GAMING MACHINE WITH ZONE-BASED THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20130012311A1
• Filed: 07/05/2011
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Cornell, Bradley D., Redd, Edward J., Mercado, Victor, Smolucha, Walter E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,567,783 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication

Abstract

A gaming terminal for playing a wagering game includes a gaming cabinet, a first surface, a video display assembly, and a first blower. The gaming cabinet includes an intake port and an exhaust port. The first surface is within the cabinet and divides the cabinet into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The video display assembly includes a video display having a display area and a display housing. The video display assembly is positioned adjacent to the upper chamber of the game cabinet at an angle between about 0 degrees and about 45 degrees relative to horizontal. The display housing forms a longitudinal channel along a substantial portion of a back side opposite the display area. The first blower is disposed in the upper chamber. The longitudinal channel is at least partially sealed such that the first blower creates a negative pressure within the longitudinal channel.

Claims

1. A gaming terminal for playing a wagering game, comprising:

a gaming cabinet including a first intake port and a first exhaust port;

a first surface within the cabinet dividing the cabinet into a first chamber and a second chamber, each of the chambers enclosing at least one respective electronic component used in conjunction with the wagering game; and

a first blower disposed in the first chamber and adjacent to the first exhaust port in the cabinet, the first chamber being at least partially sealed,

wherein by operation of the first blower, ambient air is drawn into the first chamber via the first intake port and directed towards the first exhaust port such that an air pressure at the first exhaust port is lower than an air pressure at the first intake port, thereby creating a negative pressure within the first chamber.

2. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the first blower has an air inlet generally contained within a first plane and an air exit generally contained in a second plane, the first plane being substantially perpendicular to the second plane.

3. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein air enters the first blower in a first direction and exits the first blower in a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction.

4. The gaming terminal of claim 1, further comprising a second blower disposed in the second chamber and adjacent to a second exhaust port in the cabinet, the second chamber being at least partially sealed, wherein by operation of the second blower, the ambient air is drawn into the second chamber via a second intake port in the cabinet and directed towards the second exhaust port such that an air pressure at the second exhaust port is lower than an air pressure at the second intake port, thereby creating a negative pressure within the second chamber.

5. The gaming terminal of claim 4, wherein the first intake port and the first exhaust port are located in the first chamber and wherein the second intake port and the second exhaust port are located in the second chamber.

6. The gaming terminal of claim 4, further comprising a second surface within the cabinet further dividing the cabinet into a third chamber enclosing a second electronic component used in conjunction with the wagering game.

7. The gaming terminal of claim 6, further comprising a third blower disposed in the third chamber and adjacent to a third exhaust port in the cabinet, the third chamber being at least partially sealed, wherein by operation of the third blower, the ambient air is drawn into the third chamber via a third intake port and directed towards the third exhaust port to create a lower air pressure at the third exhaust port relative to an air pressure at the third intake port, thereby creating a negative pressure within the third chamber.

8. The gaming terminal of claim 7, wherein each of the intake ports is accessible to ambient air from a front of the gaming terminal and each of the exhaust ports exhausts the ambient air entering the corresponding intake port out of a back of the gaming terminal.

9. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the gaming cabinet generally includes a front wall, an opposing back wall, two opposing side walls, a base, and a lid, the front wall including the intake port and the back wall including the first exhaust port.

10. The gaming terminal of claim 4, wherein the first and second exhaust ports are offset from a vertical centerline of the gaming cabinet such that air exiting the first and the second exhaust ports is not directly exhausted towards corresponding first and second exhaust ports in a second gaming terminal positioned in a back-to-back relationship with the gaming terminal.

11. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the first surface is generally horizontal and includes one or more apertures having a total square footage of no more than 8 square inches, notwithstanding the apertures, the first blower being operated to create the negative pressure within the first chamber.

12. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the first blower is configured to generate an airflow through the first chamber between about 5 cubic feet per minute (CFM) and about 15 cubic feet per minute (CFM).

13. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the first blower is configured to generate an airflow through the first chamber of about 13 cubic feet per minute (CFM).

14. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the first blower creates a negative pressure in the at least partially sealed first chamber between about 25 Pascals (0.1 inches of water (inAq)) and about 250 Pascals (1.0 inches of water (inAq)).

15. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the first blower creates a negative pressure in the at least partially sealed first chamber between about 50 Pascals (0.2 inches of water (inAq)) and about 225 Pascals (0.9 inches of water (inAq)).

16. The gaming terminal of claim 1, wherein the first blower creates a negative pressure in the at least partially sealed first chamber between about 150 Pascals (0.6 inches of water (inAq)) and about 212 Pascals (0.85 inches of water (inAq)).

17. A gaming terminal for playing a wagering game, comprising:

a gaming cabinet including an intake port and an exhaust port;

a first surface within the cabinet dividing the cabinet into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, the lower chamber enclosing at least one electronic component used in conjunction with the wagering game;

a video display coupled to the upper chamber of the gaming cabinet, the video display being disposed at an angle such that a display area of the video display is positioned between about 0 degrees and about 45 degrees relative to horizontal; and

a first blower disposed in the upper chamber and adjacent to the exhaust port in the cabinet, the upper chamber being at least partially sealed such that within the upper chamber the first blower creates a negative pressure in which an air pressure at the exhaust port is lower than an air pressure at the intake port.

18. The gaming terminal of claim 17, wherein the negative pressure causes ambient air to enter the intake port and flow through the upper chamber adjacent to a back side of the video display opposite the display area.

19. The gaming terminal of claim 18, wherein the ambient air increases in temperature while flowing through the upper chamber and the first blower is configured to direct the increased temperature air towards the exhaust port in the cabinet.

20. The gaming terminal of claim 17, wherein the display area of the video display is positioned between about 15 degrees and about 30 degrees relative to horizontal.

21. The gaming terminal of claim 17, wherein the intake port is positioned to draw ambient air into a front of the gaming cabinet, and the exhaust port is positioned to exhaust air away from a rear of the gaming cabinet.

22. The gaming terminal of claim 17, wherein the negative pressure created by the blower is negative relative to the ambient pressure outside of the cabinet.

23. A gaming terminal for playing a wagering game, comprising:

a gaming cabinet including an intake port and an exhaust port;

a first surface within the cabinet dividing the cabinet into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, the lower chamber enclosing at least one electronic component used in conjunction with the wagering game;

a video display assembly including a video display having a display area and a display housing, the video display assembly being positioned adjacent to the upper chamber of the gaming cabinet at an angle between about 0 degrees and about 45 degrees relative to horizontal, the display housing forming a longitudinal channel along a substantial portion of a back side opposite the display area and between a dedicated display intake port adjacent to the intake port of the cabinet and a dedicated display exhaust port adjacent to the exhaust port of the cabinet; and

a first blower disposed in the upper chamber and adjacent to the dedicated display exhaust port and the first exhaust port in the cabinet, the longitudinal channel being at least partially sealed such that the first blower creates a negative pressure within the longitudinal channel.

24. The gaming terminal of claim 23, wherein the negative pressure causes ambient air to enter the dedicated display intake port from the intake port of the cabinet and flow through the longitudinal channel adjacent to the back side opposite the display area.

25. The gaming terminal of claim 23, wherein the display area of the video display is positioned between about 15 degrees and about 30 degrees relative to horizontal.

26. The gaming terminal of claim 23, further comprising an input device configured to receive wagers from a plurality of players to play the wagering game.

27. The gaming terminal of claim 23, further comprising a secondary video display generally vertically oriented within the cabinet.

28. The gaming terminal of claim 27, wherein a display area of the secondary video display is positioned at an angle between about 75 degrees and about 125 degrees relative to the horizontal.

29. The gaming terminal of claim 23, wherein the upper chamber is coupled to the lower chamber of the gaming cabinet via a hinge such that the upper chamber can be rotated to provide access to the lower chamber.

30. The gaming terminal of claim 23, wherein heat energy conducted by the back side of the video display into the longitudinal channel is exhausted out of the dedicated display exhaust port away from the cabinet.

31. A video display assembly for displaying at least a portion of a wagering game, comprising:

a video display configured to display a randomly selected outcome of the wagering game, the video display being disposed at an angle such that a display area of the video display viewable by a player of the wagering game is positioned between about 0 degrees and about 45 degrees relative to horizontal;

a display housing coupled to the video display, the display housing forming an air conduit along a substantial portion of a back side of the video display opposite the display area, the air conduit lying between a dedicated intake port and a first dedicated exhaust port of the display housing; and

a first blower coupled to the display housing adjacent to the first dedicated exhaust port, the air conduit being at least partially sealed such that the first blower creates a negative pressure within the air conduit.

32. The video display assembly of claim 31, further comprising a second blower coupled to the display housing adjacent to a second dedicated exhaust port in the display housing.

33. The video display assembly of claim 31, wherein the negative pressure causes ambient air to enter the dedicated intake port and flow through the air conduit adjacent to the back side of the video display opposite the display area.

34. The video display assembly of claim 31, wherein the display area of the video display is positioned between about 15 degrees and about 30 degrees relative to horizontal.

35. The video display assembly of claim 31, wherein the video display assembly is configured to be hingedly coupled to a gaming cabinet of a gaming terminal.

36. A gaming terminal for playing a wagering game, comprising:

a gaming cabinet including first and second intake ports and first and second exhaust ports;

a first surface within the cabinet dividing the cabinet into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, each of the chambers enclosing at least one respective heat-generating electronic component each used in conjunction with the wagering game;

a first blower disposed in the upper chamber and adjacent to the first exhaust port in the cabinet, the upper chamber being at least partially sealed such that the first blower is configured to draw ambient air into the upper chamber from the first intake port and direct the air towards the first exhaust port; and

a second blower disposed in the lower chamber and adjacent to the second exhaust port in the cabinet, the lower chamber being at least partially sealed such that the second blower is configured to draw ambient air into the lower chamber from the second intake port and direct the air towards the second exhaust port,

wherein in response to the second blower being inactive, the temperature of the air flowing through the upper chamber increases no more than ten degrees Celsius.

37. The gaming terminal of claim 36, wherein in response to the second blower being inactive, the temperature of the air flowing through the upper chamber increases no more than five degrees Celsius.

38. The gaming terminal of claim 36, wherein in response to the second blower being inactive, the temperature of the air flowing through the upper chamber increases no more than one degree Celsius.

39. The gaming terminal of claim 36, wherein in response to the first blower being inactive, the temperature of the air flowing through the lower chamber increases no more than one degree Celsius.

40. A gaming terminal for playing a wagering game, comprising:

a gaming cabinet including a first intake port and a first exhaust port;

a first surface within the cabinet dividing the cabinet into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, the lower chamber enclosing at least one electronic component used in conjunction with the wagering game;

a video display assembly including a video display having a display area and a display housing, the video display assembly being positioned within the gaming cabinet at an angle between about 0 degrees and about 45 degrees relative to horizontal, the display housing forming a longitudinal channel along a substantial portion of a back side of the video display opposite the display area and between a dedicated display intake port and a dedicated display exhaust port; and

a first blower coupled about the dedicated display exhaust port, the longitudinal channel being at least partially sealed such that the first blower is configured to draw ambient air through the dedicated display intake port into the channel from the first intake port and direct the air towards the first exhaust port.

41. The gaming terminal of claim 40, wherein a base of the display housing is the first surface within the cabinet that divides the cabinet into the upper and lower chambers and wherein the channel is the upper chamber.

42. The gaming terminal of claim 40, wherein the back side of the video display is a heat sink configured to transfer at least a portion of heat generated within the video display into the channel.

43. The gaming terminal of claim 40, further comprising a second blower positioned within the lower chamber and adjacent to a second exhaust port included in the gaming cabinet, the lower chamber being at least partially sealed such that the second blower is configured to draw ambient air into the lower chamber from a second intake port included in the cabinet and direct the air towards the second exhaust port.

44. The gaming terminal of claim 43, wherein in response to the second blower being inactive, the temperature of the air flowing through the channel increases no more than three degrees Celsius.

45. The gaming terminal of claim 43, wherein in response to the second blower being inactive, the temperature of the air flowing through the channel increases no more than one degree Celsius.