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(11) | EP 0 737 842 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Novel front panel for dartboard games machines |
| (57) Novel front panel for dartboard games machines characterized in that on said front
panel there is arranged a window under which there is located an alphanumeric display
generating moving luminous text of varied content and repeated in various languages,
the said text appearing continuously in the aforementioned window from one of the
ends thereof and disppearing at the other opposite end when it is actuated by means
of a button for selecting the appearance of the appropriate text in the correct language,
independently of the central "eye", there are arranged additional eyes in the annular
zone around the perimeter of the dartboard playing area which are actuated by the
point of a dart which strikes them, which additional "eyes" are likewise connected,
independently, with the CPU of the processor board of the dartboard, to which they
send the corresponding signal. |
[0001] The subject matter of the present Patent relates to a novel front panel for dartboard games machines of the type comprising a body with a vertical front panel, in which is attached and connected the dartboard game area comprising a rigid support of latticed thermoplastic material, with a plurality of concentric circles crossed by equidistant spokes, giving rise to a plurality of cavities devoid of front and rear walls in each of which is accommodated a segment of like shape and very small dimensions to permit sliding backwards or forwards by reason of the force of the frontal impact of a dart against the front face perforated with multiple orifices, said dart being thrown by the player, forwards sliding occurring by the reaction of the resilient contact matrix to recover its initial position, when the force of the impact disappears, the said dartboard having a central circle of smaller diameter in which the spokes converge and in which is located the bull's eye.
[0002] The said machines for playing darts are subject to as many rules as different games it is feasible to run on the same machine, the game which it is desired to play at any particular moment varying by selection.
[0003] At present, the rules of play for this type of machine are printed on a separate sheet of paper which is stuck on the surface of the machine front panel.
[0004] If the rules are of a certain length, it is obvious that the paper required for printing them will be large in relation to the vertical panel of the machine.
[0006] On the other hand, the fact has to be taken into account that the machines in question are used in all countries. It is obvious that manufacturers may export them, since they conform structurally to the requirements of each country.
[0008] For machines going to a German-speaking country, for example, it is evident that the paper adhering thereto must be printed in the German language.
[0009] Moreover, the same sheet of paper cannot be used on those machines which are to be exported to English-speaking countries.
[0011] It is necessary, then, to keep in stock a large number of printed rules in different languages, for placing appropriately on the bodies of machines for sale in the countries to which they are exported.
[0012] The ideal solution would be to use a single language suitable for all countries. This is not possible.
[0013] Furthermore, the problem has another aspect which must be taken into account, which is that, if the machine is set up in an establishment in a particular country, with the rules printed in the language of that country, it may happen that a visiting player wishes to use it who has not mastered the language of that foreign country which he is visiting and cannot play with the machine either since the instructions are in the language of that country which he has not mastered.
[0014] Moreover, all the dartboard playing areas connected with the vertical panel have in their central part a central point known as the "Bull's Eye", which is an illuminated cylindrical central core and which is the precise and perfect centre of the dartboard. A dart which strikes the said centre receives a special reward different from all those given for any point on the dartboard struck by a dart thrown by the player.
[0015] Furthermore, over all the dartboard game playing area there is a large annular zone which frames the playing area.
[0016] The said annular zone is inoperative from the point of view of a player gaining points if the point of one of his darts thrown at the board impacts within said zone.
[0018] To make the playing area in the dartboards more interesting, independently of the bull's eye or central point provided, the dartboards may have at least one other additional eye in the annular zone not operating in the game and framing the dartboard playing area.
[0019] This additional eye or these additional eyes is/are structurally the same as the central eye, although, according to the rules of the game set up, they may each represent the addition of a reward or a reduction in the reward gained with the points from the normal dartboard area.
[0020] It is evident that the addition to the zone framing the edge of the dartboard playing area, which zone is currently inoperative in relation to the rules of play, of at least one or more eyes makes the game more interesting and more competitive.
[0021] To obviate the above disadvantages the subject matter of the invention has been provided, which consists in the fact that the front panel of the games machine with attached and connected dartboard comprises a transparent window behind which there is located an alphanumeric display generating moving luminous text of varied content which is repeated in different languages, the said text appearing in the aforementioned window from one end and disappearing at the other opposite end, continuously when actuated, by means of a button for selecting the appearance of the desired text and the appropriate language, which button is in turn connected to the CPU of the processor board.
[0022] To make the game even more interesting and competitive, there is/are arranged one or more eyes in the inopertaive zone, said zone being in the form of an annular flange encircling the rigid latticed support and said eyes being independent of each other and with respect to the central eye or Bull's Eye of dartboards of this type.
[0023] To aid correct understanding, a practical embodiment is described below, by way of non-limiting example, of the novel front panel for dartboard games machines, with the aid of the attached two pages of drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is an elevational view of the front panel of a darts games machine according to the invention;
Figure 2 shows part of the front panel proper viewed from the side and in section with the addition of the reading device;
Figure 3 shows a detail of the electronic circuit diagram suitable for the correct functioning of the front panel of the machine;
Figure 4 is a plan view of the novel playing area of the invention; and
Figure 5 is an elevational and sectional view of the dartboard proper, with a diagram of connection to the CPU and the control module for actuating the additional eyes struck by the thrown darts and sending signals therefrom to the processor board of the machine.
[0024] The invention consists in providing, at a suitable point in the front panel (1), a transparent window (2), an alphanumeric display (3) being located and connected thereunder.
[0025] In the CPU (4) of the processor board of the machine for playing darts there are recorded the rules of play and other notes of interest, which appear written, luminously, in the transparent window (2) of the alphanumeric display (3).
[0026] This recording may be made in the language desired or in several at once, selection being made by the appropriate control (5) arranged in the front panel proper.
[0027] Although the window (2) is small, the rules of play are easily visible in lines of luminuos letters which appear from one side, are read and scroll across to disappear at the opposite side once the reader/player has informed himself of the contents.
[0028] In this way, although the window (2) is small and the text is long, it is not necessary to use a relatively large sheet of paper with the instructions printed over its whole surface.
[0029] Moreover, with the selector button (5), the CPU (4) instructs the reading module (6) to present the rules of play in the window (2) in the language selected from the range recorded in the memory of the CPU (4).
[0030] In addition to the recording of the rules of play in the languages of interest, there also appears in the window (2) the information or announcements recorded in the memory of the CPU which it is important for the player to see during the game running on the machine. The announcements included may be independent of the game machine and related to commercial companies to increase sales of the products mentioned.
[0031] In the annular zone (9) which frames the play area (10) of the dartboard there is/are arranged one or more eyes (8) similar to the central eye (7) already known which all dartboards of this type carry in their central portion.
[0032] At the moment when the point of a dart thrown by the player strikes an additional eye (8) and actuates it, the said additional eye (8), like the central eye (7) known in this type of playing area, sends the appropriate signals to the CPU (4) of the processor board, which in turn retransmits them to the module (6), and the circuit previously recorded in the CPU (4) closes.
1. Novel front panel for dartboard games machines of the type consisting of a vertical
support of thermoplastic material, with laminar walls forming a lattice, by reason
of a plurality of spokes crossed by concentric circles, forming cavities open from
their front and rear faces, in which are located the appropriate segments, a circle
being provided in the central part of this support, in which circle there is located
the illuminated central "eye", characterized in that, at the most suitable point on
said front panel there is arranged a transparent window under which there is located
an alphanumeric display generating moving luminous text of varied content and repeated
in various languages, the said text appearing continuously in the aforementioned window
from one of the ends thereof and disppearing at the other opposite end when it is
actuated by means of a button for selecting the appearance of the appropriate text
in the correct language, which button is in turn connected to the CPU of the processor
board, and, moreover, independently of the central "eye", there are arranged additional
eyes in the annular zone around the perimeter of the dartboard playing area which
are actuated by the point of a dart which strikes them, which additional "eyes" are
likewise connected, independently, with the CPU of the processor board of the dartboard,
to which they send the corresponding signal.