Image projecting amusement device

Abstract

A amusement device includes a target in the form of a course having an obstacle wherein the course is of a predetermined light intensity and the obstacle is of a differing light intensity. An image of a moving object is projected on the target and is controlled by the player who would attempt to move the image over the course without contacting the obstacle. Light intensity sensing means are provided movable with the image to detect when the obstacle has been contacted.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An amusement device comprising a target in the form of a course and at least one obstacle, said course being of a predetermined light intensity and said obstacles being of predetermined differing light intensities, means for projecting an image of a moving object on said target, said image having a recognizable orientation, means for controlling the movement of said image of said object on said target whereby a player may attempt to guide said image of said object over said course by said image of said object being superimposed over said course and said player may attempt to avoid said image of said object contacting said obstacles by said image of said object being superimposed on said obstacles, said movement controlling means including linear movement control means and turning movement control means for selectively moving said image on said course and for permitting the orientation of said image to be changed while said image is being moved linearly, light intensity sensing means movable with said image of said object for detecting when said image of said object has superimposed any of said obstacles, and indicating means for indicating when said image of said object has superimposed said obstacles. 
     
     
       2. The device of claim 1 wherein said course is a track of dark color and said obstacles include a lightly colored boundary around said track. 
     
     
       3. The device of claim 2 wherein said target is projected on a screen. 
     
     
       4. The device of claim 1 wherein said image projecting means includes a barrel mounted in front of said target and having a lens therein and having its longitudinal axis in line with said target, a light source in said barrel, and a simulated object in said barrel between said lens and said light source. 
     
     
       5. The device of claim 4 including a housing, said barrel extending through an opening in the front face of said housing, universal mounting means mounting said barrel in said housing, said linear movement control means including means for pivoting said barrel along a path, and said turning movement means including means for rotating said barrel to change the direction of said path. 
     
     
       6. The device of claim 6 wherein said means for pivoting said barrel includes a linear movement motor mounted to said barrel, a gear train driven by said linear movement motor, a friction wheel driven by said gear train, a guide surface in said housing, and said friction wheel being in contact with said guide surface whereby actuation of said linear movement motor causes said friction wheel to move across said guide surface to thereby cause said barrel to move. 
     
     
       7. The device of claim 6 including resilient means urging said guide surface into contacct with said friction wheel. 
     
     
       8. The device of claim 6 wherein said guide surface is a spherical segment plate. 
     
     
       9. The device of claim 6 wherein said turning movement control means includes a reversible turning movement motor for controlling the direction of rotation of said barrel, a control wheel mounted externally of said housing, said control wheel being mounted for rotation on a shaft extending through said housing, a cam mounted on said shaft in said housing, at least one resiliently mounted contact plate in the path of movement of said cam for controlling the amount of current to said turning motor, a double poled switch arrangement associated with said cam for controlling the direction of rotation of the shaft of said turning movement motor, and gear means mounted to said barrel driven by said turning movement motor shaft for rotating said barrel. 
     
     
       10. The device of claim 6 wherein said linear movement means further comprises a control lever mounted externally of said housing for controlling the amount of current supplied to said linear movement motor. 
     
     
       11. The device of claim 4 wherein said sensing means is mounted to said barrel for joint movement therewith. 
     
     
       12. The device of claim 11 wherein said simulated object is on an image plate removably mounted in an image housing on said barrel. 
     
     
       13. The device of claim 12 including a further object on said image plate simulating a scene representative of said obstacle being contacted, and means for moving said further object between said light source and said lens for projecting its image on said target. 
     
     
       14. The device of claim 13 wherein said sensing means is a photocell, and said further object moving means being a solenoid connected to said image plate and controlled by said photocell. 
     
     
       15. The device of claim 5 wherein said housing includes an external control panel, said turning movement means including a control wheel on said control panel, said linear movement means including a control throttle lever on said control panel, an off/on switch on said control panel, reset means on said control panel, timing means on said control panel, and a score indicating counter on said control panel. 
     
     
       16. The device of claim 1 wherein said means for controlling said image movement is mounted on a first housing for use by a first player, and a second housing having movable image projecting means for use by a second player projecting a respective image on said target. 
     
     
       17. The device of claim 16 wherein said second housing image projecting means projects a light beam on said target. 
     
     
       18. The device of claim 16 wherein said second housing image projecting means is a further image movement means similar to said image movement means of the first housing whereby each player may race the other player. 
     
     
       19. The device of claim 18 wherein each of said housings further includes means for projecting a light beam on said target. 
     
     
       20. The device of claim 19 wherein said light beam is interrupted for simulating the shooting of a gun. .Iadd. 
     
     
       21.  An amusement device comprising: means providing a viewing surface;   means for projecting a target image onto said viewing surface, said target image including a background course having a first predetermined light intensity and at least one obstacle having a second predetermined light intensity, one of said first and second light intensities being relatively high and the other thereof being relatively low;   means for selectively and controllably projecting an object image onto said viewing surface to be located at any position on said target image, said object image having a third predetermined light intensity;   means for sensing the light intensity at any position on said target image to which said object image is projected and thereby sensing superimposition of said object image on said background course by sensing the combined first and third light intensities and sensing superimposition of said object image on any said obstacle by sensing the combined second and third light intensities; and   indicating means connected to said sensing means for detecting a change in light intensity sensed thereby and for producing an indication when said sensing means senses said combined second and third light intensities representing superimposition of said object image and any said obstacle image but for not producing an indication when said sensing means senses said combined first and third light intensities representing superimposition of said object image and said background course. .Iaddend. .Iadd.   
     
     
       22.  The device of claim 21, wherein said target image projecting means provides relative movement between said background course and said obstacles within said target image. .Iaddend. .Iadd.23. The device of claim 21, wherein said object image projecting means is capable of movement to selectively and controllably project said object image onto said target image and wherein said sensing means is mounted for movement coordinated with movement of said object image projecting means to constantly receive light from said object image projected onto said target. .Iaddend. .Iadd.24. The device of claim 23, wherein said sensing means is mounted on said object image projecting means for movement therewith. .Iaddend. .Iadd.25. The device of claim 21, wherein said indicating means comprises means simulating an explosion when said sensing means senses said combined second and third light intensities. .Iadd.26. The device of claim 25, wherein said explosion simulating means comprises means for projectig the image of an explosion to said surface. .Iaddend. .Iadd.27. The device of claim 21, wherein indicating means comprises means for producing an alarm signal when said sensing means senses combined second and third light intensities. .Iaddend.