Patent Application
20140357455
1. FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to boxing and, more particularly, to a boxing game machine.
2. RELATED PRIOR ART
There have been various boxing game machines. A boxing game machine includes a punch bag for swing between an idle position and an active position and an apparatus for holding the punch bag in the idle position before a token is tossed in the boxing game machine. The apparatus releases the punch bag into the active position from the idle position after a token is tossed in the boxing game machine. The punch bag is returned into the idle position from the active position after it is punched. The apparatus is supposed to hold the punch bag in the idle position. However, in the case of a strong punch on the punch bag, the punch back could bounce back into the active position from the idle position before the apparatus could effectively hold the punch bag in the idle position.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art.
It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a reliable boxing game machine.
To achieve the foregoing objective, the boxing game machine includes a punch bag, a frame, a rocker, a catch, a latch and a spring. The rocker is pivotally connected to the frame between an idle position and an active position. The punch bag is secured to an end of the rocker. The catch is secured to another end of the cocker and formed with a radial edge. The latch is movably supported on the frame and formed with an edge for sliding into contact with radial edge of the catch so that the latch engages with the catch. The spring biases the latch into engagement with the catch to keep the rocker in the idle position.
Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings.
The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment referring to the drawings wherein:
Referring to
The frame 12 includes upper and lower beams 14, two walls 16, a plate 17, a rod 18 and three guiding elements 20. The walls 16 are secured to the upper and lower beams 14. The plate 17 is secured to the upper beam 14, between the walls 16. The rod 18 is secured to the upper beam 14. The guiding elements 20 are connected to the walls 16. Two of the guiding elements 20 are arranged along a vertical line from which the other guiding element 20 is biased.
The boxing game machine includes a rocker 22, a latch 24, a buffer 26, a cushion 28 and a sensor 30 in addition to the frame 12. The rocker 22 is pivotally connected to the walls 16 by a shaft 32. The punch bag 10 is secured to an end of the rocker 22. A catch 34 is secured to another end of the rocker 22. Moreover, the catch 34 is rotationally connected to the walls 16 by the shaft 32. The catch 34 is formed with a radial edge 36 and an arched edge 38.
The latch 24 is formed with a chamfer 40, a tab 42, a major edge 44, a minor edge 45 and a cave 46. The chamfer 40 is formed at a first end of the latch 24. The tab 42 extends transversely from a second end of the latch 24.
The major edge 44 extends parallel to the minor edge 45. The tab 42 is located at an upper end of the major edge 44. The chamfer 40 is located at a lower end of the minor edge 45. The cave 46 is defined in the second end of the latch 24. The latch 24 is placed above the catch 34.
One of the guiding elements 20 is in contact with the major edge 44 of the latch 24 while the other guiding elements 20 contact the minor edge 45 of the latch 24. Therefore, the latch 24 is guided by the guiding elements 20, which together together form a guiding device.
A spring 48 is compressed between the latch 24 and the plate 17. The latch 24 is biased toward the catch 34 by the spring 48, which is placed against the plate 17. A bar 50 is inserted in the cave 46, the spring 48 and an aperture defined in the plate 17. Therefore, the spring 48 is positioned by the bar 50.
A cam 52 is connected to a motor 54 by an axle 56 that is supported on the walls 16. The cam 52 is placed between the walls 16. The motor 54 is secured to one of the walls 16. The cam 52, the motor 54 and the axle 56 together form a moving device.
The buffer 26 is secured to the lower beam 14. The buffer 26 is an elastic block made of rubber or plastics for example.
A tab 58 is secured to the shaft 32. The tab 58 is brought into contact with the buffer 26 as the punch bag 10 gets near the active position. Thus, the rotation of the shaft 32 is buffered and stopped, and so is the drop of the punch bag 10.
Two cranks 60 are secured to the shaft 32. An end of the cushion 28 is placed between and connected to the cranks 60. Another end of the cushion 28 is connected to the rod 18. The cushion 28 is compressed between the cranks 60 and the rod 18 during the drop of the punch bag 10 to the active position. Thus, the rotation of the shaft 32 is damped by the cushion 28, and so is the drop of the punch bag 10. Preferably, the cushion 28 includes a helical spring placed around a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder.
The sensor 30 is secured to the lower beam 14. An indicator 62 is secured to the shaft 32. Preferably, the sensor 30 is an optical sensor that includes an emitter and a receiver and the indicator 62 is an opaque tab. The indicator 62 is brought into the gap between the emitter and the receiver as the punch bag 10 reaches the active position. Thus, the indicator 62 interrupts the communication of light between the emitter and the receiver. On sensing the indicator 62, the sensor 30 sends a signal for controlling the motor 54. The sensor 30 and the indicator 62 together form a sensing device.
Referring to
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Advantageously, the spring 48 pushes the latch 24 toward the catch 34 to cause the major edge 44 of the latch 24 to abut against the radial edge 36 of the catch 34 as soon as the punch bag 10 reaches the idle position. Thus, the rocker 22 is effectively kept in the horizontal position and the punch bag 10 is firmly retained in the idle position.
The present invention has been described via the detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred embodiment shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.
