Cash door design for wager-based gaming machine cabinets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11587392-B2
Application number	US-202016946920-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2020
Priority date	Sep 13, 2018
Publication date	Feb 21, 2023
Grant date	Feb 21, 2023

Abstract

An upright gaming machine includes a game determination component that facilitates a wager-based game result, input/output devices coupled to the game determination component, a gaming machine cabinet housing various gaming machine components, and lower and cash access doors located about the gaming machine cabinet. The lower door can be fully removable from the gaming machine, can facilitate access to an internal belly region, and can include a tethered locking arrangement having rotary latches, stationary pins, and a tether. The cash door includes a virtual pivot hinge opening arrangement that moves the cash door in a swivel motion from a closed position to an open position, where the swivel motion of the cash door is about a virtual axis having a center of rotation for which no physical component passes therethrough.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gaming machine, comprising:
a game determination component that facilitates the result of a wager-based game played at the gaming machine;
one or more input devices coupled to the game determination component that accept input from a player regarding the play of the wager-based game;
one or more output devices coupled to the game determination component that present output to the player regarding the result of the wager-based game;
a gaming machine cabinet housing one or more of the game determination component, the one or more input devices, and the one or more output devices;
a lower door located at a belly region on the gaming machine cabinet that facilitates access to an internal belly region of the gaming machine cabinet, wherein the lower door is readily removable from the gaming machine cabinet;
a tethered locking arrangement that couples the lower door to the gaming machine cabinet;
wherein the tethered locking arrangement includes rotary latches installed within the gaming machine cabinet;
wherein the tethered locking arrangement includes stationary pins attached to the lower door that lock within the rotary latches when the lower door is properly installed onto the gaming machine cabinet;
wherein the tethered locking arrangement includes a tether installed within the gaming machine cabinet and coupled to the rotary latches; and
wherein the rotary latches unlock simultaneously when the tether is pulled.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the lower door includes a first wired component that is electrically coupled to a second wired component located at the gaming machine cabinet.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein each of the rotary latches is coupled to a cam track that guides a respective stationary pin into or out of the rotary latch.

4. The gaming machine of claim 3 , wherein each of the cam tracks includes a detent that supports a respective stationary pin when the respective stationary pin is located outside a rotary latch.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein access to pull the tether is provided by unlocking and moving a button panel located on the gaming machine above the belly region.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1 further comprising:
a cash door located about the external gaming machine cabinet that facilitates access to a cash region of the gaming machine, wherein the cash door includes a virtual pivot hinge opening arrangement that moves the cash door in a swivel motion from a closed position to an open position, and wherein the swivel motion of the cash door is about a virtual axis having a center of rotation for which no physical component passes therethrough.

7. The gaming machine of claim 6 , wherein the virtual pivot hinge opening arrangement includes a first pivot hinge track having a first arc slot located along a first side of the of the cash door and a second pivot hinge track having a second arc slot located along a second side of the of the cash door opposite the first side, and wherein the first and second pivot hinge tracks are attached to the cash door and move in a swivel motion with the cash door.

8. The gaming machine of claim 6 , wherein the virtual pivot hinge opening arrangement further includes first and second pivot inserts attached to the gaming machine, and wherein the first and second pivot hinge inserts remain stationary and inside the first and second arc slots as the cash door moves in a swivel motion.

9. The gaming machine of claim 6 , further comprising:
an indicator switch coupled to an interior region of the gaming machine, wherein the indicator switch provides a signal regarding a closed position of the cash door;
an indicator switch activator that actuates the indicator switch when the cash door is in the closed position; and
a physical feature located on the virtual pivot hinge opening arrangement, wherein the physical feature moves the indicator switch activator when the cash door is in the closed position.

Assignees

• Ags Llc

Inventors

• Tillery James Ely
• Green Kevin Berwick

Classifications

• G07F17/3209

  Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen · CPC title

• G07F17/3241

  Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance (computer security G06F21/00) · CPC title

• G07F17/3216 Primary

  Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects · CPC title

• G06Q50/34 Primary

  Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting · CPC title