Gaming machine with belly located media dispenser

• US 20090176582A1
• Filed: 01/03/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: COLE Kepro International LLC
• Original Assignee: COLE Kepro International LLC
• Inventors: Cole, Joseph W., Comfort, Edward H.
• Application Number:
  US12/006,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20090176582A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/46
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects

Abstract

A gaming machine has a media dispenser, such as a ticket printer. The media dispenser is located in a belly portion of the gaming machine below a console portion. The media dispenser may be located in front of a cabinet portion of the gaming machine and behind a door thereof. The media dispenser preferably extends horizontally through the gaming machine. A portion of the media dispenser may be located in front of a currency box of a currency acceptor of the machine. The location of the media dispenser simplifies the configuration of the gaming machine as well as access to the media dispenser.

Claims

1. A gaming machine component configuration comprising:

a cabinet comprising a housing having a front and a door located at said front, said cabinet having a top portion, a console portion below said top portion, and a belly portion below said console portion;

one or more player input devices associated with said console portion;

a currency acceptor, said currency acceptor having a currency box, at least a portion of said currency box located in said belly portion of said cabinet; and

a media dispenser, said media dispenser located in said belly portion of said cabinet, wherein at least a portion of said media dispenser is located in front of said currency box of said currency acceptor.

2. The gaming machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said currency acceptor further comprises a currency accepting slot located at said console portion and wherein an outlet of said media dispenser is located below said slot in general vertical alignment therewith.

3. The gaming machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said media dispenser comprises a media generator, a media outlet, and a media transport extending between said media generator and said media outlet.

4. The gaming machine in accordance with claim 3 wherein said media transport comprises a conduit defining a vertically oriented slot and wherein said outlet comprises a corresponding vertically oriented slot, whereby media are dispensed in a vertical orientation.

5. The gaming machine in accordance with claim 3 wherein said media transport extends in front of said currency box of said currency acceptor.

6. The gaming machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said media dispenser is located in a space behind said door and forward of said housing.

7. The gaming machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said media dispenser is located behind a panel of said door at said belly portion of said cabinet.

8. The gaming machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said media dispenser is oriented so that a lengthwise dimension thereof extends generally horizontally.

9. The gaming machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said door has a belly portion corresponding to said belly portion of said cabinet, and wherein an opening is located in said door corresponding to an outlet of said media dispenser.

10. A gaming machine component configuration comprising:

a cabinet comprising a housing having a front and a door located at said front, said cabinet having a top portion, a console portion below said top portion, and a belly portion below said console portion;

at least one gaming controller configured to provide game information;

at least one display located above said console portion of said cabinet;

said at least one display configured to present game information provided by said at least one gaming controller; and

a media dispenser, said media dispenser located in said belly portion of said cabinet behind said door and forward of said housing.

11. The gaming machine in accordance with claim 10 wherein said door has a depth and said media dispenser is substantially within said depth of said door when said door is in a closed position relative to said housing.

12. The gaming machine in accordance with claim 10 wherein said media dispenser comprises a media generator having an elongate housing, a lengthwise dimension of said housing oriented horizontally.

13. The gaming machine in accordance with claim 12 wherein said media generator is oriented to dispense media in a horizontal orientation.

14. The gaming machine in accordance with claim 13 wherein said media dispenser further comprises a media transport, said media transport configured to change the orientation of media dispensed from said media generator to a vertical orientation.

15. The gaming machine in accordance with claim 10 wherein said media dispenser extends from a first side laterally across said belly portion of said cabinet towards a second side thereof.

16. The gaming machine in accordance with claim 10 wherein at least a portion of said media dispenser is mounted to said door.

17. The gaming machine in accordance with claim 10 wherein said media dispenser comprises a media generator and a media transport, said media transport leading from said media generator to a media outlet.

18. The gaming machine in accordance with claim 17 wherein said media transport has a first end oriented in a first direction and a second end oriented in a second direction, said second direction being offset approximately ninety degrees from said first direction.

19. The gaming machine in accordance with claim 17 wherein said media outlet comprises a vertically oriented slot.