WO2003010726A1

WO2003010726A1 - Occlusion device for gaming machine display elements

Info

Publication number: WO2003010726A1
Application number: PCT/ES2002/000256
Authority: WO
Inventors: Joaquín FRANCO MUÑOZ; Jesús FRANCO MUÑOZ
Original assignee: Proindumar, S.L.
Priority date: 2001-07-16
Filing date: 2002-05-29
Publication date: 2003-02-06
Also published as: MXPA03011265A; ATE297582T1; EP1408463B1; ES2243731T3; BR0211036A; DE60204574D1; EP1408463A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an occlusion device for gaming machine display elements consisting of an opaque curtain (4) that can cover part of the display element (1) bearing the images (2) which can be seen through the machine screen at the end of each game. The inventive device is used to conceal said images (2) temporarily and to substitute them with other images disposed on the external face of said curtain (4). The curtain (4) is connected to an arm (5) having a ring (6) disposed at the end thereof which is mounted to rotate freely on a support (10). The flat ring (6) is provided with toothing (7) by means of which said ring receives the movement of a micromotor (9) which causes the curtain (4) to move between the operation and non-operation positions, said positions being defined by a pair of mechanical stops (11-11') or by the electronic control of a step-by-step-type actuation motor (9).

Description

OR TTJRAnOR FOR VTSORFS fíK MACHINES

RECREATIONAL

D R S Γ R I P Γ T Ó N

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a shutter that has been specially designed to temporarily hide the normally visible part of a viewfinder or rotating drum from those that are usually used in recreational machines.

The object of the invention is to achieve that, during the development of a play, one or more of the images that participate through said viewers in the combination corresponding to a winning line, can be kept hidden, while keeping said combination partially hidden , which allows the player, before finalizing the play, opt for different game alternatives depending on the images he is viewing and those he anticipates may exist in the viewfinder or hidden viewers.

Thus, the invention is applicable to the field of recreational machines with cash prizes and allows to enhance the performance of the game, with direct intervention of the player in the results of each play. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the practical scope of the invention, that of recreational machines with cash prizes, viewers carrying a plurality of different images or figures are used, which appear sequentially on the screen of the machine, in the development of each play, so that at the end of it the images corresponding to the different viewers, established on a winning line, generate a certain prize-prone combination, in accordance with a profit plan conveniently established also on the machine screen.

These displays adopt in practice multiple configurations and different types of actuation, but present as common denominator the fact that they show only a portion of them through the machine screen, which usually includes three of the figures above. cited, and sometimes part of the figures immediately before and after, so that in the terminal phase of the play, when the viewfinders stabilize, through them appear a series of figures with respect to which one or more can be established horizontal lines immediately before and after the aforementioned, and sometimes also diagonal lines, so that when the winning line figures valid at any time coincide with one of the combinations of the profit plan, the machine gives the player the corresponding prize in metalic.

To date, the only possibility to increase the possibilities of play on this main group of viewers of the machine, is to establish an auxiliary viewer, which in turn shows a figure and that in certain circumstances can be transferred to any one of the viewers of the winning line, to replace the figure of the latter, or make "advances" in the viewers to also modify the final combination.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The practicable shutter that the invention proposes constitutes an advance in this line of allowing a greater intervention in the game by the player, specifically keeping at least one of the viewers of the machine hidden during the course of the play, so that when said viewfinders stabilize the player can not fully visualize the combination he has obtained, and depending on the figures that are shown and his own intuition about which figure can be hidden by the shutter cover, is in conditions of opt for certain game alternatives, in a manner relatively similar to what happens in uncovered poker, in which while most of the cards appear visible to the player, some or some of them remain hidden.

For this purpose and more specifically, the shutter of the invention is embodied in a formally and dimensionally suitable curtain to allow the covering of all the corresponding part of the viewfinder that is initially visible through the machine screen, preferably configuration curtain in a cylindrical segment, of curvature coinciding with that of the viewfinder itself, mounted with freedom of rotation on a support, which preferably in practice will be mounted on the viewfinder drive motor itself, support in which a small auxiliary motor is established, which supplies the rotating movement to the curtain, within a certain angle established by a pair of limit switches, mounted with static character on the repeatedly mentioned support and on which a stop associated with the curtain itself acts, so that such career ends establish the limit opening and closing situations of said curtain, conveniently governing said micromotor .

However, said motor can be realized in practice in a stepper motor, in which case the stop and the aforementioned limit switches are unnecessary, the amplitude of angular displacement of the curtain being controlled by control in the angular movement of the motor.

Optionally the shutter of the invention will incorporate on its outer surface, the one visible through the screen of the machine, additional figures and a formal and dimensionally suitable window to allow the vision of a figure present in the roller or drum of the game machine or recreational, so that the game alternatives are further increased.

In those cases in which a volumetric reduction of the device is desirable or necessary, due to space availability problems or for any other cause, the use, as a support of the rotary viewer drive motor, of a cylindrical capsule, of internal diameter adequate to that of said motor, but substantially oversized in an axial direction, so that the space of said capsule not occupied by the main motor is allocated to the location of the micromotor of the cover itself and its corresponding gearbox assembly, mounted on a discoidal support, as a bowl, with a diameter coinciding with that of the main motor. The output pinion of the gearbox group is substantially projected radially with respect to the disk support and passes through a window operatively practiced in the cylindrical capsule, to engage with the toothed ring that ends the arm of the shutter cap itself, which in this case it presents the toothed of transmission of movement in its inner edge.

In this way, the support of the actuation means of the shutter cover itself is located inside the support of the main motor of the viewfinder, so that its volumetric occupancy is minimal, with virtually no impact on the volumetry of the viewfinder in its set with all its accessories.

In another variant embodiment of the invention and if what is intended is to facilitate both the implementation and maintenance of the shutter itself, the latter is structured from a steering wheel carrying the shutter curtain, a wheel designed to adapt laterally and coaxially to the corresponding roller, maintaining the physical independence mentioned above, but so that its curtain is superimposed on the periphery of the roller and, depending on the position adopted by the steering wheel, is in turn capable of hiding or not the images of said roller facing the viewfinder window, for which purpose the aforementioned steering wheel is mounted with freedom of rotation on a support that is parallel to the roller support and which, like the latter, adopts an "L" profile for fixing by screwing the structure of the machine

The aforementioned steering wheel incorporates a perimeter toothing through which it receives the movement of a micromotor, established in the support itself, through a gearbox transmission whose pinion of Gear output with the perimeter of the flywheel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description that is being made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, according to a preferred example of practical implementation thereof, a set of drawings is attached as an integral part of said description. In an illustrative and non-limiting manner, the following has been represented:

Figure 1.- Shows an exploded perspective view of a practicable shutter for gaming or recreational machine viewers made in accordance with the object of the present invention, together with part of the corresponding viewfinder.

Figure 2.- Shows a side elevation view of the assembly of the previous figure, properly assembled.

Figure 3.- Shows a sectional detail of the assembly represented in figure 2, according to the line A-B of said figure.

Figure 4.- Shows an exploded perspective view of a practicable shutter for gaming or recreational machine viewers made in accordance with the embodiment variant in which it incorporates additional figures as well as a viewing window.

Figure 5.- Shows an exploded perspective view of a rotary viewer for a recreational machine equipped with another embodiment variant for the shutter.

Figure 6 shows, finally, a new variant of the shutter embodiment, also according to a perspective view, in which said shutter appears uncoupled from the corresponding viewfinder, but duly faced with it.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In view of the aforementioned figures, specifically of figures 1 to 3, it can be seen as the shutter that the invention proposes, in the present case especially designed for visors (1) materialized in a roulette or cylindrical drum, carrier on its periphery of an alignment of images (2) and driven by an electric motor (3) coaxially mounted on it, is embodied in a curtain (4), rectangular, arched profile, formally and dimensionally suitable to be located outside and concentrically on the viewfinder ( 1), hiding the images or figures (2) of the latter that must be visible through the screen, for which purpose and as evident said curtain (4) should be opaque, extending through one of its lateral edges in a radial arm (5) that at its other end is finished off in a flat ring (6), provided at its edge with a toothed sector (7), ring (6) designed to be mounted with freedom of rotation on the motor itself ( 3) of drum or visor (1) and to receive through its gear (7) and with the collaboration of a gearbox gearbox (8), the movement generated by an established micromotor (9), as well as the gear set itself ( 8), on an established support, like the gear set itself (8), on a support (10) conveniently in solidarity with the main motor support (3). The aforementioned support (10) constitutes in parallel the support means for a pair of microswitches or limit switches (11-11 '), conveniently spaced apart, between which a stop (12) integral with the b4azo (5) of the curtain ( 4), so that one of these career ends (11) establishes the closing limit situation for the curtain, while the other establishes the opening limit situation.

As previously mentioned, the micromotor (9) can be of the "step by step" type, in which case the microswitches or limit switches (11-11 ') are unnecessary, as well as the stop (12), since in In this case, the movement of the curtain (4) can be controlled by the timing in the feeding of said micromotor.

In any case, it is achieved that in a closed situation for the curtain (4) that conceals the figures (2) of the viewfinder (1) that would normally be visible through the screen of the machine, so that only part appears before the player of the figures that participate in the prize-prone combination, in order to be able to opt for different types of plays or bets based on their personal criteria, specifically the possibilities that under their view exist that the hidden figure completes with the visible figures a winning combination, opening the curtain (4) once the player has made the corresponding decision and acted accordingly.

In the variant embodiment, the one shown in figure 4, 1 curtain (4 ') based on the same structuring, incorporates on its outer surface, the visible through the screen of the machine, additional figures (2') complementary of the figures (2) present in the drum or roller (1), as well as a window (13) that allows the display of the aforementioned figures (2) of the drum or roller (1). Logically, the number of figures (2 ') and windows (13) is variable in position and number depending on the corresponding needs.

In the variant embodiment shown in Figure 5, the shutter is also intended for viewers (21) materialized in a roulette or cylindrical drum, carrier on its periphery of an alignment of images (22) and driven by an electric motor (23 ) coaxially mounted on it, and is embodied in a curtain (24), rectangular, arched profile, formally and dimensionally suitable to be located outside and concentrically on the drum (21), hiding the images or figures (22) of the latter that under normal conditions they are visible through the screen, for which purpose said curtain is opaque, extending through one of its lateral edges in a radial arm (25), of appropriate length, which at the other end is finished off in a flat ring (26) through which it receives the rotating movement for tilting the curtain or cover itself (24).

Said ring (26) incorporates its toothed sector (27) in its inner edge, with which the output pinion (28) of a gearbox of gears multiplier, which in turn receives the movement of a micromotor (29), established like the gear set (28) on a disk-shaped support (30) as a bowl, with a diameter coinciding with the diameter of the main motor (23) of the drum drive (21), and which, like the latter, is intended to be housed in a support materialized in a cylindrical capsule (31).

More specifically, the support (30) incorporates a groove

(32) on its side wall, through which the exit pinion (28), groove (32) emerges partially outside, which is mounted for mounting support (30) within the cylindrical capsule (31) faces another groove (33) existing in said capsule, specifically in the area of the same in which it is coupled to it with the possibility of rotating the ring (25) , so that the output pinion (28) meshes with the toothed sector (27) of said ring (26).

The structure described is complemented by a pair of washers (34-35) that frame the toothed ring (26), which may optionally be fixed to each other and that in any case are fixed to the support capsule (31), counting one of these washers (35) with the limit switches (36) which, in collaboration with a stop (37) attached to the arm (25), control the micromotor circuit (29) to control the angular displacement of the curtain or cover itself (24), within the pre-established limits for this purpose.

It is thus achieved that most of the mechanism is housed inside the cylindrical capsule (31), of internal diameter coinciding with that of the main motor (23) of the rotating viewfinder drive (21), so that only they are located outside of it the toothed ring (26) and the washers (34) and (35), which suppose an increase in diameter of small amplitude and consequently a very small volumetric occupation that does not in practice hinder the assembly of the assembly under any circumstance .

Finally, in the variant embodiment shown in the figure

6 the shutter also incorporates the classic shutter cover (41), of width at least coincident with that of the roller (42) carrying the images (43) that are part of the combinatorial game that allows the player to qualify for a cash prize, images (43) that are sequentially visible by the player through the window corresponding of said viewfinder, established on the screen of the machine, the length of said shutter (41) being also adequate to completely hide said viewing window.

The shutter (41) is integral, by one of its curved edges, to the periphery of a flywheel (44) mounted with freedom of rotation on an axis (45) which, in a situation of assembly for the shutter, is coaxial with the axis (46) of the roller (42), the aforementioned shaft (45) being mounted in turn with freedom of rotation on a flat support (47) parallel to the support (48) of the roller (42), opposed to the latter, and equipped on one of its edges with an orthogonal bend (49) with holes (50) for fixing the structure of the recreational machine.

The steering wheel (44) incorporates a perimeter teeth (51) through which it receives the movement of a micromotor (52), with which a gearbox transmission (53) collaborates, elements established on the support itself (47), with the collaboration of an auxiliary bridge deck

(54).

The support itself (47) is also for the plate (55) carrying the engine steering circuit (52), a circuit with him collaborates a couple of limit switches that are fixed to the periphery of the steering wheel (44), with the possibility of positional regulation, specifically with the collaboration of holes (56-56 '), operatively practiced on the steering wheel (44).

The limit switches, not shown in the drawing, can be magnets that act by hall effect, they can be optocouplers, microswitches or any others that are considered convenient. The integral teeth (51) of the flywheel (44) allow the displacement of the sealing cover (41) to be 360 °.

Claims

R E I V I N D T C A C T O N F S

I ^a .- Shutter for recreational machine visors, specifically for recreational machines equipped with several viewers capable of sequentially displaying different figures through the screen of the machine, determinants of prize-prone combinations, characterized in that it consists of a curtain (4) , opaque, capable of covering the part of the viewfinder (1) that appears through the screen of the machine, and that at the end of each play is capable of tilting or turning to leave said sector of the viewfinder freely and directly visible, in order that after the stabilization of the visors the figure of any of them participating in the winning line is kept hidden, and consequently the resulting combination only partially visible, until the player makes a game decision in this regard.

2 .- shutter for viewers recreational machines, according ^to claim I, wherein the curtain (4) is associated with an arm (5) rocker topped at its other end in a ring (6) mounted with freedom of rotation on a support (10), preferably associated with the main motor support (3) of the viewfinder, ring (6) provided with a toothed sector (7) through which it receives the movement of an auxiliary micromotor (9), by means of a multiplier set (8) appropriate, established on said support (10) and capable of supplying said arm (5) with an angular movement suitable for the displacement provided for the curtain (4), between the limit situations of obturation and obobturation.

3 .- shutter for viewers recreational machines according to previous claims, characterized in that when the auxiliary micromotor (9) is an auxiliary micromotor (9) is a conventional micromotor, in the cited support two limit switches are set (11-11 ') fixed, preferably microswitches, with which a stop (12) associated with the arm (5) of the curtain (4) collaborates, in order to limit the tilting movement of said arm, in one way or another.

4 .- shutter for viewers recreational machines, according to claims I and 2nd, characterized in that the micromotor (9) is a motor "step by step", which allows controlling its drive pulses and, consequently, the 1st amplitude the angular displacement of the arm (5) associated with the curtain (4).

5 .- shutter for viewers recreational machines according to previous claims, characterized in that the curtain (4 ') incorporates in its outer surface additional figures (2') complementary to the shapes (2) present in the drum (1) or roller , as well as a window (13) that allows the visualization of the mentioned figures of the drum (1) or roller, being variable in position and number the number of said figures and windows.

6 .- shutter for viewers recreational machines, according ^to claim I, characterized in that the curtain (24) is associated with a rocker arm (25) ending in a flat ring (26) with internal teeth

(27) on which a motor (29) for operating the curtain (4) acts, said motor (29), as well as its complementary gear group of the multiplier (18) housed in a support (30), by way of circular bowl, with a diameter coinciding with that of the main engine (23) and which together with the latter is housed in a support (31) materialized in a cylindrical capsule, with an internal diameter coinciding with that of the external diameter of the main motor (23) and of axial dimension suitable to receive both elements simultaneously, emerging radially and partially from this set the output pinion (28) of the gearbox group, which Gears with the inner teeth (27) of the ring (26) that ends at the arm (25) of the curtain (24).

7 .- shutter for viewers recreational machines, according ^to claim 6, wherein the output pinion (28) of the reduction gear group emerges outside the support (30) through a slot

(32) of its side wall, which is operatively facing another slot

(33) existing in the cylindrical capsule (31).

8 .- shutter for viewers recreational machines, according to claims 6 and 7, characterized in that the toothed ring (26) mounted with rotational freedom on the cylindrical capsule (31) constituting the main holder, is immobilized axially with respect to said capsule (31) with the collaboration of two washers (34-35) located on both sides of the toothed ring (26) and duly fixed to the capsule (31), incorporating one of said washers (35) for the purpose of stroke (36) for control of the electric micromotor (29) of the curtain drive (24), on which a stop (37) established on the arm (25) curtain support (24) acts.

9 .- shutter for viewers recreational machines, according to claim I ^to, wherein the curtain (41) is secured to the periphery of a wheel (44) slightly oversized diameter relative to the roller or display (42) and adapted to adapt laterally to the latter in coaxial arrangement, the axis (45) of said steering wheel mounted with freedom of rotation on a support (47) in turn parallel and opposed to the support (48) of the complementary roller or sight glass (42), provided on one of its edges of an orthogonal bend (49) for fixing, by screwing, to the structure of the machine or to the viewfinder itself (2) it serves. 10 .- shutter for viewers recreational machines, according to claim 9, characterized in that the wheel (44) incorporates a perimetral toothing (51) through which receives the movement from a micromotor (52), with or without interposing a gearbox transmission (43), so that the movement of the curtain (41) can reach 360 °, said motor (52), its gearbox transmission (53) and its control circuit (55) mounted on the same support ( 47) that the steering wheel (44), incorporating the latter holes (56) in its periphery properly located for implantation of the limit switches that control the angular displacement of the steering wheel (44) and of the sealing curtain (41) associated therewith.

11 .- shutter for viewers recreational machines, according ^to claim 10, wherein the micromotor (52) is of the type

"Step by Step" .