ARCADE GAME WITH CARD LIFTING MECHANISM
An arcade target game uses an extraction device to remove a card or similar type prize from a housing. The cards are protected by an outer wall that limits successful attempts to those tries that avoid the wall. A vacuum source allows the extraction device to capture the prize if the extraction device successfully enters the tube. A displacement system is provided to lift the stack of cards in the game as they are depleted from playing the game.
1 . An arcade game, comprising:
a housing including player controls and a window in said housing for viewing action within the housing;
a plurality of cards stored in a card housing;
a silo surrounding the card housing;
an extraction device for extracting a first gift card from the plurality of cards in silo;
a card displacement mechanism for moving a stack of cards inside the silo such that as cards are removed through game play, an uppermost card in the stack of cards is maintained at a constant position with respect to an upper edge of the silo; and
a sensor for determining a presence of a card at the constant position.
2 . The arcade game of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is an optical sensor.
3 . The arcade game of claim 2 , wherein the displacement mechanism is a motor driven shaft and a platform mounted on the shaft.
4 . The arcade game of claim 3 , wherein the motor driven shaft and the platform operate like a worm gear.
5 . The arcade game of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum member is a suction cup.
6 . The arcade game of claim 1 , wherein an object of the arcade game is to extract a first card from the plurality of cards using the extraction device.
7 . The arcade game of claim 1 , wherein the card housing includes a gate for limiting the extraction device to picking up a single card.
8 . The arcade game of claim 7 , wherein the gate comprises a pair of clips having an angled upper portion to engage an uppermost card as it is being extracted by the extraction device to temporarily deform a shape of said uppermost card.