Structure of a playing figure for soccer game tables

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6394451
  • Patent Number
    6,394,451
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, February 2, 2000
    25 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, May 28, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Passaniti; Sebastiano
    Agents
    • A & J
Abstract
A playing figure for soccer game tables comprising a rectangular, box-like playing area supported on four angularly mounted and reinforced legs, a plurality of axially slidable actuating rods mounted extending transversely of the playing area, and a plurality of playing figures mounted on the actuating rods, the improvement wherein the playing figures are each provided with a brush at a lower end thereof.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




This invention is related to an improvement in the structure of a playing figure for soccer game tables and in particular to one which can enlarge kicking range of the playing figure.




2. Description of the Prior Art




The conventional soccer game table generally includes a rectangular playing area, eight axially sidable actuating rods mounted extending transversely of the playing area, and twenty-four playing figures mounted on the actuating rods. Referring to FlG.


4


, in order to avoid interference between two playing figures


102


when they are rotated to kick the ball


15


, the playing area must be eight times as long as the rotating diameter of the playing

figure 120

(or sixteen times as long as the rotating radius of the playing figure


120


. In other words, the rotating radius of the playing

figure 120

must be less than one-sixteenth of the length of the playing area. However, as shown in

FIG. 4

, if the ball


15


is located at the dead section


102


which has a range larger than the diameter of the ball


15


, neither of the two playing

figure 120

can kick the ball


15


thereby causing controversies in playing.




Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improvement in the structure of a playing figure for soccer game tables which can obviate and mitigate the above-mentioned drawbacks.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




This invention is related to an improvement in the structure of a playing figure for soccer game table.




According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a playing figure for soccer game tables comprising a rectangular, box-like playing area supported on four angularly mounted and reinforced legs, a plurality of axially slidable actuating rods mounted extending transversely of the playing area, and a plurality of playing figures mounted on the actuating rods, the improvement wherein the playing figures are each provided with a brush at a lower end thereof.




It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an improved playing figure for soccer game tables which can enlarge the kicking range of the playing figure.




It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved playing figure for soccer game tables which enables the playing figure to kick the ball as any position.




The foregoing objects and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts. Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of the present invention;





FIG. 2

is a perspective view of the playing figure;





FIG. 3

illustrates the working principle of the present invention; and





FIG. 4

illustrates the drawback of the prior art playing figure for soccer game tables.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings. Specific language will be used to describe same. It will, nevertheless, be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated herein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.




With reference to the drawings and in particular to

FIGS. 1 and 2

thereof, the soccer game table according to the present invention generally includes a rectangular, box-like playing area supported on four angularly mounted and reinforced legs, a plurality of axially slidable actuating rods


11


mounted extending transversely of the playing area, and a plurality of playing

figure 12

mounted on the actuating rods


11


. The playing

figure 12

is provided with a brush


14


at the lower end


14


thereof.




Referring to

FIG. 3

, even when two playing

figure 12

are rotated by the actuating rods


11


simultaneously, only the brushes


14


of the playing

FIG. 12

will collide with each other thereby preventing the playing

figure 12

from damage. In addition, the contact between the brush


14


and the floor


100


will not cause any damage to the floor


100


. Furthermore, the brush


14


can increase the rotating radius of the playing

figure 12

thereby making the dead corner


101


become less than the diameter of the ball


15


. As a consequence, the ball


15


can be kicked by the playing

figure 12

without interference with the other.




It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.




While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.



Claims
  • 1. A playing figure for soccer game tables including a rectangular box playing area supported on four angularly mounted and reinforced legs, a plurality of axially slidable actuating rods mounted within and extending transversely of the playing area, a plurality of playing figures mounted on the actuating rods with each of said playing figures having a lower end, and a game ball, the improvement comprising:wherein said playing figures are each provided with a brush at the lower end thereof; said brush being dimensioned to a length that increases the rotating radius of the playing figure beyond the length of the body portion of the playing figure so that the dead area of the game table adjacent two of said playing figures is reduced to a dimension that is less than the diameter of the game ball, the brush of each one of said playing figures being structured to prevent collisions between two playing figure body portions while enabling one of said brushes to collide with the brush of an adjacently located playing figure, whereby the ball may be kicked by the brush of one of said playing figures without interference from the body portion of another adjacently located playing figure.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Number Name Date Kind
4076244 Peppard Feb 1978 A
5377981 Monneret Jan 1995 A
5605328 Rudell et al. Feb 1997 A
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number Date Country
504648 Dec 1954 IT
518832 Mar 1955 IT