring the blocking of the male part 3 since the assembly end of the latter is is trapped inside the assembly end of the female part 2. This arrangement is advantageous since, during a table football game, it is indeed the male part 3 which is subjected to the highest stresses since it is with the feet or legs 7 of the figurines that the ball constituting the soccer ball is struck.

In the example illustrated by FIG. 1, the means of assembling the figurine 2, 3 to the bar segment 4 intended to receive it comprise, on the one hand, a hollow deformation 12 produced by stamping on the bar 4 and , on the other hand, a lug 13 formed in the bottom of the notch 11 of the male part 3 and which is intended to be engaged in the hollow deformation 12 of the segment considered of the bar 4.

In this example, the hollow deformation 12 of the bar 4 has the shape of a well of substantially frustoconical shape and, naturally, the lug 13 has a complementary shape.

It should be noted that the achievement of the hollow deformation 12 of the bar 4 by stamping, does not generate the formation of any burr, or any sharp edge likely to cause deterioration and, in particular, the cutting of the 'lug 13. Consequently, the latter is not necessarily produced, although this is possible, by a metal insert overmolded during the manufacture, by molding, of the male part 3.

FIG. 2 shows, in perspective, a bar segment 4 intended to receive a figurine in which the hollow deformation participating in the rotational and axial connection of the figurine to this bar segment consists of a flat 14 oriented parallel to the 'axis of the bar 4 or two diametrically opposite flats 14.

The example of FIG. 3 differs from that of FIG. 2 by the fact that there is not provided a single or two flats 14 but six flats 15 regularly distributed on the periphery of the bar 4 and arranged so as to be diametrically opposed two by two.

FIG. 4 illustrates the method of assembling a figurine to a bar segment 4 in accordance with that illustrated by FIG. 3, that is to say having six flats or facets 15.

In this example, the parts already described on the occasion of FIG. 1 are given the same references increased by one hundred.

Thus we find the female 102 and male 103 parts of the figurine and the bar 104 whose segment intended to receive this figurine has flats or facets 15 giving it a hexagonal cross section.

As shown in the examination of FIG. 4, each notch 109 and 111 of the female 102 and male 103 parts of this figurine has a plurality of projections formed by flats 113 giving each of them a hexagonal outline of the same dimensions as the hexagonal cross section of the bar segment 104 considered, and able to match, by complementing each other, the hexagonal perimeter of this bar segment 104.

In this example, the length of the flats 15 of the bar segment 104 is equal to the length of the notches 109 and 111 of the parts 102 and 103 of this figurine, that is to say to the width of this figurine. Naturally, it would be possible to provide flats 15 of length less than the width of the figurine but, in this case, the part formed in hexagon of each notch 109 and 111 should be of a suitable length.

These arrangements have the effect of ensuring, in addition to the rotational connection obtained by the non-circular section of the notches 109 and 111 and of the bar segment 104, an axial connection of the figurine to the bar 104.

FIG. 5 illustrates, in perspective, an alternative embodiment of the example illustrated by FIG. 4. In this example, the corresponding parts have been assigned the same reference numbers as in FIG. 4 increased by one hundred.

In this example, the female part 202 of the figurine represents almost all of this figurine and its notch 209 is open towards the abdomen of this figurine while its male part 203 constitutes only the abdomen.

As shown in FIG. 5, this male part 203 is intended to close the opening of the notch 209 of the female part 202 and, for this purpose, each of the edges of the notch 209 has a longitudinal groove 209a forming, at both of them, a dovetail slide and, from its side, the male part 203 has, along each of its edges, a rib 203a complementary to a groove 209a of the notch 209 and capable of being engaged, in the slide formed by these grooves 209a, in the manner of a slide, and to be retained, at the end of engagement, by wedging and / or snap-fastening.

Naturally, the male part 203 has, at its end facing the notch 209 of the female part 202, a groove 211 having the missing part, at the notch 209, of the facets of the hexagonal cross section of the bar segment considered 204 .

It is easily understood that after having engaged the female part 202 on the bar segment considered 204, the installation of the male part 203 ensures the locking of the mounting of the figurine on this bar segment.

This figurine is thus linked axially and in rotation to the bar 204.

The example illustrated in FIG. 6 is inspired by that illustrated in FIG. 1 and the parts corresponding to those of FIG. 1 are designated by the same references increased by three hundred.

This figurine therefore has, as in the example illustrated in Figure 1, a female part 302 and a male part 303 whose assembly ends have notches 309 and 311 respectively strictly conform to the notches 9 and 11 of parts 2 and 3 of the example of Figure 1, that is to say having substantially the same radius r as the bar 304 and developing over a sector slightly greater than 180 °.

In this example, the hollow deformation with which the bar segment 304 is provided is constituted by a stamped part 312 of V-shaped cross section and, preferably, by two stamped members 312 diametrically opposite and while two convex projections 313 of complementary shape to the stamped 312 of the bar segment 304 are produced on each of the side walls, facing one another, of the notch 311 of the male part 303 of this figurine.

As in the previous examples, the assembly of the male part 303 on the bar segment 304 intended to receive it followed by the assembly of the female part 302, on this same bar segment 304, with partial interlocking of the end assembly of the male part 303, ensures the locking of the latter in its assembly position on the bar 304 and the rotational and axial connection of this figurine to the bar 304.

FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the example of FIG. 6 comparable to the variant illustrated by FIG. 5 of the embodiment illustrated by FIG. 4.

In this figure, the parts corresponding to parts already described on the occasion of FIG. 6 are designated by the same references increased by one hundred.

In this example, the female part 402 represents almost the whole of the figurine and its notch is open towards the abdomen while the male part 403, which is intended to close the notch 409, represents only the abdomen of this figurine.

In this example, the male part 403 has a notch 411, the facing walls of which are provided with projections 413 of V cross section capable of engaging in the stampings 412 produced on the considered segment of bar 404.

Naturally, the projections 413 and the stampings 412 are strictly identical to the projections 313 and stampings 312 of the example illustrated in FIG. 6.

Claims (12)

1. A bar support assembly for a model player and a model player for table football, in which each model player is constituted by two complementary parts, respectively male (3, 103, 203, 303, 403) and female (2, 102, 202, 302, 402), assembled together by sliding, gripping and/or snap-engaging, after engagement on the bar segment (4, 104, 204, 304, 404) intended to receive it, by a recess (11, 111, 211, 311, 411, - 9, 109, 209, 309, 409) with which at least one of these parts is provided and of which the base is shaped to conform to the aforesaid bar segment (4, 104, 204, 304, 404), wherein, on the one hand, each bar segment intended to receive a model player has at least one hollow blind deformation (12, 14, 15, 312, 412) and wherein, on the other hand, the recess (11, 111, 211, 311, 411, - 9, 109, 209, 309, 409) of at least one (3, 103, 303, 403 - 2, 102, 202, 402) of the two constituent parts of each model player presents, in correspondence with each hollow deformation of the relevant bar segment, a projection (13, 113, 213, 313, 413) of complementary form adapted to engage, without play, in the corresponding hollow deformation of the bar (4, 104, 204, 304, 404).
2. An assembly according to Claim 1, characterised in that each bar segment (4) intended to receive a model player has a single hollow deformation having the form of a cylindrical or tapered pit (9) and an axis of revolution oriented radially with respect to the axis of the bar (4), and the bottom (11a) of the recess (11) of one (3) of the constituent parts of each model player presents a projection in the form of a cylindrical or tapered lug (13) having dimensions complementary to those of the cylindrical pit (9) of the bar (4) and adapted to be engaged, without play, in this pit at the completion of the engagement of the recess (11) of this element (3) on the relevant bar segment (4).
3. An assembly according to Claim 1, characterised in that each bar segment (304) intended to receive a model player presents at least one stamping of V-shaped transverse section oriented normally to the axis of the bar (304) and the corresponding part of the wall of the recess (311) of the male part (303) of the model player has a complementary projection (313) adapted to engage, without play, in the aforesaid stamping (312) during the mounting of the male part (303) on the bar (304).
4. An assembly according to Claim 3, characterised in that two diametrically opposed stampings are provided and consequently two complementary projections (313) carried by the two opposed lateral walls of the recess (311) of the male part (303) of the model player.
5. An assembly according to Claim 1, characterised in that each hollow deformation of each bar segment (4, 104, 204) intended to receive a model player is constituted by a hollow flat (14, 15) and the corresponding sector of the recess (111, 209) of the constituent part (103, 202) of the model player intended to be in correspondence with the aforesaid flat (14, 15) presents a projecting flat (113, 213) of dimension corresponding to that of this bar segment (4, 104, 204) and adapted to embrace it at the completion of engagement of the recess (109, 211) of the aforesaid part of the model player on the bar segment (4, 104, 204).
6. An assembly according to Claim 5, characterised in that there are provided, on each aforesaid bar segment (104, 204) several regularly distributed hollow flats producing thereon a polygonal contour such as hexagonal or octagonal and the bottom of the recess (111, 299) of at least one part (103, 202) of the model player presents a complementary polygonal contour (113, 213) such that, after engagement of the recesses (109, 111, 209, 211) of the two elements of the model player (102, 103, 202, 203) and their assembly together, the two bottoms of the recesses of these two elements embrace, at least partially, the polygonal contour of the bar segment (104, 204).
7. An assembly according to Claim 6, characterised in that the length of the flats (15) of the relevant bar segments (104, 204) are equal to those of the corresponding flats (113, 213) of the recesses (111, 209) of the parts (103, 202) of the model players, and also equal to the width of the model players.
8. An assembly according to Claim 6, characterised in that the length of the flats (15) of the relevant bar segments (104, 204) is equal to those of the corresponding flats (113, 213) of the recesses (111, 209) of the parts (103, 203) of the model players, is less than the width of the model players.
9. An assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, characterised in that one (2, 102, 302) of the parts of each model player or female part reproduces the head (6) and the bust (5) of this model player, whilst the other (3, 103, 303) reproduces the legs (7) and pelvis (8) thereof.
10. An assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, characterised in that one (202, 402) of the parts of each model player represents nearly the entirety thereof and its recess (209, 409) is open in the direction of its abdomen or its back, whilst the second part (203, 403) constitutes the male part engageable at the same time on the chosen bar segment (204, 404) and in the recess (209, 409) of the other part, thereby reproducing, as the case may be, the abdomen or the back of this model player.
11. An assembly according to Claim 10, characterised in that the second part or male part (403) is engageable in the recess (409) of the other part (402) in a radial direction with respect to the axis of the bar (404) and is retained, after engagement, by its snap-engagement and/or gripping at the completion of the engagement.
12. An assembly according to Claim 10, characterised in that the second part or male part (203) of this model player is engageable in the recess (209) of the other part (202) by sliding parallel to the axis of the bar (204), the edges (209a) of the recess (209) of the first part (203) being provided with a male or female profile of dovetail shape, whilst the corresponding edges (203a) of the second part (203) are provided with a complementary profile and its retention is effected by snap-engagement and/or gripping.

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