Table soccer game

Abstract

A novel table soccer game which uses the regulation number of toy soccer player figures. Each team has 10 players and a goal keeper, with the figures painted with the colors of their team to distinguish players on one team from players on the opponent team. A small metal or plastic ball is used to simulate a real inflated soccer ball. Each figure has a movable leg, which is pivotally mounted for swinging motion, and is connected by a pull wire to a plunger key. The plunger key is finger-operated by a human game player who controls the kicking of the figure when the key is pulled and released. The objective is for the players on each team to kick the ball into the opponent's goal.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A table soccer game, comprising: 
 a plate having a top surface decorated to resemble a soccer playing field;    twenty player figures fixedly mounted on the top surface;    each of said player figures having a movable leg having a foot portion adapted to kick a miniature ball;    a series of twenty finger-operable keys, each key operatively connected to the movable leg of one player figure to move said movable leg upon operation of the key.    
     
     
         2 . A table soccer game as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the player figures are made of sheet metal.  
     
     
         3 . A table soccer game as in  claim 1  wherein the player figures are made of die-cast metal.  
     
     
         4 . A table soccer game as in  claim 1  wherein the player figures are made of plastic.  
     
     
         5 . A table soccer game as in  claim 1  wherein each player figure has a body portion and the movable leg of each player figure is pivotally mounted on the body portion by a pin.  
     
     
         6 . A table soccer game as in  claim 1  wherein the plate has twenty slits and each movable leg has a bottom portion, which extends through one of the slits in the plate.  
     
     
         7 . A table soccer game as in  claim 1  wherein each key has a bottom portion, which extends through a hole in the plate.  
     
     
         8 . A table soccer game as in  claim 6  and wherein each key has a bottom portion which extends through a hole in the plate and wherein a wire connects the bottom portion of each key to the bottom portion of one movable leg.  
     
     
         9 . A table soccer game as in  claim 8  wherein a return spring having two ends has one end attached to the plate and the other end attached to the movable leg portion to return said bottom portion to a normal portion.  
     
     
         10 . A table soccer game as in  claim 1  and having two arms, each arm having two ends, each arm being pivotally mounted on the plate, a goalie figure mounted on one end of the arms and a knob mounted on the other end of each of the arms.  
     
     
         11 . A table soccer game as in  claim 10  wherein the plate has a bottom side and the arms are pivotally mounted on the bottom side of the plate.  
     
     
         12 . A table soccer game as in  claim 10  wherein the plate has two curved slots and each goalie figure extends through and moves within one of the curved slots.