Sports and game equipment and rotating device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sports and gaming device for throwing or shooting games, comprising: a target disc having a circular target surface, which is divided in the circumferential direction into a number n of circular sectors of equal size, at least a portion of which is rotatably mounted; an actuator in operative connection with the target disc for rotating at least a portion of the target disc by an angular step alpha of less than 360 DEG; a control unit in operative connection with the actuator for controlling the actuator; and at least one sensor operatively connected to the control unit and designed to detect a strike on the target surface and to transmit a signal to the control unit. The invention also relates to a rotating device for receiving and rotating a target disc with a circular target surface for a throwing or shooting game.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sports and gaming device for a throwing or shooting game, which device comprises a rotatable target disc having a circular target surface and a sensor for detecting hits on the target surface. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a rotating device for accommodating and rotating a target disc having a circular target surface for a throwing or shooting game. Background Art

[0002] Darts is a skill-based game and precision sport in which arrows (i.e., darts) are thrown at a disc (i.e., dartboard). The front side of the dartboard serves as the target surface. The back side of the dartboard is used to fasten the dartboard, for example, to a wall. The target surface is divided into 20 target sections with scores from 1 to 20 in the form of circular sectors, each occupying 18° (20 x 18° = 360°). The single bullseye and the bull's-eye form the center point of the dartboard. Additionally, there are two circumferential rings of different diameters, namely, the double ring on the outer diameter of the target surface (the score for this area is twice the score of the area) and the triple ring between the center and the outer diameter of the dartboard (the score for this area is three times the score of the area).

[0003] In a classic dartboard made of sisal fibers, the individual sections are separated from each other along the section boundaries by a wire mesh. This wire structure is called a spider web. In a similar manner, the numbers are attached to wire rings, which are fastened to the edge of the dartboard by clamping connectors. Each player usually has only one set of three darts available. During the game, the player throws his three darts, then retrieves the darts from the dartboard and makes room for the next player. During training, once the number of darts inserted into the dartboard is too large and the darts interfere with possible subsequent hits, the darts must be removed from the dartboard. Therefore, the continuity of user training is frequently interrupted.

[0004] Another problem is the uneven use of the dartboard, resulting in the high-score areas or their adjacent areas being hit more frequently and thus wearing out more easily than other areas. This affects both steel dartboards at which darts with steel tips are thrown and soft dartboards at which darts with plastic tips are thrown and which are equipped with electronic devices for scoring.

[0005] Devices with rotatable dartboards or dartboards with rotatable target surfaces are known from the prior art.

[0006] On the one hand, it has been proposed to rotate the dartboard by a specific angle between games to achieve as even wear as possible.

[0007] For example, CN106940154B discloses a detachable dartboard rotating device, which includes a dartboard and a positioning structure. The dartboard is equipped with a first positioning module. The positioning structure may include a pivot and a second positioning module, which are provided on the surface of the positioning structure. The shaft of the dartboard is detachably mounted on the pivot in a rotatable manner, and the first positioning module and the second positioning module are combined to position the dartboard. The detachable rotating device for the dartboard of the invention enables the dartboard to rotate, so that the smaller hitting area of the dart hole is located below the bull's-eye, so that the dartboard can continue to be used, thus extending the service life of the dartboard.

[0008] CN106949789A describes an automatic rotating electronic target. The automatic rotating electronic target board includes a target body base, a circular target body frame and an annular sub-circle pressing plate. A circle of gear teeth is provided on the side surface of the base. A motor is fixedly installed on the target body base, and a gear is fixedly installed on the output shaft of the motor. An opening is provided on the side wall of the first groove between the motor and the base, and the gear meshes with the gear teeth on the side surface of the base through this opening. The motor is connected with a controller. According to this automatic rotating electronic target, the electronic control of the target body frame of the rotating electronic target is realized, and a stepping motor is used to make the rotation angle accurate, ensuring the quality of the product.

[0009] In addition to the automatically rotatable dartboards, manually rotatable devices are also known, such as those from GB2471337B, GB2234186A or US7866668B2.

[0010] Devices are also known that include a dartboard that can rotate during the game to increase the fun of the game.

[0011] For example, DE19651703C2 describes a dartboard that has a lower side part and an upper side part. The lower side part is provided with a plurality of operation buttons, and the upper side part is provided with a display to display data representing the game state, and has a rear wall to which the dartboard is attached. The dartboard is rotatably fastened to the wall. The fixing plate attached to the rear wall bears a rotatable plate on a shaft and a ball bearing. The fixing plate is provided with a series of electric slide rails. The rotatable plate is provided with a corresponding number of sliding pins, which are pressed against the slide rails in an electrically contacting manner when the rotatable plate rotates. The dartboard can be driven by a motor or rotated manually.

[0012] Finally, US3836148A discloses an automatically scoring dartboard that uses a dart arrow with a magnet fastened thereto to throw at the dartboard. The dartboard is rotatably fastened to a frame and is driven by an electric motor that rotates the dartboard at a slow speed. A plurality of magnetically activatable switches are located behind the rotating dartboard and are aligned with the grooves of the dartboard, so that the magnet and the dart arrow rotate through the switches, as a result of which the switches are actuated, which triggers the score in the optical display. Summary of the Invention

[0013] The object of the present invention is to provide a sports and gaming device and a rotating device to achieve more effective training.

[0014] This object is achieved by the features of independent claim 1 and independent claim 19. Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0015] To achieve this object, a sports and gaming device for a throwing or shooting game is proposed, which comprises:

[0016] - A target board having a circular target surface, which is circumferentially divided into n equally sized circular sectors, wherein at least a part of the target board is rotatably mounted;

[0017] - An actuator, which is operatively connected to the target board connector for rotating at least a part of the target board by an angular step α of less than 360°;

[0018] - A control device, which is operatively connected to the actuator for controlling the actuator;

[0019] - At least one sensor, which is operatively connected to the control device and is designed to detect hits on the target surface and transmit signals to the control device.

[0020] The target surface is preferably circumferentially divided into n = 20 equally sized 18° circular sectors.

[0021] The rotation of a part of the target board advantageously takes place about the center point of the target surface. In particular, the part of the target board formed by the target surface rotates, while the part of the target board that does not belong to the target surface is designed to be fixed. Alternatively, other areas of the target board can also rotate, such as the housing and / or the edge area and / or the digital ring for indicating the values of the individual areas of the target surface.

[0022] The sports and gaming device according to the invention is preferably designed as a soft dart board or a steel dart board.

[0023] It can be provided that the actuator is an electric motor, such as a servo motor.

[0024] Furthermore, it can be provided that the actuator drives at least one drive pinion, which is operatively connected to the target board. The angular step by which the drive pinion must rotate can thus be advantageously and precisely defined in order to cause the desired angular step α for rotating the target board or a part of the target board.

[0025] Alternatively, it can be provided that the actuator drives a belt drive.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment, the target disc is supported at the edge defining the target disc by two or more rotatable mounting rollers. This provides a particularly stable mounting form against the background that commercially available dartboards are usually relatively heavy.

[0027] Furthermore, it can be arranged that at least one mounting roller simultaneously forms a drive pinion.

[0028] The drive pinion is preferably a toothed pinion and is operatively connected to the gear teeth arranged on the target disc.

[0029] In particular, the gear teeth are arranged on the edge defining the target disc.

[0030] Alternatively, it can be arranged that the drive pinion is designed as a friction wheel.

[0031] In another preferred embodiment, the actuator drives a shaft that is operatively connected to the center point of the target surface and is simultaneously used for rotatably mounting the target disc. This structure is particularly space-saving in terms of its implementation.

[0032] It can be arranged that the sensor is designed to detect vibrations induced by hits on the target surface.

[0033] The site on the target surface that is hit may be irrelevant here. The user of the sports and gaming device according to the invention can advantageously focus their training on a specific area of the target surface, where it can be assumed that their hits are at least close to the desired area. After transmitting a signal or a specific number of signals to the control device, the target area that may have been filled with darts is released again for throwing new darts by rotating the target disc or a part of the target disc.

[0034] It is conceivable that the sensor designed to detect vibrations has a detection area in a specific area of the target surface. For example, the sensor can be arranged at a site behind the target surface where the target surface is hit particularly frequently. For example, if the sports and gaming device according to the invention is used for intensive dart training, this can be the triple ring area arranged in the circular sector with a score of 20, where the highest score can be obtained in a conventional dart game. The sensor is preferably not arranged in the center point area of the target surface because this position remains unchanged when the target disc rotates.

[0035] Furthermore, it can be arranged that the sensor designed to detect vibrations is detachable, and the user of the sports and gaming device according to the invention can attach the sensor at any site of interest on the rear side of the target surface.

[0036] Furthermore, it can be arranged that the sensitivity of the sensor designed to detect vibrations is adjustable to reduce or increase the size of the target surface area detected by the sensor.

[0037] Furthermore, it can be arranged that there are multiple sensors, each of which is designed to detect vibrations caused by hits within a specific area of the target surface. For example, in a traditional dartboard, each individual hitting area on the target surface can be connected to a sensor, enabling a user of the sports and gaming device according to the present invention to focus their training on any area of the target surface. Even if only one sensor for detecting vibrations across the entire target surface is arranged, training focus on any area of the target surface can be advantageously achieved.

[0038] It can also be arranged to couple a sensor for a specific area or multiple sensors for different areas to a control unit incorporating artificial intelligence. In this way, it can be envisaged that further rotation of the target surface is triggered only when, through artificial intelligence, a specific number of hits or a specific score (defined by the user) is judged to have been reached within a specific area, regardless of other hits or the total score achieved by which hits.

[0039] In another embodiment of the present invention, it can be arranged that the sensor is a camera, the detection field of which includes the target surface. Thus, the exact area to be detected can be advantageously selected, such as a single area in the target surface, and the user of the sports and gaming device according to the present invention can easily change this area.

[0040] The control device preferably activates the actuator after the sensor transmits a signal of quantity i, preferably after every three signals are transmitted. Thus, after a specific quantity i is reached, that is, after the number of hits within the sensor detection field or the number of hits on the target surface, the target disc is caused to rotate by an angular step α of less than 360°. Since the sensor remains in its original position, after the target disc rotates, a new detection field is assigned to the sensor. If only one sensor designed to detect vibrations caused by hits on the target surface is arranged, this sensor can also rotate when the target disc rotates, or can be arranged to be fixed in place.

[0041] It can be arranged that the quantity i can be selected and set by the user of the sports and gaming device.

[0042] Furthermore, it can be arranged that the control device can also activate the actuator based on voice control and / or noise control, such as by clapping and / or whistling and / or finger-snapping or similar noises, and / or triggered by an input on an external device, such as an application on a smartphone and / or a smartwatch and / or a tablet.

[0043] In a preferred embodiment, the angle α is an integer multiple of 360° / n, preferably one or two times 360° / n. Thus, the target disc preferably rotates by a sufficient angle after rotation such that the partition of the target surface is again in the position where other partitions were before rotation.

[0044] In a traditional dartboard, the angle α is an integer multiple of 18°, preferably 18° or 36°. When the divisor n is odd, the color of the partition after rotation is inconsistent with the color of the partition at this position before rotation. When the divisor n is even, the color positioning on the target surface in the selected circular sector remains unchanged.

[0045] The rotation can be clockwise or counterclockwise.

[0046] It can be set so that the angle α can be selected and set by the user of the sports and game device.

[0047] In addition, it can be set to arrange an indicating device for indicating the score value assigned to the sector outside the target surface. For example, it can be a digital circle.

[0048] The indicating device can be arranged in a non-rotatable manner, or can be alternately rotated and fixed.

[0049] For example, an additional non-rotatable screen fastened in a detachable manner can be arranged to cover the indicating device arranged on the sports and game device, and the screen can also be designed to indicate the score value assigned to the sector.

[0050] In a preferred embodiment, the sports and game device also has a mounting member for attaching the device to a wall or a tripod.

[0051] The sensor, actuator and control device are preferably arranged on the mounting member, and the target disc can be attached to the mounting member in a replaceable manner.

[0052] Therefore, a traditional target disc can be advantageously equipped with the sports and game device according to the present invention.

[0053] In addition, the mounting member preferably has a buffering device for buffering the vibration of the target surface.

[0054] The object of the present invention is also achieved by a rotating device for accommodating and rotating a target disc with a circular target surface for a throwing or shooting game. The rotating device includes:

[0055] - A mounting member for accommodating and fixing the target disc;

[0056] - An actuator for rotating the accommodated target disc by an angle step α less than 360°;

[0057] - A control device operatively connected to the actuator for controlling the actuator;

[0058] - At least one sensor operatively connected to the control device and designed to detect hits on the target surface and transmit signals to the control device.

[0059] The structure of the rotating device is similar to that of the sports and gaming equipment of the present invention. However, the target board is not part of the rotating device but can be separately attached to the rotating device. In this way, the present invention provides a retrofit solution for existing target boards, enabling the rotation of the target board after detecting a specific number of hits.

[0060] The actuator of the rotating device can be an electric motor, such as a servo motor. It can be arranged such that the actuator drives at least one drive pinion that can be operatively connected to the target board. Therefore, the angular step by which the drive pinion must rotate in order to cause the target board or a part of the target board to rotate by a desired angular step α can be advantageously and precisely defined.

[0061] Alternatively, it can be arranged such that the actuator drives a belt drive.

[0062] In a preferred embodiment, the rotating device includes two or more rotatable mounting rollers between which the target board can be received, such that the target board is supported at the edges defining the target board by the mounting rollers. This provides a particularly stable mounting form against the background that commercially available dart boards are usually relatively heavy.

[0063] Furthermore, it can be arranged such that at least one mounting roller simultaneously forms the drive pinion.

[0064] The drive pinion is preferably a toothed pinion that is operatively connected to the gear teeth arranged on the target board.

[0065] Alternatively, it can be arranged such that the drive pinion is designed as a friction wheel.

[0066] In another preferred embodiment, the actuator drives a shaft that can be operatively connected to the center point of the target surface and is simultaneously used for the rotatable mounting of the target board. This structure is particularly space-saving in terms of implementation.

[0067] It can be arranged such that the sensor is designed to detect the vibrations induced by hits on the target surface of the target board received in the rotating device.

[0068] Furthermore, it can be arranged that there are multiple sensors, each of which is designed to detect the vibrations induced by hits in a specific area of the target surface.

[0069] In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, it can be arranged that the sensor is a camera whose detection field includes the target surface of the received target board.

[0070] The control device preferably activates the actuator after the sensor transmits a signal of quantity i, preferably after every three signals are transmitted. Therefore, after reaching the specific quantity i, that is, the number of hits within the detection area of the sensor or the number of hits on the target surface, the target disc is caused to rotate by an angular step of less than 360°. Since the sensor remains in its original position, after the target disc rotates, a new detection area is assigned to the sensor. If only one sensor designed to detect the vibration caused by hitting the target surface is arranged, when the target disc rotates, this sensor can also rotate or can be arranged to be fixed in place.

[0071] It can be set that the quantity i can be selected and set by the user of the rotating device.

[0072] In addition, it can be set that the control device can also activate the actuator based on voice control and / or noise control, such as by clapping and / or whistling and / or snapping fingers or similar noises, and / or triggered by an input on an external device, such as an application on a smartphone and / or a smartwatch and / or a tablet.

[0073] In a preferred embodiment, the angle α is an integer multiple of 360° / n, preferably one or two times 360° / n. Therefore, after rotation, the target disc preferably rotates by a sufficient angle so that the partition of the target surface is again in the position where other partitions were before rotation.

[0074] In a traditional dartboard, the angle α is an integer multiple of 18°, preferably 18° or 36°. When the divisor n is odd, the color of the partition after rotation is inconsistent with the color of the partition at this position before rotation, while when the divisor n is even, the color positioning on the target surface in the selected circular sector remains unchanged.

[0075] The rotation can be clockwise or counterclockwise.

[0076] It can be set that the angle α can be selected and set by the user of the rotating device.

[0077] In addition, it can be set that an indicating device for indicating the score value assigned to the partition is arranged on the rotating device. For example, it can be a digital circle.

[0078] The indicating device can be arranged in a non-rotatable manner, or can be alternately rotatable and fixed.

[0079] For example, an additional non-rotatable screen fastened in a detachable manner can be provided to cover the indicating device arranged on the rotating device, and this screen can also be designed to indicate the score value assigned to the partition.

[0080] In a preferred embodiment, the mounting member of the rotating device further includes a buffering device for buffering the vibration of the target surface of the accommodated target disc.

[0081] The sensor, the actuator and the control device are preferably arranged on a mounting member to which the target disc is removably attached.

[0082] The sports and gaming device and the rotating device according to the present invention advantageously provide the possibility of making the training of throwing or shooting games more effective. In particular, by rotating the target disc by a specific angular step after a specific number of hits, the user can continuously throw a large number of darts in an area that can usually accommodate only three darts. In this way, the user does not have to frequently remove the darts from the device, thereby improving the training efficiency. Description of the Drawings

[0083] The present invention will be described in more detail by the following embodiments and the related drawings, in which:

[0084] Figure 1 A front view of the sports and gaming device according to the present invention is shown;

[0085] Figure 2 A rear view of the sports and gaming device according to the present invention is shown. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0086] Figure 1 A front view of the sports and gaming device according to the present invention is shown.

[0087] The sports and gaming device includes a target disc 1 having a circular target surface 2. The target surface 2 is divided into n equally sized circular sectors in the circumferential direction, and these sectors are truncated by an inner ring 2.1 and an outer ring 2.2. The target disc 1 is mounted in a manner that can rotate about the center point of the target surface 2.

[0088] The rotation is driven by an actuator ( Figure 1 not shown in the figure) by an angular step α of less than 360° each time. In the illustrated embodiment, the angular step α is exactly equal to the angle spanned by the circular sectors of the target surface 2. Therefore, in the illustrated embodiment, α is 18°. Thus, the rotation angular step α causes the circular sectors to move forward by one position.

[0089] The target disc 1 is supported at the edge 1.1 defining the target disc 1 by mounting rollers 7. In the present exemplary embodiment, three mounting rollers 7 are used, one of which is arranged at the upper edge and two are arranged at the lower edge. One of the mounting rollers 7 at the lower edge also forms a drive pinion 6 for rotating the target disc 1.

[0090] Figure 1 The mounting member 9 can also be seen in the figure, by which the sports and gaming device is fastened to a wall or a tripod.

[0091] Figure 2Shows the back of the sports and gaming device according to the present invention. An actuator 3 is arranged on the back of the target disc 1, which is operatively connected to the control device 4. The actuator 3 drives the drive pinion 6, which is arranged at the edge 1.1 of the target disc 1 and simultaneously forms the mounting roller 7. In the illustrated embodiment, two additional mounting rollers 7 are also provided at the edge 1.1 of the target disc 1, and the position of the mounting roller 7 arranged at the upper edge is adjustable (shown in dashed lines), so that the target disc 1 can be released to be removed from the sports and gaming device.

[0092] A sensor 5 is also arranged on the back of the target disc 1 for detecting the vibration caused by a hit on the target surface. Once the sensor 5 detects the vibration, that is, a hit is detected, it transmits a signal to the control device 4, and the control device activates the actuator 3 after receiving a specific number i of signals, thereby triggering the rotation of the target disc. The rotation preferably occurs after three hits, because a single area, especially the inner and outer ring areas of the target surface ( Figure 1 the reference numerals 2.1 and 2.2 in) usually do not have enough space to accommodate more than three darts. Especially when a skilled user trains to hit a specific area using the sports and gaming device of the present invention, it can be assumed that the hits detected by the sensor 5 also fall on or near the targeted area, and the target area is released again by the rotation angle step α so that a new dart can be thrown.

[0093] List of reference numerals

[0094] 1 Target disc

[0095] 1.1 Edge of the target disc

[0096] 2 Target surface

[0097] 2.1 Inner ring

[0098] 2.2 Outer ring

[0099] 3 Actuator

[0100] 4 Control device

[0101] 5 Sensor

[0102] 6 Drive pinion

[0103] 7 Mounting roller

[0104] 8 Indicator device

[0105] 9 Mounting

[0106] α Angle step

Claims

1. A sports and gaming device for a throwing or shooting game, which comprises: - A target board (1) having a circular target surface (2), which is circumferentially divided into n equally sized circular sectors, wherein at least a part of the target board (1) is rotatably mounted; - An actuator (3) operatively connected to the target board for rotating at least a part of the target board (1) by an angular step α of less than 360°; - A control device (4) operatively connected to the actuator (3) for controlling the actuator (3); - At least one sensor (5) operatively connected to the control device (4) and designed to detect hits on the target surface (2) and transmit signals to the control device (4).

2. The sports and gaming device according to claim 1, wherein the actuator (3) drives at least one drive pinion (6) operatively connected to the target board (1).

3. The sports and gaming device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the target board (1) is supported at the edge (1.1) defining the target board (1) by two or more rotatable mounting rollers (7).

4. The sports and gaming device according to claims 2 and 3, wherein at least one mounting roller (7) simultaneously forms the drive pinion (6).

5. The sports and gaming device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the drive pinion (6) is a toothed pinion operatively connected to the gear teeth arranged on the target board (1).

6. The sports and gaming device according to claim 5, wherein the gear teeth are arranged on the edge (1.1) defining the target board (1).

7. The sports and gaming device according to claim 1, wherein the actuator (3) drives a shaft operatively connected to the center point of the target surface and simultaneously used for rotatably mounting the target board (1).

8. The sports and gaming device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the sensor (5) is designed to detect vibrations caused by hits on the target surface.

9. The sports and gaming device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the sensor (5) is a camera, the detection field of which includes the target surface.

10. The sports and gaming device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the control device (4) activates the actuator (3) after the sensor (5) transmits i signals, preferably after every three signal transmissions.

11. The sports and gaming device according to claim 10, wherein the number i can be selected and set by the user of the sports and gaming device.

12. The sports and gaming device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the angle α is an integer multiple of 360° / n, preferably one or two times 360° / n.

13. The sports and gaming device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the angle α can be selected and set by the user of the sports and gaming device.

14. The sports and gaming device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein indicating means (8) for indicating the score value assigned to a sector are arranged outside the target surface.

15. The sports and gaming device according to claim 14, wherein the indicating means (8) are arranged to be non-rotatable or alternately rotatable and fixed.

16. The sports and gaming device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, further comprising mounting means (9) for mounting the sports and gaming device to a wall or a tripod.

17. The sports and gaming device according to claim 16, wherein the sensor (5), the actuator (3) and the control device (4) are arranged on the mounting means (9), and the target disc (1) is attachable to the mounting means (9) in a replaceable manner.

18. The sports and gaming device according to claim 16 or 17, wherein the mounting means (9) comprises damping means for damping vibrations of the target surface.

19. A rotating device for a target disc having a circular target surface (2) for a throwing or shooting game, the rotating device comprising: - a mounting means (9) for receiving and fixing the target disc, - an actuator (3) for rotating the received target disc by an angular step α of less than 360°, - a control device (4) operatively connected to the actuator (3) for controlling the actuator (3), and - at least one sensor (5) operatively connected to the control device (4) and designed to detect a hit on the target surface (2) and transmit a signal to the control device (4).

20. The rotating device according to claim 19, wherein the mounting means (9) comprises damping means for damping vibrations of the target surface.

Images