Illumination device comprising a moving mechanism and a gaming machine comprising the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11398128-B2
Application number	US-202017121857-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2020
Priority date	Jan 24, 2020
Publication date	Jul 26, 2022
Grant date	Jul 26, 2022

Abstract

An illumination device according to one or more embodiments may include: a light guide plate unit comprising a front light guide plate and a rear light guide plate arranged in a depth direction at a predetermined interval, and a light projecting unit arranged at a side of the light guide plate unit. The light projecting unit may comprise an LED in an amount of one piece among the front light guide plate and the rear light guide plate; and a moving mechanism configured to cause the light guide plate unit to reciprocate in the depth direction to cause a light incident surface of either one of the front light guide plate and the rear light guide plate to be opposed to the light projecting unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An illumination device comprising:
a light guide plate unit comprising a plurality of light guide plates configured to emit, from a light exit surface, light incident inside from a light incident surface, the plurality of light guide plates being arranged at a predetermined interval in a depth direction;
a light projecting unit arranged at a side of the light guide plate unit and having an optical element among the plurality of light guide plates;
a moving mechanism comprises one or more of: a motor and a holding member; an actuator; and a coil spring, the moving mechanism configured to cause the light guide plate unit to reciprocate in the depth direction to cause the light incident surface of any one light guide plate in the plurality of light guide plates to be opposed to the light projecting unit; and
a base configured to support the light guide plate unit, the light projecting unit, and the moving mechanism.

2. The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein
the moving mechanism comprises as the motor, a voice coil motor as a drive source,
as the holding member configured to hold the voice coil motor, there are provided a fixed-side holder configured to hold a fixed portion of the voice coil motor and fixed to the base, and a movable-side holder configured to hold a movable portion of the voice coil motor and fixed to the light guide plate unit,
the fixed-side holder and the movable-side holder are slidably fitted to each other, and
the light guide plate unit is movably supported by the fixed-side holder and the movable-side holder.

3. The illumination device according to claim 2 , wherein the coil spring is sandwiched between the fixed-side holder and the movable-side holder, the coil spring being compressed or expanded as the movable portion of the voice coil motor moves, and the coil spring being configured to restore to move the light guide plate unit to a predetermined position and hold in response to the voice coil motor is not energized.

4. The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein
the light guide plate unit, the light projecting unit, and the moving mechanism constitute an illuminator, and
a plurality of the illuminators are arranged side by side on the base.

5. The illumination device according to claim 2 , wherein
the light guide plate unit, the light projecting unit, and the moving mechanism constitute an illuminator, and
a plurality of the illuminators are arranged side by side on the base.

6. The illumination device according to claim 3 , wherein
the light guide plate unit, the light projecting unit, and the moving mechanism constitute an illuminator, and
a plurality of the illuminators are arranged side by side on the base.

7. A game machine comprising:
a game machine main body; and
the illumination device according to claim 1 that is installed to face a side opposed to a player, in the game machine main body.

8. A game machine comprising:
a game machine main body; and
the illumination device according to claim 2 that is installed to face a side opposed to a player, in the game machine main body.

9. A game machine comprising:
a game machine main body; and
the illumination device according to claim 3 that is installed to face a side opposed to a player, in the game machine main body.

Assignees

• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Onitsuka Hiroyuki
• Ono Takahiro
• Adachi Tatsuya
• Asai Rei
• Agata Takehiro

Classifications

• G02B6/0076

  Stacked arrangements of multiple light guides of the same or different cross-sectional area · CPC title

• G07F17/3211 Primary

  Display means · CPC title

• G02B6/0091

  of the light source relative to the light guide (G02B6/0021 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/0088

  of the light guide or other optical sheets in the package · CPC title

• G07F17/3213 Primary

  Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members · CPC title