IL131204A - Roulette - Google Patents

Abstract

A roulette comprising a base (10), a post, for example, a shaft (2) secured to this base, and ring-shaped playing areas (14) arranged concentrically relative to the post axis (3) and connected to this post so that each of them is free to rotate independently around its axis, in this case each playing area has its own guide intended for moving a ball used in the game, and all the guides are separated from one another. 281 ו' בניסן התשס" ד - March 28, 2004

Description

ROULETTE The invention relates to the field of games, namely, to roulettes for playing, and for the most part can be used, mainly by children, in non-gambling games.

Well-known and widely used is a roulette containing a base, a post attached to this base and a wheel, which is capable of rotating around the post axis. Located on the wheel surface is a ring-shaped playing area which is made concave in the wheel radial section to prevent the drop of a ball during roulette rotation.

There is also a known roulette (US patent 5.636.838) which, in contrast to the roulette described above, has two ring-shaped playing areas, arranged concentrially relative to the post axis and connected to this post so that each of them is free to rotate independently around its axis. Both areas are interrelated with each other and arranged so that they jointly form a mutual guide for the ball movement. After accelerating one or two playing areas and casting the ball to said playing areas, this balls is moved in said mutual guide. After the stoppage of the playing areas the result of the game is determined according to the point of the ball location relative to both areas.

However the necessity of beginning a game simultaneously and its simultaneous completion by all participants, when using this roulette, confines the range of games and, consequently, limits the roulette functional capabilities that hampers its extensive use for non-gambling games, especially among children.

In addition, with relatively great number of players participating, there is no possibility to simultaneously use the roulette by individual groups of players for various games.

And, finally, roulettes like this do not make a participant feel fully independent (accelerating a playing area, throwing-in the ball, etc.) while playing a game.

The object of the invention is to create a roulette with several playing areas which are free to independently rotate around the post axis wherein the number of the guides for the ball movement and their relative location would be such as to extend the range of the roulette functional capabilities, provide for the simultaneous use of the roulette by individual groups of players for various games and also to make a participant feel fully independent when playing a game and thereby to raise the interest in the roulette application in non- gambling games, first of all among children.

The set task is solved in such a way that the roulette comprises a base, a post, for example, a shaft secured to this base, and ring-shaped playing areas arranged concentrically relative to the post axis and connected to this post so that each of them is free to rotate independently around its axis, in this case each playing area has its own guide for moving a ball, and all the guides are separated from one another.

The essence of the invention is illustrated in the drawings, which are as follows: Fig. 1 - the roulette according to the invention, section, Fig. 2 - view in direction of arrow A in Fig. 1, revolved, Fig. 3 - schematic view of one of the playing areas in one of game versions with the use of the roulette.

Described below is the design of the roulette intended for four participants to play it.

The roulette contains flat base 1 (Fig. 1) having a shape of a regular polygon, in particular, of a square, as shown in figure 2. For convenience of playing the roulette it is advisable that the number of the base sides would be not less than the number of participants in the game. Rigidly secured to base 1 (Fig. 1) by any of known techniques, is a post made in the form of four-diameter shaft 2. The diameter of each subsequent portion in direction from base 1 is less than the diameter of a preceding portion. The axis 3 of shaft 2 is coincides with the axis of base 1. Each of the three lower portions of shaft 2 has spider 4 fit over it with a minimum clearance ensuring its free independent rotation around axis 3. In this case the length of radial elements 5 of each subsequent spider, in the direction of base 1, exceeds the length of corresponding radial elements 5 of a preceding spider. Attached to spiders 5 are vertical rods 6, which in turn mount rings 7, these rings being rectangular in section. Disc 8 is fit over the upper portion of shaft 2 with a minimum clearance ensuring its free independent rotation around axis 3. Threaded hole 9 is made in shaft 2 at the side of its upper end face. Through this hole by means of a threaded connection stop 10 is secured to shaft 2, this stop serves to keep spiders 4 and disc 8 from detachment from shaft 2. A portion of disc 8 limited by external ring-shaped fence 11 and internal ring-shaped fence 12 forms conventional internal ring 7a. Rings 7 and ring 7a are arranged concentrically relative to axis 3. Spiders 4 together with rods 6, as well as disc 8 are interface elements coupling shaft 2 with rings 7 and ring 7a respectively. Applied to the top surface 13 of each ring 7 and ring 7a are replaceable playing areas 14 whose shape and size correspond to the shape and size of surface 13. With the purpose of convenience of playing the roulette all playing areas 14 are arranged in one plane. Each playing area 14 is divided into sectors (not shown) along the ring length which are indicated by corresponding colors, symbols, paintings, etc. or the combination thereof, depending on the subjects of a game. At the side of their external diameter ring-shaped playing areas 14 are bounded by fences 15 connected with rings 7. The value of clearance 16 between either of the two adjacent rings and, accordingly, between playing areas 14 is less than a preset size corresponding to the diameter of a ball used in playing. Availability of fences 15 and clearance 16 of said value precludes the possibility of balls being dropped out of the playing areas during the game. Playing areas 14 and fences 1 1, 12, 15 jointly form a guides for moving balls, these guides are separated from one another. To manually accelerate playing areas 14 handles 17 are secured to fences 11 and 15. To raise the convenience of using the roulette it is advisable that the number of playing areas 14 would coincide to the number of sides of base 1. In this case it is also recommended that each of base 1 sections 18 (Fig. 2) adjacent to one of the sides, together with the fence and handle 17 secured to it belonging to one of the playing areas, would be painted their own color.

There are possible versions of the roulette design within the claims which differ from those described above in the designs of individual elements and units, in their geometry, interrelations and so on.

In one of the versions, for example, shaft 2 may be not of multidiameter design, and free independent rotation of spiders 4 and disc 5 around axis 3 can be achieved by the use of, say, rolling-contact bearings.

In another version all playing areas 14 can only be made with the use of discs similar to disc 8, spaced throughout the height of shaft 2.

In one more version all playing areas can only be made with the use of spiders 4 with no disc 8 used.

In one more version fences 1 1, 12, 15 can be absent, and the playing areas can take the shape of an annular groove.

Playing roulette is realized in the following way.

Each participant selects one of sections 18 (Fig. 2) of base 1 and is seated opposite this section. Then all the participants take balls in hands, the ball's color being the same as that of selected section 18. After that each participant accelerates disc 8 or that ring 7 whose fence and handle are of the same color as section 18, and after that throws the ball on the rotating playing area of this ring. Positions of the balls in said sectors of playing areas 14 after the stoppage of disc 8 and rings 7 allow to determine the result of the game.

Thus each participant in the game is fully independent when playing the game as he himself accelerates his playing area, throws in the ball and so on.

The proposed design of the roulette allows also to extend its functional capabilities, namely, to extend the range of games. This is achieved owing to the possibility of playing the games with the roulette playing areas rotation started and completed at different times. In this case it is expedient to confine the ring-shaped areas with the fences also at the side of their internal diameter.

Presented in Fig. 3 is a schematic view of one of the playing areas in one of the roulette game versions that confirms said expansion of the roulette functional capabilities. Playing area 14, like the rest of the playing areas not shown in Fig. 3 are divided into four sections: sections B, C, D and E.

In accordance with the rules, before the beginning of a game any sequence of these sections is arbitrarily set, e.g. D - B - E - C. Then all participants in the game accelerate independently their own playing areas several times (as everyone succeeds), during a preset period of time, e.g. 10 minutes, throw the ball in the playing area and fix a section whereon the ball stays after the stop of the playing area. Only the results which comply with the said preset sequence are taken into consideration. For example, if after the first cast, the ball remains on any of the sections except section D, the player goes on accelerating his playing area until the ball stops on section D. Then accelerating the playing area and ball throwing are repeated until the ball stops on section B and so on, until said sequence is achieved. A participant who is the first to implement this sequence is considered a winner.

The proposed roulette allows to play many other game modifications owing to the possibility of independent and non-simultaneous rotation of the playing areas.

In addition, the proposed roulette designed for a great number of participants, i.e. possessing a great number of playing areas, makes it possible to play simultaneously several games independent of one another by individual groups of participants.

Claims (7)

Claims:

1. A roulette comprising a base, a post, for example, a shaft secured to this base, and ring-shaped playing areas arranged concentrically relative to the post j axis and connected to this post so that each of them is free to rotate ft f/ independently around its axis, in this case each playing area has its own guide ' intended for moving a ball used in the game, and all the guides are separated from one another.

2. A roulette according to claim 1 containing intermediate elements connected with the post at various distances from the base in such a way that each of them is free to rotate around the post axis and containing also rings arranged concentrically and installed with a clearance relative to one another, each of them being rigidly joined to its intermediate element, in this case each ring-shaped playing area is located on the surface top of one of the rings.

3. A roulette according to claim 2 wherein the intermediate element of the inner ring is represented by a disc, and the ring-shaped playing area is located on the surface of this disc and is limited by two ring-shaped fences.

4. A roulette according to claim 2 wherein the ring-shaped playing areas are bounded at the side of external diameter by fences connected with said rings and the clearance value between them is less than a preset dimension corresponding to the diameter of the ball, in this case said guides intended for moving the balls and separated from one another are formed by said playing areas and fences.

5. A roulette according to claim 2 or 3 or 4 wherein all playing areas are arranged in one plane.

6. A roulette according to any of the previous claims wherein a base is shaped as a regular polygon with a number of sides equal to the number of playing areas, in this case the axis of this polygon coincides with the post axis.

7. A roulette as described above with reference to the enclosed specification. Applicant Khenkine Ilia