Gaming machine with a light guiding plate subjected to a light scattering process and having a light deflection pattern

• US 8,241,121 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Inventors: Tanimura, Tatsuhiko, Sekiguchi, Hirofumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Milap
• Application Number:
  US12/929,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20110124411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 463/30, 463/31, 273/138.1, 273/139, 273/142.B
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means

Abstract

A gaming machine includes a liquid crystal display 27 having a liquid crystal panel 173 and a light guiding plate 174 placed at the rear of the liquid crystal panel 173 for guiding light emitted from illumination light means 176a, 176b for the liquid crystal panel 173 into the liquid crystal panel 173, and a variable display device placed at the rear of the liquid crystal display 27 and having a plurality of reels 3L, 3C, and 3R provided in a row each on which a plurality of symbols are arranged. Parts of the light guiding plate 174 to which the reels 3L, 3C, and 3R are opposed are cut out or are formed with recesses on the reel side and light scattering process is applied on end faces 174a, 174b, and 174c of the cutouts or the recesses.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a variable display device configured to display a plurality of symbol-bearing reels having 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 and a light guiding layer, the light guiding layer being generally parallel to the liquid crystal panel and disposed between the liquid crystal panel and the variable display device, the light guiding layer including windows aligned with respective ones of the reels, the windows having respective inner end surfaces; and

a light source positioned to emit light into the light guiding layer, the inner end surfaces being subjected to a light scattering treatment to scatter the incoming light onto at least the plurality of reels of the variable display device.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the inner end surfaces are rough.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the light guiding layer is formed of a translucent plate.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal panel includes light transmission areas aligned with the windows in the light guiding layer, the inner end surfaces of the windows at least partially scattering the incoming light onto the transmission areas of the liquid crystal panel.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the windows are generally rectangular in shape.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the inner end surfaces of the windows at least partially scatter the incoming light onto the reels and the liquid crystal panel.

7. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal panel displays game effects of the wagering game.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the light guiding layer includes a pair of opposing parallel faces, the inner end surfaces extending between the opposing faces.

9. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the scattering treatment is selected from a group consisting of blasting, sanding, and molding.

10. A gaming machine comprising:

a variable display device including a symbol-bearing reel displaying symbols associated with a game outcome 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 and a light guiding layer, the light guiding layer being generally parallel to the liquid crystal panel and disposed between the liquid crystal panel and the variable display device, the light guiding layer including an window aligned with the reel, the window having an inner end surface subjected to a light scattering treatment to scatter incoming light guided by the light guiding layer onto at least the symbol-bearing reel.

11. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein the inner end surface is rough.

12. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein the light guiding layer is formed of a translucent plate.

13. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein the liquid crystal panel includes a light transmission area aligned with the window in the light guiding layer, the inner end surface of the window at least partially scattering the light guided by the light guiding layer onto the transmission area of the liquid crystal panel.

14. The gaming machine of claim 10, further comprising a light reflection layer disposed between the light guiding layer and the variable display device, the light reflection layer being configured to reflect light from the light guiding layer onto the liquid crystal panel.

15. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein a portion of the symbol-bearing reel is disposed inside the window such that the inner end surface of the window at least partially scatters the light guided by the light guiding layer onto the portion of the reel.

16. The gaming machine of claim 10, further including a light source positioned to emit the light into an end of the light guiding layer.

17. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein the liquid crystal panel is configured to display game effects of the wagering game over at least a portion of the symbol-bearing reel.

18. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein the light guiding layer includes a pair of opposing parallel faces, the inner end surface extending between and generally orthogonally from the opposing faces.

19. The gaming machine of claim 10, wherein the scattering treatment is selected from a group consisting of blasting, sanding, and molding.

20. A gaming machine comprising:

a variable display device configured to display symbols associated with a game outcome 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 and a light guiding layer arranged in a facially opposed manner with the liquid crystal panel, the light guiding layer being disposed between the liquid crystal panel and the variable display device, the light guiding layer including windows through which can be viewed the symbols of the variable display device, the windows having respective inner end surfaces subjected to a light scattering treatment to scatter incoming light guided through the light guiding layer onto both the variable display device and the liquid crystal panel.

21. The gaming machine of claim 20, wherein the inner end surfaces are rough.

22. The gaming machine of claim 20, wherein the light guiding layer is formed of a translucent acrylic-based resin plate.

23. The gaming machine of claim 20, wherein the liquid crystal panel includes light transmission areas aligned with the windows in the light guiding layer, the inner end surfaces of the windows at least partially scattering the light guided by the light guiding layer onto the transmission areas of the liquid crystal panel.

24. The gaming machine of claim 20, wherein the variable display device includes a plurality of symbol bearing reels, the windows in the light guiding layer being aligned with respective ones of the reels, the inner end surfaces of the windows at least partially scattering the light guided by the light guiding layer onto the reels.

25. The gaming machine of claim 20, further including a light source positioned to emit the light into the light guiding layer.

26. The gaming machine of claim 20, wherein the liquid crystal panel displays game effects of the wagering game.

27. The gaming machine of claim 20, wherein the light guiding layer includes a pair of opposing parallel faces, the inner end surfaces extending between the opposing faces.

28. The gaming machine of claim 20, wherein the scattering treatment is selected from a group consisting of blasting, sanding, and molding.