Dual hinge mounting arrangement

• US 7,601,067 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2005
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: COLE Kepro International LLC
• Original Assignee: SPEC International Incorporated
• Inventors: Anderson, Brian M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hotaling; John M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim; Kevin Y
• Application Number:
  US11/073,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20060199647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,681 Days
• Field of Search: 463/36, 463/37, 463/30, 463/47
• US Class Current: 463/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/90 Constructional details or arrangements of video game devices not provided for in groups A63F13/20 or A63F13/25, e.g. housing, wiring, connections or cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects

Abstract

A cabinet for gaming machines and the like includes a pair of doors that are pivotably mounted to the cabinet by a pair of hinges. At least one of the doors includes a flange adjacent the hinges that provides a smooth, uncluttered appearance and hides the door hinges and associated mounting hardware from view.

Claims

1. A gaming device, comprising:

a cabinet having front and rear surfaces, and side surfaces extending between the front and rear surfaces to define an interior space configured to house gaming components, the cabinet including an enlarged opening providing access to the interior space;

a first door pivotably mounted to the cabinet for rotation about a first axis, the first door rotating a closed position closing off a first portion of the opening, and an open position providing access to the interior space through the first portion of the enlarged opening;

a second door pivotably mounted to the cabinet for rotation about a second axis that is generally parallel to the first axis, the second door rotating between a closed position closing off a second portion of the opening, and an open position providing access to the interior space through the second portion of the enlarged opening;

wherein the first axis is spaced apart from the second axis to form a gap therebetween;

the first door defining an elongated first edge adjacent to the first axis;

the second door defining an elongated second edge that extends across the gap between the first axis and the second axis, wherein the second edge moves inwardly towards the interior space as the first door is moved from the closed position to the open position, and wherein the first and second axes extend across the enlarged opening between the first and second portions of the enlarged opening; and

wherein;

the cabinet includes structure disposed between the first and second axes that blocks access to the interior space of the cabinet when either or both of the first and second doors are in their respective open positions.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein:

the first and second axes extend horizontally.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein:

the front face includes an upper portion;

the cabinet includes an upwardly-facing step extending between the upper portion of the front face and the lower portion of the front face to define a horizontally-extending junction at an intersection of the step and the upper portion of the front face; and

wherein;

the first and second axes are located adjacent the junction.

4. The gaming device of claim 3, wherein:

the step defines an upwardly-facing top side, and the second portion of the enlarged opening is formed in the top side of the step.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein:

the first door includes a flange that extends away from the first axis across the gap between the first and second axes.

6. The gaming device of claim 5, wherein:

the flange defines a distal end that forms the first edge.

7. The gaming device of claim 5, wherein:

the flange on the first door comprises a first flange;

the second door includes a second flange extending towards the first flange.

8. The gaming device of claim 5, wherein:

the second door comprises a substantially planar face surface, and the flange has a substantially planar surface that is coplanar with the substantially planar face surface.

9. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein:

the structure disposed between the first and second axes comprises a horizontal support structure; and

including;

first and second hinges pivotally connecting the first and second doors, respectively, to the horizontal support structure.

10. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein:

at least a portion of the enlarged opening is through the front face of the cabinet.

11. The gaming device of claim 10, wherein:

the first door is generally upright when in a closed position, and includes an enlarged viewing opening therethrough; and

including;

a light-transmitting sheet extending across the enlarged viewing opening.

12. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein:

the first door includes a substantially planar first flange forming the first edge;

the second door includes a substantially planar second flange forming the second edge; and

wherein;

the first and second flanges extend towards one another.

13. The gaming device of claim 12, wherein:

the first and second flanges are coplanar.

14. A cabinet for gaming devices, comprising:

a generally upright cabinet structure including front and rear faces, and side faces extending between the front and rear faces to define an interior space, at least one of the faces of the structure having first and second enlarged openings providing access to the interior space, including an elongated mounting structure between the first and second openings;

a first door;

a second door;

a first hinge pivotably connecting the first door to the elongated mounting structure providing rotation of the first door about a first axis relative to the elongated mounting structure between open and closed positions to selectively close off the first enlarged opening;

a second hinge pivotably connecting the second door to the elongated mounting structure between open and closed positions to selectively close off the second enlarged opening, wherein the second axis is parallel to the first axis and spaced apart from the first axis to define a gap; and

wherein;

the first door includes a flange extending across at least a portion of the gap towards the second door wherein the flange moves inwardly towards the interior space as the first door is moved from the closed position to the open position, and wherein the first and second axes extend between the first and second enlarged openings; and

wherein the elongated mounting structure does not move with either the first door or the second door.

15. The cabinet of claim 14, wherein:

the first and second hinges comprise piano hinges.

16. The cabinet of claim 14, wherein:

the elongated mounting structure includes a bracket having a U-shaped cross section.

17. The cabinet of claim 14, wherein:

the elongated mounting structure includes a bracket having a base portion and a pair of flanges extending from the base portion to form a U-shaped cross section;

the first and second hinges each include first and second hinge halves that are pivotably interconnected and wherein the first hinge halves are connected to the flanges of the bracket, and the second hinge halves are connected to the first and second doors.

18. The cabinet of claim 17, wherein:

the front face of the cabinet includes a generally horizontally extending step on a front side of the cabinet dividing the front face into upper and lower portions;

the first enlarged opening is formed by a quadrilateral perimeter in the upper portion of the front face of the cabinet structure;

the second enlarged opening is formed by a quadrilateral perimeter in the step;

the bracket extends horizontally across the front face of the cabinet structure between the first and second enlarged openings.

19. A cabinet, comprising:

a cabinet defining a hollow interior and first and second openings and an elongated mounting structure disposed between the first and second openings, wherein the mounting structure is fixed to the cabinet, and includes a base portion and first and second spaced-apart leg portions extending from the base portion outwardly away from the hollow interior;

a first hinge having a first hinge part connected to the first leg portion of the mounting structure, and a second hinge part pivotably connected to the first hinge half for rotation about a first axis;

a second hinge having a first hinge part connected to the second leg of the mounting structure and a second hinge part pivotably connected to the first hinge part for rotation about a second axis;

a first door connected to the second hinge part of the first hinge for rotation about the first axis between open and closed positions;

a second door connected to the second hinge part of the second hinge for rotation about the second axis between open and closed positions, wherein the second axis is spaced apart from the first axis to form a gap; and

wherein;

the first door includes a flange extending across at least a portion of the gap, wherein the flange moves inwardly towards the hollow interior as the first door is moved from the closed position to the open position, and wherein the first and second axes extend between the first and second openings.

20. The cabinet of claim 19, wherein:

the mounting structure comprises an elongated bracket having a web forming the base portion and flanges extending from the base forming the leg portions, the base and legs having a U-shaped cross section; and

wherein;

the first and second hinges comprise elongated piano hinges.