Abstract
A flipper system for retrofitting existing flippers of a pinball game which rotate in operative engagement with a solenoid, with new flippers. The new flippers have an opening which is removably engageable upon an engagement end of a rotatable actuator shaft and can include hollow cavities within a metal body of the new flipper. An improved connection to the existing solenoid is provided by inclusion of a actuator shaft and clamp with the system.
Claims
1. A flipper system for a pinball game, comprising: a flipper, said flipper having a body, said body having a first end extending to a second end; an opening adjacent said first end of said body; an actuator shaft having a first end opposite an engagement end; said first end of said actuator shaft positionable to an operative engagement with a solenoid of said pinball machine whereby a translation of said solenoid rotates said actuator shaft; and said opening removably engageable upon said engagement end of said actuator shaft.
2. The flipper system for a pinball game of claim 1 additionally comprising: a hollow cavity formed along an axis of said flipper body, said axis running in between said first end of said flipper body and said second end thereof.
3. The flipper system for a pinball game of claim 1 additionally comprising: a ledge running around a perimeter edge of said body of said flipper; and a polymeric bumper removably engageable upon said ledge.
4. The flipper system for a pinball game of claim 1 additionally comprising: a ledge running around a perimeter edge of said body of said flipper; and a polymeric bumper removably engageable upon said ledge.
5. The flipper system for a pinball game of claim 1 additionally comprising: said engagement end having a first taper; and said opening having a second taper complementary to said first taper wherein engagement of said opening upon said engagement end self-centers said opening thereon.
6. The flipper system for a pinball game of claim 2 additionally comprising: said engagement end having a first taper; and said opening having a second taper complementary to said first taper wherein engagement of said opening upon said engagement end self-centers said opening thereon.
7. The flipper system for a pinball game of claim 3 additionally comprising: said engagement end having a first taper; and said opening having a second taper complementary to said first taper wherein engagement of said opening upon said engagement end self-centers said opening thereon.
8. The flipper system for a pinball game of claim 4 additionally comprising: said engagement end having a first taper; and said opening having a second taper complementary to said first taper wherein engagement of said opening upon said engagement end self-centers said opening thereon.
9. The flipper system for a pinball game of claim 1 wherein said operative engagement of said first end of said actuator shaft with a solenoid comprises: a clamp having a shaft opening which is engageable to said actuator shaft in between said first end thereof and said engagement end thereof; and an aperture engageable to a rotating connection at a distal end of a plunger of said solenoid.
10. The flipper system for a pinball game of claim 2 wherein said operative engagement of said first end of said actuator shaft with a solenoid comprises: a clamp having a shaft opening which is engageable to said actuator shaft at an engagement point in-between said first end thereof and said engagement end thereof; and an aperture engageable to a rotating connection at a distal end of a plunger of said solenoid.
11. The flipper system for a pinball game of claim 9 additionally comprising: said shaft opening having a planar area therein; said engagement point of said actuator shaft having a planar surface area; and said shaft opening compressible to contact said planar area against said planar surface area.
12. The flipper system for a pinball game of claim 10 additionally comprising: said shaft opening having a planar area therein; said engagement point of said actuator shaft having a planar surface area; and said shaft opening compressible to contact said planar area against said planar surface area.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES
[0032] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate some, but not the only or exclusive examples of embodiments and/or features of the disclosed pinball arcade game flipper system herein. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative of the invention herein, rather than limiting in any fashion.
[0033] In the drawings:
[0034] FIG. 1 shows an overhead view of a removably engageable flipper of the system herein.
[0035] FIG. 2 shows a bottom view of the flipper of FIG. 1.
[0036] FIG. 3 depicts a sectional view through the flipper of FIG. 2 along line 3-3.
[0037] FIG. 4 shows a side view of a flipper actuator or motor shaft on which the flippers herein operatively engage and can be provided herein.
[0038] FIG. 5 shows a mode of the distal or engagement end of the flipper motor shaft on which the flippers herein removably engage.
[0039] FIG. 6 shows a flipper body of the system herein adjacent a flipper motor shaft which the user may engage to an existing pinball machine.
[0040] FIG. 7 shows a kit of flippers of different sizes where each is engageable to the actuator herein.
[0041] FIG. 8 depicts a flipper of the system herein having a ledge thereon for engaging a bumper.
[0042] FIG. 9 depicts the elastic engagement of a bumper upon the ledge of a chosen flipper.
[0043] FIG. 10 shows a kit of bumpers which may have differing frictional and durometer qualities wherein each is adapted for removable engagement upon a flipper, as in FIG. 9.
[0044] FIG. 11 depicts an overhead perspective view of a mode of the flipper of the system herein having a cavity which communicates through the body between openings at the top and bottom surfaces.
[0045] FIG. 12 shows another view of the flipper of FIG. 11.
[0046] FIG. 13 depicts a clamp which may be included in the system herein along with the shaft shown in FIG. 14.
[0047] FIG. 14 shows a preferred actuator shaft configuration for an actuator shaft provided in combination with a flipper and clamp.
[0048] FIG. 15 depicts a conventional solenoid engaged to a clamp of the system herein and shows the shaft of FIG. 14 engaged with the provided clamp.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0049] Referring now to the arcade game flipper system 10 herein shown in simple format by the depictions of FIGS. 1-15, there is seen in FIG. 1 an overhead view of a removably engageable flipper 12 of the system 10 herein. As shown, the flipper 12 has a body 16 which tapers from a wider first end to a narrow distal end. The body 16 has an opening 14 communicating therethrough from the top to the bottom of the body 16. This opening 14 is configured for engagement of the flipper 16 upon an engagement end 28 of an actuator shaft 18 (FIG. 4) which, in a pinball machine, rotates when the player operates flipper switches.
[0050] A flipper 12, configured for use, will conventionally have a bumper 20 which is configured to mount around a circumferential ledge 22 (FIG. 6) which projects from the body 16 of the flipper 12.
[0051] In FIG. 2 is depicted the bottom view of the flipper 12 of FIG. 1. As shown, the body 16 of the flipper 12 can include a void or cavity 24 therein which is employed to alter the total mass and therefor the contact power of the flipper 12 during contact with a ball of the pinball machine. The volume or size of such a cavity 24 can be altered or changed in the bodies of flippers 12 such that they can be rated for mass which will allow for choosing of a respective flipper 12 by users which has the desired mass. Also shown in FIGS. 1-2 are secondary openings 26 which may be employed with a mounting tool, such as a puller to remove a flipper 12 from an engagement with the actuator shaft 18 when it is tightly engaged.
[0052] Shown in FIG. 3 is a sectional view through the body 16 of a flipper 12 of FIG. 2 along line 3-3. In the view of FIG. 3, the cavity 24 is shown, as is the opening 14, communicating through the body 16 adjacent the first end of the flipper 12. As shown, the opening 14 is tapered in size and shape in a configuration which matches a taper of the distal or engagement end 28 of the depicted flipper actuator shaft in FIG. 4 on which the body 16 of the flipper 12 engages.
[0053] This tapering of both the opening 14 and the distal or engagement end 28 of a actuator shaft 18 is preferred in that it provides a strong removable mount for the flipper 12 upon the actuator shaft 18 which is easily disengaged to allow for the engagement of other similarly configured flippers 12, such as from a kit thereof, as in FIG. 7. As noted herein, the actuator shaft 18 with such a taper and or splines on the distal end or engagement end can be included in the system 10 provided to the user. In most cases conventional pinball machine flippers are permanently engaged to such an actuator shaft and cannot be removed so the combination in the system 10 of an actuator shaft 18 and flipper 12 together is preferred where the pinball machine has the original hardware therein but employs a conventional clamp similar to that of FIGS. 13 and 15 to rotatably connect the shaft 18 to a solenoid or motor.
[0054] As noted, in FIG. 4 is depicted a preferred configuration for an actuator shaft 18 for employment with a pinball machine which will removably engage at the distal or engagement 28 end with any of the flippers 12 having a matching mating opening 14 therein. A mounting fastener 29, such as a screw (FIG. 14), is engaged in the mounting cavity 30 to hold the body 16 of a flipper 12 of the system 10 herein in the removable operative engagement with the engagement end 28 of an actuator shaft 18. Splines 31 (FIG. 14) or mating recesses may be included upon the engagement end 28 which are configured to match similar splined areas in the opening 14 of the flipper 12. The first end of the actuator shaft 18 is engageable to an existing solenoid 36 (FIG. 15) of a pinball machine in an operable engagement. By operable engagement of the first end of the actuator shaft 18 is meant that it will rotate when the solenoid 36 is actuated by the player using a flipper button or switch. This operative engagement can be by using a clamp 34 as shown herein which is a widely employed means for operative engagement of such actuator shafts 18.
[0055] Shown in FIG. 5 is a view of a conventional positioning of the distal end of the actuator shaft 18 of the system 10 herein as it will be positioned to rise above the playing surface of a conventional pinball machine 32. As shown the engagement end 28 projects above the playing surface of the pinball machine 32 and provides for easy removable engagement of any flipper 12 herein which would have the lower opening 14 configuration to match and removably mount to the distal or engagement end 28 of the projecting actuator shaft 18. The shown engagement end 28 has splines 31 as in FIG. 14 which, as noted, may mate with the recesses between complimentary shaped splines within the opening 14.
[0056] In configurations of the system 10 herein, used to retrofit an existing pinball machine 32, the components shown in FIG. 6 and or FIGS. 13-14, can be provided in a combination. Existing actuator shafts 18 can be replaced with the actuator shaft 18 of FIG. 6 or the like, which will be configured on the engagement end 28 to removably operatively engage with any of the flippers 12 in the system 10. The first end of the provided actuator shaft 18 will be configured to either operatively engage with a conventional clamp 34 of a pinball machine which engages with a solenoid 36, as in FIG. 6. The second end of the provided actuator shaft 18 will be configured to removably engage with any flipper 12 herein. It should be noted that the clamp 34 (FIGS. 13 and 15) of conventional pinball machines have a round shaft opening 38 therein and where the existing clamp is used the first end of the actuator shaft 18 herein would be round in a diameter sized to operatively connect to the existing clamp 34. Once the actuator shaft 18 is connected to a clamp 34 which is engaged to a user actuated solenoid 36, any flipper 12 herein may be engaged to the engagement end 28 of the actuator shaft 18 in a removable engagement allowing replacement using another flipper 12 if needed or desired.
[0057] As shown in FIG. 7, the system 10 herein can provide kits of flippers 12 wherein the players may pick or be assigned any flipper 12 from the kit thereof which is configured to engage the actuator shafts 18 of the intended pinball machine 32. While shown with three flippers 12 of differing lengths, the kit of flippers 12 can also include an unlimited number of flippers 12 having different lengths, widths, mass, or other characteristics as noted herein.
[0058] As with the differing characteristics of the flippers 12 of the system herein 12, differing polymeric bumpers 23, which are engageable to the ledges 22 positioned on the body 16 of each flipper 12 herein, can be provided. Currently, flexible or polymeric material forming the bumpers 20 has a durometer between 30-60. To that end, the bumpers 20 can be formed of rubber, polymeric and elastic materials allowing for an easy engagement to a ledge 22, as in FIG. 9. The user will simply stretch the body of the chosen or assigned bumper 20 and engage it upon the ledge 22 of the intended flipper 12, whereupon the polymeric material thereof will contract. Once so contracted, the bumper 20 will achieve a biased or compressed engagement on the ledge 22 of the flipper 12 and be ready for use.
[0059] As noted, the system 10 can include kits of bumpers 20, such as is shown in FIG. 10, where each member of the kit is configured to operatively engage a flipper 12 of the system 10. In the kit, the durometer and exterior surface of each bumper 20 can be altered to provide differing play characteristics. For example, a softer durometer material in the durometer range of 30-60 may impact the pinball to cause it to bounce differently than where the bumper is a harder durometer. Ridges on the exterior surface of the bumper 20 will cause a pinball impacting such to possibly spring or have a differing bounce than where the exterior surface is smooth. There are many different combinations of material durometer and surface which can be formed to such bumpers 20 which, as noted, may be provided in a kit, such as in FIG. 10, where users may choose a bumper 20 with desired play characteristics or may be assigned one.
[0060] FIG. 11 depicts an overhead perspective view of a mode of the flipper 12 of the system herein having a cavity 24 which communicates entirely through the body 16 between openings at the top and bottom surfaces. The body 16, as shown, has the same means for engagement at the first end thereof in the form of the opening 14 adapted for engagement to an actuator shaft 18. A second view of the device, as in FIG. 11, is shown in FIG. 12. The opening 14 such as shown in FIGS. 11-12 FIG. 3 can be configured with a tapered sidewall 40 which may be smooth or may include splines 31 (FIGS. 5 and 14) to engage with similar splines 31 on the engagement end 28 of the actuator shaft 18 shown herein. While the tapered configuration of both the opening 14 and engagement end 28 of the actuator shaft 18 is currently preferred, in order to self-center and self-level the engaged flipper 12 during an engagement, other cooperative engagements between the actuator shaft 18 and flipper 12 are anticipated and considered within the scope of this application.
[0061] As noted, FIG. 13 shows a clamp 34 which may be included in the system 10 herein along with the actuator shaft 18 and flipper 12. The clamp 34, shown in FIG. 13 and in FIG. 15, is configured at a first end thereof to operatively connect with the translating plunger 44 of a conventional solenoid 36 widely used on conventional mechanical slot machines. The conventional clamp 34 has a shaft opening 38 which is round and engages a round actuator shaft 18. As noted, where the system 10 is provided to just use the conventional clamp, then the first end of the actuator shaft 18 will be round and in a diameter sized for a compressive engagement with the conventional clamp.
[0062] However, it has been found that a superior rotational engagement of the actuator shaft 18 with the plunger 44 of a solenoid 36 can be achieved by forming the first end of the actuator shaft 18 with a planar surface 46 thereon which mates to a planar side 18 of the shaft opening 38 as shown in FIG. 13. This engagement has shown in experimentation to be much more secure and totally resistant to slipping, which was found to sometimes occur where the flipper 12 herein is engaged using an actuator shaft 18 having a round first end. As such, in a mode of the system 10 herein which is resistant to slippage of the engagement of the actuator shaft 18 to the clamp 34, the system 10 provided the user would include the flipper 12, and an actuator shaft 18 as in FIG. 14 having the planar surface 48, along with a clamp 34 as in FIG. 13 which has a mating planar side 48 of the shaft opening 38 to contact against the planar surface 46.
[0063] This configuration is shown in FIG. 15 which shows the internal mechanism of conventional mechanical pinball machines as they have been employed for decades. As shown, the solenoid 36, once energized by the player pushing a flipper button or switch, will have a plunger 44 which will translate in one direction until the electric energy ceases wherein it will retract under the force of for example a spring. The plunger 44 is rotationally engaged to the shaft opening 38 on one end of the clamp 34 and will cause the clamp 34 to rotate along with the actuator shaft 18 which is engaged in a bearing or the like and communicates through the play surface of the pinball machine as shown best un FIG. 5 where the engagement end 28 projects above the play surface of the pinball machine 32. Also shown is the compressive engagement of an actuator shaft 18 which occurs in the conventional clamp 34 as well as the planar surface 48 clamp 34 herein.
[0064] As noted above, the planar surface 46 on the actuator shaft 18 of the system 10 herein is preferred where it is anticipated that the significant force of a metal flipper 12 impacting a metal pinball, might cause slippage. The compressive engagement of such clamps 34 is provided by a fastener such as a screw which will pull one side of the clamp 34 on an opposite side of a slot communicating with the shaft opening 38, inward to form the compressive engagement.
[0065] While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of the disclosed pinball arcade game flipper system herein have been shown and described herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and it will be apparent that in some instances, some features of the flipper system may be employed without a corresponding use of other features thereof, without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. It should also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the art upon their review of this specification, without departing from the spirit or scope of the flipper invention herein. Consequently, all such modifications and variations and substitutions are included within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
