Gaming machine

• US 8,016,669 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2003
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Aruze Corp. (Universal Entertainment Corporation)
• Inventors: Okada, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis; David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas; Eric M
• Application Number:
  US10/697,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20040214635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,874 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/31, 463/30, 463 16- 20, 273/143.R, 194/244, 349/58
• US Class Current: 463/30
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means

Abstract

During a slot machine game, game effects are also displayed on a liquid crystal panel 39d provided in a reel display window unit 39, and thus the liquid crystal panel 39d serves as a new machine component for performing game effects. Therefore, new effects for the game can be performed on the liquid crystal panel 39d, which facilitates maintaining the novelty of game effects. Furthermore, since the peripheral corner portions in the rear side of the apertures 5c, 6c and 7c formed in the rear holder 39h are removed therefrom, the peripheral portions are prevented from being recognized by the player when a player observes the reels 2-4 behind the liquid crystal panel 39d through the transparent acryl plate 39a. Accordingly, the thickness of the rear holder 39h and the thickness of the entire reel display window unit 39 draw no attention of the player.

Claims

1. A gaming terminal for playing a wagering game, the gaming terminal comprising:

an input device configured to receive a wager to play the wagering game;

a variable display device configured to variably display a plurality of reels each bearing symbols associated with outcomes of the wagering game; and

a front display device adjacent the variable display device, the front display device including;

a liquid crystal panel configured to display gaming-related effects, at least a portion of the plurality of reels displayed by the variable display device being visible through the liquid crystal panel;

a light guiding plate disposed between the liquid crystal panel and the variable display device, the light guiding plate being configured to transmit at least a portion of the light emitted from a light source to the liquid crystal panel;

a diffusion sheet disposed between the light guiding plate and the liquid crystal panel, the diffusion sheet being configured to equalize the at least a portion of the light emitted from the light source and transmitted to the liquid crystal panel via the light guiding plate;

a rear holder disposed between the light guiding plate and the variable display device, the rear holder being configured to reflect at least a portion of the light emitted from the light source onto the liquid crystal panel, the rear holder being configured to retain the liquid crystal panel and the light guiding plate in the front display device, the rear holder having opposing front and rear faces, and the rear holder defining therethrough an opening that extends from the front face to the rear face, wherein an inner periphery of the opening includes a rearward-facing stepped region; and

an at least semi-transparent antistatic sheet disposed within the opening and attached to a portion of the rearward-facing stepped region.

2. A gaming machine comprising:

a variable display device including a plurality of symbol-bearing reels for displaying symbols associated with a game outcome of a wagering game;

a front display device disposed in front of the variable display device, the front display device including a liquid crystal panel, a diffusion layer, a light guiding layer, a reflective rear holder, and an antistatic layer, wherein the liquid crystal panel, the diffusion layer, the light guiding layer, the reflective rear holder and the antistatic layer are arranged in a facially opposed sequential manner such that the diffusion layer is disposed between the liquid crystal panel and the light guiding layer, the light guiding layer is disposed between the diffusion layer and the reflective rear holder, and the reflective rear holder is disposed between the light guiding layer and the antistatic layer, wherein the diffusion layer, the light guiding layer, and the reflective rear holder each include a respective plurality of discrete viewing windows aligned with respective ones of the symbol-bearing reels to permit viewing thereof; and

a light source positioned to emit light into the light guiding layer, the diffusion layer diffusing at least a portion of the light guided by the light guiding layer to equalize the light that illuminates the liquid crystal panel, the reflective rear holder reflecting at least a portion of the light guided by the light guiding layer toward the liquid crystal panel.

3. The gaming machine of claim 2, wherein the antistatic layer is attached to a rearward-facing surface of the reflective rear holder.

4. The gaming machine of claim 2, wherein the reflective rear holder defines therethrough an opening that extends between opposing front and rear faces of the reflective rear holder.

5. The gaming machine of claim 4, wherein an inner periphery of the opening includes a rearward-facing stepped region.

6. The gaming machine of claim 5, wherein the antistatic layer is disposed within the opening and attached to a portion of the rearward-facing stepped region.

7. A gaming machine comprising:

a variable display device configured to variably display symbols associated with outcomes of a wagering game; and

a front display device disposed in front of the variable display device, the front display device including;

a liquid crystal panel through which at least a portion of the variable display device can be seen;

a light guiding plate disposed between the liquid crystal panel and the variable display device, the light guiding plate being configured to transmit at least a portion of the light emitted from a light source to the liquid crystal panel;

a rear holder disposed between the light guiding plate and the variable display device, the rear holder being configured to retain the liquid crystal panel and the light guiding plate in the front display device, the rear holder defining an opening therethrough, wherein an inner periphery of the opening includes a rearward-facing stepped region; and

an antistatic sheet attached to the rear holder and covering the opening.

8. The gaming machine of claim 7, wherein the rear holder includes opposing front and rear faces, and wherein the stepped region includes at least first, second and third sections, the first section extending generally perpendicularly from the front face to the second section, the third section extending generally perpendicularly from the rear face to the second section, and the second section being generally parallel to the front and rear faces and connecting the first and third sections.

9. The gaming machine of claim 8, wherein the antistatic sheet is disposed within the opening.

10. The gaming machine of claim 9, wherein the antistatic sheet is attached to the second section of the rearward-facing stepped region.

11. The gaming machine of claim 8, wherein the interface between the third section of the opening and the rear face of the rear holder defines a ledge on the rear side of the rear holder, the ledge not being within a viewable range of a player viewing the variably displayed symbols through the opening of the rear holder.

12. The gaming machine of claim 7, wherein the antistatic sheet is disposed within the opening and attached to a portion of the rearward-facing stepped region.

13. The gaming machine of claim 7, wherein the opening of the rear holder is sized and positioned such that the at least a portion of the variable display device visible through the liquid crystal panel can be seen through the opening.

14. The gaming machine of claim 7, wherein the variable display device displays a plurality of reels each bearing symbols associated with the outcome of the wagering game, the opening of the rear holder including a plurality of windows each aligned with a respective one of the plurality of reels, the antistatic sheet spanning across the plurality of windows.

15. The gaming machine of claim 14, wherein the light guiding plate defines a second plurality of windows each configured to align with a respective one of the windows in the rear holder.

16. The gaming machine of claim 7, wherein the rear holder is configured to reflect at least a portion of the light emitted from the light source onto the liquid crystal panel.

17. The gaming machine of claim 7, wherein the front display device further comprises a diffusion sheet disposed between the light guiding plate and the liquid crystal panel, the diffusion sheet being configured to equalize the at least a portion of the light emitted from the light source and transmitted to the liquid crystal panel via the light guiding plate.

18. The gaming machine of claim 7, wherein the front display device further comprises a base cooperating with the rear holder to attach the liquid crystal panel and the light guiding plate to a housing of the gaming machine.