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Marble track amusement device

a technology of amusement device and marble track, which is applied in the field of entertainment device, can solve the problems of limiting the overall length and height of the marble track, limiting the number of chute orientations, and limiting the height of the track, so as to facilitate assembly, disassembly and replacement of the track segments, the effect of increasing the variety of track geometries

Inactive Publication Date: 2011-03-24
ACTIVE PRODS
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]The track elements are not required to support and / or stabilize each other and, in preferred embodiments, the structural track elements do not directly contact each other. They only function to control the path of the marble, thereby substantially increasing the variety of track geometries and facilitating the ease of assembly, disassembly and replacement of track segments.

Problems solved by technology

A disadvantage of this construction is that cubes and rectangular blocks from the construction set are used to support other cubes and rectangular blocks that form the marble track, thereby limiting the overall length and height of the marble track.
Another disadvantage of this design is that the positions of the cubes and rectangular blocks are limited to points on a three-dimensional grid to provide the necessary alignment of the pieces of the construction set.
Although the heights at which the flexible elongated rods are attached to the support poles can be adjusted, this track does not permit mid-air trajectories of the marble.
This design limits the number of orientations of the chutes as well as the height of the track.

Method used

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  • Marble track amusement device
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Examples

Experimental program
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Embodiment Construction

[0039]As shown in FIG. 1, a marble track 100 includes elements such as a first downward sloping chute 120a (generically identified by numeral 120), shown as sloping to the left side of the figure, a second downward sloping chute 120b, shown as sloping to the right side of the figure, a re-director 130 to change the direction of a marble in mid-course, a tube 140, stairs 150 and a funnel 160. All of track elements 120, 130, 140, 150 and 160 are reversibly secured to at least one planar support surface 180 using attachment or mounting elements including, but not limited to, clamps, magnets (for mounting to paramagnetic or ferromagnetic support surfaces), re-usable putty (commonly referred to as “poster putty”), suction cups, or hook and loop fasteners (e.g.—Velcro® fasteners). While the planar support surface 180 in FIG. 1 is a vertical planar support surface, as discussed in further detail below, some or all of the structural elements may alternatively be reversibly secured to a subs...

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Abstract

An entertainment device including a track for rolling marbles. The track may be configured onto at least one vertical or horizontal planar support surface, such as walls, tables, doors, floors, and vertically or horizontally oriented rod-like structures, such as the branches of a tree. In one embodiment, the three-dimensional track configurations may include at least one interconnected substantially vertical and substantially horizontal support surface.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This is a continuation-in-part patent application of copending application Ser. No. 12 / 683,909, filed Jan. 7, 2010, entitled “MARBLE TRACK AMUSEMENT DEVICE”, which claimed one or more inventions which were disclosed in Provisional Application No. 61 / 204,896, filed Jan. 31, 2009, entitled “WALL COASTER” and Provisional Application No. 61 / 277,241, filed Sep. 23, 2009, entitled “WALL COASTER”. The benefit under 35 USC §119(e) of the United States provisional applications is hereby claimed, and the aforementioned applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention is directed to an entertainment device including a track for rolling marbles. It may be set up on either one or more two-dimensional or three-dimensional surfaces, or combinations thereof, where the path the marble traverses may include open-air trajectories.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]A conventional marble track toy, known as Bl...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): A63H29/08
CPCA63F7/3622A63F2007/3662A63F2007/286A63F2007/282
Inventor HOFFMAN, DANIELHOFFMAN, JAKE T.
Owner ACTIVE PRODS