Spinner Target Assembly

This application claims the benefit of United States Provisional Application Serial Nos. 63/774,086, filed Mar. 18, 2025 entitled Target Spinner with Bearings and Photo Interrupter which is incorporated by reference herein.

Not applicable.

The present invention relates generally to the field of amusement devices. More specifically, the invention relates to a high-performance spinner target assembly for pinball machines for increasing the number of spins generated from contact by a pinball and improving the accuracy of counting the number of rotations of the spinner target.

In the context of pinball games, a spinner target typically comprises a target plate or blade mounted on a wire or axle, supported by a pair of vertical brackets secured to the playfield. When a pinball strikes the face of the target, the force of the ball is transferred to the target causing it to rotate rapidly around its horizontal axis. These components are an integral component to the flow and scoring mechanics of the game, as they provide both visual feedback to the player, activating other audiovisual components, and a means of accumulating points through sustained rotation.

While spinner targets are widely used in the art with varying designs, conventional spinner targets are plagued by mechanical inefficiencies that limit their performance and longevity. Most standard target spinners utilize a metal wire resting in punched holes or notches within a stationary bracket. This configuration creates significant sliding friction and point of contact resistance, which acts as a mechanical brake on the system. As a result, the force from the ball strike is partially dissipated preventing the target from achieving a high volume of spins. The lack of rotations reduces the reward for a well-placed shot and often necessitates frequent maintenance, as the metal-on-metal contact leads to grooving and eventual binding of the axle.

Furthermore, traditional systems frequently struggle with the accurate translation of physical rotations into digital game data. Existing designs often rely on mechanical leaf switches that are physically actuated by a cam or a bend in the spinner wire. At high rotational velocities, these mechanical switches are prone to switch bounce or lagging, where the switch fails to reset before the next rotation occurs. Even in systems utilizing basic optical or magnetic sensors, high-speed rotations can exceed the resolution of the sensor or the polling rate of the game logic, resulting in lost rotations. This lack of precision leads to scoring discrepancies, where the physical performance of the spinner is not accurately reflected in the player’s score.

There is, therefore, a significant need in the industry for a spinner target assembly that incorporates advanced low-friction interfaces to maximize the volume and duration of spins following a ball strike. Additionally, there is a need for a more robust and high-resolution sensing mechanism capable of accurately detecting and counting every discrete rotation of the spinner target, even at the peak velocities achieved during expert play.

The present invention provides an improved spinner target assembly for an amusement game, such as a pinball game, that substantially overcomes the mechanical and electronic limitations found in the prior art. In view of the friction-related energy losses typical of traditional spinner target assemblies, one objective of the present invention is to provide a mounting system that utilizes low-friction interfaces, such as precision ball bearings, bushings, or specialized low-coefficient materials, to significantly increase the total number of rotations achieved after a single ball strike. By reducing the rotational resistance at the pivot points, the force of the pinball is more efficiently transferred, allowing the spinner target to maintain high-velocity rotation for a longer duration than conventional metal-on-metal designs.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a sensing assembly that is more accurate and efficient than the prior art. The present invention discloses an improved sensing assembly that accurately detects each discrete rotation of the spinner target. Unlike traditional mechanical leaf switches that are prone to bounce or lagging, the present invention may utilize high-resolution non-contact sensors. These sensors are configured to interface with a high-spin-rate control system, ensuring that the scoring logic remains synchronized with the physical target even at peak rotational velocities. This improvement ensures that the player is awarded the correct number of points for every 360-degree rotation, eliminating the lost counts common in high-speed play.

In a preferred embodiment, the system includes a support member with at least two holes having a low friction interface. A target body is mounted to the support member at the low friction interfaces reducing the frictional loss of the target body as it rotates about its axis from a pinball strike. A sensing target extends coaxially from the target body having an interrupter extending therefrom. The sensing target is rotationally coupled to the target body through the low friction interface.

A sensor assembly, having a printed computer board in communication with a sensor, is mounted to the support member. The sensor, having a sensing channel, is configured to register a disruption of the sensing channel cause by rotation of the sensing target into the sensing channel. . The sensor device in the preferred embodiment is an optoelectrical transmitter and an optoelectrical receiver that form a circuit. In the preferred embodiment, the printed circuit boards comprise all the circuitry required such that when the signal is interrupted, the sensor acts as a mechanical switch and completes a circuit.

For every instance the target is detected by the sensor as it passes through the sensing channel an electrical signal is sent to the printed computer board to a scoring system informing the scoring system an event has occurred and is translated to a numerical value. This allows each pass to be accounted for, and the scoring value applied to a user’s total score.

1 FIG. 100 110 140 170 110 101 102 103 104 101 103 104 102 101 103 120 130 120 130 120 130 140 110 As shown in, the spinner target assemblycomprises a support member, a target body, and sensor assembly. The support memberfurther comprises a first legconnected to a mounting portion, a second leg, and a base. The first legand second legare connected to the baseand generally parallel to each other. The mounting portionis capable of attachment to a playing surface. Each leg,has at least one opening. A low friction interfaceis disposed within the opening. The low friction interfacemay utilize precision ball bearings, specialized polymer bushings, air cushioned bearings, or other known or yet discovered methods of minimizing friction used by those in the arts. The size of the openingmay vary depending on the size of the low friction interface, the size of the target body, and the size of the support memberbeing employed.

140 141 142 143 144 145 141 144 145 130 120 141 110 110 The target bodycomprises a strike bodywhich is generally planar and rectangular in shape having a first surfaceand a second surface. A first armand a second armextend from opposing sides of the strike body. The first armand second armconnect with the low friction interfacewithin the opening. The strike bodyis positioned within the support membersuch that it can freely spin without contacting the support member.

150 144 141 120 150 151 152 153 180 180 181 153 182 181 152 152 150 144 150 180 A sensing targetextends axially from the terminal end of the first armand away from the strike bodyand opening. The sensing targetcomprises a main body, having a proximal endand a distal end, and an “L” shaped interrupter. The “L” shaped interruptercomprises a first legthat extends perpendicular from the distal endand a second legthat extends perpendicularly from the first legtowards the proximal end. In the disclosed embodiment, the proximal endof the sensing targetattaches to the first armthrough an interference fit. While the sensing targetis described as having an interrupter, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that this component may be a flag, tab, encoder mark, or any other feature capable of being detected.

140 150 140 150 150 140 140 150 The target bodyis rotationally coupled with the sensing targetallowing it to rotate in unison such that one rotation of the target bodycauses one rotation of the sensing target. In the preferred embodiment the sensing targetis coupled to the target bodyusing a receiving aperture and interference fit, but other known methods of rotationally coupling connected mechanical elements may be used. The interlocking relationship ensures that the target bodyand the sensing targetrotate in a fixed 1:1 ratio about a central axis.

160 170 160 170 102 110 170 171 172 171 171 172 172 171 172 190 190 171 172 160 A printed computer boardin electrical communication with the sensor assembly. The printed computer boardcomprises a power input connector and circuitry to register events and communicate with the amusement device. The sensor assemblyis attached to the mounting portionof the support member. In the preferred embodiment the sensor assemblycomprises an optoelectrical transmitterand an optoelectrical receiver. The transmitterconverts electrical signals into a light emission, this emission is emitted away from the transmitterand aimed at the receiver. The receiverconverts the light signal it receives into an electrical signal creating a circuit. The space between the transmitterand the receiveris referred to as the sensing channel. When an object passes through the sensing channelthe circuit generated between the transmitterand the receiveris disrupted, this disruption causes the printed computer boardto register an event which is then transmitted to the amusement games processor or other component.

170 160 110 In the preferred embodiment, the sensor assemblyis placed directly on the printed computer boardcreating a compact assembly that can be mounted to the support memberfor use in spatially constrained environments found on amusement games but other intermediate support structures may be used.

171 172 190 170 180 180 150 170 171 150 171 180 151 150 160 170 160 While the preferred embodiment uses the space between the optoelectrical transmitterand the optoelectrical receiver, the sensing channelcan be any space between the sensor assemblyand the location of the sensing target. For instance, some embodiments may place an encoder markon the main body 151 of the sensing targetitself. In this embodiment the sensor assemblymay be an optical encoder sensor, such as a photo interrupter, reflective optosensor, fiber-optic displacement sensor, and other known methods of optical sensing, but not limited to, in which the transmitteremits a signal at the sensing target. Whenever the transmitter’semission is altered or reflected by the encoder markthat is placed on the main bodyof the sensing target, the printed computer board, that the sensor assemblyis in electronic communication with, receives a signal indicating an event has occurred. Upon indication of an event, the printed computer boardsends a signal to a scoring system where it is translated into a numerical value for display.

141 150 150 180 190 160 In operation, a pinball strikes the strike bodycausing it to rotate. The sensing targetrotates in unison with the strike body. As the sensing targetrotates, the interrupterpasses through the sensing channelonce on every rotation breaking the circuit causing the printed computer boardto register an event which is then transmitted to the amusement games processor or other component.

2 FIG. 210 211 212 211 212 120 130 140 140 An alternative support member is disclosed inin which the support memberis comprised of a first legand a second legthat are each mountable to a playing surface. The first legand second legeach have an openingto receive the low friction interfacesfor mounting of the target body. This embodiment allows for enlargement and customization of the target bodies.

170 150 170 In an alternate embodiment, more than one sensor assemblycan be used to detect direction of spin of the sensing target. By placing two sensors close together, the direction of spin can be determined using the timing difference transmitted to the amusement games processor or other component. Additionally, more than one sensor assemblycan be used for redundancy to ensure event registers are captured accurately and to provide a backup. The redundancy allows for simultaneous data acquisition allowing for signal cross-correlation and parity checking, effectively filtering out false positives or mechanical noise to ensure ultra-high-fidelity tracking of the sensing target .

It is important to note that the embodiments disclosed herein are only examples of the many advantageous uses of the innovative teachings herein. In general, statements made in the specification of the present application do not necessarily limit any of the various claimed embodiments. Moreover, some statements may apply to some inventive features but not to others. In general, unless otherwise indicated, singular elements may be in plural and vice versa with no loss of generality. In the drawings, like numerals refer to like parts through the several views.

The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention, the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that numerous variations will be possible to the disclosed embodiments without going outside the scope of the invention as disclosed in the claims.