Token chute device

• US 5,777,302 A
• Filed: 02/12/1996
• Issued: 07/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konami Gaming Incorporated (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tsumura, Hideo, Nakagawa, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Gellner, Michael L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chapik, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US08/600,385
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 235/74 A, 194/344, 194/345, 194/346
• US Class Current: 235/7.00A
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 1/02 Coin slots

Abstract

A token chute device is usable for a plurality of sizes of tokens, and includes: a main body formed with a token chute passage extending in a substantially vertical direction and having an original space width to allow a largest token among the plurality of sizes of tokens to pass; and a space width adjusting member having a width smaller than the original space width of the token chute passage, the space width adjusting, member being mountable on an inner side wall of the token chute passage to reduce the original space width of the token chute passage.

Claims

1. A token chute device for selectively chuting one of a plurality of sizes of tokens, the token chute device comprising:

a main body formed within a first token chute passage extending in a substantially vertical direction, said first token chute passage having first and second fixed inner side walls spaced from one another to define therebetween an original space width to allow a largest token among a plurality of sizes of tokens to pass through said first token chute passage;

a space width adjusting member having a width smaller than the original space width of the first token chute passage; and

means detachably mounting said space width adjusting member on said first inner side wall of the first token chute passage such that said adjusting member along with the second inner side wall define a second token chute passage having a second space width less than said original space width to preclude said largest token from passing through said second token chute passage.

2. A token chute device for selectively chuting one of a plurality of sizes of tokens, the token chute device comprising:

a main body formed with a first token chute passage extending in a substantially vertical direction, said first token chute passage having first and second fixed inner walls spaced from one another to define therebetween an original space width to allow a largest size token among a plurality of sizes of tokens to pass through said first token chute passage;

a space width adjusting member having a width smaller than the original space width of the first token chute passage, the space width adjusting member including a main portion having first and second spaced sides generally parallel to one another; and

means detachably mounting said space width adjusting member on the first token chute passage so that said first side of said space width adjusting member abuts said first inner wall of said first token chute passage to thereby form a second token chute passage having a second space width less than the original space width between said second side of said space width adjusting member and said second inner wall of said first token chute passage.

3. A token chute device as defined in claim 2, wherein:

the space adjusting width member includes an arm portion;

the first token chute passage including a holding hole;

the space width adjusting member being mounted on the first inner wall by placing the arm portion in the holding hole.

4. A token chute device according to claim 2 wherein said main portion of said space width adjusting member has a generally rectangular configuration.

5. A token chute device according to claim 2 wherein said main portion of said space width adjusting member has a generally polygonal configuration.

6. A token chute device according to claim 2 wherein said main portion of said space width adjusting member has an upper section disposed at an acute angle relative to said spaced parallel sides.

7. A token chute device for selectively chuting one of a plurality of sizes of tokens, the token chute device comprising:

a main body formed with a token chute passage extending in a substantially vertical direction and having an original space width to allow a largest size token among a plurality of sizes of tokens to pass;

a space width adjusting member having a width smaller than the original space width of the token chute passage, the space width adjusting member being mountable on an inner side wall of the token chute passage to reduce the original space width of the token chute passage;

said main body including a first member having a recess extending in the vertical direction and having a width equal to the original space width;

a second member separably attachable to the first member to define the token chute passage;

said second member being formed with a token stocking portion for stocking a plurality of tokens, the token stocking portion having an axis extending in a direction which intersects a vertical plane extending along the token chute passage;

said token stocking portion including a trough having a width equal to or larger than the diameter of the largest token for accommodating a plurality of tokens, the trough being formed with a groove in a bottom thereof, said groove having an axis extending parallel to the axis of the trough.

8. A token stocking device for stocking tokens of a different size and which are to be fed to a token chute, comprising an elongated trough having a longitudinal axis and a width perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, said width being substantially equal to at least the width of the largest diameter token to be stacked in said trough, said elongated trough having a bottom portion, and an elongated groove disposed in said bottom portion of said trough and having an elongate axis substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis of said elongated trough, said elongated groove having spaced upper edges which are engaged by tokens in said trough having a diameter less than said largest diameter token to thereby stably support and guide the last said smaller diameter tokens in said trough.

9. A token stocking device for stocking tokens of a different size and which are to be fed to a token chute, comprising an elongated trough having a longitudinal axis and a width perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, said width being substantially equal to at least the width of the largest diameter token to be stacked in said trough, said elongated trough having a bottom portion, and an elongated groove centrally disposed in said bottom portion of said trough and having an elongate central axis substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis of said trough, said elongated groove having spaced upper edges which are engaged by tokens in said trough having a diameter less than said largest diameter token to thereby stably support the last said smaller diameter tokens centrally in said trough with the center of the last said smaller diameter tokens being generally vertically aligned with said longitudinal axis of said trough.

10. A method of selectively chuting a plurality of sizes of tokens for a token chute device comprising:

providing an original token chute having an original space width allowing passage of a first size token, said first size token being the largest size token among a plurality of different size tokens;

detachably mounting a space width adjusting member having a width smaller than said original space width of said original token chute to reduce the original space width in said original token chute and thereby preventing passing of said first size token through said reduced spaced width while permitting the second size token smaller than said first size token to pass through said reduced width chute; and

selectively operating the token chute by utilizing said first tokens by detaching said space width adjusting member from said original token chute and utilizing said second size tokens by mounting said width adjusting member in said original token chute.

11. A method of selectively chuting a plurality of sizes of tokens for a token chute device comprising:

providing a token chute having a first space width allowing passage of a first token having a first diameter, said first token having the largest diameter among a plurality of different diameter tokens;

detachably mounting a space width adjusting member having a width smaller than said first space width to reduce the first space width in said token chute to a reduced spaced width and thereby preventing said first token having said first diameter from passing through said reduced spaced width while permitting a second size token having a diameter smaller than the diameter of said first token to pass through said reduced width chute; and

selectively operating the token chute utilizing said first token by detaching said space width adjusting member from said token chute and utilizing said second token by mounting said space width adjusting member in said token chute.