Adjustable-Height Base

Abstract

An adjustable-height base for supporting a gaming machine, such as a slot machine, includes a top unit and a bottom unit. The top unit may be installed over the bottom unit and attached to the bottom unit at different locations to provide a base having an adjustable height. The top and bottom units are configured to accommodate hardware associated with gaming machines.

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

This invention relates generally to bases for supporting gaming machines, such as slot machines. More particularly, the invention relates to an adjustable-height base for supporting a slot machine.

BACKGROUND

Gaming machines found on casino floors, such as slot machines, come in various shapes and sizes. For example, a typical slot machine can typically have a height between three to five feet. Generally, casinos provide bases to support slot machines and raise them off the floor to a height suitable for casino patrons. Further, it is common for casinos to install all of the machines in a certain section of a gaming floor to the same top height. Gaming machines grouped together in a section of a gaming floor are set up to a uniform top height not only for aesthetics, but also to maintain the lines of sight to exit signs unobstructed.

When arranging a section of a gaming floor and determining the height of the bases to be used, casinos have to consider a number of factors, including: the types of gaming machines to be installed, the height of each type of machine, and the desired top height of the machines. A change to any of these factors could require a change in the height of the bases necessary for the installation. Therefore, casinos often have the bases custom made for each installation. Alternatively, casinos can keep an inventory of bases having various heights. But both of these options are costly for the casinos.

SUMMARY

There is disclosed a base and a method for supporting a gaming machine at various selectable heights. The base comprises a bottom unit and a top unit that vertically slides over the bottom unit and can be attached to the bottom unit with fasteners at various heights.

According to one embodiment, the bottom unit has two opposing side panels and a kick plate; the top unit has two opposing side panels and a top plate. The opposing side panels of the bottom unit are joined in the front by the kick plate and the opposing side panels of the top unit are joined at the top by the top plate. The top unit can be vertically slid over the bottom unit such that the side panels of the top unit are disposed over the side panels of the bottom unit. The top unit can be connected to the bottom unit using fasteners through holes in the side panels.

A first unit (either the bottom or the top unit) has a series of holes aligned vertically on each of its side panels. A second unit (the other of the either bottom or top unit) has at least one hole in each of its side panels that can be aligned with one of the holes in the series of holes in the first unit. The holes in the second unit can be aligned with different holes in the series of vertically aligned holes in the first unit to achieve different base heights. The first and second units can be attached to each other at a particular height by aligning corresponding holes in the side panels of the top and bottom units and inserting fasteners.

The maximum possible height adjustment of the base is defined by the difference in height between the highest hole and lowest hole in a first unit to which a second unit may be attached. And the possible incremental height adjustments are defined by the differences in height between adjacent holes in the series of holes in a first unit. Thus, the heights of the holes in the series of holes in a first unit may be set to control the maximum height adjustment and incremental height adjustments available with a particular base.

According to another aspect of the invention, the side panels of the bottom unit and side panels and top plate of the top unit may each have apertures for passing cables and wires.

Additional features and advantages will be made apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, the drawings illustrate embodiments that are presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of a height-adjustable base with a bottom unit spaced apart from a top unit;

FIG. 2 illustrates the bottom unit of the height-adjustable base of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates the top unit of the height-adjustable base of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 illustrates an assembly of the height-adjustable base of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the Figures, there is shown in FIG. 1 a height-adjustable base 10 comprising a bottom unit 20 and a top unit 30 that can be joined together with fasteners 40. The fasteners 40 can be any conventional fasteners, such as screws, rivets, and nuts and bolts. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, the top unit 30 may be vertically slid over the bottom unit 20 and fastened to the bottom unit 20.

As shown in FIG. 2, the bottom unit comprises two opposing side panels 202, a kick plate 204, and, optionally, a back plate 206. The opposing side panels 202 are joined in the front by a kick plate 204. Also, as shown, a back plate 206 may be optionally provided to join the two side panels 202 in the back.

In a preferred embodiment, the side panels 202, front plate 204, and back plate 206 of the bottom unit 20 are preferably made of sheet metal and are joined by riveting and/or welding to form a bottom unit 20 shaped substantially like a rectangular box. Alternatively, the side panels 202, front plate 204, and back plate 206 of the bottom unit 20 may be made of any other suitable material, such as wood, and can be joined by any other conventional means, such as nailing and/or gluing. Also, the bottom unit 20 may have any other shape that is suitable for supporting a gaming machine.

The side panels 202 of the bottom unit 20 each have at least one hole 208 or at least one series of vertically aligned holes 208. In a preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, each side panel 202 of the bottom unit preferably has two series of vertically aligned holes 209a and 209b that are disposed parallel to each other. Further, the side panels 202 may have apertures 210 for the passage of cables, wires, or other electrical hardware associated with gaming machines. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the apertures 210 are disposed on the top edge of the side panels 202, are generally u-shaped, and have an open top end. The apertures, however, may have any other suitable shape and may be disposed more centrally on the side panels 202 such that the aperture is a hole formed in the panel (not shown in the Figures).

The kick plate 204 may be sized to match the height of the side panels 202 or it may be sized smaller than the full height of the side panels 202, as shown in FIG. 2. The height of the back plate 206 may also be set to the full height of the side panels 202 or smaller. The back plate 206 is, however, optional and may be excluded from the construction of the bottom unit 20.

Now referring to FIG. 3, the top unit 30 comprises two opposing side panels 302, a top plate 304, a front plate 306, and a back plate 308. The opposing side panels 302 are joined together at the top by the top plate 304, at the front by the front plate 306, and at the back by the back plate 308. The front plate 306 and back plate 308, however, are optional and may be excluded from the construction of the top unit 30.

In a preferred embodiment, the side panels 302, top plate 304, front plate 306, and back plate 308 of the top unit 30 are preferably made of sheet metal and are joined by riveting and/or welding to form a top unit 30 shaped substantially like a rectangular box. Alternatively, the side panels 302, top plate 304, front plate 306, and back plate 308 of the bottom unit 30 may be made of any other suitable material, such as wood, and can be joined by any other conventional means, such as nailing and/or gluing. Also, the bottom unit 30 may have any other shape that is suitable for supporting a gaming machine. The dimensions of the top unit 30 along the X and Y axis of FIG. 3 preferably are larger than those of the bottom unit 20, and the shape of the top unit 30 complements the shape of the bottom unit 20, such that the top unit 30 may be vertically slid over the bottom unit 20.

As shown in FIG. 3, the top plate 304 and the back plate 308 may have apertures 312, 316 adapted to accommodate hardware associated with gaming machines, such as cables, wires, and cash collection systems. And the back plate 308 may further comprise holes 320 adapted to receive fasteners. The front plate 306 may have a hatch 318 for access to hardware, such as cables, wires, and cash collection systems, located in the interior of the base 10. Brackets 322 may also be provided in the interior of the top unit 30 for mounting hardware, such as cash collection systems. The brackets 322 are preferably disposed on the side panels 302 of the bottom unit 30, but may be disposed on the front 306 and back 308 plates of the bottom unit 30.

The side panels 302 of the top unit 30 have at least one hole 310 or at least one series of vertically aligned holes 310. In a preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, each side panel 302 of the top unit 30 has two pairs of vertically aligned holes 309a and 309b that are parallel to each other, which align with the series of holes 209a and 209b of the bottom unit 20 when the top unit 30 is installed over the bottom unit 20. In this regard, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the placement of the holes 310 in the side panels 302 corresponds to the placement of the holes 208 in the side panels 202, such that the holes 310 may be aligned with the holes 208 when the top unit 30 is vertically slid over the bottom unit 20. In this embodiment, the pairs of holes 310 in the top unit 30 may be aligned with and fastened to various holes 208 in the bottom unit to achieve various base 10 heights.

Described more broadly, the height-adjustment feature of the base 10 may be provided by a first unit (either the bottom 20 or top 30 unit) having at least one series of vertically aligned holes in each of its side panels, and a second unit (the other of the either bottom 20 or top 30 unit) having at least one hole in each of its side panels. Preferably, in order to more easily determine the relative position of the bottom 20 and top 30 units, one unit has the series of holes and the other unit has one or two holes. In other words, the series of holes may be provided in the side panels 202 of the bottom unit 20 while the one or two holes may be provided in the side panels 302 of the top unit 30, or vice versa. It is, however, possible to provide the side panels 202, 302 of both the bottom 20 and top 30 units with series of holes or with one or two holes. The holes in the second unit can be aligned with different holes in the series of vertically aligned holes in the first unit to achieve different base heights. The first and second units can be attached to each other at a particular height by aligning corresponding holes 208, 310 in the side panels 202, 302 of the bottom 20 and top 30 units and inserting fasteners 40.

Additionally, height index strips 212 may be provided to indicate the height of the base 10 or the relative position of the bottom 20 and top 30 units. As shown in FIG. 2, the height-index strips 212 have holes that correspond to the series 209a, 209b of vertically aligned holes 208 in the side panels 202 of the bottom unit 20. The height-index strips 212 may be laid over the series 209a, 209b of vertically aligned holes 208. Thus, when the holes 208, 310 of the bottom 20 and top 30 units are aligned and fasteners 40 are inserted, the fasteners 40 will pass though a corresponding hole in the height-index strip 212, indicating the height of the base or the relative position of the bottom 20 and top 30 units. The height-index strips 212 make it easier to identify the proper holes to insert the fasteners 40 to set up the base 10 to a desired height. Alternatively, height indicia may be provided with markings on the side panels 202, 302 adjacent to the holes 208, 310.

Further advantages of the height-adjustable base 10 may be described with respect to methods of assembling the height-adjustable base 10. The assembly of the base 10 begins by position the bottom unit 20 at a desired location on the floor and securing it to the floor. The top unit 30 is then fit over the bottom unit 20 to a desired height where the holes 310 of the top unit 30 are aligned with the holes 208 of the bottom unit 20. Once the holes 208, 310 of the bottom 20 and top units 30 are aligned at a desired height, fasteners 40 are inserted through the holes 208, 310 to secure the bottom 20 and top 30 units together.

Referring to FIG. 4, in the final assembly, the side panels 302 of the top unit 30 vertically slide over the side panels 202 of the bottom unit 20, such that the apertures 210, 314 overlap substantially to create an opening for passing hardware, such as cables and wires. Also, as shown, the front plate 306 of the top unit 30 vertically slides over the kick plate 204 of the bottom unit to completely cover the front side of the base 10. Hence, the kick plate 204 may be only as high as the bottom edge of the front plate 306 and still cover the front side of the base 10. It is, however, preferable for there to be at least a one inch overlap between the kick plate 204 of the bottom unit 20 and the front plate 306 of the top unit 30. Thus, although the kick plate 204 need not be as high as the side panels 202 of the bottom unit, it should be at least one inch taller than the maximum height of the bottom edge of the front plate 306 of the top unit 30.

Once a first base 10 has been positioned and assembled, subsequent bases 10 can be positioned adjacent to the first base 10, either back to back or side to side, and attached to each other. Two bases 10 may be attached to each other side to side by inserting fasteners through the holes 208, 310 in the side panels 202, 302 of one base 10 and into the holes 208, 310 in the side panels 202, 302 of an adjacent base 10. The apertures 210, 314 of bases 10 that are connected side to side are preferably aligned such that cables and wires can be passed through the apertures 210, 314 of a series of connected bases 10. Also, bases 10 may be connected back to back by inserting fasteners through the holes 320 in the back plate 308 of one base 10 and into the holes 320 in the back plate 308 of another base 10. The apertures 316 of bases 10 that are connected back to back are preferably aligned such that cables and wires can be passed between connected bases 10.

According to another aspect of the invention, not shown in the Figures, cover panels may be provided and attached to the front, back, or sides of an assembled base 10. Means for attaching (not shown) the cover panels to the base 10 are preferably disposed on the side panels 302, front plate 306, and back plate 308 of the top unit 30. The means for attaching the cover panels may include holes for inserting fasteners. The cover panels preferably have graphics and provide a more finished appearance to areas of the base 10 that are exposed. For example, when a series of bases are connected to one another side by side, the exposed sides of the bases at the ends of the series may be covered with cover panels. Further, the front of the bases may also be covered with cover panels.

While systems and methods have been described and illustrated with reference to specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that modification and variations may be made without departing from the principles described above and set forth in the following claims. For example, although the height adjustment function of the base 10 has been described with reference to the embodiments depicted in the Figures, it should be recognized that the height-adjustment function of the present invention may be achieved by various embodiments having different combinations and arrangements of height-adjustment holes 208, 310. In fact, the holes 208, 310 need not be placed in the side panels 202, 302 as shown and may instead be placed in the kick plate 204, back plates 206, 308, and front plate 306. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following claims as describing the scope of disclosed embodiments.

Claims

1. An adjustable-height base for supporting a slot machine, the base comprising:

a) a bottom unit including: a pair of opposing sides, each one of the sides having an aperture for a cable chase; and a front that includes a kick plate in a lower portion thereof that extends between the sides;

b) a top unit configured to vertically slide over the bottom unit, the top unit being independent from the bottom unit, the top unit including: a pair of opposing sides; a top plate for receiving a slot machine, the top plate including an aperture for receiving cabling;

c) at least one of the top unit sides and the bottom unit sides being configured for fastening to an adjacent adjustable-height base unit;

d) at least one of the top unit sides and the bottom unit sides having a series of vertical first holes, the sides of the other one of the top unit and the bottom unit having at least one second hole, the second hole aligning with the first holes to enable insertion of fasteners in the holes to affix the top unit to the bottom unit at plural vertical positions relative to the bottom unit; and

e) at least a portion of the kick plate being exposed when the top unit is not in its lowermost vertical position, the kick-plate having a height that is greater than the maximum dimension of adjustment of the top unit.

2. The adjustable-height base of claim 1 wherein the series of first holes is located in the bottom unit sides and the second hole is located in the top unit sides.

3. The adjustable-height base of claim 2 wherein further comprising, on each side, a fastener inserted through the second hole and through one of the series of first holes for affixing the top unit and the bottom unit together.

4. The adjustable-height base of claim 3 wherein the fastener is configured to be inserted through corresponding holes in an adjacent adjustable-height base to affixed the bases together.

5. The adjustable-height base of claim 2 wherein the top unit sides further includes a vertical series of holes that aligns with the vertical series of holes in the bottom unit sides.

6. The adjustable-height base of claim 1 wherein the maximum dimension of adjustment of the top unit is defined by the height of the series of first holes.

7. The adjustable-height base of claim 1 wherein each one of the top unit sides have an aperture for the cable chase, the top unit side apertures aligning with the bottom unit side apertures when the top unit is affixed to the bottom unit.

8. The adjustable-height base of claim 1 further comprising a back having holes for fastening to a back of another adjustable-height base.

9. The adjustable-height base of claim 1 wherein each one of the holes is spaced apart by one inch such that the height of the base is adjustable in one inch increments.

10. The adjustable-height base of claim 1 further comprising an end panel to cover one of the sides when exposed.

11. The adjustable-height base of claim 1 wherein the series of first holes is located in the sides of the lower unit and

12. A method of using adjustable height bases, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a first and second adjustable height base, each one of the first and second bases comprising: a bottom unit including: a pair of opposing sides, each one of the sides having an aperture for a cable chase; and a front that includes a kick plate in a lower portion thereof that extends between the sides; a top unit configured to vertically slide over the bottom unit, the top unit being independent from the bottom unit, the top unit including: a pair of opposing sides; a top plate for receiving a slot machine, the top plate including an aperture for receiving cabling; at least one of the top unit sides and the bottom unit being configured for fastening to an adjacent adjustable-height base unit; at least one of the top unit sides and the bottom unit sides having a series of vertical first holes, the sides of the other one of the top unit and the bottom unit having at least one second hole, the second hole aligning with the first holes to enable insertion of fasteners in the holes to affix the top unit to the bottom unit at plural vertical positions relative to the bottom unit; and at least a portion of the kick plate being exposed when the top unit is not in its lowermost vertical position, the kick-plate having a height that is greater than the maximum dimension of adjustment of the top unit.

b) positioning the bottom units adjacent one another;

c) positioning the top units over the bottom units at a desired vertical position;

d) installing fasteners through the second holes of adjacent sides of the bases to affix them together;

e) installing cabling through the cable chases and through the top plate apertures;

e) installing slot machines onto the top plates; and

f) installing an end plate over an end side of at least one of the bases to cover the aperture of the side.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein in the installing step d), single fasteners extend through holes in the adjacent bottom units and corresponding holes in corresponding top units.