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US 12,691,366 B2Granted
Pinball machines
AssigneeUniversity of Cincinnati
InventorZachariah Fuchs
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pinball machine includes a pinball, a tabletop surface, and a play area on the tabletop surface. The play area includes a ramp including a raised surface rotatable about a rotational axis, an upward pass, and a downward pass. The upward pass extends between the tabletop surface and the raised surface and allows the pinball to move from the tabletop surface to the raised surface. The downward pass extends between the raised surface and the tabletop surface and allows the pinball to move from the raised surface to the tabletop surface.
Claims20
A pinball machine comprising:
- a pinball;
- a tabletop surface;
- and
- a play area on the tabletop surface, the play area comprising:
- a ramp comprising:
- a raised surface rotatable about a rotational axis, the raised surface defining a ball drop aperture;
- an upward pass extending between the tabletop surface and the raised surface and allows the pinball to move from the tabletop surface to the raised surface;
- and
- a downward pass extending between the raised surface and the tabletop surface and allows the pinball to move from the raised surface to the tabletop surface, and
- a rotating wall coupled to the raised surface and positioned adjacent to the ball drop aperture,
- wherein the ball drop aperture provides a pathway to drop the pinball traveling therethrough from the raised surface to the tabletop surface.
8 more elements
A pinball machine comprising:
- a pinball;
- a tabletop surface;
- and
- a play area on the tabletop surface, the play area comprising:
- a pendulum assembly movable between a rest position and a rotated position and comprising:
- a pendulum suspended from a frame;
- a weighted ball coupled to a bottom of the pendulum;
- and
- a stationary ball coupled to the tabletop surface and positioned adjacent the weighted ball when the pendulum assembly is in the rest position.
6 more elements
A pinball machine comprising:
- a pinball;
- a tabletop surface;
- and
- a play area on the tabletop surface, the play area comprising:
- a ramp comprising:
- a raised surface rotatable about a rotational axis, the raised surface defining a ball drop aperture, the ball drop aperture providing a pathway to drop the pinball traveling therethrough from the raised surface to the tabletop surface;
- an upward pass extending between the tabletop surface and the raised surface and allows the pinball to move from the tabletop surface to the raised surface;
- a downward pass extending between the raised surface and the tabletop surface and allows the pinball to move from the raised surface to the tabletop surface;
- and
- a rotating wall coupled to the raised surface and positioned adjacent to the ball drop aperture;
- a motor operatively coupled to the raised surface and configured to rotate the raised surface about the rotational axis;
- and
- a controller communicatively coupled to the motor and configured to control rotation of the raised surface.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.