Game machine for practicing pitching

Abstract

A game machine for practicing baseball pitching includes a cage including a rear score and pitch speed display assembly and a front console including a calculation and display circuit; a target below the display assembly and including flexible score panels and micro-switches each in rear of the panel; and an optoelectronic pitch speed measurement device including spaced first and second speed sensor. Pitching a ball toward the panel will cause the first and second speed sensors to sense the ball in first and second times respectively, and cause the calculation and display circuit to calculate a current pitch speed, show same, and update a high pitch speed if necessary; and in response to hitting the panel, the panel will flex to close the micro-switch by contacting, and activate the calculation and display circuit to increment a current score, show same, and update a high score if necessary.

1 . A game machine for practicing baseball pitching comprising:
 a cage having nets on a top and both sides thereof and including a rear display assembly including a numerical current pitch speed display, a numerical high pitch speed display, a numerical current score display being set to zero when the game machine is turned on, and a numerical high score display; and a front console including a coin insertion slot and a calculation and display circuit;   a target mounted below the display assembly and including a plurality of flexible panels on a front face thereof, a rear frame thereof divided into a plurality of compartments, equal in number to the panels, each compartment including a flexible member mounted rearward of the panel, and a plurality of micro-switches each mounted rearward of the flexible member and spaced therefrom wherein each panel is marked by a numeral as a score; and   an optoelectronic pitch speed measurement device including a first speed sensor mounted on an intermediate portion of the cage, a second speed sensor mounted proximate the target, a first light mounted on a top of the cage immediately above the first speed sensor, and a second light mounted on the top of the cage immediately above the second speed sensor,   whereby inserting one or more coins into the coin insertion slot will cause the console to supply one or more balls, and pitching a ball toward one of the panels (i) will cause the first speed sensor to sense the ball as light emitted from the first light to the first speed sensor is interrupted by the ball and record a first time, cause the second speed sensor to sense the ball as light emitted from the second light to the second speed sensor is interrupted by the ball and record a second time, and cause the calculation and display circuit to calculate a current pitch speed by subtracting the first time from the second time, show the current pitch speed on the current pitch speed display, compare the current pitch speed with a previous high pitch speed shown on the high pitch speed display, and update the high pitch speed display if the current pitch speed exceeds the previous high pitch speed; and (ii) in response to hitting the panel, the flexible member associated with the panel will flex to close the micro-switch by contacting, activate the calculation and display circuit to increment a current score shown on the current score display by the score marked on the panel, cause the current score display to update same, compare the current score with a previous high score shown on the high score display, and update the previous high score if the current score exceeds the previous high score.   
     
     
         2 . The game machine of  claim 1 , further comprising an inclined board mounted forwardly of the console by a predetermined distance, the board adapted to prevent the pitched ball from bouncing out of the front open space of the cage. 
     
     
         3 . The game machine of  claim 1 , wherein each panel is formed of PVC (polyvinyl chloride). 
     
     
         4 . The game machine of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second speed sensors is a LED (light-emitting diode). 
     
     
         5 . The game machine of  claim 1 , wherein the calculation and display circuit comprises a microprocessor and decoder, a first display driving unit, a logic calculation unit, and a second display driving unit. 
     
     
         6 . The game machine of  claim 1 , wherein the panels are arranged as a rectangle. 
     
     
         7 . The game machine of  claim 6 , wherein the number of the panels is nine. 
     
     
         8 . The game machine of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible member is spaced from the panel by a gap. 
     
     
         9 . The game machine of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible member is hingedly mounted. 
     
     
         10 . The game machine of  claim 1 , wherein the display assembly further comprises a numerical remaining time display.