EP1127340A1

EP1127340A1 - Amusement apparatus

Info

Publication number: EP1127340A1
Application number: EP99955552A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mark Henry Stanley
Original assignee: Bilgrey Samson Ltd
Current assignee: Bilgrey Samson Ltd
Priority date: 1998-06-08
Filing date: 1999-06-08
Publication date: 2001-08-29
Also published as: AU4279299A; GB9812332D0; GB2338578B; ES2213509T1; GB2338578A; WO1999064998A1; GB9913353D0

Abstract

An amusement machine with a game of chance, e.g. a fruit machine, and a game having at least some elements of skill, e.g. a pusher machine.

Description

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS

The invention relates to an amusement apparatus, more particularly but not exclusively to an amusement apparatus comprising a game of chance and a game of skill located in a single cabinet and operating independently or together. Apparatus of this general type is disclosed in specification no. GB 2292246.

One type of amusement apparatus, commonly known as a "fruit machine" includes a number of drums typically three, mounted on independent axles in horizontal alignment behind respective windows in a front panel. Each drum has a number of symbols arranged around its periphery. Upon insertion of a coin or token into a coin receiving slot and actuation of a control button, the drums are caused to rotate. Rotation of the drums is controlled by a central processing unit which will stop each drum independently of the others. Where a specific combination of symbols is aligned and displayed on the windowed panel, the machine will pay out a predetermined monetary prize. The apparatus may include a display panel having flashing lights and iUuminated pictures and further chances of winning are provided which involve, for example, stopping a flashing light over a particular design. Additional rewards may be granted in the form of free games or "nudges" where one or more drums are moved forward to display the next symbol in an attempt to obtain a winning combination of symbols.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided amusement apparatus comprising:

a first game; a second game wherein the player achieves a win by moving objects from a start point to a destination point; and

a central processing unit arranged to enable the first game and in the case of a selected win, to disable the first game and enable the second game; until the player has moved a selected number of the objects to the destination point whereupon the second game is disabled and a corresponding number of play credits is credited to the first game which is enabled.

Preferably, the game of skill is a so-called "pusher". By way of example, a pusher may comprise a large transparent case which contains in its centre a vertically mounted bagatelle board which is mounted over or behind a moving shelf. The moving shelf slides over a fixed base shelf in a forward and back motion powered by a concealed electric motor, turning a linked cam on the back of the moving shelf.

In a conventional pusher game play is as follows. A person inserts a coin into a slot and the coin runs down the vertically mounted bagatelle board and onto the moving shelf to join the other coins on both shelves.

The coin which is inserted and falls down the vertical bagatelle, exits at the base onto the moving shelf on which it lies flat in an horizontal position. When the shelf moves rearwards the coin's travel is blocked and so it is moved forward towards the other coins near the edge of the shelf. Coins may then be forced over the edge onto the fixed base shelf. Once again the coins are pushed forward towards the edge of the base shelf. Any coins falling over the edge are now deposited as winnings for the player into a pay out tray.

The player, by using skill and judgement, inserts the coins into various slots to try to guide the coins down a desired path on the bagatelle so that it will exit at the base at the desired position on the moving shelf and preferably, when the moving shelf is fully extended and its surface area the greatest. Any coins falling over the edge now land onto the fixed base shelf, the accumulated coins are pushed forward, any falling over are deposited as winnings and are returned to the player as such.

Usually the game of skill is played using coins. In some cases, it may be desirable or necessary to use tokens instead. In this embodiment the tokens are received at the destination point in a hopper therefor and returned to the start point for re-use.

In order that the invention may be well understood it will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view partially in section of one apparatus of the invention;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of part of the mechanism of another embodiment; and

Figure 3 is a diagram of part of a modification of the Figure 2 embodiment. The apparatus comprises a cabinet 1 with a base section 2 and a transparent top section 3. A fruit machine and a pusher game are both housed in the cabinet 1. The front of the base section is formed with a fascia panel 4 at which the reels or drums 5 of the fruit machine are visible and which supports a coin receiving slot 6, a pay-out tray 7, a vacuum fluorescent credit display 8, a start button 9, hold buttons 10, a pusher game button 11 and a pay out button 12. The game is played under the control of a microprocessor based control circuit 13.

Coins to play the fruit machine are inserted into a slot 6 resulting in one or more credits as displayed on the vacuum fluorescent display 8. Meanwhile, the coins are transferred by a transfer mechanism (not shown), a simple chute for example, to a hopper 20. The player pushes button 9 to start the reels 5 spinning. When the reels 5 stop they will display across a "win line" 14, certain symbols printed onto the surface of the reels. If the symbols line up in a winning combination, these winnings are displayed on the vacuum fluorescent display 8 and may be paid out by pressing button 12 - this causes hopper 20 to pay out the correct amount of coins into the pay out tray 7.

Certain symbols on the reels 5 give access to the pusher game which is visible in the top section 3 of the cabinet 1. The symbols might not necessarily have to be on the win line 14 but, in this example, assume that the combination of symbols to gain access to the pusher game are three stars on the win line 14. if that win line occurs, a display 15 on panel 4 with the legend say for example "1, 2, 3, 4, coins" lights up and lamps (not shown) begin to flash in sequence behind the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4. By pressing button 11, the player stops the flashing lamps behind a number, lets say 4, whereupon hopper 21 is energised and pays four tokens out at point 22 just above the bagatelle board 23 of the pusher game. These tokens then work their way down (through gravity) over the vertical surface of the bagatelle (tokens hitting the pins may change direction). When the tokens reach the bottom of the bagatelle board 23, they drop onto the moving shelf 24 of the pusher game. The moving shelf slides forward and backwards, driven by a motor 25. During rearward movement or the moving shelf 24, any tokens on that shelf tend to be pushed forward towards the leading edge of the shelf by engagement with the bottom of the bagatelle board. Should the tokens fall over onto the fixed base shelf 26, they are pushed forward on the base shelf 26 by the forward movement of moving shelf 24.

Should tokens fall over the edge of the base shelf 26, they fall into hopper 27. This hopper is enabled when the reels 5 stop with the correct combination of symbols showing in anticipation of tokens being won.

The tokens which fall into hopper 27 are counted and paid out into hopper 21 to be recycled for play. Meanwhile, the monetary value of the tokens is credited to the vacuum fluorescent display B awaiting collection by the player.

The value of each recycled token may be set by the operator. For example:

1 token pays £1

2 to 3 tokens pays £3 4 to 6 tokens pays £5

7 tokens and above pays £10. The mechanism for transferring tokens from hopper 27 to hopper 21 and for transferring the tokens from hopper 21 to be dispensed at point 22 are not shown. However, the design and manufacture of such mechanisms are well within the purview of those skilled in the art, including coin elevator mechanisms as might be used for the transfer from hopper 27 to point 22. Suitable mechanisms off the shelf or perhaps with only minor customisation, may well be commercially available.

In the first embodiment, coins received via slot 6 and paid out in the tray 7 are kept separate from the tokens which circulate through a closed loop within the machine, i.e. dispensed at point22, stored on the pusher shelves, dropped into hopper 27 and thence transferred back up to point 22.

In the second embodiment shown in Figure 2, this closed loop arrangement is omitted. Instead, the second embodiment (which is only partly shown) comprises a multiple value coin slot 30 through which coins are received by a coin mechanism 31. This mechanism is operable to count the value of the coins received and send a signal representing the value to a control unit 32. This value is then added to that displayed by a credit display (not shown). The coin mechanism 31 is also operable to separate out certain relatively low value coins which are chosen to be the coins in play (i.e. to appear on the pusher shelves 33 and 34). These coins might, for example, be British tenpenny pieces. These are sent via a coin transfer path 35 to a hopper 36. Meanwhile, higher value coins, British one pound coins, for example, are transferred via coin transfer path 37 to hopper 38. The hoppers 36 and 38 each have an exit to pay out tray 39 from which the player might take his winnings when paid out from the hoppers. In addition, each hopper 36 and 38 has an overflow exit. Any excess coins in the hopper 38 are transferred to a cash box 40 from which the operator might extricate them at intervals. The overflow exit from the hopper 36 leads to an escalator hopper 41. From here, coins are fed up via a coin elevator mechanism 42 to the top of the bagatelle board 43 of the pusher game. The coins then drop down via board 43 to the moving shelf 33 of the pusher game. Coins falling from the front edge of the fixed shelf 34 fall via chute 44 into a counting hopper 45. These coins are counted and returned to the hopper 36. This count or its value is indicated to the control unit 32 which causes an appropriate amount to be paid out into the payout tray 39.

The amount paid out is made up from the appropriate numbers of coins from the hoppers 36 and 38. For example, if twenty five tenpenny coins fall from shelf 34 into the chute 44, then five tenpenny coins from hopper 36 and two one pound coins from hopper 38 are paid out.

Instead of the coins won from the pusher machine shelves resulting in an immediate pay out, the value of the win could be added to the credit display. Also, any tenpenny coins can be paid out immediately while the whole number of pounds is credited to the display.

The amount shown on the credit display can, of course, be paid out when desired by pressing the payout button (not shown in Figure 2 but similar to the button 12 in Figure 1). This also includes any winnings from the fruit machine (not shown).

It will be appreciated that the coin denominations can be selected as desired and tokens can be used instead of coins if desired, especially in place of the lower value coins which are transferred to hopper 36 and thence to shelves of the pusher. The hopper 36 with overflow exit could be replaced by an in-line diverter mechanism along the lines shown in Figure 3. Here there is a payout hopper 50 with an exit to the pay out tray 39 and leading to the hopper 50 there is a back-up tube 51. Near the top of the tube 51 there is an overflow exit 52 leading to the escalator hopper 41. Above that, tubes 53 and 54 lead in from the counting hopper 45 and the coin mechanism 31 respectively. A supply of coins from the payout hopper 50 is kept in tube 51. Any excess coins received via tubes 53 and 54 are delivered straight through to the escalator hopper.

To maintain the appropriate legal and operational controls on the overall payout from the amusement machine, the control unit is programmed to adjust the odds on the fruit machine in dependence on the history of wins and losses on the pusher machine.

Note that the term "hopper" as used herein does not just mean a box or like passive container but means, as known by those skilled in the art, a container with a controllable coin ejection or counter-out mechanism.

Claims

1. Amusement apparatus comprising:

a first game;

a second game wherein the player achieves a win by moving objects from a start point to a destination point; and

2. Amusement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first game is a game of chance.

3. Amusement apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first game is a fruit machine game.

4. Amusement apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the likelihood of achieving a win on any one play of the second game is influenced by the skill of the player.

5. Amusement apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the second game is a pusher game.

6. Amusement apparatus comprising:-

a fruit machine;

a pusher machine;

control means for responding to a particular output state of the fruit machine to enable user operation of the pusher machine; said control means being operable for adjusting the odds on winning a play on the fruit machine in dependence upon the history of winning and losing on the pusher machine.