Abstract:
An improved gaming device is set forth having a removable coin and token tray. The tray has rearwardly extending pins and a latch assembly. The device includes a receiver assembly having bores and slots to receive the pins and register with the latch assembly to releasably mount the tray to the device. A lever located in the device when the device is closed and secured manipulates the latch assembly. To release the tray access is required to the interior of the device.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to gaming machines of the type having a forward facing, lower coin tray. More particularly it relates to removable coin trays.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    Upright slot machine devices are well know. These machines include an upstanding housing which houses the game processor, power supply, coin hopper, coin dispensing mechanism, and other components that are embraced in a modern slot machine. The housing also mounts the video game display. To gain access to the inside of the machine there is a locked door. Upon unlocking and opening the door, staff can re-fill the coin hopper and repair/replace the various components for the machine.  
           [0003]    When a player receives a coin or token pay out or cashes out accumulated credits, the coins/token are dispensed from the coin hopper by a device within the housing which sends the required number of coins to drop into a tray disposed on the front bottom of the machine. The player then retrieves the dispensed coins/tokens from the tray as their pay out.  
           [0004]    The coin trays are typically, according to the prior art, made from assembled sheet metal and extend across the bottom of the machine. They are secured to the housing by suitable fasteners such as bolts/nuts, screws and the like and are not intended to be removed.  
           [0005]    A drawback to these prior coin trays is that they cannot be easily removed for replacement or repair. In this regard, a repairman may desire to remove the tray to gain easier access to the inside of the housing without having to work over the tray.  
           [0006]    There is a need for a coin tray for a slot machine which can be securely fastened to the machine housing, cannot be removed without gaining access to the machine housing thereby requiring authority and which is easily removed for repair, replacement or for the temporary purpose of gaining easier access to the inside of the machine housing.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    There is, therefore, set forth according to the present invention an improved machine of the type adapted to dispense coins or tokens which includes a removable coin tray and wherein removal of the tray requires access to the inside of the machine housing as by opening the machine door. There is also set forth an improved tray assembly for a slot machine device.  
           [0008]    Accordingly there is provided an improved machine of the type which includes a housing with a front opening, a door to close the opening and means for dispensing coins or tokens into a tray. The improvement includes a receiver assembly on the housing which has spaced holes and slots. Preferably the receiver assembly includes a pair of spaced sub-assemblies each having a pair of forward facing holes and orthogonally arranged slots. The tray has a back wall mounting a latch assembly with opposed fingers moveable by a linkage between a first, extended, position and a second, withdrawn, position. A lever manipulates the linkage to the second position against the bias of a spring. The tray also mounts a support assembly including alignment and support pins.  
           [0009]    To mount the tray, the door of the machine is opened thereby requiring an access key to unlock the machine door. The alignment pins are located to register with the holes of the receiver assembly. As the tray is moved to position and cam surfaces on the fingers urge the fingers to the second position against the bias of the spring. At a position where the tray mounts to the machine the fingers align with the slots and extend, under the bias of the spring, to the first position into the slots to secure the tray to the machine housing. The door is then closed and locked. The lever, with the door closed, is disposed within the machine housing.  
           [0010]    To remove the tray, the door is opened to gain access to the lever. The lever is manipulated to withdraw the fingers to the second position against the bias of the spring to release the tray from the machine.  
           [0011]    There is also set forth a tray assembly having the above features and which may be suitable for retrofitting slot machine devices.  
           [0012]    Thus, the improvement provides for a device which has a removable tray and wherein removal is secured by requiring access to the interior of the device by unlocking and opening the door thereof. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    These and other features and advantages will become appreciated as the same becomes understood with reference to the claims, description and drawings wherein:  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a slot machine with a tray according to the present invention;  
         [0015]    FIG. 2  is an assembly view of the tray and shows the receiver assembly and latch assembly;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a front prospective view of a portion of the receiver assembly;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is a rear view of the tray showing the latch assembly; and  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 is a top view of a latch assembly finger showing the cam surface thereof. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION  
       [0019]    Turning to FIG. 1 there is shown a slot machine device  25  mounting a tray  10  according to the present invention. The device  25  has a housing with a closeable door  54  as is known in the art.  
         [0020]    With reference to FIG. 2 there an assembly view of the tray  10 , latch assembly  12  and receiver assembly  14  according to the present invention. The tray  10  includes a bottom  16 , upstanding front wall  18  and rear wall  20  and opposed side walls  22  which, when assembled as by tack welding, fasteners  23  or the like, define the tray  10  to receive and retain coins or tokens dispensed from a device  25  shown as a gaming machine. The tray  10 , as hereinafter described, is removably mounted at the bottom front of the device  25 . The user of the device  25  removes, with their hand, the coins/tokens in the tray  10  as is known in the art.  
         [0021]    To support and align the tray  10  on the device  25 , the tray  10  includes, at opposite ends, projecting pins  26 . While only one pin  26  may be provided at each end, preferably, as shown, at each end the tray  10  mounts a pair of vertically spaced, rearwardly directed, pins  26 . To mount the pins  26 , the tray rear wall  20  has a pair of projecting ears  28 .  
         [0022]    With reference to FIGS. 2 and 4, the tray  10  also mounts the latch assembly  12  disposed on the rear wall  20 . The latch assembly includes a pivot arm  30  which is pivotally mounted for counter clockwise rotation (FIG. 4) as suggested by arrow A on a pivot  32  secured to the rear wall  20 . Suitable fasteners  33  mount the pivot arm  30  to the pivot  32 . At one end, the pivot arm  30  projects above the rear wall to define a purchase area  34  for manipulation of the pivot arm  30 .  
         [0023]    At opposite sides of the pivot arm  30  there is mounted latch arms  36   a, b  which project to either side of the pivot arm  30  to pass through first and second guides  38   a, b.  Each guide  38   a, b  includes a slot to pass and guide the latch arm  36   a, b.  At the end of each latch arm  36   a,b  is a finger  40  having a rearwardly facing cam surface  42  as shown in FIG. 5. Proximate the end of the latch arm  36   b  there is included a stop  44  to limit the extension of the latch arms  36   a, b  through the guides  38   a, b.  The fingers  40 , as shown in FIG. 4, extend between the pins  26 . Also as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, each latch arm  36   a, b  is mounted to pivot at an end of the pivot arm  30  by suitable fasteners  41 .  
         [0024]    To impose a bias upon the pivot arm  30  and latch arms  36   a,b,  the latch assembly  12  further includes a spring  46  disposed between latch arm  36   a  and a fixed spring mount  48 . The spring  46  acts upon the latch arm  36   a  and latch assembly  12  to bias the latch arms  36   a, b  to an extended position whereat the latch arms  36   a, b  are extended to the sides of the tray  10  to a first position, where the stop  44  engages the guide  38   a  and the fingers  40  are extended to the sides of the tray  10 . Using the purchase area  34 , the latch assembly  12  can be manipulated to withdraw the fingers  40  to a second position. Moving the purchase area  34  in a counter clockwise direction in FIG. 4 pivots the pivot arm  30  about the pivot  32  and against the bias of the spring  46  to withdraw the pivot arms  36   a, b  to the second position. Upon release of the purchase area  34 , the spring  46  urges the latch arms  36   a, b  to return to the extended, first position.  
         [0025]    Turning to FIGS. 1, 2 and  3 , device  25  includes a closed housing  50  having a front opening  52  closeable by the door  54  hinged to the housing  50 . The housing  50  contains the mechanical and electrical components for the device  25 . Where the device  25  is a gaming machine, e.g. a slot machine, the housing  50  contains the game processor, power supply, hopper, coin dispenser, game display and other components. When a player desires to have their game winnings dispensed, coins or tokens are dispensed from the game hopper (not shown) and drop into the tray  10 . To prevent unauthorized access into the housing  50 , the door  54  includes a lock (not shown) and may also be electronically monitored to send an alarm if the door  54  is opened by unauthorized personnel.  
         [0026]    To mount the tray  10 , the receiver assembly  14  is provided at the bottom of the housing  50 . The receiver assembly  14  includes a pair of subassemblies  56  disposed in the housing  50  proximate the bottom thereof and preferably at opposing sides of the opening  52 . Each subassembly  56 , with reference to FIG. 3, includes a forward plate  57  and a side plate  59 , the forward plate  57  including a pair of forward facing bores  58  arranged and adapted to register with the pins  26 . The side plate  59  has a slot  60  disposed rearwardly of the front of the housing  50  and between the bores  58 .  
         [0027]    To mount the tray  10 , the door  54  for the device  24  is unlocked and opened and the pins  26  are aligned with the bores  58 . The tray  10  is urged toward the housing  50 . The finger cam surfaces  42  engage the forward plate  57  and, in turn, urge the fingers  40  and latch arms  36   a, b  to withdraw toward the second position. Continued urging of the tray rearwardly registers the pins  26  in the bores  58  and the fingers  40  slide along the side plate  59  until the fingers  40  align with the slots  60 . When aligned, and under the bias provided by the spring  46 , the fingers  40  engage into the slots  60  to secure the tray  10  to the device  24 . The pins  26  provide for alignment and vertical stability for the tray  10  and the fingers  40  engaged in the slots  60  prevent removal of the tray  10  from the device  24 . The door  54  is then closed and locked to the housing  50  concealing the lever  34  within the closed device  24  housing  50 . Thus, access to the lever  34  for removal of the tray  10  from the device  24  requires that the door  54  be unlocked.  
         [0028]    To remove the tray  10 , the door  54  is unlocked and opened revealing the purchase area  34 . The purchase area  34 , from the front, is rotated clock wise against the bias of the spring  46  to withdraw the fingers  40  to the second position disengaging the fingers  40  from the slots  60  and releasing the tray  10 . The tray  10  is thereafter pulled form the device  25  to disengage the pins  26  from the bores  58 .  
         [0029]    As can be appreciated, the pins  26 , fingers  40  and receiver assembly  14  are subject to many modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The pins  26  need not be cylindrical or be provided in pairs. They could be, for example, a single pin or tab or any shape as could be the accommodating bore on the receiver assembly  14 . Further the receiver subassemblies  56  need not be located at the sides of the housing  50  and could be mounted in any suitable location to receive and mount the tray  10  in position to receive coins/tokens dispensed from the device  25 .  
         [0030]    The tray assembly according to the present invention is also suitable for being provided as a retrofit assembly of kit which can be installed in existing machines to provide a removeable tray therefore according to the present invention.  
         [0031]    While we have shown and described certain embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that it is subject to many modifications and changes without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.