Electromechanical foosball table
Patent Information
- Application Number
- FR2023002027
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-03-04
- Publication Date
- 2025-03-07
- Estimated Expiration
- 2043-03-04
Smart Images
Figure 00000005_0000 
Figure 00000005_0001
Abstract
Description
Title of the invention: Electromechanical table football
[0001] Table football is a game in which metal or plastic figurines attached to crossbars on the game table can be set in motion by the player by pulling on said bars or by making them rotate around their axis. The game consists of putting the ball into the opponent's goal. In the rest of the text, a distinction will be made between the player, who is the physical person who plays table football, and the figurine, which is the plastic player who moves around the playing area and shoots the ball.
[0002] There are relatively few automated table football games in which the actions of the figures are entirely electrically controlled by buttons or joystick-type controllers. We can cite the French patent FR 2776202 A1 by Thierry HAMOT which discloses an invention in which each figure, equipped with two motors, can move across the playing area. More recently, we can also cite the American patent US 7,673,877 B2 by Terry RUDDELL in which the ball is set in motion by compressed air.
[0003] The invention relates to a table football type game operating with at least one figurine per player. The aim of the invention is to reduce the number of figurines; in fact, in the preferred embodiment, the number of figurines per player is equal to two, which makes it possible to control the entire game with a reduced number of buttons while retaining the spirit of table football.
[0004] [Fig.l] represents a top view of the invention while [Fig.2] represents a side view. The dimensions are close to those of the traditional table football that can be found in cafes. There is a board (1) closing from above a box (25) in which is located the electronics intended, among other things, to operate the device. All the buttons (17, 5a and 18) of the players are connected to this electronics as well as the motors (9 and 16) and the electromagnets (19) by electric wires which pass through the board (1). The board can be topped with a transparent protection (23) to prevent the players from taking the ball by hand. The box (25) rests on feet (26) which makes it possible to give stability to the whole.
[0005] In the invention, the figurines (6) move on the playing surface by means of two electric motors: one for longitudinal movement (16), and one for transverse movement (9), the rotational movement of the motors is transformed into a linear translational movement by a means known to those skilled in the art (worm screw, rack, etc.). In the preferred embodiment, a particular means will be described for transforming the rotation of the motor axis into translation of the figurines. In the invention, the figurines strike the ball by means of an electromagnet, will describe in the preferred embodiment, how the figure “shoots” the ball.
[0006] In the preferred embodiment of the invention, there is, on the board, a playing surface (2) delimited by longitudinal (14) and transverse (15) vertical walls. The transverse walls each include an opening towards a goal cage (19) allowing the player to score a goal. The longitudinal walls each have an opening (21) allowing the ball to be put back into play: when a goal is scored, the ball (3) descends into a gutter (10) where its passage is detected by a sensor (9) which increments the player's score on the display (4). The sensor and the display are connected to the electronics. The ball ends its course against a return figure (5) which can return the ball abruptly thanks to an electromagnet controlled by the button (5a). The ejected ball goes up the ramp (6), passes through the opening (21) and ends up again on the playing surface (2) thus allowing the two players to continue the game.When one of the players reaches a certain score, it is no longer possible to activate the return figure, which ends the game.
[0007] Two "field" figures (6a and 6b) are fixed on a carriage (11) which can slide on an extruded anodized aluminum profile of the Bosch Rexroth type (rail) (7). On said carriage (11) is fixed a toothed belt (8) which is driven by a toothed wheel fixed on the axis of the motor (9). This rail (7) is fixed at its ends on two carriages (21) which each slide on two fixed parallel rails (12) by means of a toothed belt (13) driven by the toothed wheel fixed on the axis of a motor (16). The direction of the two motors (9 and 16) and consequently the direction of the field figures is controlled by the player via a joystick type controller (17). The field players can kick the ball towards the opposing goals using an electromechanical system consisting of an electromagnet (19) and a connecting rod / crank system (20) operated by a button (18), the detail of the electromagnet and connecting rod / crank system is shown in [Fig.2], this system resembles the mechanism of pinball doors in which the rectilinear movement of the plunger is transformed into a rotational movement of the door.
[0008] Electronics (24) preferably located under the board (1) and inside the box (25) controls the entire game.
[0009] This electronics, composed of one or more microcontrollers, allows the goals to be counted and the score to be displayed on the electronic display, it also allows the game to be stopped (in practice this can simply be to make the motors and electromagnets of the figurines inactive) when a player has reached a certain number of goals.
[0010] The electronics also have the function of controlling the current in the motors and the coils of the electromagnets when the joystick (17) or the buttons (5a and 18) are activated. A strong current (about 20 A) is sent into the coils of the electromagnets for a short time (50 ms) so as to violently eject the ball then a weaker current (2A) is then sent to keep the figurine raised, this current management technique, sometimes also used in pinball machines, proves essential to not destroy the coils without sacrificing the firing power of the figurines. The direction of the motors is also managed via a microcontroller by a system of MOSFET transistors.
[0011] End-of-travel sensors, managed by electronics, can be placed on the rails so as to stop the motors in order to avoid forcing said motors when the carriages (21 and 11) reach the stop.
[0012] The electronic system can also manage more secondary aspects of the game such as lights or sound.
Claims
Claims
1. Game system comprising a ball (3), goals (19), a board (1) on which a playing surface (2) is delimited by longitudinal vertical walls (14) and transverse vertical walls (15), at least one figurine (6) moving on the playing surface by means of two electric motors, one for longitudinal movement, one for transverse movement, and means for transforming the rotational movement of the motors into a translational movement, characterized in that the figurine (6) strikes the ball by means of an electromagnet (19) controlled by an electric current, itself controlled by a player by means of an electrical contact (18); the ball (3), once fallen into a goal (19), slides along a gutter (10) under the board (1) where its passage is detected by a sensor (9) which sends an electrical pulse to a microcontroller which increments the score of said player on a display (4);the longitudinal walls (14) each have an opening (21) allowing the ball (3) to be put back into play by a return figure (5) which can return the ball (3) suddenly using an electromagnet controlled by a button (5a). The ejected ball (3) goes up a ramp (6), passes through one of the openings (21) and ends up again on the playing surface (2) thus allowing the two players to continue the game.;