Amusement devices: games – Chance devices – Rotating disk
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-13
2001-01-16
Layno, Benjamin H. (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Chance devices
Rotating disk
C273S14300R, C273S14300R, C273S138100, C463S020000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173954
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention refers to a cyclic viewer, for slot machines, which permits either the simultaneous viewing of several symbols or images along a circumferential arc that sequentially change, or the viewing of only one image, which changes within a corresponding viewing window. Such viewer may be constructed, such that it is applicable to two or more slot machines at the same time.
2. Description of the Related Art
Slot machines of the type mentioned above have been known for several years, and at an international level are based on rotating drums of a large diameter carrying images on their perimeters.
An example of this kind of machine may be observed in document EP-A-0 691 634, which discloses a cyclic viewer for slot machines offering the observer numerous changing images, comprising a motorized disc based on a flexible and transparent or translucent plastic material having images around its circumference. This type of slot machine, forbidden in Spain until recently, was authorized later on with limits including that the rotating drums could not exceed four centimeters in diameter. Obviously this limit supposes that if the images are directly arranged over the drum, their number and size are very reduced, such that the functionality of the machine is considerably reduced.
Several systems have been adopted to get around this problem, such as, for example, projection systems permitting a magnification of the images, fixed plate systems, transparent and superimposed viewing of the images by light refraction, systems based on a continuous band carrying the images to be viewed, a flexible band arranged over a series of drums, exclusively acting as guides and to drag them, such that said drums may have a diameter less than that determined as a maximum by the legislation in force, whilst the continuous band, on being a laminar body, may have any length, with no limit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The cyclic viewer of the invention uses a laminar and flexible body as a support for symbols or images to be viewed, but with a totally different operational structure than the prior art. The cyclic viewer of the invention incorporates a disc having images along its circumference, and preferably with a uniform distribution. Such disc, which may be any diameter suitable to the number and size of the images to be viewed, is, in one embodiment, supported by an orthogonal bracing, such that its discoidal configuration is not affected by the legal restraints referred to above, and a dihedral support, which has along one of its faces a viewer in the form of a window, whose edge acts as a means of retaining the disc and permanently maintaining the dihedral configuration which it is forced into by the dihedral support aiding it. The image carrying flexible disc is preferably motorized and controlled by a phototransmitter-receiver, and illuminated by a series of lamps.
The viewer may be jointly installed over several slot machines, or in another embodiment where the disc has a U-shaped configuration, it may be used simultaneously in several machines, within permissible size limits. The disc in this U-shaped configuration may also be installed in a piece of furniture or housing and arranged over a group of slot machines where said disc is jointly applicable. Said piece of furniture will also contain a foldable door, for the display of the disc and positioning means for positioning the disc, its supports and motorized components therein. The front foldable door of the furniture or housing permits the dismantling of the viewer disc and to replace it for another, in case of deterioration thereof or to make a change of the corresponding images.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4674748 (1987-06-01), Wismer
patent: 5118110 (1992-06-01), Jones
patent: 5785594 (1998-07-01), Siebert, Jr. et al.
patent: 36 01 824 (1987-07-01), None
patent: 37 26 095 (1989-02-01), None
patent: 3726095 (1989-02-01), None
patent: 0 691 634 (1996-01-01), None
patent: 406170034 (1989-02-01), None
patent: WO 93/05484 (1993-03-01), None
Clayton Sheila
Helfgott & Karas, PC.
Layno Benjamin H.
Sega S.A.
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