GAMING MACHINE INCLUDING BRUSHLESS MOTOR SYSTEM

• US 20190311570A1
• Filed: 04/05/2018
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Inventors: Lamb, William, Du, Thach, Liter, Charles A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,573,119 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A brushless motor system for use with a mechanical reel gaming machine is provided. The brushless motor system includes a reel hub and a reel frame rotationally attached to a center shaft of the reel hub. The brushless motor system also includes a permanent magnet (PM) rotor attached to the reel frame and including a plurality of permanent magnets attached to the PM rotor. The brushless motor system further includes a stator including stator coils attached to the reel hub, the plurality of stator coils are mounted parallel to a surface of the PM rotor at a separation distance. The stator causes the PM rotor to rotate during activation of the stator without direct contact between the stator and the rotor, thereby causing the display of one or more symbols of the plurality of symbols during the wagering game based on the rotation.

Claims

1. A brushless motor system for use with a mechanical reel gaming machine, the brushless motor system comprising:

a reel hub;

a reel frame rotationally attached to the reel hub, the reel frame is configured to display a plurality of symbols associated with a wagering game provided by the mechanical reel gaming machine, a center of the reel frame is rotationally mounted to a center shaft of the reel hub;

a permanent magnet (PM) rotor fixedly attached to the reel frame, the PM rotor comprises a plurality of permanent magnets attached to a surface of the PM rotor; and

a stator comprising a plurality of stator coils fixedly attached to the reel hub, the plurality of stator coils are mounted parallel to a surface of the PM rotor, the stator is coupled to a mounting frame and spaced away from the PM rotor by a separation distance, the stator causes the PM rotor to rotate during activation of the stator without direct contact between the stator and the rotor, thereby causing the display of one or more symbols of the plurality of symbols during the wagering game based on the rotation.

2. A brushless motor system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of permanent magnets are mounted circumferentially about the surface of the PM rotor and at a first radial distance from an axis of rotation of the PM rotor.

3. A brushless motor system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the plurality of stator coils are mounted on a surface of the stator at a second radial distance approximately equal to the first radial distance.

4. A brushless motor system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the separation distance between the stator and the PM rotor is between one millimeter and five millimeters.

5. A brushless motor system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the reel frame and the mounting frame are separated by a separation distance between 0.5 millimeters and 5.0 millimeters.

6. A brushless motor system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the stator includes a driver circuit switching on an electric current in response to instructions received from a microcontroller, wherein the electric current causes the reel to rotate.

7. A brushless motor system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of permanent magnets and the plurality of stator coils causes the PM rotor and the stator to be magnetically coupled during activation of the stator.

8. A mechanical reel gaming machine comprising:

a memory;

a controller; and

a brushless motor system, wherein the brushless motor system comprises;

a reel hub;

a reel frame rotationally attached to the reel hub, the reel frame is configured to display a plurality of symbols associated with a wagering game provided by the mechanical reel gaming machine, a center of the reel frame is rotationally mounted to a center shaft of the reel hub;

a permanent magnet (PM) rotor fixedly attached to the reel frame, the PM rotor comprises a plurality of permanent magnets attached to a surface of the PM rotor; and

a stator comprising a plurality of stator coils fixedly attached to the reel hub, the plurality of stator coils are mounted parallel to a surface of the PM rotor, the stator is coupled to a mounting frame and spaced away from the PM rotor by a separation distance, the stator causes the PM rotor to rotate during activation of the stator without direct contact between the stator and the rotor, thereby causing the display of one or more symbols of the plurality of symbols during the wagering game based on the rotation.

9. A mechanical reel gaming machine in accordance with claim 8, wherein the plurality of permanent magnets are mounted circumferentially about the surface of the PM rotor and at a first radial distance from an axis of rotation of the PM rotor.

10. A mechanical reel gaming machine in accordance with claim 9, wherein the plurality of stator coils are mounted circumferentially on a surface of the stator at a second radial distance approximately equal to the first radial distance.

11. A mechanical reel gaming machine system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the separation distance between the stator and the PM rotor is between one millimeter and five millimeters.

12. A mechanical reel gaming machine in accordance with claim 8, wherein the reel frame and the mounting frame are separated by a separation distance between 0.5 millimeters and 5.0 millimeters.

13. A mechanical reel gaming machine in accordance with claim 8, wherein the stator includes a driver circuit switching on an electric current in response to instructions received from a microcontroller, wherein the electric current causes the reel to rotate.

14. A mechanical reel gaming machine in accordance with claim 8, wherein the plurality of permanent magnets and the plurality of stator coils causes the PM rotor and the stator to be magnetically coupled during activation of the stator.

15. A method for improving operations of a mechanical reel gaming machine, the method comprising:

rotating a permanent magnet (PM) rotor along a mechanical reel, wherein the PM rotor is mounted on a reel hub, wherein the center of the reel hub is rotationally mounted onto a center shaft, wherein a stator is mounted parallel to a surface of the PM rotor, coupled to a mounting frame, and spaced away from the PM rotor, and wherein the PM rotor is activated and causes the reel hub to rotate avoiding contact with the stator.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the PM rotor rotates along with a reel coupled to the reel hub.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the reel includes a plurality of magnets on an inner wall of the reel.

18. A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the stator is spaced away from the PM rotor between about 1 millimeter and 3 millimeters.

19. A method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the reel and the mounting frame are separated by an air gap between 0.5 millimeters and 3 millimeters.

20. A method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the stator includes a driver circuit switching on an electric current in response to instructions received from a microcontroller, wherein the electric current causes the reel to rotate.