GB2249732A

GB2249732A - Maze game

Info

Publication number: GB2249732A
Application number: GB9126939A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Noritoshi Hori; Yukihiro Shindo
Original assignee: Tomy Co Ltd
Current assignee: Tomy Co Ltd
Priority date: 1988-03-25
Filing date: 1991-12-19
Publication date: 1992-05-20
Anticipated expiration: 2011-12-19
Also published as: GB9126939D0; GB2217617A; GB2249732B; JPH01144087U; GB8906239D0; GB2217617B

Description

2 2497-)2 1 IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO MAZE GAME APPARATUS This

invention relates to a maze game apparatus of the type including a board provided with upstanding walls defining passages along which a ball may be rolled by tilting the board. The object of such a game is to guide the ball from a starting position to a finishing position along the appropriate passages. Some of the passages include dead-ends and it is necessary to cause the ball to follow a labyrinthine path between the starting and finishing positions. Games of this type often suffer either from the disadvantage that the maze defined by the board is too simple, or that it is too difficult.

The present 'invention seeks to provide a board for a maze game apparatus in which the course to be followed by the ball is relatively simple, but the game is made more interesting by the inclusion of certain mechanical features.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the proposed game apparatus, Figure 2 is a perspective view showing parts of the game apparatus and an operating mechanism, Figure 3 is a section through a first region of the board which includes rotatable obstacles, Figure 4 is a plan view of the drive mechanism for the obstacles shown in Figure 3, Figure 5 is a section through a second region of the board including a vertically moveable component.

1 - 2 Figure 6 is a plan view of the second region of the board, Figure 7 is a plan view of a central part of the board, Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 but with some parts removed, Figure 9 is a section through one of the obstacles shown in Figure 7, Figure 10 is a section through a guideway to be found in a third region of the board, in which a moveable cylinder is provided to carry the ball between an entrance and an exit from the guid!way, Figure 11 is a section through part of a fourth region of the board, and Figure 12 is a side view of the board showing the game in progress.

Refering to Figures 1 and 12, a board for use in playing a maze game is provided with various upstanding walls which' define passageways (such as that shown in la) along which a ball 9 may be guided from a starting position 2 to a finishing position 3. The board may be conveniently regarded as being divided into four maze regions indicated by numerals 4, 5, 6 and 7 respectively. Each region is provided with obstacles to the progress of the ball of a respective different nature. In the case of the first, second and fourth regions'of the board, the obstacles are caused to perform movements under the action of an operating mechanism disposed beneath the upper surface of the board. Thus, in the first region, vaned turntables 11 are caused to rotate in synchronism with the object of obstructing passage 1 i 1 i 1 1 1 i 1 i i 1 i j 3 of the ball between them, or of deflecting the ball in an unwanted direction. A feature of the second region 5 is a turretlike structure 14 on which the passages are formed and projections 17 (figure 5) which are arranged to rise and fall in the path of the ball and may be used to lift the ball to a higher position on the turret structure.

Features of the third region are an enclosure 21 beneath which the passages are concealed and a guide 24 for a cylinder through which the ball must be passed.

In the fourth region 7, the ball must be manoeuvred across a rotating disc 28, through a gateway in a wall 30 and into a hole 32 at the centre of the disc. From here the ball rolls down a passage way 75 to the finishing position 3.

The player must negotiate each region 4 to 7 in turn, and pass the ball through a central region 8 when moving from one region to the next- In order to prevent the ball being passed from region to region in the wrong order, the region 8 in the mid-part of the board is provided with gates 37 which can be opened only when the ball passes from region 4 to 5, region 5 to 6, and region 6 to 7, and cannot be opened if the player attempts to pass the ball from region to region in the wrong order. Each ate 37 includes two shutter plates, each associated with two passages, i.e. one plate has shutter plates 37a and 37b; a second gate has plates 37c and 37d; and a third gate has plates 37e and 37f.

A bar 38 of square cross-section connecting the upper edges of each pair, of plates bears against a leaf spring in the form of a resilient plate 39. The spring holds the gate in its closed position from which it may snap into and be held in its open position upon contact by a ball approaching from the left hand side as viewed in Figure 9.Each shutter plate is hidden beneath a cover, having a hole 35 through which projects a finger piece 36 to enable the gate to be reset after use. The finger piece 36 also contacts the edge of the hole 35 so as to prevent the gate being opened by a ball approaching from the right in Figure 9.

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate the routes to be followed by the ball through this central region 8 of the maze, the gates being indicated by chain lines. As the ball travels along the passage 4a from the first region 4, it engages and opens the plate portion 37a, opening with it the plate portion 37b. Likewise, when the ball travels along the passage 5a from the second region 5, it engages and opens the plate portion 37c, o the plate portion 37d.

pening with it is Finally, when the ball travels along passage 6a from third region 6, it engages and opens plate portion 37e, opening with it plate portion 37f.

When all of the gates have been opened, the ball may enter the fourth region 7.

If the player tries to move the ball from region 4 to region 7, it encounters the rear side of plate 37f which blocks its movement. Similarly, if the player tries to move the ball from the region 4 to the region 7, via region 6 it is blocked by the plate 37d, while if he attempts to move it from region 4 to region 7 via region 5, the ball is blocked by plate 37f.

A controller 10 is used by the player to cause a motor to operate during a cycle of operation in which the disc 28 and the turntables 11 each rotate and the projections 17 rise and fall for a predetermined period of time.

Referring now to Figure 2, the underside of the board 1 is 9 provided with a casing 41 for housing and supporting the operating mechanism and moveable parts. An electric motor 42 is supplied with power from a battery (not shown) by way of a main on/off switch and a timer operated by knob 10.

Motive power is transmitted from the motor by way of a pair of parallel shafts 56 and 57, and a train of gears mounted on these shafts. A pinion 43 on an output shaft of the motor drives a crown gear 44 fast with a pinion 45, both of which rotate relative to the shaft 56. A gear wheel 46 and a pinion 47 fast therewith are supported for rotation on the shaft 57 and mesh respectively with the pinion 45 and a gear wheel 48 also on the shaft 56. The gear wheel 48 is fast with a pinion 49 which meshes with a gear wheel 50 fast with an elongate pinion 51 both supported on the shaft 57. A gear wheel 52 enmeshed with the pinion 51 is slidable axially of the shaft 56 and is fast with a first clutch member 53 urged by a spring 55 into engagement with a second clutch member 54 fast with the shaft 56. One of the gear pairs 46, 47 or 50, 51 is fast with the shaft 57.

A pinion 63 at the other end of the shaft 57 meshes with a crown gear 64 on a shaft 65 provided with a worm 66 which meshes with a gear 67. An electrically conductive disc 68 on the upper surface of the gear 67 has a cutout 69 in its periphery. A pair of sprung contacts 70 in the circuit of the motor 42 bear on the disc 68. One of the contacts engages the periphery of the disc so as to encounter the cutout 69 during revolution of the disc. The gear 67 and disc 68 are supported on a shaft 71 and biased upwards by a compression spring 72. A shaft 73 projecting upwards from the disc receives the knob 10. Assuming that one of the contacts 70 is located within the cutout 69, the circuit of the motor 42 is open. By depressing and turning the knob 10, the contact may be brought into engagement with the disc 68, thereby completing the circuit. Provided the on/off switch is closed, the motor will now start and continue to rotate for so long as it takes the disc 68 to complete one revolution. The player has this period of time to complete the game.

Also mounted on the shaft 57 is a worm 58 which meshes with a gear 59 on a vertical shaft 60. A gear 61 at the upper end of the shaft 60 meshes with a gear 33 fast with the disc 28.

A gear wheel 76 at the end of the shaft 56 meshes with a pinion 80 on the shaft 78 provided with a crown gear 81 driving a pinion 85 on one of the turntables 11. Gears 13 on the four turntables are enmeshed (as best shown in Figure is 4) and rotate in the directions as will be apparent.

Projecting from the gear wheel 76 is a pin 77 which bears on one end of a lever 82 supported on a pivot 83. A toe 84 at the other end of the lever bears on the underside of a plate 16 provided with ball support projections 17 and partition plates 18. The projections and plates 17 and 18 pass through holes 15 and 15a respectively in the board. The plate 16 has holes 19 through which pass posts 20. During each revolution of the gear wheel 76, the projections 17 descend f rom the elevated position shown in Figure 5 to a depressed position shown in Figure 1 and back to the elevated position. Each of the projections has a recess for receiving the ball. By bringing the ball into engagement with the lowest of the projections as it reaches its lowest point, the player may use the projection 17 to raise the ball to a higher position on the turret structure 14, where the ball may be manoeuvred to the next projection, lifted again, and so on, until it reaches the position at which it may descend to region 8. The partition plates may serve to obstruct the ball or prevent it falling to a lower level during a certain maneouevre- The course to be followed by 1 the ball is illustrated in Figure 6.

In a region 6 of the maze, the passage ways are obscured from view by a cover 21 on which the locations of the walls defining the passages are marked, as at 22. Openings 23 are provided to enable the position of the ball to be observed to a limited extent. In order for the ball to escape from the third region, it must be manoeuvred through a doorway 27 into a ring 25, and the ring made to roll with the ball therein into a position in alignment with another doorway, through which the ball may pass to the fourth region 7. In the fourth region the ball must be manoeuvred into the center of the rotating turntable 28.

8

Claims

A maze game apparatus including a generally planar body provided with walls defining a path for a ball to be rolled along passageways from one region to another region and thence to a further region, and a gate serving to prevent movement of the ball from the said one region to said further region, said gate being opened when the ball moves from said one region to said 10 another region.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows
2. A maze game apparatus including a generally planar body provided with wal.'s defining a path for a ball to be rolled from a first region to a second region and from the second region to a third region of the body, a first gate through which the ball passes in moving from the first region to the second region and a second gate through which the ball passes in moving from the second region to the third region, the second gate having a closed condition in which it prevents such passage oL the ball, and means for placing the second gate in an -ion as the ball passes through the first open condit gate.
3. A game apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the gates are disposed in a further region through which the ball passes when moving from the first region to the -o the third second region and from the second region t region.
4. A game apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, including a fourth region, the ball being movable from the third region through the further region and into the fourth region, a third gate disposed in the further region and through which the ball passes when moving from the second region to the third region, and a fourth gate disposed in the further region and through which the ball passes when moving from the third region to the fourth region, the fourth gate having a closed condition in which it prevents such passage of the ball, and means for placing the fourth gate in an open condition as the ball passes through the third gate.