Air hockey table
An air-hockey table having a playing surface, a plurality of air-conducting openings in the playing surface, a blower supplying air to the openings and a pair of goals, the improvement wherein the playing surface is non-planar and includes a smooth-curved surface having spaced-apart outer playing-surface regions and a central playing region which is lower than the spaced-apart outer playing-surface regions.
1. In an air-hockey table having a playing surface with a plurality of air-conducting openings therein, a blower supplying air to the openings and a pair of goals, the improvement wherein the playing surface is non-planar and includes a smooth-curved surface having spaced-apart outer playing-surface regions and a central playing region which is lower than the spaced-apart outer playing-surface regions.
2. The table of claim 1 wherein the playing surface is a cylindrical portion.
3. The table of claim 2 wherein the cylindrical portion is of a circular cylinder.
4. The table of claim 3 wherein the playing surface has a width and the cylindrical portion has a radius, and wherein the ratio of the width of the playing surface to the radius of the cylindrical portion is between about 0.3 and about 1.75.
5. The table of claim 4 wherein the ratio of the width of the playing surface to the radius of the cylindrical portion is between about 0.5 and about 0.8.
6. The table of claim 5 wherein the ratio of the width of the playing surface to the radius of the cylindrical portion is about 0.65.
7. The table of claim 3 wherein the lower portion and goals are disposed along a central playing-surface axis.
8. The table of claim 7 further comprising a border rail surrounding at least portions of the playing surface.
9. The table of claim 8 wherein the playing surface is rectangular.
10. The table of claim 8 wherein the playing surface is oval.
11. The table of claim 8 further comprising:
a frame supporting the playing surface; and
a plurality of legs supporting the frame.
12. In an air-hockey table having a playing surface with a plurality of air-conducting openings therein, a blower supplying air to the openings and a pair of goals, the improvement in the playing surface comprising:
a central playing-surface region having a lower portion lying below a reference plane; and
a pair of spaced-apart outer playing-surface regions lying above the reference plane, substantially the entire playing surface forming a smooth-curved surface.
13. The table of claim 12 wherein the playing surface is a cylindrical portion.
14. The table of claim 13 wherein the cylindrical portion is of a circular cylinder.
15. The table of claim 14 wherein the playing surface has a width and the cylindrical portion has a radius and wherein the ratio of the width of the playing surface to the radius of the cylindrical portion is between about 0.3 and about 1.75.
16. The table of claim 15 wherein the ratio of the width of the playing surface to the radius of the cylindrical portion is between about 0.5 and about 0.8.
17. The table of claim 16 wherein the ratio of the width of the playing surface to the radius of the cylindrical portion is about 0.65.
18. The table of claim 14 wherein the playing surface is non-planar.
19. The table of claim 18 wherein the lower portions are disposed along a central playing-surface axis.
20. The table of claim 19 further comprising a border rail surrounding at least portions of the playing surface.
21. The table of claim 20 wherein the playing surface is rectangular.
22. The table of claim 20 wherein the playing surface is oval.
23. The table of claim 20 further comprising:
a frame supporting the playing surface; and
a plurality of legs supporting the frame.
24. A surface member with a playing surface for use in an air hockey table, the surface member being a cylindrical portion and defining a plurality of air-conducting openings in the playing surface through which air is received from a blower, comprising:
a central playing-surface region having a lower portion lying below a reference plane; and
a pair of spaced-apart outer playing-surface regions lying above the reference plane.
25. The table of claim 24 wherein the cylindrical portion is of a circular cylinder.
26. The table of claim 25 wherein the playing surface has a width and the cylindrical portion has a radius and wherein the ratio of the width of the playing surface to the radius of the cylindrical portion is between about 0.3 and about 1.75.
27. The table of claim 26 wherein the ratio of the width of the playing surface to the radius of the cylindrical portion is between about 0.5 and about 0.8.
28. The table of claim 27 wherein the ratio of the width of the playing surface to the radius of the cylindrical portion is about 0.65.
29. In a table hockey game table having a playing surface and a pair of goals, the improvement wherein the playing surface is of a non-planar, cylindrical portion and includes a smooth-curved surface having spaced-apart outer playing-surface regions and a central playing region which is lower than the spaced-apart outer playing-surface regions.
30. The table of claim 29 wherein the cylindrical portion is of a circular cylinder.
31. The table of claim 30 wherein the playing surface has a width and the cylindrical portion has a radius and wherein the ratio of the width of the playing surface to the radius of the cylindrical portion is between about 0.3 and about 1.75.
32. The table of claim 31 wherein the ratio of the width of the playing surface to the radius of the cylindrical portion is between about 0.5 and about 0.8.
33. The table of claim 32 wherein the ratio of the width of the playing surface to the radius of the cylindrical portion is about 0.65.