Coin handling – Deliverer – Rotary
Utility Patent
1999-03-05
2001-01-02
Bartuska, F. J. (Department: 3652)
Coin handling
Deliverer
Rotary
Utility Patent
active
06168513
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for singulating coins for payout from a gaming device and in particular to an apparatus with a rotatable disk for conveying coins of various sizes to an exit opening.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
A number of gaming devices include an apparatus for dispensing or paying out coins, tokens and the like e.g. in response to a win on the gaming device. For example, in response to a win on a slot machine, poker machine, keno machine, blackjack machine and the like, some such machines dispense a plurality of coins, depending on the type of win. Often, some or all of the dispensed coins are coins which have been inserted (as wagers) into the gaming device and in one typical configuration, such previously-inserted coins are held in a hopper region in a random orientation. However, the mechanism for dispensing the payout coins typically is configured to operate with coins which have been singulated, i.e. which are provided in single file in a known orientation. In addition to assisting in operation of the payout transport mechanics, singulation is also useful in connection with counting or detecting the coins as they are paid out (to assure that the correct number of coins are paid out). For this reason, it is useful to provide a mechanism which receives the randomly-oriented or heaped coins and outputs the coins in a controlled, singulated fashion with the coins in a known orientation.
A number of devices have been provided for assisting in such singulation for gaming devices, or other coin handling including those described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/846,796 for “MULTI-DENOMINATIONAL COIN OUTPUT HOPPER” filed Apr. 30, 1997, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/969,605 filed Nov. 13, 1997 now U.S. Pat. No. 600,365 for “OUTPUT SENSING FOR A GAMING DEVICE”, both incorporated herein by reference, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,571.
In a typical gaming device, only a single denomination or size of coin is used. However, there are a large number of possible coin denominations, including coins of a relatively large number of different countries, as well as casino-minted coins or “tokens”, which can come in a wide variety of sizes (diameters and thicknesses).
Many previous coin output singulators were configured to accommodate only one (or only a few) coin sizes. As a result, it has been necessary to design and construct a relatively large number of different configurations of coin singulators, e.g. a different coin singulator for each differently-sized coin or token. The result has been that many manufacturers of gaming devices have been required to design and to keep in inventory hundreds or thousands of different coin output singulators for accommodating various coin denominations or tokens. Even when a coin singulator in previous approaches could accommodate more than one size of coin, previously the sizes that were thus accommodated had a relatively small range so that the total number of different devices required was still disadvantageously large. Maintaining such a large inventory has a number of associated disadvantages such as the need to maintain a sufficient number of trained personnel, repair and replacement parts and/or tools that all of the wide variety of coin singulators can be maintained and repaired. To make matters worse, it is not uncommon for casinos or similar gaming establishments to design new coins or tokens at a relatively high frequency, thus requiring a relatively large investment in time and effort for designing new singulators to accommodate such new coins or tokens.
Accordingly, it would be useful to provide a gaming device coin/token payout singulator which can accommodate a relatively wide range of coin sizes (diameters and/or thicknesses), preferably such that substantially all government-minted and casino-minted coins and tokens used throughout the world can be accommodated with a relatively small number (such as 3 or 4, or preferably, only 1) type or style of gaming device output singulator. Preferably such a small number of singulators would be capable of accommodating most or all new coin or token designs with little or no modification.
In many previous configurations, singulation of coins or tokens required handling or contact of the coins with a relatively large number of different singulator components and, accordingly, a new or different size of coin required redesigning a relatively large number of singulation components. Accordingly, it would be useful to provide a coin/token output singulator for a gaming device in which a design change, for accommodating a different size or size range of coins/tokens involved redesigning only a relatively small number, preferably only one or two, parts.
Previous coin output singulators have been subject to a relatively high frequency of jamming or other malfunctions. Such jamming can lead to dissatisfaction by gaming device players who may have difficulty in receiving the allotted prizes and by casino or other gaming device operators who may lose gaming terminal availability and/or may need to perform repair or service procedures as a result of such jamming or malfunctions. Accordingly, it would be useful to provide a gaming device coin/token output singulator which can substantially reduce or eliminate the incidence of jamming or other malfunctions.
In some gaming device configurations, output coins, even after they have been singulated, must be conveyed vertically or laterally to a payout tray or other output location. Many previous singulators were configured so that the direction or speed of output coins at the singulation output location was not particularly suited to the configuration or location of such coin “escalator” or other conveyor. Moreover, different styles or types of gaming devices may be configured with such escalators or other conveyors in different locations (with respect to the singulator). Accordingly, it would be useful to provide a gaming device coin/token output singulator which can be adjusted or operated so that the direction or velocity of the output coins may have any of a number of different directions or velocities e.g. to accommodate different positions or configurations of gaming terminal escalators, conveyors or other components.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a device and method which receives or contacts a randomly-oriented plurality of coins or tokens and uses a relatively easily implemented mechanism which can accommodate a wide variety of coin or token sizes while reducing or eliminating the incidence of jamming or other malfunctions. Although the apparatus of the present invention is preferably configured to accommodate a range of different coin sizes, it is anticipated that in a typical gaming device, only a single coin denomination will be used, i.e. there will typically not be a mixture of different coin sizes in the singulator at any given time.
In one embodiment, a rotatable disk is mounted parallel to and spaced from a backplate to define a space therebetween which can accommodate a single layer or thickness of a coin denomination or range of coin sizes. Preferably the thickness of the space between the disk and the plate can be readily adjusted, such as by inserting or removing spacers, to readily accommodate a number of different thickness ranges of coins or tokens. As the disk is rotated, a plurality of vanes adjacent, and preferably integrally formed with, the outer surface of the disk, operate to convey coins toward a central opening of the disk. The central opening forms a passageway to the space between the backplate and the disk, and is large enough to accommodate the largest anticipated coin diameter. Coins which are thus-conveyed through the central opening move into the space behind the disk, where a second plurality of vanes, preferably integrally formed on the back surface of the disk, operate to urge the coins circumferentially outward and toward a coin exit opening. Preferably the vanes on the front surface of a disk are spirally shaped to assist in
Beadell Leagh
Nguyen Binh
Souza Michael Joseph
Bartuska F. J.
International Game Technology
Sheridan & Ross P.C.
LandOfFree
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