The invention, as exposed on the wording of the present specification, relates to a table football table that brings advantages and characteristics, which will be described in detail later, which represent a remarkable improvement of the current state of the art.
More specifically, the object of the invention is focused on a table football table, or table for table football, of the type designed as a recreational game, which can be by payment or by credits, i.e., that only dispenses the balls after inserting coins or chips in a wallet mechanism, or by other means of payment, for example electronic means with mobile or card, and even operate freely without means of payment, whose structure presents a series of innovations that improve different aspects thereof, referring both to its use and to its resistance, security and appearance, highlighting, especially, the incorporation thereto of a computer with touch screen and cameras, which allows control and management of the game "online".
The application field of the present invention is framed within the sector of the industry dedicated to the manufacture of table football tables, whether they are for public use in recreational salons and other establishments and provided with means of payment, or those for private and free use.
As reference to the current state of the art, it should be noted that, although various types of table football tables are widely known in the market, at least on the part of the applicant the existence of none is known that presents the same or similar technical, structural and constitutive characteristics to which specifically presents the one preconized here, as claimed, and whose purpose is to improve certain aspects thereof, in particular, with respect to the possibility of management and control of the game, both in the own gaming and refereeing actions, and in the dispensing of balls.
Thus, the table football table proposed by the present invention is configured as a remarkable novelty within its application field, being the distinctive characterizing details suitably enclosed in the final claims accompanying the present description.
Specifically, what the invention proposes, as pointed out above, is a table football table of the type that has a mechanism of management and control in the box for dispensing the balls and which, consisting of a structure with legs comprising a rectangular board, which forms the playing field, to whose sides are coupled sliding bars transversely with the players incorporated to them and that, each player handles from a side, existing in both upper and lower ends or heads, the goals and orifices by where the balls penetrate to go to a dispenser box below and that being a table football table of those intended for private and free use or for public use by payment or credit, has a mechanism of credit control of the games associated with the dispensing mechanism of the balls, which, from this already known configuration, is distinguished by having a series of improvements that improve various aspects thereof related to its use, its resistance, security and appearance, highlighting, especially, the incorporation of a computer with touch screen and cameras, which allows control and management of the game "online".
In particular, the table football table incorporates the following innovations:
A computer. At the top of the structure, for example on one of the heads, it incorporates a compact computer that allows control of the gaming table (players, means of payment, advertising...), which offers the possibility of control and management thereof online and, thanks to the incorporation of one or several cameras the online control of the game.
The computer is a portable device with Wi-Fi connection and touch screen, it incorporates software that controls any aspect of the table football table, as well as the game and the control of players. In addition, its incorporation allows controlling any table football table via Wi-Fi from a server, whereupon, the owner can fully control one or more table football tables via Internet, any aspect thereof, the wallet mechanisms, illuminated plates, ball box, players, as well as the control of championships and leagues.
It also incorporates several cameras, incorporated into the computer itself or strategically distributed around the table's casing, so that they allow to visualize the playing field and, thereby to control the game such as refereeing of the table via the internet or recording of the game. The recording can be viewed in real time on a large screen if necessary.
In addition, the one-piece and illuminated playing field of the table of the invention is also innovative. The board that constitutes the field is equipped with LED lighting on the sides, being formed by a panel moulded of acrylic material to get all the necessary curves for the game, making the playing field to be of one piece. Said panel is also laminated to increase its durability, and offers the possibility of being able to silk-screen it completely.
To this end, the playing field is made up of a single piece of acrylic, with about 20 special characteristics in its composition, which allows, by means of LEDs incorporated in the edge thereof, to illuminate the entire surface of the field, allowing, with two simple LED strips housed in the sides of the playing field, illuminate the entire surface thereof, being easy to access and very easy to install.
The acrylic board, being of a single piece, allows its silk-screening, being this silkscreen later protected by a special laminate that avoids its deterioration and confers it greater resistance increasing its durability.
The moulding of the acrylic board allows, in addition, that with a single piece the elevation curve of the centre of the field, which prevents the ball from stopping in the centre, and a raised section of the two bands along its entire length are included, avoiding the use of plastic blades and beadings used so far, which made the ball return to the player when it approached the side edge. With the acrylic moulded panel all of this is achieved in one piece, and thus, instead of the five pieces that currently make up the playing field, it is made up of only one.
Also characteristic part of the invention are the interchangeable bands that the table football table has. On each side of the playing field, it incorporates two bands placed at an angle of 90 degrees therewith, which are removable to be exchanged, which allows the advertising use that interests at any time, and, above all, the placement of different materials between the side of the table football table and the band to vary the sensations and speed of the game, depending on the hardness or elasticity thereof, so that the game is faster or slower as needed in each type of game or depending on the athlete that makes use of the table, being the bouncing adaptable both for the professional and for the beginner.
To this end, these bands are formed by separate strips of acrylic material, which can be silk-screened and used as advertising support, which are coupled to the sides of the table removably to be interchangeable.
In addition, the bands are placed at right angles to the slope of the playing field in the aforementioned sections of their longitudinal sides, thus considerably improving the speed of play. The band, by staying at right angles to the playing field avoids at all times that the ball, when bounces, rises so it remains at all times stuck to the playing field, greatly improving the bounce and speed in the game.
Preferably, the heads are single-piece heads. Each head is built in one piece, with all its components integrated into it, being able to be made in any rigid material, milling in the same piece all the components, i.e., goal, cameras housing, etc. With this, the existence of additional components is eliminated.
This piece that makes up each head, is placed at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to the playing field, thus achieving an optimal bouncing and avoiding at all times the lifting of the balls. Also, each head has, embedded, a series of points that will serve as a reference to the athlete to make plays and control the bouncing angle of the ball.
In the preferred embodiment, the computer is coupled on top of one of the heads.
Also preferably, the legs of the table are illuminated legs. In a novel way, the legs, together with other parts of the structure of the table football, have lighting to give a greater visual effect to it. For this purpose, they are made up of profiles whose configuration, by means of LED lights or any other source, allows their illumination with different colours and effects.
In particular, the legs are made starting from an aluminium profile, which is coupled to the structure through a quick-anchoring piece, and which is designed with grooved housings in which the LED lighting can be incorporated, both in front and behind thereof, which are covered by respective translucent plates.
In addition, said profiles have, on their side, a smooth surface designed for the incorporation of silk-screening, without limitation to a specific design, if not always open to the needs of the customer.
In any case, the bars are light. Another feature of the table football of the invention, is given by the configuration of the bars in which the figures/players are incorporated, which, in an innovative manner, are made of carbon, and can be either solid or tubular.
The main advantage of the incorporation of carbon bars or tubes is that it decreases the weight compared to those previously used, of steel or iron, in more than 1kg per bar, giving the player better control of the ball, less fatigue in the game, and much more quickness.
In addition, logically, it also considerably improves the weight of the whole table and, also, the durability of the bars is also improved, since carbon is a material with memory and returns to its position when it is forced and bent maintaining its straightness, something that with the conventional steel bars did not happen because when they were forced they remained bent, thus hindering the proper operation of the table.
Optionally, in the case of consisting of hollow tubular bars, these internally incorporate a rigid internal bar which, in turn, can also be made of carbon or another material or metal, this option being the optimum for forming telescopic table football bars, that do not protrude on the opposite side of the table to the player who handles them. This carbon tube format with rigid inner bar for the telescopic bar, is especially practical for football tables for minors, since it does not protrudes on the opposite side of the player, thus avoiding blows and injuries caused by the bars.
As an alternative to the use of the described telescopic bars, the table football contemplates the incorporation of bar-covering bushes, consisting of a rigid plastic element, injected with a defined shape and a length suitable to completely cover the bar on the opposite side of the player, which are fixed at the exit point of the bars by said opposite side. In this way, the injuries caused by blows received by the bars when these protrude on the opposite side to the player who handles them are also avoided, completely limiting the hitting and injuries caused by the bars.
Players with weight control. The figures that act as players in the table football of the invention, preferably, are shaped so that they allow weight control of each of them by ballasting, as well as their use without rubber stops.
To this end, each player figure has been designed incorporating, in the inner part thereof, two compartments which serve for the accommodation of ballast that will help to give the necessary weight to each figure for the perfect balance thereof and according to the wishes of the athlete, being the player able to have any shape in its design.
In addition, both in the back and in the front of the figure, it has been designed in such a way that it fits in a complementary manner in some recesses of the bars, whereby the same figure serves as a stop to the rubber silentblock, thus avoiding the use of additional pieces in the bars.
In any case, said silentblock or rubber stop is incorporated between the player figure closest to the side and said side, consisting of a piece made of rubbery materials, with an optimum density for the proper operation of the bars, which incorporates a metal washer that is vulcanized inside it, in the moment of its manufacture to give it a rigid surface in contact with the player and thus achieving that it does not deteriorate by use. This achieves two primary objectives, a good damping to the blow and almost no deterioration of the stop, since the rubber does not suffer contact with the figure, which acts as a stop.
Finally, another of the essential features of the table football table preconized is the ball dispensing box, which includes a rotating ball dispensing mechanism with the possibility of online or programmed off line control of balls to be dispensed with each game, through the connection of the computer, which allows to obtain more balls than the ones that are sold with each game.
To this end, said ball dispensing mechanism of the box incorporates an electronic board that can be controlled remotely through the same Wi-Fi connection as the computer, to indicate to the mechanism the balls that it will put into play for each game. In addition, another of the improvements it provides, is to have a large accommodation for balls, which allows to have more balls than necessary so that the machine never runs out of balls for optimal operation thereof, maintaining at all times the optimal operation of the machine.
Additionally, the front of the box is finished with a front panel of acrylic material that serves as advertising support and, in turn, can be illuminated.
As for the other elements, it should be noted that, preferably, the handles are manufactured in two different materials, with a rigid inner part which strengthens the coupling to the bar, which as noted may be carbon, and a rubbery coating with softer touch, which gives the player an unbeatable grip to the handle for an optimal game.
And, on the other hand, that the shelf panels of the legs, located in both headboards of the table, are constituted by respective plafonds of illuminated acrylic material, being able to use these both for the silk-screening of the name and brand of the table, and for advertising support, being able to be illuminated in a single colour or also based on a combination of RGB (acronym for red, green, blue,) thus achieving any hue and colour range that can be want, as well as make patterned lights to draw more attention of the user regarding the advertising exposed.
The described table football table represent consequently an innovation with characteristics not known so far, reasons which, together with its practical usefulness, grant enough basis to obtain the exclusiveness privilege applied for.
In order to complete the description being made and to ease a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, we attach to the present specification, making part of the same, a set of layouts where, with an illustrative non limitative character, the following has been represented:
And figure number 12.- Shows an enlarged view of the detail A indicated in
In the light of the said figures, a non-limiting example of the table football table preconized can be observed, which comprises the parts and elements that are indicated and described in detail below and in accordance with the numbering adopted in them according to the following list:
Thus, as seen in said figures, the table (1) in question, shaped in a known manner from a board (2), which forms the playing field, between whose sides (3) are coupled, transversely, a plurality of sliding bars (4) with figures/players (5) incorporated in solidarity thereto, being provided, on one of its ends, with handles (6) for each user-player handle half of the bars (4) from a side of the board (2), there being two heads (7) with the goals (8) consisting of holes through which penetrate the balls that go to a box (9) located below that has a charging mechanism (10), or of access to games, associated with a dispensing mechanism (11) of the balls, presents, essentially, the particularities: of comprising a computer (12), with a touch screen (13) and one or more cameras (14), which provided with an Internet connection mechanism, allows the control and management of the game and of the charging mechanism (10) and dispensing mechanism (11) of balls remotely online; of having, as a board (2), a monobloc piece of acrylic material that has lighting; of having respective interchangeable bands (15) coupled in each one of their sides (3) that are capable of incorporating added materials (16) of different kinds to provide a different type of bounce to the balls; and of having very light bars (3), made, totally or partially, of carbon.
Preferably, the computer (12) is incorporated in the upper part of the structure, on one of the heads (7) of the table (1), which are preferably formed by a single piece milled, having, integrated into the computer itself (12) and/or in the head (7) or side (3) of the table (1) the video camera or cameras (14) that allow the display of the game through them and in a remote way.
To this end, the computer (12) is a portable device with Wi-Fi connection that incorporates a specific software that controls any aspect of the operation of the table (1) of the game and the control of players. In addition, via Wi-Fi and from a server, it also allows controlling more than one table football table (1) of the wallet and dispensing mechanisms thereof, as well as other electrical elements thereof or taking control of championships and leagues.
The board (2) that constitutes the playing field, as shown in
In addition, the moulded piece of acrylic that makes up the board (2), preferably is silk-screened and subsequently protected by a protective laminate that prevents its deterioration and gives it greater strength by increasing its durability.
On the other hand, the interchangeable bands (15) are determined by respective strips incorporated to the sides (3) along each side of the board (1) which are placed so that they are at an angle of 90° therewith, i.e., at a right angle to the inclination of said lateral inclined sections (18) of the longitudinal edges of the board (1), being fixed so that they are removable to allow the placement of different bands (15) with different elements printed or silk-screened, as well as for the placement of added materials (16) after them, i.e., between the side (3) and the strip that makes up the band (15), which may have a different degree of elasticity, to vary the bouncing ability of the ball as desired.
As for the bars (3), as seen in
Optionally, when they are hollow tubular carbon bars (3), they internally incorporate a rigid inner core which, in turn, can also be made of carbon or metal, being able, in that option, to be telescopic bars (3), which do not protrude by the side (3) of the table (1) opposite to which they incorporate the handle (6), to avoid injury, although, another option is the incorporation, in the opposite end to the handle (6) of bar-covering bushes (19), consisting, as shown in
On its part, the handle (6), appreciable in
In any case, the bars (3) present a series of recesses (22) in coincidence with the position of the figures/players (5), where they fit through protrusions (23) and lugs (24) provided complementarily in them for this purpose, as seen in
Additionally, however, a rubber stop (25) incorporated in the bars (3) is added between the figures/players (5) and the side (3), which aims to damp the blow against the side while maintaining the ideal distance between the figure/player and the side of the table.
Said figures/players (5) have, in addition, in the inner part of each one, accessible by disassembling the cover (26) with which they are fixed to the bars (3), through screws inserted in corresponding threaded holes (27) as it is observed in said
In the preferred embodiment, the legs (29) and the shelf panels (30) located between them in the area of the heads (7), also have illumination.
To this end, according to
Furthermore, on the upper side, the aluminium profile that forms the legs (29) is coupled to the structure of the table (1) through a quick anchoring piece (34).
And, on their part, the shelf panels (30) of the legs (29), as shown in
Finally, in
Additionally, the front part of said box (9) has a front panel (39) of acrylic material that also has lighting and serves as an advertising support.
Having sufficiently described the nature of the present invention, as well as a way of putting it into practice, it is not considered necessary to make a more extensive explanation in order that any expert in this area will understand its scope and the advantages that can be derived from it, making known that, within reason it could be put into practice in other embodiments differing in detail from that indicated by way of example, and which will obtain the same degree of protection, provided that they do not alter, change, or modify its fundamental principle.
This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.