Pinball machines
A pinball machine includes a pinball, a tabletop surface, and a play area on the tabletop surface. The play area includes a ramp including a raised surface rotatable about a rotational axis, an upward pass, and a downward pass. The upward pass extends between the tabletop surface and the raised surface and allows the pinball to move from the tabletop surface to the raised surface. The downward pass extends between the raised surface and the tabletop surface and allows the pinball to move from the raised surface to the tabletop surface.
1 . A pinball machine comprising:
a pinball;
a tabletop surface; and
a play area on the tabletop surface, the play area comprising:
a ramp comprising:
a raised surface rotatable about a rotational axis, the raised surface defining a ball drop aperture;
an upward pass extending between the tabletop surface and the raised surface and allows the pinball to move from the tabletop surface to the raised surface; and
a downward pass extending between the raised surface and the tabletop surface and allows the pinball to move from the raised surface to the tabletop surface, and
a rotating wall coupled to the raised surface and positioned adjacent to the ball drop aperture,
wherein the ball drop aperture provides a pathway to drop the pinball traveling therethrough from the raised surface to the tabletop surface.
2 . The pinball machine of claim 1 , further comprising a motor operatively coupled to the raised surface and configured to rotate the raised surface about the rotational axis.
3 . The pinball machine of claim 2 , wherein the motor is togglable between an active state and a passive state, wherein the motor rotates the raised surface when in the active state and passively allows the raised surface to rotate when in the passive state.
4 . The pinball machine of claim 2 , wherein the motor has a stopped state, wherein the motor prevents rotation of the raised surface when in the stopped state.
5 . The pinball machine of claim 1 , further comprising:
a motor operatively coupled to the raised surface and configured to rotate the raised surface about the rotational axis;
a contact sensor configured to output a signal indicative of the pinball in contact with the rotating wall; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the motor and the contact sensor.
6 . The pinball machine of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to detect the pinball in contact with the rotating wall and operate the motor to rotate the rotating wall in response to the pinball contacting the rotating wall.
7 . The pinball machine of claim 1 , wherein the ramp comprises multiple downward passes.
8 . A pinball machine comprising:
a pinball;
a tabletop surface; and
a play area on the tabletop surface, the play area comprising:
a pendulum assembly movable between a rest position and a rotated position and comprising:
a pendulum suspended from a frame;
a weighted ball coupled to a bottom of the pendulum; and
a stationary ball coupled to the tabletop surface and positioned adjacent the weighted ball when the pendulum assembly is in the rest position.
9 . The pinball machine of claim 8 , wherein the pendulum assembly moves from the rest position to the rotated position when the stationary ball is contacted by the pinball.
10 . The pinball machine of claim 8 , further comprising one or more pendulum sensors configured to output a signal indicative of a movement of the pendulum assembly between the rest position and the rotated position.
11 . The pinball machine of claim 10 , further comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the one or more pendulum sensors, the controller operable to calculate a score based on the signal from the one or more pendulum sensors.
12 . The pinball machine of claim 8 , wherein the play area further comprises:
a ramp comprising:
a raised surface rotatable about a rotational axis;
an upward pass extending between the tabletop surface and the raised surface and allows the pinball to move from the tabletop surface to the raised surface; and
a downward pass extending between the raised surface and the tabletop surface and allows the pinball to move from the raised surface to the tabletop surface.
13 . The pinball machine of claim 8 , further comprising one or more pendulum sensors selected from a positional sensor, a rotational sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a velocity sensor, a force sensor, and combinations thereof.
14 . A pinball machine comprising:
a pinball;
a tabletop surface; and
a play area on the tabletop surface, the play area comprising:
a ramp comprising:
a raised surface rotatable about a rotational axis, the raised surface defining a ball drop aperture, the ball drop aperture providing a pathway to drop the pinball traveling therethrough from the raised surface to the tabletop surface;
an upward pass extending between the tabletop surface and the raised surface and allows the pinball to move from the tabletop surface to the raised surface;
a downward pass extending between the raised surface and the tabletop surface and allows the pinball to move from the raised surface to the tabletop surface; and
a rotating wall coupled to the raised surface and positioned adjacent to the ball drop aperture;
a motor operatively coupled to the raised surface and configured to rotate the raised surface about the rotational axis; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the motor and configured to control rotation of the raised surface.
15 . The pinball machine of claim 14 , wherein:
the ramp further comprises:
a contact sensor configured to output a signal indicative of the pinball in contact with the rotating wall; and wherein the controller is configured to calculate a score based on the signal from the contact sensor.
16 . The pinball machine of claim 15 , wherein the controller calculates the score as a function of a force with which the pinball contacts the rotating wall.
17 . The pinball machine of claim 14 , wherein the play area further comprises:
a pendulum assembly movable between a rest position and a rotated position and comprising:
a pendulum suspended from a frame;
a weighted ball coupled to a bottom of the pendulum; and
a stationary ball coupled to the tabletop surface and positioned adjacent the weighted ball when the pendulum assembly is in the rest position.
18 . The pinball machine of claim 17 , wherein:
the pendulum assembly further comprises one or more pendulum sensors communicatively coupled to the control and configured to output a signal indicative of a movement of the pendulum assembly between the rest position and the rotated position; and
the controller calculates a score based on the signal of the one or more pendulum sensors.
19 . The pinball machine of claim 18 , wherein the controller calculates the score as a function of a force with which the pinball contacts the stationary ball.
20 . The pinball machine of claim 18 , wherein the controller calculates the score as a function of a distance that the pendulum travels.