Device for centrally arranging locks and a gaming machine comprising such a device

Disclosed is a device for centrally arranging locks for doors of a gaming machine's housing. The device including remote locking units of which each remote locking unit is assigned one or more locks and includes a remote power transmission unit, a displaceable unit operatively coupled to a first end of the remote power transmission unit, and a locking member operatively coupled to a second end of the remote power transmission unit. Each lock includes a blocking member. The remote power transmission unit transmits a displacement of the displaceable unit from the first to the second position such that the locking member releases a latching mechanism of a door whereas the locking member locks the latching mechanism when the displaceable unit is in the first position.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a device for centrally arranging locks, and in particular to a device that adjacently arranges locks for doors of a gaming machine's housing.

Gaming machines offer a variety of games such as slot games, video poker games, roulette games, keno games, and other types of wagering games that are commonly deployed at a casino or gaming facility for use by players. Typically, a gaming machine comprises a housing for storing the components, which are necessary to operate the gaming machine. The housing usually comprises doors or flaps in order to provide access to the parts of the housing's interior. These doors or flaps are often secured by locks so that access to the components of the gaming machine is restricted to authorized personnel only. However, the locks are often difficult to access due to the arrangement of the doors or flaps, for example, in a lower part of the housing. Furthermore, each lock is placed at a different location so that a check of the state of every lock is laborious.

While gaming machines comprising prior art housings have been successful, there remains a need for improving the accessibility of the housings' locks and the ease of checking the locks' state. The present invention offers solutions to these and other problems associated with the arrangement of locks for a housing of a gaming machine.

SUMMARY

The present invention relates to a device for centrally arranging locks and a gaming machine having adjacently arranged locks for doors of the gaming machine's housing.

It is noted that, throughout the present description and claims, the term “door” is used to mean not only a door but also any kind of openable and closable structure, such as, but not limited to, a flap or a swiveling part of a casing, used to provide access to at least a part of a housing's interior. Furthermore, where the terms “comprising” and “comprises” are used, they do not exclude other elements or steps.

In an embodiment, a device for centrally arranging locks comprises a plurality of locks and a plurality of remote locking units, wherein each remote locking unit of the plurality of remote locking units is assigned one or more locks of the plurality of locks. Each remote locking unit comprises a remote power transmission unit having a first end and a second end, a displaceable unit displaceable between a first position and a second position, the displaceable unit being operatively coupled to the first end of the remote power transmission unit, and a locking member having a locking state and a releasing state, the locking member being operatively coupled to the second end of the remote power transmission unit. The remote power transmission unit transmits a displacement of the displaceable unit from the first position to the second position such that a state of the locking member changes from the locking state to the releasing state. Each lock of the one or more locks has a locked state and an unlocked state and comprises a blocking member. Each blocking member prevents the displaceable unit from leaving the first position when the respective lock is in the locked state.

In another embodiment, a gaming machine for playing a game comprises a device for centrally arranging locks and a housing with a plurality of doors. Each door of the plurality of doors comprises a latching mechanism and is assigned a remote locking unit of a plurality of remote locking units of the device for centrally arranging locks. Each latching mechanism is actuated by a locking member of the remote locking unit assigned to the respective door.

In yet another embodiment, a gaming machine for playing a game comprises a housing with a plurality of doors, a plurality of locks adjacently arranged on a section of an outer surface of the housing, and a plurality of remote locking units. Each door of the plurality of doors is exclusively assigned a remote locking unit of the plurality of remote locking units. The remote locking unit is assigned one or more locks of the plurality of locks and comprises a remote power transmission unit having a first end and a second end, a displaceable unit displaceable between a first position and a second position, the displaceable unit being operatively coupled to the first end of the remote power transmission unit, and a locking member having a locking state and a releasing state, the locking member being operatively coupled to the second end of the remote power transmission unit. The remote power transmission unit transmits a displacement of the displaceable unit from the first position to the second position such that a state of the locking member changes from the locking state to the releasing state. Each of the one or more locks has a locked state and an unlocked state and comprises a blocking member preventing the displaceable unit from leaving the first position when the respective lock is in the locked state. The displaceable unit is allowed to shift from the first position to the second position when each of the one or more locks is in the unlocked state. Each door of the plurality of doors comprises a latching mechanism, which is actuated by the locking member of the remote locking unit exclusively assigned to the respective door.

Features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and its various embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures and drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional changes may be made. Moreover, features of the various embodiments may be combined or altered. As such, the following description is presented by way of illustration only and should not limit in any way the various alternatives and modifications that may be made to the illustrated embodiments. In this disclosure, numerous specific details provide a thorough understanding of the subject disclosure. It should be understood that aspects of this disclosure may be practiced with other embodiments not necessarily including all aspects described herein, etc.

FIG.1shows a front view of a device20for centrally arranging locks in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The device20comprises a casing23housing three locks21and part of an upper and a lower remote locking unit. For each of the two remote locking units,FIG.1depicts a slide switch224and a part protruding from the casing23. The protruding parts of the remote locking units include tail sections of remote power transmission units221and locking members223operatively coupled to the remote power transmission units221. Each locking member223comprises a hook2231for actuating, for example, a latch of a latch mechanism of a door. In the figures, the latch mechanisms are not shown. The two remote locking units and the three locks21are described in greater detail below.

FIG.2is a perspective view of part of a gaming machine10comprising the device20ofFIG.1. The gaming machine10comprises a housing11in which a device20for centrally arranging locks is removably integrated. The device20allows for adjacent arrangement of locks21for doors of the gaming machine10on a section of an outer surface of the housing11. The locks21are arranged one below the other. Slide switches224are arranged on the left of the locks21. This arrangement facilitates checking the locking status of each door of the gaming machine10at a single glance. Furthermore, devices20for centrally arranging locks may be prefabricated, thereby simplifying the assembly of gaming machines using the devices20.

FIG.3is a rear view of the interior of the device ofFIG.1andFIG.4is a cross-sectional view along line A-A ofFIG.3.

Referring toFIG.3, the device20comprises three locks21and two remote locking units22. The two remote locking units22are arranged on the left of the three locks21and both the three locks21and the two remote locking units22are arranged one below the other. Each remote locking unit22comprises a displaceable unit222, which is displaceable between a first position and a second position. InFIG.3, the displaceable unit222of the upper remote locking unit22is shown in the second position, whereas the displaceable unit222of the lower remote locking unit22is shown in the first position, which is to the left of the second position. Each remote locking unit22further comprises a slide switch224connected to the displaceable unit222of the respective remote locking unit22. As is best seen inFIG.1, the slide switch224has a pin2241, which moves in an elongated aperture2242of the casing23, when the displaceable unit222is shifted between the first position and the second position. Thus, the position of the pin2241in the elongated aperture2242indicates the position of the respective displaceable unit222.

Referring toFIG.4, a displaceable unit222comprises an L-shaped plate having two sidepieces. A first sidepiece runs parallel to the front side of the casing23. The pin2241of the slide switch224is connected to the first sidepiece so that a displacement of the displaceable unit222between the first position and the second position is guided by the pin2241moving in the elongated aperture2242. However, in alternative embodiments, the remote locking units22may further include linear slides mounted on the casing23for guiding the displaceable units222when they are shifted from the first position to the second position and vice versa. A second sidepiece of the L-shaped plate is perpendicular to the front side of the casing23. The displaceable units222are operatively coupled to one or more remote power transmission units221using the second sidepiece.

FIG.5is a rear view andFIG.6is a side view of the device ofFIG.1.FIG.5andFIG.6show a cover232of the casing23protecting the remote locking units22against tampering.

As can be seen inFIG.4andFIG.6, the lower remote locking unit22comprises two remote power transmission units221, whereas the upper remote locking unit22has only a single remote power transmission unit221. Each remote power transmission unit221transmits a displacement of the displaceable unit222to the locking member223with the consequence that the hook2231of the locking member223is also displaced. For this, each remote power transmission unit221comprises a Bowden cable or alternatively a mechanical linkage. The displacement of the hook2231is used to actuate, for example, a latching mechanism of a door. Preferably, the locking member223or rather its hook2231releases a latch of the latching mechanism to pop up the door when the displaceable unit222is shifted from the first position to the second position, and the locking member223locks the latching mechanism when the displaceable unit222is in the first position. Accordingly, the locking member223is in a locking state when the displaceable unit222is in the first position and is in a releasing state when the displaceable unit222has shifted into the second position.

The two remote power transmission units221of the lower remote locking unit22are used to operate the same door. For this purpose, a second locking member223operatively coupled to the second remote power transmission unit221actuates a second latching mechanism of said door.

Referring toFIG.4, each of the two remote power transmission units221of the lower remote locking unit22comprises a Bowden cable, which is operatively coupled to the displaceable unit222of the lower remote locking unit22. For this, a first end of an inner cable2211of the Bowden cable221is connected to the second sidepiece of the L-shaped plate of the displaceable unit222, whereas a first end of a hollow outer cable2212of the Bowden cable221is mounted in a support231of the casing23. A locking member223of the lower remote locking unit22may be operatively coupled to a second end of the respective Bowden cable in a similar manner to that of the operatively coupling of the first end of the inner and outer cable of the Bowden cable to the displaceable unit222and the casing23, respectively. Preferably, the upper remote locking unit22is configured similar to the lower remote locking unit22, but comprises only a single Bowden cable and a single locking member223.

FIG.7is a bottom view andFIG.8is a rear view of the device ofFIG.1.FIG.7andFIG.8also show the cover232of the casing23protecting the remote locking units22against tampering. However, the state of both the lock21shown inFIG.7and all three locks21depicted inFIG.8differs from the state of the locks21shown inFIG.3toFIG.6, as will be described below.

Again referring toFIG.3, each of the three locks21comprises a blocking member211, such as, but not limited to, a cam of a barrel cam lock. The blocking member211is attached with one of its two ends to the backside of the lock21such that the blocking member211can turn together with the lock21, thereby changing the direction in which the other free end of the blocking member211is pointing. InFIG.3toFIG.6, the free end of all blocking members211is pointing towards the bottom of the device20. By operating the locks21, for example with a key, the blocking members211can be turned so that their free end is pointing to the remote locking units22, as is shown inFIG.8. In this position, the blocking members211of the upper and middle lock21prevent the displaceable unit222of the upper remote locking unit22from leaving the first position and the blocking member211of the lower lock21prevents the displaceable unit222of the lower remote locking unit22from leaving the first position. Therefore, the upper remote locking unit22is assigned the upper and middle lock21, whereas the lower remote locking unit22is assigned the lower lock21. Assigning two or more differently keyed locks21to a remote locking unit22, and thus to a single door is ideally used for doors giving access to, for example, components of a gaming machine, which need stronger protection against tampering. The differently keyed locks21require that all parties holding the keys must be present to open the door.

As set forth above, each locking member223of a remote locking unit22is in a locking state when the displaceable unit222is in the first position and is in a releasing state when the displaceable unit222has shifted into the second position. Accordingly, a lock21is in a locked state when its blocking member211prevents the respective displaceable unit222from leaving the first position, whereas the lock21is in an unlocked state when its blocking member211allows the displaceable unit222to shift into the second position. Therefore, the lower lock21shown inFIG.7and all locks21depicted inFIG.8are in the locked state, whereas all other locks21shown inFIG.3toFIG.7are in an unlocked state.

The displaceable unit222of a remote locking unit22is preferably shifted from the first position to the second position and vice versa by using the slide switch224. In alternative embodiments, the remote locking unit22further comprises a biasing element, such as, but not limited to, a spring forcing the displaceable unit222to shift from the first position to the second position if this is allowed by each blocking member211of the one or more locks21assigned to the remote locking unit22. In such embodiments, each blocking member211of the one or more locks21shifts the displaceable unit222from the second position to the first position against the force of the biasing element when the state of the respective lock21is changed from the unlocked state to the locked state by operating the lock21such that the free end of the blocking member211is pointing to the displaceable unit222. When the lock21is in the locked state, the blocking member211holds the displaceable unit222in the first position.

FIG.9is a perspective view of a basic unit of a gaming machine10comprising the device20ofFIG.1. The device20is used for operating a main door111and a servicing door112of the housing11of the gaming machine10.

It will be understood that, in alternative embodiments, the locks and remote locking units may be integrated directly into a housing of, for example, a gaming machine without the use of an extra casing. According to the present invention, in such embodiments, the locks are adjacently arranged on a section of an outer surface of the housing or on a plate removably integrated in or mounted on the housing and a displaceable unit of each remote locking unit is arranged within reach of a blocking member of each lock assigned to the remote locking unit such that the blocking member prevents the displaceable unit from leaving the first position when the lock is in the locked state and allows the displaceable unit to shift into the second position when the lock is in the unlocked state.

Many different arrangements of the various components depicted, as well as components not shown, are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with the intent to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not depart from its scope. A skilled artisan may develop alternative means of implementing the aforementioned improvements without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Further, it will be understood that certain features and combinations may be of utility and may be employed within the scope of the disclosure. Various steps of the described processes set forth herein may be carried out in orders that differ from those described without departing from the scope of the present methods. It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown.