GAMING TABLE

The present invention relates to a gaming table and, more precisely, to a gaming table of the kind having the possibility of supporting different types of games on a single structure.

Nowadays different types of gaming tables are known wherein the use of skittles, balls, billiard balls, cues and discs is provided and also one or more pockets on the game surface can be provided.

For example, games such as the "pool billiard", "bar billiard", the "bumper pool", the "shuffleboard", the "pit pat", the "bagattelle" are some table games wherein a rectangular-shaped surface equipped with elastic and not elastic cushions is provided wherein a game can be played with one or more balls, billiard balls, discs, skittles, cues, etc. Each one of such games provides a predetermined arrangement both of the game tools and the accessories upon the surface in order to comply with the game rules.

Therefore, in case one player wants to play several games of the above-listed ones both in the private or home environment it is necessary having several game tables, each one thereof different from the other ones and according to the rules constituting the game(s). To this purpose there are already gaming table structures having a plane game surface mounted revolvingly upon the frame or supporting structure of the table, and so as to allow the user to make use alternatively of both faces of the game surface, that is of two game surfaces.

The drawback for the user of these gaming table structures is, obviously, that it is not possible utilizing more than two game structures, that is more than two games.

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The object of the present invention is then to solve the drawback mentioned- above by providing a multi-game table structure allowing the user to have available two or more game surfaces with the same table structure.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an extremely rational and flexible, solid and little voluminous, reliable multi-game table structure which is simple to be implemented and therefore unexpensive.

Therefore, the present invention provides a gaming table structure according to claim 1.

It will be now provided a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the multi-game table structure of the present invention, given by way of example and not for limitative purposes, by referring to the enclosed drawings, wherein: figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of the gaming table structure of the present invention; figure 2 is an elevational side view of the gaming table structure of the present invention; figure 3 is a top plant view of the multi-game table structure of the present invention; figure 4 is a front elevational view of the multi-game table structure of the present invention; figure 5 is a cross-transversal view taken along the line a-a of figure 2; and figure 6 is a partially exploded and perspective view of the table structure of the present invention.

By now referring to figure 1 the gaming table structure 1 of the present invention is illustrated schematically therein. According to the invention, the gaming table 1 provides a first frame 2 with a typically parallelepiped shape inside thereof a plurality of plane panels 3 is placed. Each plane panel 3 constitutes a game surface and it is

removably arranged inside the structure 2 and in a vertically stacked condition, one beside the other one. Furthermore, each plane panel 3 has a pair of handles 5 arranged on the opposite edges projecting from the frame 2 and apt to allow to grasp the panel 3 by one or more users. Besides, in the structure 2 it is provided that the side walls with smaller sizes have a plurality of slots or guides 4 apt to house each one a respective panel 3 by making the handles 5 of a respective panel 3 to slide in said slot or guide 4. More precisely, each panel 3, when housed in the structure 2, rests by means of its own handles 5 in a respective pair of slots 4 at the opposite sides of the structure 2. In this way, the plurality of panels 3 is housed within the structure 2 in a side-by-side condition one with respect to the other one.

Furthermore, the handles 5 are assembled onto the panel 3 by means of threaded (or analogous) pins and so as to unlock/lock the latter in a respective guide 4 once arranged therein and by simple rotation of the handle 5 towards one direction or the opposite one. It is to be meant that the locking of the handles 5 in the respective guide 4 implements the locking of the panel 3 in the structure 2.

Furthermore, still onto the frame 2 and at the central region between said plurality of panels 3 a series of drawers 6 is provided, apt to house inside the frame 2 a plurality of game accessories such as, for example, billiard balls, discs, balls, cues, skittles and the like (not shown in figure).

Besides, at the upper portion of the table structure 1 a game plane 7 is provided constituted by a plane panel 3 of said plurality of panels 3. For the arrangement of the panel 3 in its operating condition horizontal to the frame 2 (that is constituting a game plane 7) it is also provided that the panel can be arranged onto four supporting

members 8 obtained at the regions of upper edge of the first frame 2 (not in figure and better illustrated hereinafter).

As it will be better understood hereinafter, each supporting member 8 has a supporting region 81 which is complementary to the edge portion of a respective panel 3. Furthermore, at least a pair of supporting members 8 is slidingly assembled onto the frame 2 to allow the extraction of panels 3 from the bottom upwards from their housing in the frame 2. Additionally, each supporting member 8 has a respective covering member 9, each one thereof is apt to cooperate with the respective underneath supporting member 8. By now referring to figures 2 to 5 the gaming table 1 of the present invention in the operating condition is now illustrated therein in different main views. As it can be understood from the figures, in the operating condition of the table 1 , a panel 3 is housed onto the supporting members 8 and locked therein by the covering members 9 thus constituting the game plane 7 of the table 1 (better illustrated hereinafter). By particularly referring to figure 5 illustrating in cross-section the gaming table taken along the line A-A of figure 2, it is possible noting therein the arrangement of the plurality of panels 3 inside the frame 2 and the related arrangement of the drawers 6 between said plurality of panels 3. Furthermore, a panel 3 implements the horizontal game surface 7 when it is encompassed between the supporting members 8 and the covering members 9. Additionally, the structure of the drawers 6 protrudes from the upper edge defined by the plurality of panels 3 so as to implement a supporting edge central to the panel 3 when in the operating condition and with the purpose of limiting to the minimum deformations and/or bendings of the game plane 7. as horizontal game surface 7 when it is encompassed between the supporting members 8 and the covering members 9.

By now referring to figure 6 in particular, an exploded view of the gaming table 1 of the present invention is illustrated schematically therein.

More precisely, it is provided that the supporting members 8 be assembled onto the upper portion of the frame 2 in an arrangement peripheral with respect to the latter. Furthermore, each supporting member 8 has a housing region 81 apt to contain a respective complementary edge region of a panel 3 when it is arranged thereon. Additionally, the supporting members 8 related to the opposite edges with shorter length have a pair of regions 82 apt to house a respective pair of handles 5 of the related panel 3 when it rests thereon. Furthermore, at least a pair of supporting members 8 related to the opposite edges with shorter length, that is the edges coincident to the side wherein the panels 3 have their handles 5 projecting outside the frame 2, are assembled slidingly or removably onto the frame 2 and relatively to the supporting members 8 adjacent by means of sliding guiding means implemented by means of guides or the like integral with the adjacent supporting members 8 (not shown in figure for illustrating clarity).

For the operation, it is provided that first of all the edge members 8 are made to slide towards the outside in order to allow to extract from the top a respective panel 3 from its housing in the frame 2.

Therefore, once extracted the panel 3 from the frame 2, the extracted supporting members 8 are approached again by making them to slide towards the inside and standing them next to the adjacent supporting members 8. In this way, a continuous framework of supporting members 8, above the frame 2, is created. In such condition, the extracted panel 3 can be rested onto the respective supporting regions

81 and 82 of the members 8 and locked therein by means of covering members 9. In this conditions, the table 1 is assembled and ready to play the game by using the panel

3 as game surface 7.

For disassembling the table and in order to provide a different game surface, the user is asked to perform the procedure opposite to the assembly one described above.

It will be clear to the persons skilled in the art that the present invention can be subjected to several variants or modifications which do not alter the inventive spirit of the same and however comprised within the scope of the enclosed claims, such as for example the number of panels 3 as well as the shape or size thereof.