Patent Publication Number: US-6988945-B2

Title: Coin collection system for a gaming machine

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   “This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 10/361,521, filed Feb. 10, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,852,022 which is continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 09/924,666, filed Aug. 8, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,817,463 both of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties.” 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates generally to a collection of coins dispensed from a gaming machine and, more particularly, relates to a coin collection system that facilitates the transfer of dispensed coins to a coin collection cup typically provided by a gaming establishment. The term “coins” is intended to cover coins, chips, or tokens representing monetary value. The coins may be a medium of monetary exchange of a country, territory, gaming establishment, or other entity. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Gaming machines may be used to play a variety of games of chance, such as slots, poker, bingo, keno, and blackjack, in response to a wager. Any winnings resulting from play of a gaming machine are typically either stored on the machine as credits or immediately dispensed as coins from the machine&#39;s coin hopper into a coin tray. If the winnings are stored on the machine as credits, the machine dispenses a number of coins corresponding to the number of credits from the coin hopper into the coin tray in response to actuation by the player of a “cash out” or “collect” key. To take the coins with him or her, the player generally must transfer the coins from the coin tray to a coin collection cup by grabbing and carrying the coins, one handful at a time, from the coin tray to the coin collection cup. 
   A major drawback of the foregoing procedure for collecting coins is that dirt and metal from the coins is readily transferred to the player&#39;s hand or hands. To alleviate the problem of dirty hands, gaming establishments have attempted a couple solutions. 
   First, some gaming establishments provide hand wipes at their currency exchange counters. Nonetheless, it is inconvenient for a player to have to perform the extra step of cleaning his or her hands following play of a gaming machine. In addition, the player must walk around with dirty hands until the player has access to the hand wipes or a bathroom that is often remotely located. Moreover, hand wipes only do a fair job of cleaning one&#39;s hands. Players who are particularly sensitive to sanitary conditions may not be satisfied by hand wipes and may even have reservations about playing gaming machines that require a player to collect coins as described above. 
   Second, other gaming establishments now provide coinless gaming machines that dispense tickets, vouchers, or cards instead of coins. While such machines eliminate the problem of dirty hands caused by coins, there is still an ongoing demand from both players and gaming establishments for gaming machines that dispense coins. It has been found that a significant segment of the market still prefers gaming machines that dispense coins because of the “buzz” and excitement generated by coins falling into the coin tray. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a coin collection system for a gaming machine that facilitates the transfer of dispensed coins to a coin collection cup and, at the same time, minimizes the problem of dirty hands. 
   The gaming machine comprises a cabinet, a coin outlet for dispensing coins, and a coin tray beneath the coin outlet. The coin tray is located a sufficient vertical distance from the coin outlet so as to accommodate a traditional coin collection cup between the coin outlet and the coin tray. The coin tray may contain a beverage cup holder and/or an ash tray, preferably located horizontally away from the coin outlet. The coin tray is coupled to the cabinet and extends below a level of the bottom of the cabinet. When the gaming machine sits on a stand in a gaming establishment, the cabinet sits on top of the stand while the coin tray hangs over a front wall of the stand. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing and other advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a gaming machine with conventional coin tray; 
       FIGS. 2   a ,  2   b ,  2   c , and  2   d  are enlarged isometric views of a coin collection system according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3   a  is an enlarged isometric view of a coin collection system according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3   b  is a sectional view taken generally along line  3   b — 3   b  in  FIG. 3   a;    
       FIG. 4   a  is an enlarged isometric view of a coin collection system according to a third embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4   b  is a sectional view taken generally along line  4   b — 4   b  in  FIG. 4   a;    
       FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  are enlarged isometric views of a coin collection system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIGS. 6   a  and  6   b  are enlarged isometric views of a coin collection system according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIGS. 7   a  and  7   b  are enlarged isometric views of a coin collection system according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIGS. 8   a  and  8   b  are enlarged isometric views of a coin collection system according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIGS. 9   a  and  9   b  are enlarged isometric views of a coin collection system according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIGS. 10   a  and  10   b  are enlarged isometric views of a coin collection system according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIGS. 11   a  and  11   b  are enlarged isometric views of a coin collection system according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIGS. 12   a  and  12   b  are enlarged isometric views of a coin collection system according to an eleventh embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIGS. 13   a  and  13   b  are enlarged isometric views of a coin collection system according to a twelfth embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIGS. 14   a  and  14   b  are enlarged isometric views of a coin collection system according to a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIGS. 15   a ,  15   b , and  15   c  are enlarged isometric views of a coin collection system according to a fourteenth embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 16   a  is an enlarged isometric view of a coin collection system according to a fifteenth embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 16   b  is a sectional view taken generally along line  16   b — 16   b  in  FIG. 16   a;    
       FIG. 17   a  is an enlarged isometric view of a coin collection system according to a sixteenth embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 17   b  is a sectional view taken generally along line  17   b — 17   b  in  FIG. 17   a;    
       FIG. 18   a  is an enlarged isometric view of a coin collection system according to a seventeenth embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 18   b  is a sectional view taken generally along line  18   b — 18   b  in  FIG. 18   a;    
       FIGS. 19   a  and  19   b  are enlarged isometric views of a coin collection system according to an eighteenth embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIGS. 20   a  and  20   b  are enlarged isometric views of a coin collection system according to a nineteenth embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIGS. 21   a  and  21   b  are enlarged isometric views of a coin collection system according to a twentieth embodiment of the present invention; and 
       FIGS. 22   a  and  22   b  are isometric views of a coin collection system according to a twenty-first embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 
   DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
   Turning now to the drawings, where like reference numerals are generally used to identify analogous (although not necessarily identical) parts,  FIG. 1  depicts a gaming machine  10  including a conventional coin tray  12 . The machine  10  may be used to play a variety of games of chance, such as slots, poker, bingo, keno, and blackjack. The game of chance is stored in memory either within the machine  10  or remote from the machine  10 . In response to a wager, a processing unit executes the game by randomly selecting one of a plurality of possible outcomes and causing a mechanical or video display  14  to depict indicia corresponding to the selected outcome. The wager may, for example, be in the form of coins inserted into a coin entry slot  16 ; paper currency, tickets, or vouchers inserted into a bill validator  18 ; or a credit card, magnetic card, or smart card inserted into a card entry slot  20 . 
   Any monetary winnings resulting from play of the gaming machine  10  are either stored on the machine  10  as credits or immediately dispensed as coins from the machine&#39;s coin hopper (not shown), through a coin outlet  21 , and into the coin tray  12  beneath the coin outlet  21 . If the winnings are stored on the machine  10  as credits, the machine  10  dispenses a number of coins corresponding to the number of credits from the coin hopper into the coin tray  12  in response to actuation by the player of a “cash out” or “collect” key on a button panel  22 . To take the coins with him or her, the player generally must transfer the coins from the coin tray  12  to a coin collection cup  24  by grabbing and carrying the coins, one handful at a time, from the coin tray  12  to the coin collection cup  24 . The coin collection cup  24  is typically a large molded plastic cup that can be obtained from a stack of cups provided by the gaming establishment near a bank of gaming machines including the gaming machine  10 . The present invention is directed to a coin collection system for a gaming machine that facilitates the transfer of dispensed coins to the coin collection cup  24  and, at the same time, minimizes the problem of dirty hands. 
   In accordance with one aspect of the present invention shown generally in  FIGS. 2   a–d  through  14   a–b  and in  FIGS. 21   a–b , the coin collection system comprises the coin outlet  21 , the coin tray  12 , and a guiding arrangement. The guiding arrangement includes a movable member coupled to the gaming machine and operable to assist in guiding the dispensed coins from either the coin outlet  21  or the coin tray  12  to a coin collection cup  24 . 
   More specifically, referring to  FIGS. 2   a ,  2   b ,  2   c , and  2   d , the movable member may include a fold-out spout  26  hinged to the coin outlet  21 . The spout  26  is rotatable between a disabled vertical position and an enabled horizontal position. When the spout  26  is in the disabled vertical position ( FIGS. 2   a  and  2   c ), the spout  26  permits the dispensed coins to drop into the coin tray  12 . When, however, the spout  26  is in the enabled horizontal position ( FIGS. 2   b  and  2   d ), the spout  26  extends over the coin tray  12  and diverts the dispensed coins to a coin collection cup  24  held by a player in front of the coin tray  12 . The spout  26  is optionally biased towards the disabled position and may include a grab tab  28  (see  FIG. 2   b ) to be grabbed by a player when pivoting the spout  26  downward to the enabled position. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b , instead of the hinged spout  26 , the movable member may include a spout  30  slidably mounted to a support  32 . The spout  30  is slidable between a disabled position and an enabled position. To move the spout  30  from the enabled position to the disabled position, the spout  30  is slid away from beneath the coin outlet  21  in the direction of the arrow in  FIG. 3   a  so that the dispensed coins can drop into the coin tray  12  without encountering the spout  30 . When, however, the spout  30  is in the enabled position as shown in  FIG. 3   a , the spout  30  is positioned between the coin outlet  21  and the coin tray  12  so that it diverts the dispensed coins to a coin collection cup  24  held by a player in front of the coin tray  12 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 4   a–b ,  5   a–b ,  6   a–b , and  7   a–b , the movable member may form at least a portion of the coin tray  12 . In response to being pressed by the coin collection cup  24 , the member moves inward so that the coins dispensed from the coin outlet  21  are directly captured by a coin collection cup  24  instead of the coin tray  12 . Referring to  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b , the movable member includes a hinged concave panel  40 . Referring to  FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b , the movable member is flexible and formed by an entire front wall  50  of the coin tray  12 . The front wall  50  may, for example, be made of some type of rubber. In response to being pressed by the coin collection cup  24 , the front wall  50  flexes inward so that the coins dispensed from the coin outlet  21  are directly captured by the coin collection cup  24 . Instead of forming the entire front wall  50  of a flexible material, this embodiment may be modified to form only the wall section in front of the coin outlet  21  of the flexible material. Referring to  FIGS. 6   a  and  6   b , the movable member includes the coin tray  12  itself or at least the front wall of the coin tray  12 . In response to being pressed by the coin collection cup  24 , the coin tray  12  slides inward along rails  60 . A front wall section  62  of the coin tray  12  is preferably indented or concave to assist the player in properly positioning the coin collection cup  24  in front of the coin outlet  21 . Referring to  FIGS. 7   a  and  7   b , instead of sliding the entire coin tray  12  inward, this embodiment may be modified to slide only a section  70  of the coin tray  12  in front of the coin outlet  21 . The section  70  slides along rails  72 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 8   a–b ,  9   a–b ,  10   a–b , and  1   a–b , the movable member may form at least a portion of the coin tray  12  and be movable between a disabled position and an enabled position. The movable member maintains the dispensed coins in the coin tray  12  when the member is in the disabled position, but helps to guide the coins out of the coin tray  12  when the member is in the enabled position. The movable member is optionally biased towards the disabled position. Referring to  FIGS. 8   a  and  8   b , the movable member is a hinged access panel  80  proximate the coin outlet  21 . The hinged panel  80  closes at least one wall of the coin tray  12  when the panel  80  is in the disabled position ( FIG. 8   a ) and opens the at least one wall of the coin tray  12  when the panel  80  is in the enabled position ( FIG. 8   b ). In the illustrated embodiment, the hinged panel  80  wraps around the front and bottom walls of the coin tray  12  and is converted into a pour spout when opened by rotating the panel  80  downward. Referring to  FIGS. 9   a  and  9   b , the hinged access panel  90  is similar to the panel  80  in  FIGS. 8   a  and  8   b  except that it opens by rotating upward instead of downward. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 10   a–b  and  11   a–b , the movable member is an access panel that is smaller than the access panels in  FIGS. 8   a–b  and  9   a–b  and forms a hole in the coin tray  12  when opened. In  FIGS. 10   a–b , the access panel  100  is hinged, includes a protruding section  102  to facilitate opening, and is sufficiently large to allow the dispensed coins to pass through the hole left by the opened panel. In  FIGS. 11   a–b , the access panel  110  includes a handle  112  to aid the player in sliding the panel  110  between the disabled (closed) position in  FIG. 11   a  and the enabled (open) position in  FIG. 11   b . In either embodiment, the coin tray  12  may form a ramp  114  (see  FIGS. 11   a–b ) beneath the coin outlet  21 . The ramp  114  helps to deflect the dispensed coins through the hole left by the opened access panel. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 12   a  and  12   b , the movable member may form at least a portion of the coin tray  12  and be movable between a disabled (upper) position and an enabled (lower) position. The movable member maintains the dispensed coins in the coin tray  12  when the member is in the disabled position ( FIG. 12   a ). The movable member permits the coins dispensed from the coin outlet  21  to be directly captured by the coin collection cup  24  when the member is in the enabled position ( FIG. 12   b ). The movable member preferably includes a cup supporting panel  120  for holding the coin collection cup  24  beneath the coin outlet  21  when the member is in the enabled (lower) position. The cup supporting panel  120  is vertically slidable between the disabled (upper) position and the enabled (lower) position. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 13   a  and  13   b , the movable member may include the entire coin tray  12  itself. The coin tray  12  is hinged for movement between an upper position corresponding to the disabled position ( FIG. 13   a ) and a forward-tilting position corresponding to the enabled position ( FIG. 13   b ). The coin tray  12  includes a front wall  130  to assist in guiding the dispensed coins from the coin tray  12  into the coin collection cup  24  when the coin tray  12  is in the forward-tilting position. In the forward-tilting position, the coins collected in the coin tray  12  fall off an upper lip of a front wall  130  of the coin tray  12  and into a coin collection cup  24  held adjacent to the upper lip. The coin tray  12  may be configured with slopes, notches, or openings to actively channel the coins toward one section of the upper lip. The front wall  130  of the coin tray  12  may be extended in height so that the front wall not only carries coins as they are dumped into the collection cup  24 , but also supports a lower artwork panel (e.g., “belly” glass) associated with the gaming machine. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 14   a  and  14   b , the coin guiding arrangement may include an exit opening  140  in one end of the coin tray  12 . In this case, the movable member includes a sliding bar  142  for sweeping coins in the coin tray  12  through the exit opening  140  and into the coin collection cup  24  when the cup  24  is held adjacent to the exit opening  140 . The sliding bar  142  is slidably anchored to the coin tray  12  for movement between a first position to one side of both the exit opening  140  and the coin outlet and a second position adjacent to the exit opening  140 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 21   a  and  21   b , the movable member may be a spout  210  with an accordion side wall  216  for extending the spout  210  from a retracted position ( FIG. 21   a ) and an extended position ( FIG. 21   b ) in response to pulling on a pull tab  214 . The spout  210  is preferably biased toward the retracted position and includes a front wall  212  with a lip to stop retraction. In the retracted position, the dispensed coins are collected directly in the coin tray  12 . In the extended position, the dispensed coins may be collected in a coin collection cup  24  held in front of the coin tray  12 . Instead of an accordion side wall  216 , the side wall may be rigid such that the spout  210  slides in and out of the machine housing. 
   In accordance with another aspect of the present invention shown generally in  FIGS. 15   a–c  through  17   a–b , a coin collection system for a gaming machine comprises a coin outlet  21  for dispensing coins, a coin tray  12  beneath the coin outlet  21 , and a guiding member. The guiding member is positioned proximate to the coin outlet  21  and operable to divert the dispensed coins away from the coin tray  12  and into a coin collection cup  24 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 15   a ,  15   b , and  15   c , the guiding member may include a spout  150  detachably coupled to the gaming machine beneath the coin outlet  21  and extending over the coin tray  12 . The spout  150  includes a first end  150   a  and a second end  150   b . The first end  150   a  is hooked to a slot  152  in the gaming machine. The second end  150   b  is located at the coin collection cup  24 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 16   a  and  16   b , the guiding member may include a spout  160  detachably coupled to, or integrally formed with, the coin collection cup  24 . The cup  24  is held adjacent to the coin tray  12  with the spout  160  extending over the coin tray  12  and having one end beneath the coin outlet  21 . The embodiment in  FIGS. 17   a  and  17   b  is similar to the embodiment in  FIGS. 16   a  and  16   b  except that the cup  24  is also outfitted with a handle  170  and a positioning bar  172 . The positioning bar  172  assists the player in maintaining the spout  160  beneath the coin outlet  21  in a correct coin-capturing position. 
   In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention shown in  FIGS. 18   a–b , a coin collection system for a gaming machine comprises a coin outlet  21  for dispensing coins, a coin tray  12  beneath the coin outlet  21 , and a mechanical element for holding a coin collection cup  24  in front of the coin tray  12  so that the coins dispensed into the coin tray  12  can be scooped into the held coin collection cup  24 . The mechanical element preferably includes a hook  180  formed by a front wall of the coin tray  12 . The coin collection cup  24  is hooked to the coin tray  12  via the hook  180 . 
   In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of collecting coins dispensed from a coin outlet of a gaming machine is disclosed. Referring to  FIGS. 19   a  and  19   b , the gaming machine includes a coin tray  12  beneath the coin outlet  21 . In the method, a coin collection cup  190  is obtained from a gaming establishment such as a casino. The cup  190  is sized to sit in the coin tray  12  without being held in place by a player. Next, the coin collection cup  190  is placed within the coin tray  12  beneath the coin outlet  21 . The dispensed coins are collected in the coin collection cup  190  placed within the coin tray  12 . The coin collection cup  190  is then removed from the coin tray  12 . In the illustrated embodiment, the coin collection cup  190  is preferably elongated to fit within the coin tray  12  and sufficiently short in height to slide beneath the coin outlet  21 . Specifically, the coin collection cup  190  is generally rectangular in shape and includes opposing front and back walls  190   a  and  190   b  spaced by a width that is less than a width of the coin tray  12 . The cup  190  may include a carrying handle  192 . 
   In an alternative embodiment shown in  FIGS. 22   a  and  22   b , the gaming machine includes a coin tray  12  beneath the coin outlet  21 , but an upper end of the coin tray  12  is suspended at a greater vertical distance D from the coin outlet  21  than in a traditional gaming machine. The distance D is sufficiently large to accommodate a traditional coin collection cup  220 . To accommodate most traditional coin collection cups, the distance D is preferably at least about 5.5 inches and, most preferably, at least 6 inches. 
   To collect coins to be dispensed from the gaming machine, the coin collection cup  220  is obtained from a gaming establishment such as a casino. Next, the coin collection cup  220  is placed within the coin tray  12  beneath the coin outlet  21 . Depending upon the configuration of the coin tray  12 , the coin collection cup  220  may or may not need to be held in place by a player. As illustrated, the cup  220  can sit on an upper end of a front wall  222  of the coin tray  12  without being held by the player. Alternatively, the front wall  222  may have a projection or bulge at the location of the coin outlet  21  so that the cup  220  can sit on a bottom wall  225  of the coin tray  21 . The projection notifies the player as to where to place the cup  220  in order to receive coins dispensed from the coin outlet  21 . The dispensed coins are collected in the coin collection cup  220  sitting on or within the coin tray  12 . The coin collection cup  220  is then removed from the coin tray  12 . Instead of collecting dispensed coins directly in the coin collection cup  220 , the player may elect to allow the dispensed coins to fall into the coin tray  12  and then scoop them by hand into the coin collection cup  220  in conventional fashion. Therefore, the embodiment in  FIGS. 22   a  and  22   b  provides the player with the option of using or bypassing the coin tray  12  when collecting coins dispensed from the coin outlet  21 . 
   The embodiment in  FIGS. 22   a  and  22   b  has other unique aspects. For example, the coin tray  12  preferably contains a round beverage holder  224 . The beverage holder  224  is preferably located near an end of the coin tray  12 , away from the coin outlet  21 . Depending upon the needs of the gaming establishment, the beverage holder  224  may be sized to receive beverage cups, glasses, and/or bottles such as beer bottles. Like the beverage holders found in many motor vehicles, the beverage holder  224  may be designed to accommodate cups, glasses, and/or bottles of different diameters. The beverage holder  224  may be integrally formed with the coin tray  12 , or separately formed and later attached to the coin tray  12 . For example, the beverage holder  224  may be formed in an elongated plastic, foam, or metal member that is inserted into and attached to the coin tray  12 . The elongated member may be solid or hollow. A bottom of the beverage holder  224  and the portion of the coin tray  12  beneath the beverage holder  224  may have apertures or holes for draining any liquid that may spill or drip into the beverage holder  224 . In addition to the beverage holder  224 , the coin tray may include an ash tray with a removable heat-resistant cup to facilitate emptying of collected ashes. 
   Another unique aspect of the embodiment in  FIGS. 22   a  and  22   b  is that when the gaming machine sits on a traditional stand  226  in a gaming establishment, a height of the gaming machine is not increased (relative to a gaming machine with a traditional coin tray) as a result of the greater vertical distance D between the coin outlet  21  and the coin tray  12 . To avoid increasing the height of the gaming machine, the machine&#39;s cabinet  228  has the same height as the cabinet of a machine with a traditional coin tray. However, when the cabinet  228  sits on top of the stand  226 , the is coin tray  12  hangs down over a front wall of the stand  226 . The coin tray  12  and a bottom of the cabinet  228  preferably form a right angle (90 degree angle) to help locate the gaming machine relative to the stand  226 . In contrast, a gaming machine with a traditional coin tray sits entirely on top of the stand  226  with no part of the coin tray hanging down over a front wall of the stand. 
   In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention depicted in  FIGS. 20   a  and  20   b , a coin collection system for a gaming machine comprises a release bar  200  and a coin outlet  21  proximate the release bar  200 . The coin outlet  21  dispenses coins into a coin collection cup  24  positioned beneath the coin outlet  2   i  in response to pressing the release bar  200  with the coin collection cup  24  or a player&#39;s hand. The release bar  200  is similar to a bar typically found on soda or ice dispensing machines. Prior to pressing the release bar  200 , the coins may be collected in some type of collection chamber within the gaming machine proximate (e.g., above) the coin outlet  21 . The collection chamber may, for example, be immediately above the coin outlet  21  and may be transparent or translucent so that the player can view the coins available for collection. The gaming machine is preferably still outfitted with a coin tray  12  beneath the coin outlet  21  as a “fail-safe” to capture any coins that may be missed by the coin collection cup  24  due to improper use or activation of the release bar  200 . Also, the release bar  200  may be used in conjunction with some of the other illustrated embodiments, such as the hinged concave panel  40  in  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b . In fact, instead of having a separate release bar  200 , the hinged concave panel  40  may serve as the release bar. 
   While the present invention has been described with reference to one or more particular embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that many changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, in those embodiments where the dispensed coins first make contact with something (e.g., cup  24  or spout) other than the coin tray  12  and therefore may not generate the familiar and, to some players, exciting clanking sound upon contact, the game software may be modified to simulate clanking sounds through the machine&#39;s audio speaker(s) as the coins are dispensed. Each of these embodiments and obvious variations thereof is contemplated as falling within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention, which is set forth in the following claims.