Portable Game Device Labyrinth with Ball-Actuated Prize Lock
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ball-based game devices are typically large, electrically operated, mechanically complex, and expensive to manufacture, making them less portable and accessible.
Innovation Solution
A portable game device with a ball passage configured as a labyrinth or maze, featuring a gift or prize compartment, a movable cover with a lock mechanism, and an actuator to unlock the cover upon completing the labyrinth, allowing for a compact and affordable design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional ball-based game devices are used, then the game function is provided, but the device size becomes large and portability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential game function from traditional large-scale ball-based devices and concentrates it into a compact labyrinth passage structure. The prize compartment and cover mechanism are extracted as separate functional elements that can be integrated into a small housing, enabling portability while maintaining core gameplay.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs nesting by placing the prize compartment within the housing structure, and positioning the cover with integrated lock mechanism over the compartment opening. The labyrinth passage is nested within the housing, creating a compact nested arrangement that minimizes overall device volume while maintaining functionality.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional ball-based game devices are used, then the game function is provided, but the manufacturing cost becomes expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the device into distinct functional modules: the housing, the labyrinth passage, the prize compartment, the cover, and the lock mechanism. Each module can be manufactured separately using simple molding or fabrication processes, then assembled together, reducing overall manufacturing complexity and cost compared to monolithic traditional devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs simple, inexpensive materials for the housing, passage walls, and components. The lock mechanism uses basic detents and protrusions rather than complex mechanical systems. This approach prioritizes low-cost manufacturing over durability or complexity, aligning with the disposable or low-value nature of the game device.
3Reliability
If a lock mechanism is added to secure the cover, then the prize protection is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lock mechanism is designed to be self-actuating through the game play process itself. As the ball navigates the labyrinth, it automatically triggers the lock to engage when the ball reaches the prize compartment area. The same ball movement that completes the game also secures the prize, eliminating the need for separate control systems or complex locking mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The ball itself serves as the intermediary that both plays the game and activates the locking mechanism. The ball's movement through the labyrinth indirectly controls the lock state, using the game piece as a mediator between gameplay and security functions without requiring separate actuators or complex control logic.
Data Source
AI summary
A portable game device having a game ball passage, which may include a labyrinth and/or maze. A mechanical actuator may have a ball cavity to retain a ball when in a rest position and to release the ball into the game ball passage when in a first position. The device may include a prize compartment, a movable cover to enclose a first opening to the prize compartment, and a lock mechanism to releasably retain the cover in a closed position. The actuator may be controllable to unlock the cover with the ball. The device may include one or more ramped, angled, concave, and/or channeled surfaces to guide the ball as the actuator moves the ball. A second, uncovered opening to the prize compartment may be provided to insert a prize without unlocking the cover. The second opening may include feature(s) to inhibit removal of the prize through the uncovered opening.