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Bowling game machineBowling game machine description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080085777, Bowling game machine. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
TECHNICAL FIELD [0001]The present invention relates to a bowling game system in which for enjoyment a ball is rolled down a lane at the head of which a group of pins is arranged into place, and the pins are knocked down by the rolling ball. BACKGROUND ART [0002]Such bowling game systems are configured with: an approach where players roll a ball; a lane extending from the approach and on which the ball rolls; a group of pins placed on the end of the lane opposite the approach; trough-like gutters lying on either side of the lane and receiving balls slipping off the lane. Players enjoy the game by competing with each other for a higher score that depends on the number of pins they knock down. [0003]Of course, how many pins players are able to knock down depends on the direction of in which the ball is rolled-that is, players' scores are determined by which part of the arranged pins their balls strike, and on the players' skill at controlling the ball. [0004]Being not yet fully developed physically, children are not able to control very well the direction in which the ball rolls, and consequently cannot hope for a high score, or as is likely to happen, they are able to knock down only a few pins because the ball always falls into the gutter. In such cases, children lose interest in the bowling game, and are left unable to enjoy household bowling outings with the object of interacting as a family. [0005]In light of such considerations, various gutter-ball prevention systemes for preventing a bowled ball from falling into the gutter have been proposed to date. One of such system is configured so that bars, which are placed along the both sides of the lane, simultaneously shift horizontally between a blocking position near the edge of the lane, where the bars prevent the ball from falling into the gutter, and a retract position near the edge of the gutters, where the bars shift from the blocking position. (Reference is made to Japanese Unexamined Pat. App. Pub. Nos. H7-155424, H9-84923 and H11-164931.) [0006]In accordance with this gutter prevention system, the bars shift into the blocking position when players, such as young children, unable to control a ball well bowl, and shift into the retract position when physically more developed adolescent players bowl. [0007]Therefore, even if a ball rolled by juvenile players unable to control the direction of the rolling ball well rolls toward a gutter, the bars shift into the blocking position to prevent the ball from falling into the gutters and retain it on the lane, such that the ball runs into the pins and knocks down some of them as a result. In other words, even children are able to always knock down some of the pins and score. [0008]The bars are shifted into the retract position when non-child players bowl, so that any gutter balls they bowl will fall directly into a gutter without being blocked. [0009]The fact that this gutter prevention system allows children to always knock down some of the pins and score encourages them to maintain interest in the game. Moreover, children are able to bowl along with adolescent and older players in the same lane, so that they are able to enjoy a household bowling outing to interact with as a family. [0010]Additionally, the following systems have been also proposed: a system configured so that bars simultaneously shift vertically between a blocking position and a retract position lower than the blocking position (reference is made to Japanese Unexamined Pat. App. Pub. Nos. H10-151235 and 2002-65933), and a system configured so that the gutters rotate toward the lane about axes paralleling the lane lengthwise (reference is made to Japanese Unexamined Pat. App. Pub. No. H10-506031). Both of these play the same role as that of the system explained in the foregoing. [0011]Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Pat. App. Pub. No. H7-155424. [0012]Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Pat. App. Pub. No. H9-84923. [0013]Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Pat. App. Pub. No. H11-164931. [0014]Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Pat. App. Pub. No. H10-151235. [0015]Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Pat. App. Pub. No. 2002-65933. [0016]Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Pat. App. Pub. No. H10-506031. [0017]Conventional gutter-ball prevention devices, however, are less than adequate to maintain children's interest in a bowling game to allow them to enjoy household bowling outings, because children can see a ball they have bowled being prevented from slipping into one of the gutters by the bar members, so that they recognize they were able to knock down pins owing to the gutter-ball prevention devices, not their own ability. [0018]An object of the present invention, brought about in consideration of the circumstances discussed above, is to make available a bowling game system that prevents without being noticed by the players, a bowled ball from slipping into one of the gutters. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION [0019]The present invention for achieving the above-stated object involves a bowling ball players bowl, a bowling game system furnished with an approach where the players roll the ball, a lane extending from the approach and on which the ball bowled by the players rolls, a plurality of bowling pins arranged on the end of the lane opposite the approach, trough-like gutters lying on the both sides of the lane and receiving the ball slipping off the lane, and the bowling game system characterized in that a plurality of first permanent magnets are implanted in the ball with their faces being along the surface of the ball being same in polarity, and characterized in being further provided with a travel direction-changing mechanism for preventing the ball from falling into one of the gutters by the action of magnetic force on the first magnets in the ball rolling down the lane to produce force of magnetic attraction or repulsion. [0020]In accordance with this bowling game system, when the players bowl the ball in which the plurality of first permanent magnets are implanted, magnetic force of the travel direction-changing mechanism acts on the first permanent magnets, which is attracted or repelled, so that the ball continues to roll down the lane toward the pins, while being prevented from falling into one of the gutters. [0021]Additionally, because the magnetic force of the travel direction-changing mechanism is invisible, the players do not recognize that the magnetic force prevents the ball from falling into the gutters, so that the players are made to believe that they could roll the ball at the pins to knock them down, on their own. Continue reading about Bowling game machine... Full patent description for Bowling game machine Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Bowling game machine patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Bowling game machine or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Homokinetic displacement joint Next Patent Application: Systems and methods for measuring and/or analyzing swing information Industry Class: Games using tangible projectile ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Bowling game machine patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.1451 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Tyco , Unilever , Warner-lambert , 3m 174 |
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