Cyclic viewer for slot machines

• US 6,173,954 B1
• Filed: 08/13/1999
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SEFL Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SEFL Incorporated
• Inventors: Sierra Picon, Bernardo
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Benjamin H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Clayton, Sheila
• Application Number:
  US09/374,885
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463/16-19, 273/143.R, 273/143.B, 273/138.1, 273/138.2, 273/142.R, 273/142.B, 273/142.H, 273/142.HA, 273/138.A
• US Class Current: 273/143.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members

Abstract

A viewer for slot machines has a dihedral support (7) equipped with a large circular window (8) extended through the faces of the support (7), for the display of a disc (1) of flexible transparent or translucid plastic provided along its circumference with an alignment of images (2). The disc (1) is retained by the support (7) across its circumference and, in one embodiment, permanently maintains a dihedral configuration, showing an observer an alignment of images (2) according to a circumferential arc of variable amplitude according to the level of concealment of the front face of the assembly. In another embodiment, the disc is supported by two bracings so as to assume a “U”-shaped configuration, with two semicircular sectors and one intermediate sector.

Claims

1. A cyclic viewer for slot machines comprising:

a. a dihedral support having a first face and a second face oriented along a different plane than said first face and a window formed in at least one of said first and second faces; and

b. a flexible disc having a circumference and images arranged on said circumference, said flexible disc being adapted for rotation within said dihedral support and said images being viewable through said window of said dihedral support during said rotation of said disc;

c. wherein said dihedral support maintains said flexible disc in a dihedral, substantially “

L”

-shaped configuration during rotation of said disc.

2. A cyclic viewer in accordance with claim 1, wherein said window and said flexible disc each have a diameter, said diameter of said disc being larger than said diameter of said window.

3. A cyclic viewer in accordance with claim 2, wherein said flexible disc is formed from transparent or translucent material.

4. A cyclic viewer in accordance with claim 3, further comprising a rear support interlocked with said dihedral support and a rotational motor supported on said second support, said motor adapted to rotate said flexible disc through a shaft connected therebetween.

5. A cyclic viewer in accordance with claim 4, further comprising lamps supported between said rear and dihedral supports for improving the viewing said images provided on said flexible disc.

6. A cyclic viewer in accordance with claim 4, further comprising a strip coupled to said flexible disc, which strip activates a phototransmitter-receiver motor connected to said rear support, said phototransmitter-receiver motor being further adapted to control the position of said flexible disc through control of said rotational motor.

7. A cyclic viewer for slot machines comprising:

a. a housing having a front door and a pair of orthogonal supports contained therein; and

b. a flexible disc having a diameter and a circumference and images arranged on said circumference;

c. said flexible disc being supported within said housing by said pair of orthogonal supports arranged in a spaced apart parallel relationship on either side of a diameter of said flexible disc such that said flexible disc forms a substantially “

U”

-shaped configuration having a first and second substantially semi-circularly shaped sectors and an intermediate diametric sector disposed therebetween;

d. said flexible disc adapted for rotation within said housing while in said “

U”

-shaped configuration and said images being viewable along said intermediate sector during said rotation of said flexible disc.

8. A cyclic viewer in accordance with claim 7, wherein said flexible disc is formed from transparent or translucent material.

9. A cyclic viewer in accordance with claim 7, further comprising a pair of guides attached to said housing for supportive guiding of said semi-circular shaped sectors of said flexible disc during rotation thereof.

10. A cyclic viewer in accordance with claim 7, further comprising a position-adjustable motor-reducer assembly attached to said housing and adapted for attachment to said flexible disc in the region of said intermediate diametric sector of said flexible disc.

11. A cyclic viewer in accordance with claim 10, further comprising a position-determinative disc attached between said motor-reducer assembly and said flexible disc, and further comprising an optical reader for interpreting said position-determinative disc.

12. A cyclic viewer in accordance with claim 10, further comprising a plurality of strengthening discs coupled to said motor assembly, said strengthening discs being sandwiched around said flexible disc and having a diameter that is less than said diameter of said flexible disc.

13. A cyclic viewer in accordance with claim 12, further comprising a protective disc having a diameter and disposed between said flexible disc and one of said plurality of strengthening discs, said diameter of said protective disc being greater than said diameter of said plurality of strengthening discs but less than said diameter of said flexible disc.

14. A cyclic viewer in accordance with claim 7, wherein said flexible disc is removable from said housing.

15. A cyclic viewer in accordance with claim 7, wherein said flexible disc is replaceable.