Pinball game apparatus

Pinball game apparatus comprising:

• means defining a horizontally disposed domed playing field surface having a center and a generally oval-shaped perimeter with at least two goal areas provided on opposite sides thereof, such playing field surface being formed so that all areas thereof slope continuously from said center and toward an associated one of said goal areas, a curvature of said surface transverse of said goal areas being less than a curvature of said surface between the goal area;
• a ball disposed to roll upon said playing field surface, the curvatures of said playing field surface insuring that said ball always rolls toward one or the other of said goal areas;
• plural ball restraining barrier means disposed around the perimeter of said playing field surface, each barrier means forming a continuous, curved barrier against which said ball can roll and arranged extending between adjacent sides of said goal area;
• score accumulating and display means;
• a plurality of ball sensing devices disposed along said barrier and coupled to said score accumulating and display means so as to send a scoring signal thereto each time the presence of said ball is detected by one of said devices;
• flipper means disposed in front of each said goal area for allowing a player to strike the ball and drive it away from his goal area in a tangential direction relative to said barrier for rolling the ball under centrifugal force along said barrier and around the perimeter of said playing field;
• and
• ball sensing means disposed within each goal area and coupled to said score accumulating and display means so as to send a goal signal thereto each time the ball passes behind said flipper means and into one of said goal area.