U.S. patent application number 12/096326 was filed with the patent office on 2009-07-09 for reel mechanism and control assembly.
Invention is credited to James Cove.
Application Number | 20090176550 12/096326 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35686087 |
Filed Date | 2009-07-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090176550 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cove; James |
July 9, 2009 |
REEL MECHANISM AND CONTROL ASSEMBLY
Abstract
A reel control assembly for a plurality of like reel mechanisms
for a gaming machine, comprises a support structure having a
plurality of electronic connection ports. Each of the connection
ports is provided to receive a connection means provided on a reel
mechanism for an electronic connection therebetween. The connection
ports are electronically linked to a master controller circuit
board, which provides an electronic linkage to a gaming machine.
The connection ports may be provided in side-by-side relationship
in a housing. Guidance means in the form of location structures on
the support structure for cooperation with location structures on a
reel mechanism may be provided to facilitate accurate mounting of a
reel mechanism and electrical connection with the appropriate
connection port. The circuit board may provide control signals to
some or all components of a reel mechanism including stepper
motors, LCD/OLED screens, lamp/LED arrays and optic feedback
devices.
Inventors: |
Cove; James;
(Worcestershire, GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GREENBLUM & BERNSTEIN, P.L.C.
1950 ROLAND CLARKE PLACE
RESTON
VA
20191
US
|
Family ID: |
35686087 |
Appl. No.: |
12/096326 |
Filed: |
December 6, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
December 6, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB2006/004558 |
371 Date: |
October 20, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
463/20 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/3213 20130101;
G07F 17/3216 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/20 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 6, 2005 |
GB |
0524773.9 |
Claims
1. A reel control assembly for a plurality of like reel mechanisms
for a gaming machine, each comprising an upstanding reel support, a
reel mountable on a reel support so as to be rotatable about an
axis transverse to the support, via a stepper motor, and an
electronic connection means, the device comprising a support
structure having a plurality of electronic connection ports for
receiving one of said connection means, each of the connection
ports being electronically linked to a master controller circuit
board, which provides an electronic linkage to a gaming
machine.
2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the (or each) electronic
connection means and connection ports comprise male and female
plug-and-socket structures.
3. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein the (or each) reel
mechanism comprises a forwardly projecting plug member and the
support structure of the device comprises a socket member.
4. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the support structure
comprises a supporting base for mounting of said reel mechanisms
thereon and an upstanding wall in which said ports are mounted for
connection thereto via said connection means.
5. The assembly according to claim 4 wherein the ports are arranged
in side-by-side arrangement for facilitating side-by-side
arrangement of said reel mechanisms.
6. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electronic
linkage to a gaming machine comprises a serial link.
7. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the device controls
any of the following mechanisms of the reel mechanisms, either
solely or in combination: stepper motor, light LED illumination,
optic feedback, RGB, LED's, LCD or OLED screen.
8. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the supporting base
provides location structures for cooperation with location
structures on the reel mechanism.
9. A reel mechanism comprising an upstanding reel support, a reel
mountable on the reel support so as to be rotatable about an axis
transverse to the support, a support structure having at least one
first retention structure at a forward region thereof and at least
one first location structure rearwardly of the (or each) first
retention structure, a foot fixed to the support at a lower region
thereof and extending transversely to the upstanding reel support
and to the said rotation axis, said foot having at least one second
retention structure at a forward end region thereof and at least
one second location structure rearwardly of said forward end
region, whereby the foot is detachably mountable on the support
structure by releasable interengagement respectively of the first
and second retention structures and the first and second location
structure.
10. The mechanism according to claim 9, wherein the releasable
interengagement relies on parts provided respectively on the foot
and the support structure.
11. The mechanism according to claim 10, wherein the first and
second retention structures comprise cooperable male and female
plug-and-socket structures.
12. The mechanism according to claim 11, wherein the male and
female structures consist of, or include electrical plug-and-socket
structures.
13. The mechanism according to claim 12, wherein there is a
forwardly projecting plug member on the foot, which is cooperable
with an upstanding rearwardly facing socket member on the support
structure.
14. The mechanism according to claim 10, wherein the first and
second location structures comprise cooperable projection and
aperture structures whereby the (or each) projection fits into the
respective aperture and prevents movement in at least one direction
by engagement with peripheral regions of the aperture.
15. The mechanism according to claim 14, wherein the aperture has
an enlargement of the nature of a keyhole, and the projection is a
headed projection, whereby the head can pass through the
enlargement but it is too wide to pass through the reminder of the
aperture.
16. The mechanism according to claim 10, wherein the aperture of
the (or each) pair of cooperable location structures are in the
foot and the projection is an upstanding projection on the support
structure.
17. The mechanism according to claim 10, wherein the
interengagement between the respective location and retention
structures are retained solely frictionally so that the structures
are pushed into interengagement and disengagement is effected
solely by pulling the structures apart.
18. The mechanism according to claim 10 wherein, to facilitate
movement of the foot into and/or out of interengagement there is an
upstanding tab or gripping member on the foot at a rearward end
portion thereof, which can be readily gripped.
19. The mechanism according to claim 10, wherein the foot is formed
integrally with the reel support.
20. (canceled)
Description
[0001] This invention relates to reel mechanisms such as are used
in entertainment machines.
[0002] Entertainment machines, such as fruit machines may have
reels which are mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis. A
symbol-bearing band is fixed around the periphery of the reel and
the reel is rotated and then brought to rest so that one or more
selected symbols are displayed through a window.
[0003] The reel may comprise a frame structure which is mounted on
the spindle of an electric motor which is fixed to a support which
extends alongside the reel. The support is mounted on a supporting
structure of the machine and electrical leads link the motor to the
electrical control system of the machine.
[0004] It is known, as described for example in WO 99/48067 to
mount the reel support on the machine supporting structure via a
foot. The foot is fixed to the supporting structure and the reel
support is detachably engaged with the foot. Also electrical leads
from the motor are connected to the electrical system of the
machine via detachably interengageable male and female connectors
respectively on the reel support and the foot. With this know
arrangement the reel and it support can be readily installed within
the machine and also removed when required e.g. for repair and
maintenance or for replacement of the symbol-bearing reel band.
However, a relatively complicated mechanism is required to effect
the releasable interengagement between the reel support and the
foot bearing in mind that accurate, robust mounting of the reel is
an important requirement.
[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an improved
releasable mounting for a rotatable reel whereby secure, accurate
mounting and easy release can be ensured with a structure which is
convenient and inexpensive to manufacture.
[0006] A further object of the invention is to facilitate the
control of a plurality of reel mechanisms used in a gaming
machine.
[0007] According to a first aspect of the invention there is
provided a reel control assembly for a plurality of like reel
mechanisms for a gaming machine, each comprising an upstanding reel
support, a reel mountable on a reel support so as to be rotatable
about an axis transverse to the support, via a stepper motor, and
an electronic connection means, the device comprising a support
structure having a plurality of electronic connection ports for
receiving one of said connection means, each of the connection
ports being electronically linked to a master controller circuit
board, which provides an electronic linkage to a gaming
machine.
[0008] With this arrangement, a plurality of reels can be
conveniently controlled from a central control device or hub which
in turn can be connected to a gaming machine via a single link.
This arrangement removes such control from a central control unit
of a gaming machine, which is important where the functions and
mechanisms employed to control the reel are complex.
[0009] The (or each) electronic connection means and connection
ports preferably comprise male and female plug-and-socket
structures. Therefore, the (or each) reel mechanism may comprise a
forwardly projecting plug member and the support structure of the
device may comprise a socket member.
[0010] The support structure may comprise a supporting base for
mounting of said reel mechanisms thereon and an upstanding wall in
which said ports are mounted for connection thereto via said
connection means. The ports may be are arranged in side-by-side
arrangement for facilitating side-by-side arrangement of said reel
mechanisms.
[0011] The electronic linkage to a gaming machine preferable
comprises a serial link The device may be operable to control any,
some, or all of the following mechanisms or components incorporated
by some or all of the reel mechanisms, either solely or in
combination: stepper motor, light LED illuummaton, optic feedback,
RGB, LED's, LCD or OLED screen.
[0012] The supporting base may provide location structures for
cooperation with location structures provided by the reel mechanism
which function to mount each reel mechanism in position and provide
a guide for the accurate connection of the connection means and
connection mechanism.
[0013] Therefore, according to a second aspect of the invention
therefore there is provided a reel mechanism comprising an
upstanding reel support a reel mountable on the reel support so as
to be rotatable about an axis transverse to the support, a support
structure having at least one first retention structure at a
forward region thereof and at least one first location structure
rearwardly of the (or each) first retention structure, a foot fixed
to the support at a lower region thereof and extending transversely
to the upstanding reel support and to the said rotation axis, said
foot having at least one second retention structure at a forward
end region thereof and at least one second location structure
rearwardly of said forward end region, whereby the foot is
detachably mountable on the support structure by releasable
interengagement respectively of the first and second retention
structures and the first and second location structure.
[0014] With this arrangement reliance on the use of two sets of
releasably interengageable parts between the foot and the support
structure facilitates secure accurate mounting of the rotatable
reel whilst permitting ready installation and removal as
required.
[0015] Moreover, insofar as the releasable interengagement relies
on parts provided respectively on the foot and the support
structure, it need not be necessary to rely on intricate compact
structures whereby manufacture can be facilitated.
[0016] The first and second retention structures may comprise
cooperable male and female plug-and-socket structures. These may
consist of, or include electrical plug-and-socket structures. Thus,
there may be a forwardly projecting plug member on the foot, which
is cooperable with an upstanding rearwardly facing socket member on
the support structure.
[0017] The first and second location structures may comprise
cooperable projection and aperture structures whereby the (or each)
projection fits into the respective aperture and prevents movement
in at least one direction by engagement with peripheral regions of
the aperture. This prevention of movement may be in one or more
directions in the plane of the aperture. Additionally however it
also is effective in a direction transversely to such plane e.g.
such that the foot is restrained against lifting off the support
structure. Thus, the aperture may have an enlargement e.g. of the
nature of a keyhole, and the projection may be a headed projection,
whereby the head can pass through the enlargement but is too wide
to pass through the reminder of the aperture.
[0018] The aperture of the (or each) pair of cooperable location
structures may be in the foot and the projection may be an
upstanding projection, on the support structure.
[0019] The interengagement between the respective location and
retention structures may be retained solely frictionally i.e. so
that the structures are pushed into interengagement and
disengagement is effected solely by pulling the structures apart.
However, other means of retention may also apply. For example, the
foot may be resiliently deformable whereby it has to be deformed
slightly to move it into and out of interengagement so that it is
held securely in engagement by the resilience of the foot. It is
also possible to provide additional releasable catches or locks
separate to or forming part of the retention or location
structures.
[0020] To facilitate movement of the foot into and/or out of
interengagement there may be an upstanding tab or gripping member
on the foot e.g. at a rearward end portion thereof, which can be
readily gripped in a persons hand.
[0021] The foot may be a generally flat structure which is arranged
to overlie a generally flat top surface of the support
structure.
[0022] The foot may be formed integrally with the reel support
although detachable arrangements are also possible.
[0023] The reel support may also be a generally flat structure with
a transversely projecting mounting part to receive an electric
motor.
[0024] The reel may be a frame work structure having two circular
rims held inside by side disposition by transverse struts, and
having further radial struts connecting the rims to a central
hub.
[0025] A plurality of like reel mechanisms may be assembled with
side by side arrangement of reel, reel supports and feet mounted on
a common support structure having a plurality of respective
location and retention structures.
[0026] The reel mechanism of the invention may be used to display
selected symbols in an entertainment machine whereby a
symbol-bearing reel band may be fixed around the periphery of the
reel and the reel mechanism may be mounted e.g. within a cabinet,
so that a portion of the periphery of the reel can be displayed
through a window.
[0027] The first aspect may be provided with some or all of the
features as described in relation to the second aspect of the
invention and vice versa.
[0028] The invention will now be described further by way of
example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in
which:
[0029] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a reel mechanism in
conjunction with a control assembly;
[0030] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatical side view of the assembly shown
in FIG. 1, and
[0031] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatical rear view of the assembly shown
in FIG. 1.
[0032] As shown in FIG. 1, a reel mechanism 1 comprises a
conventional reel 2, a reel support 3, a support structure 4 and a
foot 5.
[0033] The reel 2 is a skeleton structure having opposed circular
openwork side walls 6 held in spaced disposition by
circumferentially spaced peripheral radially extending struts
7.
[0034] Each side wall 6 has an outer rim 8 with an axially inwardly
directed peripheral flange 9. The two flanges 9 define a channel
for location of a symbol-bearing reel band (not shown).
[0035] One side wall 6 has a central hub 10 supported within the
respective rim 8 by radial spokes 11.
[0036] The support 3 extends alongside the side wall 6 opposing the
side wall 6 with the hub 10, externally of the reel 2 and comprises
an upstanding panel comprising upper and lower parts 3a, 3b
respectively attached by a connection piece 3c.
[0037] A stepper motor 12 is mounted on the upper part 3a of the
support 3 between the side walls 6, centrally of the reel 2, with
an axle 13 of the motor 12 extending to engage with the hub 10.
[0038] The lower part 3b is mounted to the foot 5 at a bottom end,
the foot 5 comprising an elongate plate extending transversely to
the upstanding support 3 which is attached thereto along a
longitudinal edge.
[0039] The plate comprises two apertures 14 arranged one behind the
other along the longitudinal axis of the plate, transversely to the
axis of the reel 2. Each aperture 14 has an enlarged portion (not
shown), providing a keyhole shape.
[0040] The plate also comprises a male electrical plug 15 located
in an upstanding member 16 attached at a front short edge of the
plate, which is electronically connected to the motor 12 via the
foot 5 and support 3.
[0041] An electrical connection (not shown) travels from the
electrical plug 15 through the foot 5 and the support 3 to the
motor 12 and any additional apparatus requiring electrical signals,
e.g. a lamp unit.
[0042] A rear short edge of the plate comprises a gripping
structure comprising an upstanding member 17 having an aperture 18
to facilitate handling of the mechanism.
[0043] The support structure 4 comprises an elongate shelf having a
flat upper surface 19, with a plurality of pairs of studs 25
attached thereto the pairs being arranged longitudinally along a
central region of the shelf in equally spaced apart locations. Each
stud of a pair is equally spaced apart from its pairing stud in a
direction transverse to that of the arrangement of the pairs. Each
stud 25 has an enlarged head 25a on a short neck 25b.
[0044] The shelf also comprises a plurality of female electrical
sockets 20 mounted side by side within an upstanding box-shaped
housing 21 extending along a longitudinal edge region of the shelf
and attached thereto using screws in brackets 22. Each socket 20 is
arranged to be disposed centrally before a pair of studs 25 on the
shelf.
[0045] A single printed circuit board (PCB) 23 is mounted within
the housing 21 behind the female electrical sockets 20, for
connection thereto. A serial cable 24 connects the PCB 23 to a
control unit of a gaming machine (not shown), therefore, a
plurality or reels can be connected to the PCB 23 which can control
all the functions of the bank of reels via the single serial link
24.
[0046] The PCB 23 is the master reel controller and can provide all
of the appropriate signals to all electronically controlled
components of each of the reel mechanisms 1, including, for
example, controlling the reel movement 2 via the motor 12 including
any optic feedback devices, lamp or LED illumination including more
demanding RGB LEDs in a lamp array, LCD or OLED screens mounted on
or behind the reel 2, which is effected through the single
connection between the plug 15 and the socket 20.
[0047] These mechanisms and components of the reel 2 requires
additional processing capability which can be removed from a
central controller of a gaming machine and be instead provided by
the PCB 23, which is in turn connected to the gaming machine
controller via the standard serial link 24.
[0048] In an alternative embodiment, the reel mechanisms 1 are
provided with a wire harness that connects to the mechanism, which
in turn connects to the PCB 23 via a plug and socket connection as
described above.
[0049] In use, the reel 2, support 3 and foot 5 are lifted into
engagement with the support structure 4, using gripping member 17
so that the apertures 14 of the foot 5 and the studs 25 of the
support structure 4 are inter-engaged, the head 25a of one pair of
studs 25 being passed through the enlarged portion of the apertures
14 in the plate. The foot 5 is pushed forward so that the head 25a
of each stud 25 passes beyond the enlarged portion of the apertures
14, the neck 25b of each stud travelling along the apertures 14.
The pair of studs 25 act to guide the male electrical plug 15 into
retaining engagement with the respective female socket 20 as the
neck 25b of each stud 25 reaches the end of its respective aperture
14.
[0050] The neck 25b, the aperture 14 and the head 25a of each stud
25 have a tight frictional interaction preventing movement in a
sideways, forward and backward direction and preventing
disengagement in an upward direction due to the enlarged heads 25a.
The inter-engagement of the electrical plug 15 and socket 20 is an
electrical connection providing electrical control signals to the
motor 12 of the reel 2.
[0051] A plurality of the reel mechanisms 1 may be attached to the
support structure 4 in side by side disposition.
[0052] The support structure 4 can be mounted in a gaming machine
housing such that a portion of the symbol-bearing bands of each
reel mechanism 1 can be seen through a window in a front panel of
the housing. The serial cable 24 can be connected to the control
unit of the gaming machine.
[0053] A lamp unit (not shown) can be adjustably attached to the
support 4 positioned between the side walls 6, just below the
symbol-bearing band, thereby providing lighting to a number of the
symbols, say 3 symbols, that are displayed through the window of
the gaming machine housing.
[0054] When electrical signals are received from the control unit
through the serial cable 24, the signals are passed through the PCB
23, the engaged electrical socket 20 and plug 15, the foot 5, and
the support 3 to the motor 12 and other components of the reel
mechanism as mentioned above such as any optic feedback devices,
lamp or LED illumination including more demanding RGB LEDs in a
lamp array, LCD screens, OLED screens or digital ink paper mounted
on the reel 2 in place of or in addition to symbol-bearing
strips.
[0055] Disengagement of the reel mechanism 1 can be effected by
pulling the member 17, separating the electrical plug 15 and socket
20 from retaining engagement and moving the heads 51 of the
respective pair of studs 25 into the enlarged portion of the
apertures 14. From this position, the reel mechanism 1 can be
lifted upwardly so that the heads 51 of the studs 25 pass through
the enlarged portion of the apertures 14 and the reel mechanism 1
can be removed from the machine.
[0056] The releasable mounting is simple and effective providing a
secure and accurate mounting mechanism which is easy to use.
Furthermore, the mechanism is convenient and inexpensive to
manufacture.
[0057] It is of course to be understood that the invention is not
intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiment,
which are described by way of example only. Thus for example,
instead of the support structure 4 providing for a plurality of
reel mechanisms 1, only one reel mechanism 1 may be provided to act
as an auxiliary reel for a feature game or otherwise. Furthermore,
the apertures may be joined to comprise a single slot which runs
from the front of the foot 5 to a rearward region to receive both
studs 25.
* * * * *