EP0664143B1

EP0664143B1 - Football table

Info

Publication number: EP0664143B1
Application number: EP94118540A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Vittorio Grazioli
Original assignee: Grazioli SpA
Current assignee: Grazioli SpA
Priority date: 1994-01-19
Filing date: 1994-11-25
Publication date: 1997-09-03
Anticipated expiration: 2014-11-25
Also published as: ITMI940036U1; IT232693Y1; ITMI940036V0; DE69405372D1; ATE157551T1; ES2107102T3; EP0664143A1

Abstract

The foosball table includes four legs (2) for supporting a frame (3) having a sheetlike base (4), depicting a game field, and having player supporting rods (5) which are rotatable inside bushes (7) associated with said frame. Two resilient members (8) are provided at the opposite ends of each of said bushes, said resilient members and said bushes forming a one piece body of self-lubricating plastic material provided with a connection member (9) for being associated with said frame. An edge cover (10) is provided at the bushes, also the edge cover is provided with a connection member for its association with the frame. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a football table.
As known, conventional tables for playing cable football comprise a quadrangular frame, usually made of wood, having a base representing a miniature football field.
The frame, which is usually assembled by means of screws and/or bolts and glue, supports player bearing metallic rods, sliding in adapted bushes, fixed in respective seats formed in the frame, for example by means of an edge cover screwed on it.
On each rod, at the opposite side of the bush, there are two metallic springs adapted to prevent the grips and the end players from violently hitting the frame.
Conventional footballs therefore have a certainly not easy assembly, because of their several connection members: screws, bolts, bushes, springs, etc., and are also bulky because, even when not in use, they occupy a great space causing problems in small rooms.
This problem is enhanced by the fact that conventional footballs are made of materials (wood and metal) which are easily spoiled by the weather elements and the conventional football tables should always be kept indoors after use.
EP-A-0 316 989 discloses a football table having player supporting rods rotatable inside bushes provided with connection means for being associated with the frame of the football table and two resilient members at the opposite ends of each of said bushes and FR-A-2 090 497 discloses a football table having edge covers provided for the upper edge of a frame.
The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the above described inconveniences of the prior art.
Within this aim, an important object of the invention is to provide a football table that can be assembled in a short time and in an extremely easy manner, thanks to the fact that it is provided in a small number of components.
A further object of the invention is to provide a football table that, when not used, can be transformed into a comfortable working table so that it does not uselessly occupy space in the room.
A further object of the invention is to provide a football table that can be made of plastics, and without metallic materials, in order to be resistant to the weather even if left outdoors.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide a football table which can be assembled by snap together connection of the components. Therefore, the main components, such as the field and the players layout, can be varied in order to change type of game.
The above aim and objects are achieved by a football table as defined in claim 1.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be more apparent by the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a football table according to the invention, illustrated, by way of indicative but not exclusive example in the enclosed drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the football table according to the invention;
Fig. 2 is a perspective exploded view of the sliding bushes for the rods, with the respective edge cover of the football table shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a view of the extension means of the football legs, shown in Fig. 1 according to the invention;
Fig. 4 is a perspective exploded view of a different embodiment of the connection means of the edge cover and of the bushes to the football structure, according to the invention shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 5 is a perspective exploded view of the sheetlike base which can be associated with the football frame, according to the invention;
Fig. 6 shows how the football table is transformed into a working table.

With reference to the figures, the football table according to the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, comprises four legs, each designated by the numeral 2, for supporting a frame 3 having a sheetlike base 4, depicting a game field.
The frame 3 also has rods 5, bearing players 6, and being rotatable inside bushes 7 associated with the frame 3.
Two resilient members 8 are provided at the opposite ends of each bush 7 to resiliently limit axial travel of said rods and, during the sliding of the rods, have the function of damping possible shocks of the grip or of the end player against the frame 3.
The resilient members 8 are molded with the bush 7 in order that each bush and its associated resilient members is formed of one piece body made of self-lubricating plastic material having associating means for its association with the frame 3.
In particular, in the case of snap together connection means, the connection means are generally designated by the numeral 9 and can be formed by two resilient teeth 20 which are snapped inside and adapted seat 21 formed on the frame 3.
According to a different embodiment, the connection means comprises screws 22 which can be rapidly inserted by a 90° rotation.
These solutions provide a first important advantage.
In fact, by inserting a bush on the rod, the two resilient members 8 are also automatically inserted and work as a spring.
Then, when the two bushes 7, and the respective resilient members 8, are inserted on a rod, the rod can be applied and fastened to the frame 3, in a very easy and rapid manner, by inserting associating means 9 inside the respective seats provided at the frame 3.
The second important advantage derived from this solution is that, during the game, the resilient members 8, working as springs, will always be associated with the bush 7, without annoyingly sliding along the rod 5 as in the conventional footballs tables.
It is also to be noted that, since the resilient members 8 are made of self-lubricating plastic material, as the bush 7, they are not deteriorated after a certain time as it happens with the metallic springs of conventional football tables.
Once the bushes 7 have been associated with the frame 3, an edge cover 10 is associated with the frame 3, above the bushes 7. Also the edge cover 10 is provided with connection means 9 defined by resilient teeth 20 or by fast insert screws 22, as described above.
It is apparent, from the above description, that by an extremely easy and rapid operation it is possible to disassemble the edge cover 10 and the bushes 7 from the frame 3, in order to vary the position of the players 6 in the field as desired.
In the same manner, in a preferred embodiment of the invention the sheetlike base 4 is provided in one piece with the frame 3, however, the base could also be removably associated with the frame 3 by snap connection means adapted to engage respective apertures 23 on the frame 3, in order to change the game field in a very short time, depending on the type of game to be played.
Furthermore, conveniently, the football table according to the invention comprises a cover member 11 removably associated with the frame 3 for covering the game field 4, the rods 5 and the players 6.
The cover member 11 has at least one raised portion and four corner members 24 adapted to rest on the frame 3, for levelling the cover member 11 on the foosball table.
On the opposite side, with respect of the corner members 24, the cover member has a surface defining a working table which conveniently has a transverse size substantially equal to the length of the rods in order to completely cover them preventing the rods from being of annoyance during the use of the working table.
For a more comfortable use of the football table when playing, or when used as a working table when the covering member 11 is applied, the legs 2 may be easily extended by extension means defined, for example, by an extension 13.
The extension 13 may in fact be applied to the end of each leg 2, by introducing the male element 14 in a respective seat, or female element, 15, provided at the end of the legs 2.
Advantageously, the extension 13 is fixed to the leg 2 by a fixing member which may be constituted by a resilient tooth 30 which snaps inside a seat 31.
By this extremely easy and rapid application, the football table may be raised or lowered according to the height of the playing users, either adults or children, and when used as a working table.
It is also to be noted that the football table is provided with different uniforms that can be put on the players 6 for varying the playing teams.
It has been seen in practice that the football table according to the invention has the particular advantage of not having metallic connection elements and is therefore resistant to the weather elements and can be left outdoors.
Furthermore, the football table may be raised or lowered according to the need and can be covered by a working table in order to be useful even when it is not used for the foosball game.
The materials employed, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to the claims, the specific needs and the state of the art.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

Football table comprising a frame (3) having a sheetlike base (4), depicting a game field, and having player supporting rods (5) which are rotatable inside bushes (7) provided with connection means (9) for being associated with said frame and two resilient members (8) at the opposite ends of each of said bushes to resiliently limit axial travel of said rods, characterized in that each bush and its associated resilient members is formed of a one piece body of self-lubricating plastic material, a cover (10) being provided for the upper edge of the frame and said bushes, said edge cover being provided with connection means for its association with said frame.
Football table, according to claim 1, characterized in that said connection means (9) are adapted to rapidly fasten and unfasten said bushes (7) and said edge cover (10) to and from said frame for varying the position of said rods (5) on said frame.
Football table, according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a cover member (11) removably associated with said frame for covering said field (4) and said rods (5) bearing said players (6).
Football table, according to claim 3, characterized in that said cover member (11) has at least a raised portion (24) adapted to engage said frame and, at the opposite side, a surface defining a working table, said working table having a longitudinal size substantially equal to said frame and having a transverse size substantially equal to the length of said rods (5).
Football table, according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises legs (2), and extension means (13) of said legs for varying the height of said frame with respect of the floor.
Football table, according to claim 5, characterized in that said extension means (13) comprises an extension (13) having at least one male element (14) adapted to be inserted into at least one female element (15) provided at the end of said legs, a snap fixing member (30) being also provided for fixing said extension to each of said legs.
Football table, according to claim 1, characterized in that said sheetlike base (4) is removably associated with said frame by connection means (9) for being replaced according to the games to be played.
Football table, according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises uniforms of different teams that can be exchanged on said players.