Patent Publication Number: US-8540245-B2

Title: Reel strip attachment

Description:
COPYRIGHT 
     A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to attachment assemblies, and more particularly, to a reel strip attachment and method. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning at each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting machines. Shrewd operators consequently strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines, features, and enhancements available because such machines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to the operator. Therefore, there is a continuing need for gaming machine manufacturers to continuously develop new games and improved gaming enhancements that will attract frequent play through enhanced entertainment value to the player. 
     One concept that has been successfully employed to enhance the entertainment value of a game is the concept of a “secondary” or “bonus” game that may be played in conjunction with a “basic” game. The bonus game may comprise any type of game, either similar to or completely different from the basic game, which is entered upon the occurrence of a selected event or outcome in the basic game. Generally, bonus games provide a greater expectation of winning than the basic game and may also be accompanied with more attractive or unusual video displays and/or audio. Bonus games may additionally award players with “progressive jackpot” awards that are funded, at least in part, by a percentage of coin-in from the gaming machine or a plurality of participating gaming machines. Because the bonus game concept offers tremendous advantages in player appeal and excitement relative to other known games, and because such games are attractive to both players and operators, there is a continuing need to develop gaming machines with new types of bonus games to satisfy the demands of players and operators. 
     Gaming machines have utilized a variety of mechanisms to present various combinations of symbols, and to award prizes, money, or other awards associated with certain predefined winning combinations. Traditional slot machines, for example, utilize a plurality of reels (either mechanical, or simulated on a video display) and at least one payline, with certain combination of symbols landing on the payline constituting winning combinations for which awards are given to the player in accordance with a pay table. 
     Some existing slot machines with mechanical reels have removable reel strips to allow operators to replace worn strips or install new strips with different artwork. One replacement approach involves use of an adhesive tape to secure one end of the strip to the cage of a reel mechanism and another end of the strip to itself. This approach suffers from numerous disadvantages. Strip removal can be destructive or damaging to the strip because the adhesive, especially over time, forms a very tight bond. As a result, strip removal usually causes tears or kinks in the strip as the stubborn adhesive reluctantly yields to the exerting force by the operator. The reel strip must then be discarded and cannot be reused. Snap rivets with caps are also utilized, leaving visually unappealing caps visible to the player. For example, if the reel stops at a symbol near the connection point of the two ends of the reel strip, the rivet caps are visible to the player, destroying the perception of a seamless reel. 
     Another disadvantage is that when installing a new reel strip the operator must align the bottom of the new reel strip with a specific location on the reel cage by “eyeballing” the precise alignment position. This subjective alignment technique is fraught with human error, and can result in a misalignment of the reel strip relative to the cage, causing player confusion about whether a symbol is on a payline or not. This technique can also be somewhat time consuming depending upon the number of reels that need to be serviced. 
     Thus, a need exists for an improved apparatus and method. The present invention is directed to satisfying one or more of these needs and solving other problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, an assembly includes a frame, a strip, and an attachment strip. The frame has a registration aperture in an outer surface of the frame. The strip also has an aperture positioned to co-align with the registration aperture. The attachment strip has an adhesive layer on one side thereof and at least one protruding member, which can be a snap rivet, positioned to co-align with the registration aperture and to secure the strip to the frame. The reel strip may further include a release backing to expose the adhesive layer when removed. The assembly may be used in a gaming device that displays a wagering game in response to receiving a wager from a player. In an embodiment, the strip has a bottom edge and a top edge, where the aperture is positioned proximate the bottom edge and the adhesive layer is proximate the top edge when the strip is secured to the frame. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, an assembly includes a frame and a strip. The frame has a brace that includes a recess angled toward an alignment edge of the brace. The strip has a first end received in the recess and a second end having an adhesive layer on an edge portion of the second end opposing the first end. The second end of the strip is secured to the first end by the adhesive layer. The recess has a height that is at least the value of the thickness of the strip. 
     In alternate embodiments, any of the foregoing may further be present in the foregoing assembly. The edge portion of the first end opposing the recess may include an adhesive layer. The assembly may further include a protrusion, such as a nub, in the recess. The first end of the strip has a corresponding aperture dimensioned to engage the protrusion, and optionally there is an adhesive layer on an edge portion of the first end opposing the recess. The protrusion is concealed by the second end when it is secured over the first end. The protrusion may further include a pin member and a cap member that extends beyond the pin member in a direction away from the first end of the reel strip. 
     According to still another aspect of the present invention, a method of releasably attaching a reel strip to a reel mechanism includes aligning an aperture of the reel strip with a corresponding registration aperture formed in the reel mechanism. The method further includes fastening one end of the reel strip to the reel mechanism with an attachment assembly having a strip affixed to an attachment mechanism. The method further includes winding the reel strip around the reel mechanism and securing the free end of the reel strip to an adhesive layer on the strip of the attachment assembly. 
     The method may further include removing a release backing from the strip to reveal the adhesive layer. The method may further include detaching the reel strip from the reel mechanism by releasing the attachment strip from the reel mechanism. The method may still further include attaching one end of a second reel strip to the reel mechanism with a second attachment assembly having a second strip affixed to an attachment mechanism, winding the second reel strip around the reel mechanism, and securing the free end of the second reel strip to an adhesive layer on the second strip. 
     The reel mechanism may include a reel cage, and no part of the reel strip may be directly adhered to any other part of the reel strip. The securing may result in the free end of the reel strip lying generally flush against the reel strip. The method may further include orienting, prior to attaching the reel strip to the reel mechanism, the reel strip to be in a display-viewable direction. 
     Additional aspects of the invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the detailed description of various embodiments, which is made with reference to the drawings, a brief description of which is provided below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a gaming machine embodying the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a control system suitable for operating the gaming machine. 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom perspective view of an attachment strip according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a top perspective view of the attachment strip shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded partial cutaway perspective view of the attachment strip shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4  attaching a reel strip to a reel cage according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the reel cage shown in  FIG. 5  with a reel strip partially wound around the reel cage. 
         FIG. 7  is a partial perspective cutaway view of the reel strip shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6  just prior to its attachment to an adhesive layer on the attachment strip. 
         FIG. 8  is a flowchart of a method of attaching a reel strip according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a flowchart of a method of detaching a reel strip according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10A  is a perspective view of a portion of an attachment assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10B  is a side cutaway view of the attachment assembly shown in  FIG. 10A . 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a portion of an attachment assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 12A and 12B  are perspective views of a portion of an attachment assembly in accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 13  is a side cutaway view of a portion of an attachment assembly in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a gaming machine  10  is used in gaming establishments such as casinos. With regard to the present invention, the gaming machine  10  may be any type of gaming machine and may have varying structures and methods of operation. For example, the gaming machine  10  may be an electromechanical gaming machine configured to play mechanical slots, or it may be an electronic gaming machine configured to play a video casino game, such as blackjack, slots, keno, poker, blackjack, roulette, etc. 
     The gaming machine  10  comprises a housing  12  and includes input devices, including a value input device  18  and a player input device  24 . For output the gaming machine  10  includes a primary display  14  for displaying information about the basic wagering game. The primary display  14  can also display information about a bonus wagering game and a progressive wagering game. The gaming machine  10  may also include a secondary display  16  for displaying game events, game outcomes, and/or signage information. While these typical components found in the gaming machine  10  are described below, it should be understood that numerous other elements may exist and may be used in any number of combinations to create various forms of a gaming machine  10 . 
     The value input device  18  may be provided in many forms, individually or in combination, and is preferably located on the front of the housing  12 . The value input device  18  receives currency and/or credits that are inserted by a player. The value input device  18  may include a coin acceptor  20  for receiving coin currency (see  FIG. 1 ). Alternatively, or in addition, the value input device  18  may include a bill acceptor  22  for receiving paper currency. Furthermore, the value input device  18  may include a ticket reader, or barcode scanner, for reading information stored on a credit ticket, a card, or other tangible portable credit storage device. The credit ticket or card may also authorize access to a central account, which can transfer money to the gaming machine  10 . 
     The player input device  24  comprises a plurality of push buttons  26  on a button panel for operating the gaming machine  10 . In addition, or alternatively, the player input device  24  may comprise a touch screen  28  mounted by adhesive, tape, or the like over the primary display  14  and/or secondary display  16 . The touch screen  28  contains soft touch keys  30  denoted by graphics on the underlying primary display  14  and used to operate the gaming machine  10 . The touch screen  28  provides players with an alternative method of input. A player enables a desired function either by touching the touch screen  28  at an appropriate touch key  30  or by pressing an appropriate push button  26  on the button panel. The touch keys  30  may be used to implement the same functions as push buttons  26 . Alternatively, the push buttons  26  may provide inputs for one aspect of operating the game, while the touch keys  30  may allow for input needed for another aspect of the game. 
     The various components of the gaming machine  10  may be connected directly to, or contained within, the housing  12 , as seen in  FIG. 1 , or may be located outboard of the housing  12  and connected to the housing  12  via a variety of different wired or wireless connection methods. Thus, the gaming machine  10  comprises these components whether housed in the housing  12 , or outboard of the housing  12  and connected remotely. 
     The operation of the basic wagering game is displayed to the player on the primary display  14 . The primary display  14  can also display the bonus game associated with the basic wagering game. The primary display  14  may take the form of a cathode ray tube (CRT), a high resolution LCD, a plasma display, an LED, or any other type of display suitable for use in the gaming machine  10 . As shown, the primary display  14  includes the touch screen  28  overlaying the entire monitor (or a portion thereof) to allow players to make game-related selections. Alternatively, the primary display  14  of the gaming machine  10  may include a number of mechanical reels to display the outcome in visual associated to at least one payline  32 . In the illustrated embodiment, the gaming machine  10  is an “upright” version in which the primary display  14  is oriented vertically relative to the player. Alternatively, the gaming machine may be a “slant-top” version in which the primary display  14  is slanted at about a thirty-degree angle toward the player of the gaming machine  10 . 
     A player begins play of the basic wagering game by making a wager via the value input device  18  of the gaming machine  10 . A player can select play by using the player input device  24 , via the buttons  26  or the touch screen keys  30 . The basic game consists of a plurality of symbols arranged in an array, and includes at least one payline  32  that indicates one or more outcomes of the basic game. Such outcomes are randomly selected in response to the wagering input by the player. At least one of the plurality of randomly-selected outcomes may be a start-bonus outcome, which can include any variations of symbols or symbol combinations triggering a bonus game. 
     In some embodiments, the gaming machine  10  may also include a player information reader  52  that allows for identification of a player by reading a card with information indicating his or her true identity. The player information reader  52  is shown in  FIG. 1  as a card reader, but may take on many forms including a ticket reader, bar code scanner, RFID transceiver or computer readable storage medium interface. Currently, identification is generally used by casinos for rewarding certain players with complimentary services or special offers. For example, a player may be enrolled in the gaming establishment&#39;s loyalty club and may be awarded certain complimentary services as that player collects points in his or her player-tracking account. The player inserts his or her card into the player information reader  52 , which allows the casino&#39;s computers to register that player&#39;s wagering at the gaming machine  10 . The gaming machine  10  may use the secondary display  16  or other dedicated player-tracking display for providing the player with information about his or her account or other player-specific information. Also, in some embodiments, the information reader  52  may be used to restore game assets that the player achieved and saved during a previous game session. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 2 , the various components of the gaming machine  10  are controlled by a central processing unit (CPU)  34 , also referred to herein as a controller or processor (such as a microcontroller or microprocessor). To provide gaming functions, the controller  34  executes one or more game programs stored in a computer readable storage medium, in the form of memory  36 . The controller  34  performs the random selection (using a random number generator (RNG)) of an outcome from the plurality of possible outcomes of the wagering game. Alternatively, the random event may be determined at a remote controller. The remote controller may use either an RNG or pooling scheme for its central determination of a game outcome. It should be appreciated that the controller  34  may include one or more microprocessors, including but not limited to a master processor, a slave processor, and a secondary or parallel processor. 
     The controller  34  is also coupled to the system memory  36  and a money/credit detector  38 . The system memory  36  may comprise a volatile memory (e.g., a random-access memory (RAM)) and a non-volatile memory (e.g., an EEPROM). The system memory  36  may include multiple RAM and multiple program memories. The money/credit detector  38  signals the processor that money and/or credits have been input via the value input device  18 . Preferably, these components are located within the housing  12  of the gaming machine  10 . However, as explained above, these components may be located outboard of the housing  12  and connected to the remainder of the components of the gaming machine  10  via a variety of different wired or wireless connection methods. 
     As seen in  FIG. 2 , the controller  34  is also connected to, and controls, the primary display  14 , the player input device  24 , and a payoff mechanism  40 . The payoff mechanism  40  is operable in response to instructions from the controller  34  to award a payoff to the player in response to certain winning outcomes that might occur in the basic game or the bonus game(s). The payoff may be provided in the form of points, bills, tickets, coupons, cards, etc. For example, in  FIG. 1 , the payoff mechanism  40  includes both a ticket printer  42  and a coin outlet  44 . However, any of a variety of payoff mechanisms  40  well known in the art may be implemented, including cards, coins, tickets, smartcards, cash, etc. The payoff amounts distributed by the payoff mechanism  40  are determined by one or more pay tables stored in the system memory  36 . 
     Communications between the controller  34  and both the peripheral components of the gaming machine  10  and external systems  50  occur through input/output (I/O) circuits  46 ,  48 . More specifically, the controller  34  controls and receives inputs from the peripheral components of the gaming machine  10  through the input/output circuits  46 . Further, the controller  34  communicates with the external systems  50  via the I/O circuits  48  and a communication path (e.g., serial, parallel, IR, RC, 10 bT, etc.). The external systems  50  may include a gaming network, other gaming machines, a gaming server, communications hardware, or a variety of other interfaced systems or components. Although the I/O circuits  46 ,  48  may be shown as a single block, it should be appreciated that each of the I/O circuits  46 ,  48  may include a number of different types of I/O circuits. 
     Controller  34 , as used herein, comprises any combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware that may be disposed or resident inside and/or outside of the gaming machine  10  that may communicate with and/or control the transfer of data between the gaming machine  10  and a bus, another computer, processor, or device and/or a service and/or a network. The controller  34  may comprise one or more controllers or processors. In  FIG. 2 , the controller  34  in the gaming machine  10  is depicted as comprising a CPU, but the controller  34  may alternatively comprise a CPU in combination with other components, such as the I/O circuits  46 ,  48  and the system memory  36 . 
     As mentioned above, the gaming machine  10  may be an electromechanical gaming machine configured to play mechanical slots. The primary display  14  includes a number of mechanical reels to display the outcome, and these mechanical reels conventionally include a reel drum or cage about which a reel strip bearing artwork (i.e., symbols) is wound. If the gaming machine  10  includes three reels, then there are three such reel strips wound around three separate reel cages. For five reels, five strips are required, and so on. The present invention pertains, inter alia, to the manner in which the reel strip is attached to the reel cage. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 3 , there is shown a bottom view of an attachment strip  60  with two snap rivets  62   a ,  62   b , according to an embodiment of the present invention. The attachment strip  60  is preferably made of a thin, flexible material such as plastic. In a specific embodiment, the attachment strip  60  has a thickness of approximately 0.015 inches, and has a width of approximately 0.25 inches and a length of approximately three inches. The thickness of the attachment strip  60  should sufficiently thin to create as much as possible a visual perception of a seamless reel strip and sufficiently thick to hold the snap rivets  62   a,b  securely. On the top of the attachment strip  60 , shown in  FIG. 4 , there is an adhesive layer  64  protected by a removable release backing  66  that, when removed, exposes the adhesive layer  64 . 
     A reel strip  68  shown in  FIG. 5  includes two apertures  76   a ,  76   b  that are positioned to co-align with the snap rivets  62   a ,  62   b , respectively. A reel cage  72  has two registration apertures  74   a ,  74   b  formed in the reel cage  72  frame, and the apertures  74   a ,  74   b  receive the snap rivets  62   a ,  62   b , respectively. To attach the reel strip  68  to the reel cage  72 , the operator aligns the bottom edge  70  of the reel strip  68  such that the apertures  76   a ,  76   b  align with the registration apertures  74   a ,  74   b , respectively. The snap rivets  62   a ,  62   b  of the attachment strip  60  are inserted through the apertures  76   a ,  76   b  of the reel strip  68  and the registration apertures  74   a ,  74   b  of the reel cage  72  to attach the reel strip  68  to the reel cage  72 . The snap rivets  62   a,b  and the registration apertures  76   a,b  permit the operator to align the reel strip  68  precisely in position on the reel cage  72  without having to eyeball or use subjective judgment as to the location of the precise alignment position. 
     Once attached to the reel cage  72 , the reel strip  68  is wound around the reel cage  72  in a manner shown in  FIG. 6 . The operator must take care to ensure that the symbols are oriented in a display-readable direction. The snap rivets  62   a,b  attached to the reel cage  72  maintain the bottom edge  70  of the reel strip  68  in the proper position as the reel strip  68  is wound around the reel cage  72 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , the release backing  66  is removed from the attachment strip  60  to expose the adhesive layer  64 . A top edge  78  of the reel strip  68  is pressed onto the adhesive layer  64  to adhere the strip area proximate the top edge  78  to the attachment strip  60 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 3-7 , no part of the reel strip  68  is directly adhered to any other part of the reel strip  68 . To remove the reel strip  68 , the operator simply releases the snap rivets  62   a,b  from the interior of the reel cage  72 , thereby freeing the reel strip  68 . This removal process is advantageously non-destructive to the reel strip  68 , which can be reused if desired, and to the reel cage  72 . In addition, when installed, the attachment strip  60  is entirely concealed from the player. Thus, the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 3-7  provides a positive, repeatable location for aligning the reel strip  68  into proper position on the reel cage  72 , a non-destructive attachment means that insures the integrity of the reel strip  68  and reel cage  72  alike, and a virtually seamless connection between the two ends of the reel strip  68  that leaves no visually unappealing artifacts on the surface of the reel strip  68 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 8 , a flowchart of a method ( 100 ) of attaching a reel strip according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown with reference to  FIGS. 3-7 . The arrangement of the blocks  102 - 112  does not necessarily denote a particular order that must be followed. The reel strip  68  is oriented in a display-viewable direction ( 102 ) such that the symbol artwork when the reel cage  72  rotates is displayed to the player right-side up. The apertures  76   a,b  in the reel strip  68  are aligned with the registration apertures  74   a,b  in the reel cage  72  ( 104 ). The bottom end  70  of the reel strip  68  is fastened to the reel cage  72  by snapping the snap rivets  62   a,b  through the apertures  76   a,b  into the registration apertures  74   a,b  ( 106 ). The reel strip  68  is wound around the reel cage ( 108 ). The release backing  66  is peeled off of the attachment strip  60  to expose the adhesive layer  64  ( 110 ). The free end  78  of the reel strip  68  is affixed to the exposed adhesive layer  64  ( 112 ), securing the reel strip  68  to the reel cage  72  in a registered, properly aligned, and precise way. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a flowchart of a method ( 120 ) of installing a new reel strip according to an embodiment of the present invention. The snap rivets  62   a,b  are detached from the corresponding registration apertures  74   a,b  in the reel cage  72  to free to reel strip  68  therefrom ( 122 ). A new reel strip (not shown) is installed ( 124 ) in accordance with the procedure associated with  FIG. 8 . Removal is simple, non-destructive to the reel strip  68  and to the reel cage  72 , and repeatable in that the same reel strip  68  that is removed from the reel cage  72  can be re-installed and removed again from another reel cage. 
       FIG. 10A  is a perspective view illustration of an attachment assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. A reel cage  172  includes a horizontal brace  175  that includes a recess  174  that terminates at an alignment edge  176 . The recess  174  receives a flap portion  170  of a reel strip  168 . On the underside of the flap portion  170  is a layer of adhesive  171  that adheres to the recess  174 . The operator aligns the end of the flap portion  170  with the alignment edge  176 , and then applies pressure to the top of the flap portion  170  to adhere the underside thereof to the recess  174  of the horizontal brace  175  of the reel cage  172 . The alignment edge provides a positive, repeatable location for aligning the bottom end of the reel strip  168  into proper position. No more careful, time-consuming “eyeballing” on the part of the operator is required; once the reel strip  168  is flush against the alignment edge  176 , the operator continues with the installation. 
     The reel strip  168  is wound around the reel cage  172  so that the artwork symbols are oriented in a display-readable direction. The free end of the reel strip  168  has an adhesive layer  178  disposed on its underside, which is secured to the top of the flap portion  170  as shown in  FIG. 10B  (taken along lines  10 B- 10 B of  FIG. 10A ). The bottom end of the reel strip  168  abuts the alignment edge  176  and is held in position there by the an adhesive layer  171 . The top end of the reel strip  168  is secured to the bottom end by the adhesive layer  178 . 
     The height of the alignment edge  176  is dimensioned to be at least the size of the thickness of the reel strip  168 , which conventionally ranges from between 0.010 inches to 0.025 inches. Thus, the top or free end of the reel strip  168  is substantially flush with the bottom end of the reel strip  168  when installed, reducing visual artifacts apparent to the player when the reel strip is spinning. To the player, the reel strip  168  appears to be a seamless, continuous reel without any unattractive visual artifacts such as rivet heads or the like. The attachment assembly of  FIGS. 10A and 10B  can be thought of as invisible in the sense that no rivets or other artifacts are visible on the exposed surface of the wrapped reel strip. No apertures are formed in the reel strip, which simplifies its construction. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, nubs are introduced to retain the bottom edge of the reel strip.  FIG. 11  illustrates a perspective view of an attachment assembly having nubs  279  formed in a recess  274  of a reel cage  272 . The recess  274  terminates in an alignment edge  276  having a height approximately the size of the thickness of a reel strip  268 . The bottom edge portion  277  of the reel strip  268  has corresponding apertures  276  that are received by the nubs  279 . To install the reel strip  268 , the operator aligns the apertures  276  over the nubs  279  and applies pressure to the bottom edge portion  277 , which is optionally secured to the recess  274  by an adhesive layer  271  disposed on the underside of the bottom edge portion  277 . The bottom end of the bottom edge portion  277  abuts against the alignment edge  276 . The top end of the reel strip  268  is secured to the bottom edge portion  277  by an adhesive layer disposed on the underside of a top end portion  280  of the top end, thus concealing the nubs  279 . The nubs  279  and the alignment edge  276  provide a positive, repeatable location for the reel strip  268 . As mentioned above, the adhesive layer  271  is optional, and in an embodiment, no adhesive layer  271  is provided, thus requiring half of the adhesive required for the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 10A and 10B . 
     In an embodiment, the apertures  276  are in the shape of slots that are slightly wider than the rounded nubs  279 . The slotted shape of the apertures  276  reduces tolerance required between their centers, allowing for some “play” when positioning the bottom end of the reel strip  268  in place against the alignment edge  276 . 
       FIGS. 12A and 12B  are a perspective illustration of a cutaway portion of an attachment assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, pins with overhanging caps are provided to secure the bottom end of a reel strip  368  to a reel cage  372  without the use of an adhesive layer on the underside of the bottom end of the reel strip  368 . An aperture  376  in the reel strip  368  is dimensioned to receive the cap portion of a pin  379  that is disposed in a recess  374  that terminates at an alignment edge  377  of the reel cage  372 . The bottom end of the reel strip  368  is secured to the reel cage  372  by hooking the aperture  376  over the pin  379 . As the reel strip  368  is wound around the reel cage  372 , the pulling action of the reel strip  368  causes the aperture  376  to hook over the cap portion of the pin  379  and be held there in tension against the pin  379 . The top end of the reel strip  368  (not shown) is secured to the bottom end portion by an adhesive layer disposed along a top end area of the reel strip  368 , concealing the cap portion of the pin  379 . 
     In still another embodiment shown in  FIG. 13 , a pin  479  is projected downward from the underside of a horizontal brace  471  of a reel cage  472 . The bottom end of a reel strip  468  includes an aperture  476  dimensioned to fit over the cap portion of the pin  479 , which is held in tension when the reel strip  468  is installed. A top end portion of the reel strip  468  is secured to the exposed bottom end portion by an adhesive layer disposed on the underside of the top end portion. As with the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 12A and 12B , no adhesive layer is required on the bottom end portion of the reel strip  468  or the reel strip  368 . The cap portion of the pin  479  or pin  379  prevents the reel strip  468  or reel strip  368  from slipping out of place. 
     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.