Abstract:
The present invention provides a gaming machine including a cabinet housing which houses a receiver and a dispenser. An opening extends through the housing. A receiver chute extends between the opening and the receiver, with the receiver chute having a first receiver portion. Similarly, a dispenser chute extends between the opening and the dispenser, with the dispenser chute having a first dispenser portion. The first receiver portion and the first dispenser portion are coextensive, such that the cabinet housing both receives and dispenses currency and currency-type media at the opening.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/863,049 filed Sep. 23, 2015, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/717,126 filed Mar. 3, 2010, each of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
       [0002]    A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    This invention relates to gaming machine cabinets and, more particularly, to an upright gaming machine cabinet having a dual chute for both receiving and dispensing currency and/or various currency representative media. 
         [0004]    Traditional gaming machines include one opening for receiving currency or other credit-adding media, and another, separate opening for dispensing winnings in some form. This is often confusing for a player, who may incorrectly attempt to insert currency into the dispensing opening in the machine, and/or conversely trying to locate his winnings from the receiving opening of the machine, which will be empty. A gaming machine cabinet having one opening for both receiving and dispensing currency or the like would be a stark improvement in the field of gaming. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    Briefly, and in general terms, the present invention provides a gaming machine including a cabinet housing having an opening extending through at least one side thereof, with both a receiving chute and a dispensing chute extending away from the opening. That is, one opening is configured to both receive and dispense currency and other currency- or credit-indicating media. In one embodiment, a receiving chute extends between the opening and a receiver, while a dispensing chute extends between the opening and a dispenser. A bezel may extend through the opening. The receiving chute may be defined by a receiving mechanism, with the dispensing chute being defined by a dispensing mechanism. In this embodiment, the receiving mechanism and the dispensing mechanism may be the same. 
         [0006]    The present invention also provides a gaming machine including a cabinet housing which houses a receiver and a dispenser. An opening extends through the housing. A receiver chute extends between the opening and the receiver, with the receiver chute having a first receiver portion. Similarly, a dispenser chute extends between the opening and the dispenser, with the dispenser chute having a first dispenser portion. The first receiver portion and the first dispenser portion are coextensive, such that the cabinet housing both receives and dispenses currency and currency-type media at the opening. 
         [0007]    Other features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate by way of example, the features of the various embodiments. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  presents a perspective view of an upright gaming machine in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  presents a perspective view of a bezel of the gaming machine of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  presents a perspective view of a dispensing mechanism of the gaming machine of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  presents a perspective view of a receiving mechanism of the gaming machine of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  presents a cross-section of a portion of the gaming machine of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  presents a cross-section of a portion of that shown in  FIG. 5 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like or corresponding parts throughout the drawings, and more particularly to  FIG. 1 , an upright gaming machine for play by at least one player (not shown) is generally shown at  10  in accordance with the present invention. In the preferred embodiment, the gaming machine  10  may present a video slot machine, a video keno game, a lottery game, a bingo game, a Class II bingo game, a roulette game, a craps game, a blackjack game, a video representation of a wheel or, or some other game of chance. The game could also involve a varying degree of player skill. 
         [0015]    The gaming machine  10  includes a cabinet housing  12  preferably defined as the interior of a first side  14 , a second side (not shown), a front wall  16  and a rear wall (not shown). The cabinet housing  12  may also include a base and a top, neither of which are explicitly shown in  FIG. 1 . The gaming machine  10  further includes a player control area  18  and a display  20 . Typically, the player control area  18  will be a button deck or button area having one or more buttons to facilitate game play. Player control areas are well known in the art, and are usable to receive input from a player for various purposes including such things as selection of wager denomination, initiation of a game, or cashing out winnings from the gaming machine. The display  20  is used to present information, including presenting a game for play. 
         [0016]    In the preferred embodiment, the gaming machine  10  includes a door  22  having a bezel  24  extending therethrough. The door  22  is preferably movable to reach the interior of the cabinet housing  12  for service or other maintenance. It should be noted that the bezel  24  need not extend through the door  22  to practice the present invention. It matters only that there be an opening of some sort, in the preferred embodiment the bezel  24 , through the cabinet housing  12 . 
         [0017]    Turning to  FIG. 2 , a perspective view of the bezel  24  is shown. The bezel  24  includes mounting portions  26  for mounting the bezel  24  to the door  20 , or to another part of the cabinet housing  12 . The bezel  24  defines an opening  28  which extends through the cabinet housing  12 . 
         [0018]      FIG. 3  shows a receiving mechanism  30  which defines a receiving chute at  32 . In the preferred embodiment, the receiving mechanism  30  further defines a receiving slot  34 , with the receiving slot  34  nestable within the opening  28  in the bezel  24 . A lip  40  on the receiving slot  34  helps align the receiving mechanism  30  within the opening  28  in the preferred embodiment. The receiving mechanism  30  also includes a mounting portion  36  for mounting the receiving mechanism  30  to a receiver  38 . In the preferred embodiment, the receiver  38  is a currency acceptor, which may receive currency or any other currency- or credit-indicating media such as a ticket or a smart card as known in the art. In the preferred embodiment, the receiving mechanism  30  also includes a routing portion  41 , the purpose of which will be discussed in conjunction with  FIG. 5 . 
         [0019]      FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of a dispensing mechanism  42  which defines a dispensing chute at  44  and a dispensing slot  46  which opens at opening  28  in bezel  24 . The dispensing slot  46  is disposed such that items proceed down through the dispensing chute  44  and exit the cabinet housing  12  at opening  28 . The dispensing mechanism  42  includes a mounting portion  48  for mounting the dispensing mechanism  42  to a dispenser  50 . In the preferred embodiment, the dispenser  50  is a printer. However, the dispenser  50  can be anything designed to dispense winnings to a player within the scope of the present invention. In the preferred embodiment, a lip  52  on the dispensing mechanism  42  helps align the dispensing mechanism  42  within the opening  28 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 5  shows a cross-section of the bezel  24 , the receiving mechanism  30  and the dispensing mechanism  42  nested together within the opening  28 , as in the preferred embodiment of the present invention. In operation, a player may input currency or other credit-indicating media through opening  28 . The routing portion  41  of the receiving mechanism  30 , along with the overall geometry resulting from fitting the parts together, helps ensure the currency remains within the receiving chute  32  and does not inadvertently travel up the dispensing chute  44 . While the preferred embodiment utilizes the routing portion  41  and the overall geometry to prevent misrouting, other ways of ensuring proper routing can be used within the scope of the present invention. The currency travels through the receiving chute  32  to the receiver  38 . When a player chooses to cash out, a ticket or some other sort of credit-indicating media is generated by the dispenser  50 . The ticket travels through the dispensing chute  44 , with routing portion  41  of the receiving mechanism  30  again acting to prevent misrouting. The ticket then travels out through opening  28 , here through the bezel  24 . It should be noted that in the present invention, the bezel  24  has been designed to move with the door  22  to allow access to the interior of the cabinet housing  12  (shown in  FIG. 1 ) without disturbing the assembly described herein. Additionally, the dispensing mechanism  42  has been designed to rotate away from the assembly to provide access to the dispenser  50 , which is a printer in the preferred embodiment. 
         [0021]    It should be noted that while for aesthetic purposes the preferred embodiment of the present invention contemplates the use of the bezel  24  to define the opening  28 , the opening  28  can easily be present in the cabinet housing  12  without the use of the bezel  24 . That is, the cabinet housing  12  can define the opening  28  without the use of the bezel  24 . Additionally, while the opening  28  in the preferred embodiment is shown through the front wall  16  of the gaming machine  10 , the opening  28  could be through and wall of the gaming machine  10  within the scope of the present invention. Additionally, while the preferred embodiment includes a separate receiver  38  and dispenser  50 , the present invention can be utilized with a combination receiver/dispenser, such that the receiving chute and the dispensing chute are coextensive. It matters only that at least some portion of a receiving chute and a dispensing chute be coextensive to practice the present invention. 
         [0022]      FIG. 6  further illustrates this point. In  FIG. 6 , an opening  28 ′ is defined within a gaming cabinet wall  16 ′. A receiving chute  32 ′ extends between the opening  28 ′ and a receiver  38 ′, while a dispensing chute  44 ′ extends between the opening  28 ′ and a dispenser  50 ′. The receiving chute  32 ′ includes an opening portion  32 ″, while the dispensing chute  44 ′ also includes an opening portion  44 ″ The opening portions  32 ″ and  44 ″ are coextensive, within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0023]    One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that not all gaming machines have all these components and may have other components in addition to, or in lieu of those components mentioned here. Furthermore, while these components are viewed and described separately, various components may be integrated into a single unit in some embodiments. 
         [0024]    The preferred embodiment described above is provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed to limit the claimed invention. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the claimed invention can be practiced in a substantially equivalent way with various modifications and changes that may be made to the claimed invention without following the example embodiments and applications illustrated and described herein, and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the claimed invention, which is set forth in the following claims.