Gaming Apparatus Support Base

Abstract

A gaming support base includes a support cabinet configured to support a gaming apparatus. The support cabinet having a back panel, a first side panel coupled substantially perpendicular to the back panel, and a second side panel coupled substantially perpendicular to the back panel and positioned away from the first side panel. The support base further including a cabinet deck configured to cooperate with the support cabinet to define a cavity. The support base may further include an interface plate configured to cooperate with gaming apparatus. The support base may further include a light source.

Description

BACKGROUND

Gaming apparatuses or machines such as slot machines, video slot machines, video gaming terminals and the like are common fixtures within gambling casinos. Each gaming machine represents both a significant capital investment and a long term source of revenue for the gambling casino. In order to maximize potential revenue, gaming machines are often arranged in tightly spaced banks or groups in an effort to efficiently utilize the gambling casinos floor space. The configuration or arrangement of the gaming machines is influenced by many factors such as, for example: fire and safety regulations that dictate the crowd and aisle limitations; traffic and access patterns between the different portions or elements within the gambling casino; and accessibility of power, communications and networking access points for connecting and operating the gaming machines.

Another factor that influences or limits the configuration or arrangement of the gaming machines is the physical size of the devices themselves. Ideally gaming machines are placed close enough together to maximize available floor space, but far enough apart to allow a player to comfortably interact with the gaming machine's buttons, controls, or interface. For example, gaming cabinets or bases are often utilized to position the gaming machines at a comfortable height to allow both seated and standing players to interact with the machine's controls. Gaming cabinets or bases may further be utilized to conceal, route and otherwise organize the various power and communications cables and accessories that connect the gaming machine to the casino's infrastructure.

These different, and often competing, factors can make it difficult for gambling casino operators to balance the player's comfort against the requisite safety regulations while maximizing the available floor space. It would be desirable to provide a gaming cabinet or base that could address or alleviate some of these issues.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure generally provides for a gaming cabinet support stand or slot base cabinet configured to support, for example, a video display or mechanical reel gaming machine. The exemplary cabinet support stand or base cabinet is further configured to provide an ergonomic sitting position for a player interacting with the gaming machine. In particular, the cabinet support stand or base cabinet can be configured or formed to include a recessed area in a front portion, e.g., the portion facing or adjacent to the player, of the base. The recessed area may be sized to allow the player to place their legs and/or feet therein. For example, as a player interacts with a gaming machine supported by one of the exemplary bases or cabinets, the player may slide or position their legs substantially under the gaming machine. Generally, the extra space available to create or define the recessed area is derived from the elimination or removal of coin and currency handling equipment. For example, cashless or coin-less gaming machines may simply rely on debit cards, credit cards to track the payments and winnings of players. Because, in this configuration, the gaming machine is not required to immediately store or payout currency to the player, the coin and currency handling equipment which was typically stored in the cabinet base can be eliminated thereby creating more available space for the above-discussed ergonomic concerns.

The exemplary cabinet support stand or base cabinet may further include a mounting or interface plate. The mounting or interface plate can be configured to cooperate with a wide variety of manufacturer-specific gaming machines. Thus, by selecting an appropriate interface plate style or configuration, the cabinet support stand or base cabinet can be customized to support a wide variety of gaming machines and equipment.

The exemplary cabinet support stand or base cabinet may further include accent lighting disposed within and configured to illuminate or highlight the recessed area. Moreover, additional accent lighting can be provided within or around the base to coincide with a color or decorating scheme, to attract players or otherwise highlight the gaming machines.

Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the following Detailed Description and the figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary gaming cabinet support base;

FIG. 1a illustrates an exploded perspective view of a support cabinet portion of the gaming cabinet support base shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 1b illustrates an assembled perspective view of the support cabinet portion of the gaming cabinet support base shown in FIG. 1a;

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a support deck portion of the gaming cabinet support base shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 2b illustrates an assembled perspective view of the support deck portion of the gaming cabinet support base shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 illustrates a top view of the support deck and interface plate; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a bottom view of the support deck and accent lighting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure generally provides for a gaming cabinet support stand or slot base cabinet configured to support a cashless, e.g., a ticket in, ticket out (TITO), gaming apparatus or machine. Cashless or TITO gaming machines are typically smaller than traditional coin-operated gaming devices because cash storage and handling equipment is no longer a necessary component of the device. The eliminated equipment can free space within the gaming cabinet support stand or slot base cabinet and/or the apparatus housing itself. The additional or free space may allow the gaming cabinet support to be configured to provide a more comfortable and/or ergonomic gaming experience for the player.

FIGS. 1, 1a and 1b illustrate an embodiment of a gaming apparatus support base 100. The support base 100 includes a support cabinet 102 configured to carry a support deck 104. The support cabinet 102, in this exemplary embodiment, is configured and arranged to define a player recess or cavity 120. The support cabinet 102 provides the main structural element of the support base 100. The support deck 104, in this exemplary embodiment, is carried by the support cabinet 102. The support deck 104 includes an interface plate 118 configured to cooperate with and carry a gaming apparatus or machine (not shown) and transfer the weight or load to the support cabinet 102.

The support cabinet 102 includes a support frame 106. The support frame 106 provides the structural integrity and/or load bearing capability to the support cabinet 102. As shown in FIG. 1a, the support frame 106 of this exemplary embodiment includes a vertically oriented back panel 112 and a pair of vertically oriented side panels 108 and 110. Generally, during assembly of manufacture of the support frame 106, the side panel 108 may be aligned substantially parallel to the side panel 110. The mutually aligned side panels 108, 110, in turn, align in a substantially perpendicular manner to the back panel 112. For example, the back panel 112 can be arranged in a substantially vertical orientation allowing the vertically oriented edge 112′ to be secured to a complimentary vertically aligned edge 108′ of the side panel 108. Similarly, the vertically oriented edge 112″, e.g., the edge 112″ is distal from the edge 112′ when viewed relative to the surface of the back panel 112, can be secured to a substantially vertically oriented edge 110′ of the side panel 110. In this configuration, the support frame 106 defines a substantially open box-like structure having an interior 114. The load bearing capabilities of the support frame 106 can be designed and augmented based on the material utilized in the manufacture of the individual components such as: steel or aluminum sheet metal, wood, powder coat paint finish, decorative laminate finish, wet paint finish, vinyl-clad sheet metal. Moreover, trusses stiffeners and flanges may be incorporated into the design of the support frame 106 to enhance and affect the overall load bearing capability of the support base 100.

The support frame 106 may further cooperate with a pair of inner decorative panels 126, 128. The inner panels 126, 128, may be attached to the side panels 108, 110, respectively. The inner panels 126,128, may further aid or augment the load bearing capabilities of the support cabinet 102. For example, the inner panels 126,128 may provide support to the bottom side of the support deck 104 while also increasing the rigidity of the overall cabinet 102. The inner panels 126, 128, in the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 1a, are disposed parallel to and away from the side panels 108, 110. In this arrangement, the inner panels 126, 128 are positioned within the interior 114 of the support frame 106. The inner panels 126, 128 may further include access ports 134 positioned to align with the access ports 116 provided within the side panels 108, 110.

Each of the inner panels 126, 128 may further include a curvilinear portion 130 (individually identified as portions 130, 130′). The curvilinear portions 130, 130′ of the inner panels 126, 128, respectively, provide a smooth, ergonomic transition to couple or join the inner panels 126, 128 to the outer decorative panels 122, 124. An interior panel 132 can cooperate with the inner panels 126, 128 to subdivide the interior 114 and form the player recess or cavity 120. The interior panel 132 may operate as a secure barrier to conceal and limit unauthorized access to the cables, etc. routed through the access ports 116 and the interior 114. The interior panel 132 may further include a lock-able access door 134 positioned to allow access to the interior 114, cables, etc.

A plurality of access ports or holes 116 can be provided within the back panel 112 and the side panels 108 and 110 to allow cable access and routing within the open area of the interior 114. For example, cables connected to a gambling casino's infrastructure can be routed through the access ports 116, the interior 114 and the interface plate 118 (see FIG. 1b for details) and coupled to a gaming apparatus (not shown) to provide power, communications, and other necessary or desirable services.

The support base 100 may further include outer decorative panels 122, 124. The decorative panels 122, 124 can be affixed or hung from the side panels 108, 110, respectively. The decorative panels 122, 124 may be formed sheet metal or plastic panels decorated with figures, symbols, logos, graphics or other artwork. Alternatively, the decorative panels 122, 124 may be translucent panels that are back lit or illuminated by a light source disposed within the interior 114 or in the space between the side panel 108, 110 and the decorative panel 122, 124. The decorative panels also may be largely opaque and have a translucent artwork area that can be back lit. For example, a fluorescent light assembly (not shown) could be attached to the decorative panels122, 124 to light a portion of the panels where translucent artwork is located. Power cables for the lights can be routed through access ports 116 to the interior 114 of the cabinet 102. In an alternate embodiment, one or more of the decorative panels 122, 124 can be omitted. The exposed side panel(s) 108, 110, in turn, may be coupled to complimentary exposed side panels of adjacent support base(s) 100. These joined or coupled support base(s) 100, in turn, define a cabinet bank (not shown) that may be utilized within a gambling casino. The support base(s) 100 can also be fastened together about adjacent back walls creating a back-to-back configuration. In this configuration, an alternate embodiment (not shown) of the decorative panel can span the co-planar sides of the back-to-back cabinet with a single extended panel instead of two individual panels.

FIG. 1b illustrates an assembled view of the support cabinet 102. In particular, the exploded components shown in FIG. 1a are shown aligned and assembled into the support cabinet 102. The decorative panels 122, 124 cooperate with the inner panels 126, 128 to enclose the support frame 106 (see FIG. 1a). The curvilinear portions 130, 130′ of the inner panels 126, 128 and the rounded portions 146, 148 of the side panels 122, 124, respectively, afford the support cabinet 102 a smooth exterior that can be aesthetically and ergonomically pleasing.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of the support deck 104 that may be mounted upon or coupled to the support cabinet 102. The support deck 104, in this exemplary embodiment, includes a cut-out or recess 136 sized to accept the interface plate 118. The interface plate 118 may include one or more mounting holes 138a, 138b, and 138c to 138n. The mounting holes 138 can be arranged and positioned to correspond with the mounting points (not shown) of a gaming machine (not shown). For example, each type or style of gaming machine provided by various manufacturers may include unique mounting points. Interface plates 118 can be designed and manufactured for each brand or style of gaming machine. Thus, different types of gaming machines (not shown) may be quickly and easily mounted and secured to the support base 100 by utilizing an appropriately configured interface plate 118 mounted within the support deck 106. The interface plate 118 may further include access ports 140a and 140b. These access ports 140a and 140b allow the cables, cord, etc. routed thought the support cabinet 102 to be connected to the gaming machine (not shown).

The support deck 104 may further include a light source (not shown). The light source may be mounted within support deck 104 and positioned substantially above the cavity 120. In other words, the light source, in one exemplary embodiment, may be mounted under the support deck 104 and arranged to illuminate the cavity 120. In operation, the light source (not shown) may illuminate the cavity 120 thereby allowing a player seated before the support base 100, and a gaming machine (not shown) carried thereon, to clearly see where to position their legs for comfortable game player and interaction with the gaming machine. The light source (not shown) may be covered or protected by a translucent cover or grill 142. The light source can be a cold cathode fluorescent, a fluorescent lamp, or an AC or DC incandescent. The support deck 104 may further include a rounded or rail portion 144 that can be arranged to cooperate with the rounded portions 146, 148 of the side panels 122, 124. The smooth alignment and cooperation of these rounded portions 146, 148 and 144 can cooperate to afford the support base 100 with pleasing design or style.

FIG. 2b illustrates an assembled view of the support deck 104. In this arrangement, the interface plate 118 is carried within the recess 136. The support deck 104 may be aligned above the assembled support cabinet 102 and lowered in the direction indicated by the arrow A in order to assemble the support base 100. Upon assembly, the two components may be bolted, welded, riveted or otherwise joined together to form the single unit shown in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate top and bottom views, respectively, of the support deck 104. FIG. 3 depicts a plan or top view of the support deck 104 into, or upon, which one embodiment of the interface plate 118 may be coupled. For example, as the interface plate 118 may be flushly mounted adjacent to the surface 150 of the support deck 104. FIG. 4 depicts a bottom plan view of the support deck 104 in which the light source (not shown) and the covering or protective the grill 142 may be mounted.

Areas of the cabinet that would be viewable to casino patrons can receive a decorative finish. This could be powder coat finish, wet paint, decorative laminate, or plating. The individual components that make up the overall stand 100 can receive this finish prior to being assembled. The trim or decorative pieces such as, for example, the rounded portions 122, 124 and/or 144 may be molded or otherwise formed to compliment the style and finish of the support base 100.

It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A gaming support base comprising:

a support cabinet configured to support a gaming apparatus, the support cabinet comprising: a back panel; a first side panel coupled substantially perpendicular to the back panel, wherein the first side panel cooperates with a first inner panel; and a second side panel coupled substantially perpendicular to the back panel and positioned away from the first side panel, wherein the second side panel cooperates with a second side panel arranged substantially parallel to the first side panel; and

a cabinet deck carried by the support cabinet and configured to cooperate with the support cabinet to define a cavity.

2. The base of claim 1 further comprising a door panel coupled to the support cabinet and configured to divide and enclose at least a portion of the cavity, wherein the divided cavity defines an enclosed interior portion and an accessible exterior portion.

3. The base of claim 1, wherein the support cabinet is configured to cooperate with a second support cabinet to define a cabinet bank.

4. The base of claim 1, wherein the cavity defines an ergonomic portion sized to accept a seated player's appendages.

5. The base of claim 1, wherein the cabinet deck further comprises a top surface configured to removably carry an interface plate configured to cooperate with a gaming apparatus.

6. The base of claim 1, wherein the cabinet deck supports a light source.

7. The base of claim 6, wherein the light source is disposed adjacent to the cavity.

8. The base of claim 6 further comprising a light source grill disposed substantially adjacent to the light source.

9. The base of claim 1 further comprising an access port.

10. A support base comprising:

a support cabinet, the support cabinet comprising: a support frame configured to define an interior; a first side panel coupled to the support frame; and a second side panel coupled to the support frame;

a cabinet deck carried by the support frame and configured to cooperate with the first and second side panels to substantially enclose the interior; and

a light source configured to illuminate the substantially enclosed interior.

11. The base of claim 10 further comprising a door panel coupled to the support cabinet and configured to divide the interior into an enclosed interior portion and an accessible interior portion.

12. The base of claim 10, wherein the support cabinet is configured to cooperate with a second support cabinet such that the first side panel of the support cabinet substantially abuts a second side panel of the second support cabinet.

13. The base of claim 10, wherein the support frame is configured to cooperate with a second support frame of a second support cabinet in an abutting manner.

14. The base of claim 10, wherein the cabinet deck further comprises a top surface configured to removably carry an interface plate.

15. A support base comprising:

a support cabinet, the support cabinet comprising: a support frame configured to define an interior; a first side panel coupled to the support frame; and a second side panel coupled to the support frame; and

a cabinet deck having an interface plate, the cabinet deck coupled to the support frame and configured to cooperate with the first and second side panels to substantially enclose the interior.

16. The base of claim 14 further comprising a door panel coupled to the support cabinet and configured to divide the interior into an enclosed interior portion and an accessible cavity portion.

17. The base of claim 14, wherein the cabinet deck supports a light source.

18. The base of claim 16, wherein the light source is disposed adjacent to the accessible cavity portion.

19. The base of claim 16 further comprising a light source grill disposed substantially adjacent to the light source.

20. The base of claim 14, wherein the support cabinet is configured to cooperate with a second support cabinet such that the first side panel of the support cabinet substantially abuts a second side panel of the second support cabinet.