Gaming token payout apparatus

• US 6,981,913 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2002
• Issued: 01/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konami Gaming Incorporated (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Corporation (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Shirasawa, Masaharu, Tomioka, Yoshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAPIRO, JEFFERY A
• Application Number:
  US10/136,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20030057644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,342 Days
• Field of Search: 453/6, 453/8, 453 10- 13, 453/15, 453/22, 453 32- 36, 453/42, 453/49, 453/57
• US Class Current: 453/33
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 9/00 Counting coins in combination with coin-sorting G07D3/16; Handling of coins not provided for in the other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 9/008 Feeding coins from bulk
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value

Abstract

A cylindrical body is rotated about a rotation axis interconnecting a center point of a top circle thereof and a center point of a bottom circle thereof. The cylindrical body having an outer peripheral face formed with at least one token-groove. An outer wall member covers the outer peripheral face of the cylindrical body to form a gap between an inner face of the outer wall member and the token-groove such that a single gaming token in an upright attitude is held therein. The gaming token held in the gap is ejected toward a tangent direction of an outer peripheral circle of the cylindrical body in accordance with a rotary action of the cylindrical body.

Claims

1. A gaming token payout apparatus, comprising:

a columnar member, which is rotated about a rotation axis interconnecting a center point of a top face thereof and a center point of a bottom face thereof, the columnar member having an outer peripheral face formed with at least one token-groove; and

an outer wall member, which covers the outer peripheral face of the columnar member to form a gap between an inner face of the outer wall member and the token-groove such that a single gaming token in an upright attitude is held therein,

wherein the gaming token held in the gap is ejected toward a tangent direction of the outer peripheral face of the columnar member in accordance with a rotary action of the columnar member.

2. The payout apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a separation plate extending along the tangent direction,

wherein an extremity of the separation plate is inserted into a separation groove formed on the outer peripheral face of the columnar member.

3. The payout apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a transporting member which transports the ejected gaming token in a direction perpendicular to the tangent direction and parallel with the rotation axis.

4. The payout apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein:

a transporting path having a rectangular cross section is formed in the transporting member is provided with a transporting path therein;

the rectangular cross section includes a first side having a length L1 and a second side having a length L2; and

the transporting path satisfies the following relationships;

d<

L1<

1.5d

t<

L2<

1.5t

where d represents a diameter of the gaming token and t represents a thickness of the gaming token.

5. A gaming token payout apparatus, comprising:

a columnar member, which is rotated about a rotation axis interconnecting a center point of a top face thereof and a center point of a bottom face thereof, the columnar member having an outer peripheral face formed with at least one token-groove and having a top face formed with at least one pit situated so as to be associated with the token-groove; and

an outer wall member, which covers the outer peripheral face of the columnar member to form a gap between an inner face of the outer wall member and the token-groove such that a single gaming token in an upright attitude is held therein,

wherein a single gaming token in a non-upright attitude falls into the pit and goes down to the gap.

6. The payout apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein a bottom portion of the pit is provided as a slope extending toward an upper end of the token-groove.

7. The payout apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein an inclination angle of the slope is 30°

or more.

8. A gaming token payout apparatus, comprising:

a columnar member, which is rotated about a rotation axis interconnecting a center point of a top face thereof and a center point of a bottom face thereof, the columnar member having a top face formed with a flat section and at least one pit; and

at least one guide plate, which is provided on the top face of the columnar member so as to be movable in a direction parallel with the top face, the guide plate formed with a hole having a dimension capable of housing a single gaming token therein,

wherein the gaming token is held in the hole when the guide plate is situated in a first position which is above the flat section and falls into the pit when the guide plate is situated in a second position which is above the pit.

9. The payout apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein the guide plate is pivotably supported on the top face of the columnar member.

10. The payout apparatus as set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

an outer wall member, which covers the outer peripheral face of the columnar member, and

a magnetic field generator, fixed on the outer wall member,

wherein the guide plate member is made of a ferromagnetic material so that the guide plate is moved from the first position to the second position by an attractive force generated by the magnetic field generator, while the columnar member is rotated.

11. The payout apparatus as set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

an outer wall member, which covers the outer peripheral face of the columnar member, and

a pin member, fixed on the outer wall member,

wherein the guide plate comes into contact with the pin member in accordance with a rotary action of the columnar member, so that the guide plate is moved from the first position to the second position.

12. A gaming token payout apparatus, comprising:

a columnar member, which is rotated about a rotation axis interconnecting a center point of a top face thereof and a center point of a bottom face thereof;

at least one guide plate, which is provided on a top face of the columnar member so as to be movable in a direction parallel with the top face, the guide plate formed with a first hole having a dimension capable of housing therein a single gaming token in a horizontal attitude; and

a disk plate, provided above the guide plate and rotated in cooperation with the columnar member, the disk plate formed with at least one second hole having a dimension capable of housing therein a single gaming token in a horizontal attitude,

wherein the guide plate is moved to a first position below the second hole in accordance with a rotary action of the columnar member so that the gaming token housed within the second hole falls into the first hole.

13. The payout apparatus as set forth in claim 12, further comprising:

a support shaft which pivotably support the guide plate on the top face of the columnar member; and

a magnetic field generator, fixed at a position between the rotary axis and the support shaft,

wherein the guide plate member is made of a ferromagnetic material so that the guide plate is moved to the first position by an attractive force generated by the magnetic field generator, while the columnar member is rotated.

14. The payout apparatus as set forth in claim 12, further comprising:

a support shaft which pivotably support the guide plate on the top face of the columnar member; and

a pin member, fixed at a position between the rotary axis and the support shaft,

wherein the guide plate comes into contact with the pin member in accordance with a rotary action of the columnar member, so that the guide plate is moved to the first position.

15. The payout apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein:

the top face of the columnar member is formed with at least one pit;

a maximum length L3 of an open space viewed from the first hole when the guide plate is situated in the first position satisfies the following requirement;

0≦

L3<

0.8d

where d represents a diameter of the gaming token.

16. The payout apparatus as set forth in claim 12, further comprising a bucket section which reserves gaming tokens therein,

wherein the bucket section includes either one of the second hole and a protrusion for agitating the gaming tokens.

17. A gaming token payout apparatus, comprising:

a columnar member, which is rotated about a rotation axis interconnecting a center point of a top face thereof and a center point of a bottom face thereof;

an outer wall member, which covers the outer peripheral face of the columnar member;

a disk plate, provided above the columnar member and rotated in cooperation with the columnar member, the disk plate formed with at least one hole having a dimension capable of housing therein a single gaming token in a horizontal attitude; and

a bucket section which reserves gaming tokens therein, the bucket section provided above the outer wall member and integrated with the outer wall member.

18. The payout apparatus as set forth in claim 17, further comprising a transporting member which transports gaming tokens ejected from the columnar member in a direction parallel with the rotation axis, wherein:

the bucket member having a horizontal cross sectional shape including a recessed portion; and

the transporting member extends through the recessed portion.

19. A gaming token payout apparatus, comprising:

a columnar member, which is rotated about a rotation axis interconnecting a center point of a top face thereof and a center point of a bottom face thereof, the columnar member having an outer peripheral face formed with at least one token-groove and having a top face formed with at least one pit situated so as to be associated with the token-groove;

an outer wall member, which covers the outer peripheral face of the columnar member to form a gap between an inner face of the outer wall member and the token-groove such that a single gaming token in an upright attitude is held therein;

at least one guide plate, which is provided on a top face of the columnar member so as to be movable in a direction parallel with the top face, the guide plate formed with a first hole having a dimension capable of housing therein a single gaming token in a horizontal attitude; and

a disk plate, provided above the guide plate and rotated in cooperation with the columnar member, the disk plate formed with at least one second hole having a dimension capable of housing therein a single gaming token, wherein;

the guide plate is moved to a first position below the second hole in accordance with a rotary action of the columnar member so that the gaming token housed within the second hole falls into the first hole;

the gaming token held in the first hole is fell into the pit and goes down to the gap, when the guide plate situates a third position which is above the pit; and

the gaming token held in the gap is ejected toward a tangent direction of an outer peripheral face of the columnar member in accordance with the rotary action of the columnar member.

20. The payout apparatus as set forth in claim 19, further comprising a separation plate extending along the tangent direction,

wherein an extremity of the separation plate is inserted into a separation groove formed on the outer peripheral face of the columnar member.

21. The payout apparatus as set forth in claim 19, further comprising a transporting member which transports the ejected gaming token in a direction perpendicular to the tangent direction and parallel with the rotation axis.

22. The payout apparatus as set forth in claim 21, further comprising a bucket section which reserves gaming tokens therein, the bucket section provided above the outer wall member and integrated with the outer wall member, the bucket member having a horizontal cross sectional shape including a recessed portion,

wherein the transporting member extends through the recessed portion.

23. A gaming token payout apparatus for paying out a gaming token to a player, comprising:

a rotary cylinder member, including;

a top face, having a flat section and a slope entrance section;

a side face, having a slope exit section;

a slope, connecting the slope entrance section and the slope exit section, on which the gaming token slides down;

a token holder, formed with the slope exit section, which holds the gaming token slid down on the slope such that an attitude of the gaming token is made parallel with the side face; and

a discharging section into which the gaming token held in the token holder enters in accordance with a rotation of the rotary cylinder member, while keeping the attitude of the gaming token.

24. The gaming token payout apparatus as set forth in claim 23, further comprising a guide plate member, formed with a token receiving hole which houses the gaming token therein, the guide plate member provided on the flat section so as to be pivotable between a first position at which the token receiving hole faces the flat section and a second position at which the token receiving hole faces the slope entrance section.

25. The gaming token payout apparatus as set forth in claim 24, further comprising a first mover which forcibly moves the guide plate member from the first position to the second position in accordance with the rotation of the rotary cylinder member.

26. The gaming token payout apparatus as set forth in claim 25, further comprising a second mover which forcibly moves the guide plate member from the second position to the first position in accordance with the rotation of the rotary cylinder member.

27. The gaming token payout apparatus as set forth in claim 25, further comprising a retainer which retains the guide plate member at the first position before the first mover forcibly moves the guide plate member to the second position.

28. The gaming token payout apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein the guide plate member is made of a magnetic material, and the first mover is a first magnet which attracts the guide plate member with a first magnetic force.

29. The gaming token payout apparatus as set forth in claim 26, wherein the guide plate member is made of a magnetic material, and the second mover is a second magnet which attracts the guide plate member with a second magnetic force.

30. The gaming token payout apparatus as set forth in claim 28, further comprising a retainer which retains the guide plate member at the first position with a force weaker than the first magnetic force, before the first magnet forcibly moves the guide plate member to the second position.

31. The gaming token payout apparatus as set forth in claim 23, wherein the gaming token proceeds in the discharging section while being pushed by a gaming token subsequently entered therein to in accordance with the rotation of the rotary cylinder member.

32. The gaming token payout apparatus as set forth in claim 24, further comprising a hopper which contains the gaming token therein, the hopper having a bottom face formed with a hole having a size larger than a diameter of the gaming token,

wherein the gaming token contained within the hopper falls into the token receiving hole of the guide plate member through the hole, only when the guide plate member is situated in the first position.