AU5181001A - Bill validator lift system - Google Patents

Description

-1- P/00/0011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventors: Address for service Konami Australia Pty Ltd [ACN 076 298 158] Stevica Svircev 3 Neil Street, North Ryde NSW 2113, Australia Shiro Majima 8B/1 Francis Road, ARTARMON NSW 2064 in Australia: WALLINGTON-DUMMER PO Box 297, Rydalmere NSW 7101 (12 Clarke Street, Rydalmere NSW 2116) Invention Title: Bill Validator Lift System *Details of Associated Provisional Application: Australian Provisional Application No. PQ8020 filed 7 June 2000 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us -2 BILL VALIDATOR LIFT SYSTEM The present invention relates to a bill validator lift system and, more particularly, to such a system suited, but not exclusively, for use with gaming machines.

BACKGROUND

Gaming machines, once known in some quarters as poker machines, are a common fixture in establishments such as casinos. A typical gaming machine comprises a top portion comprised of illuminated indicia and advertising material, a mid portion which includes a video display terminal which displays indicia associated with the running of and the results from a game playable on the machine and, finally, a S• lower portion which includes an input device panel adapted to 15 receive keyed inputs and insertions such as gambling tokens, S" bank notes and the like from the player.

Inputs in the form of bank notes are handled by a device known as a bill validator. The function of a bill validator is to reliably receive and confirm the denomination of a bank note and then, usually, to also store the bank note in a cash box or equivalent until the cash box is ready for emptying.

A particular bill validator and cash box system are described in US 5,756,985 to Coin Acceptors, Inc.

3 Use of bill validator systems in conjunction with cash box storage systems can present special problems in relation to gaming machines. It is desirable, particularly in relation to gaming machines, to ensure cash boxes can be quickly and conveniently cleared with an absolute minimum of down time for the gaming machine. Particular problems can present themselves when, for example, there is little room in the gaming machine itself such as, for example, in the "slant-top" gaming machine where access is obtained by lifting up a top cover. In this instance the bill validator unit must be raised to gain access to it for servicing.

In demanding environments such as those imposed by gaming machines it would assist efficiency of operation if the support structure for the bill validator were to assist in facilitating the quick and efficient clearing of the cash box and/or other associated maintenance operations and be adaptable to difficult clearance sites.

It is an object of at least embodiments of the present invention to address or ameliorate one or more of the abovementioned disadvantages.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION Accordingly, in one broad form of the invention there is provided a bill validator lift system comprising gas lift 4 means operable in conjunction with guide means whereby a bill validator unit is moveable between a first stable position, a second stable position and a third stable position.

Preferably said bill validator unit achieves said second position and said third position as a result of upward urging of said bill validator unit by said gas lift means.

More preferably said bill validator unit achieves said second position and said third position as a result of the urging only of said gas lift means.

In a particular preferred form said gas lift means comprises a gas strut.

Preferably said bill validator unit is resiliently upwardly biased by said gas lift means when said bill validator unit is in each of said first stable position, said second stable position and said third stable position.

Preferably each of said first stable position, said second stable position and said third stable position a predetermined downward pressure on said bill validator unit will cause said bill validator unit to be lowered no more than a predetermined distance.

Preferably said predetermined distance is in the range 1 to More preferably said predetermined distance is in the range 1 to Preferably said bill validator unit is released from said first stable position by releasable locking means.

Preferably said bill validator unit is released from said second stable position by releasable locking means.

Preferably said bill validator unit automatically locks at said second stable position when passing from said first stable position to said third stable position.

Preferably said bill validator unit automatically locks at said second stable position when passing from said third stable position to said first stable position.

Preferably said bill validator unit is locked at said second position by action of said releasable locking means.

In a further broad form of the invention there is .provided a bill validator lift system comprising, in 15 combination, gas lift means operable in conjunction with :guide means so as to urge a bill validator unit from a first stable position.

In yet a further broad form of the invention there is provided a locking mechanism for a bill validator lift system, said locking mechanism incorporating a locking portion adapted for releasable engagement with a locking aperture associated with a bill validator.

6 Preferably said locking mechanism incorporates a predetermined degree of play in the engagement of said locking portion in said locking aperture.

Preferably said locking mechanism has a locking aperture associated with each of a first stable position, second stable position and third stable position of said validator unit.

In yet a further broad form of the invention there is provided a method of automatically raising a bill validator from a first stable position through a second stable position to a third stable position, said method comprising providing gas lift means in conjunction with guide means whereby said bill validator unit achieves said second position and said third position as a result of the urging only of said gas lift means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS One embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings "20 wherein: Fig. 1 is a perspective, exploded view of a bill validator lift system according to a first embodiment of the invention; 7 Fig. 2A shows the bill validator lift system of Fig. 1 in an operational or first stable position; Fig. 2B shows the bill validator lift system of Fig. 1 in a partially raised, partially accessible second stable position; Fig. 2C shows the bill validator lift system of Fig. 1 in a fully raised, fully accessible or third stable position; Fig. 3 is a front view of the bill validator lift system of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a top view of the bill validator lift system of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a right side view of the bill validator lift system of Fig. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT One embodiment of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to Fig. i.

In use the bill validator complete with bill validator lift system is situated within a gaming machine such as •coo gaming machine "slant-top"-type and located below a liftable top cover through which at least a top portion of a bill validator unit projects for the purpose of accepting bank notes from a player.

-8 In this instance the bill validator lift system 30 of a first embodiment comprises a bill validator unit 31 supported within housing 32. The bill validator lift system 30 is such that access to the bill validator unit 31 is obtained by the bill validator unit 31 being caused to rise either partially or fully above housing 32 after having first created sufficient head room for such movement by lifting away or otherwise moving paneling of the gaming machine immediately above the bill validator unit 31.

In this instance bill validator unit 31 comprises, in stacked relationship, a validator head 33 which passes bank notes to cash box 34 located below the validator head 33.

The components which work together to form the bill validator lift system 30 include gas lift means in this 0. 15 instance in the form of gas strut 35 and bill validator unit guides in this instance in the form of linear bearings 36.

The bill validation lift system 30 additionally includes releasable locking means in the form, in this instance, of biased lock and handle assembly 37.

20 The gas strut 35 is anchored at lower end 38 to housing 32 and at upper end 39 to bill validator unit 31 and is selected to have characteristics which cause it to urge upwardly bill validator unit 31 with respect to housing 32 with sufficient force that, irrespective of the weight, 9 during use, of bill validator unit 31 and in the absence of mechanical restraint by biased lock and handle assembly 37 the bill validator unit 31 will rise to an intermediate, partially raised position relative to housing 32 designated second stable position 40. When released from second stable position 40 by manual activation of biased lock and handle assembly 37 the characteristics of gas strut 35 are such that the bill validator unit 31 will continue to rise of its own accord up to a fully raised third stable position 41 where it is retained in a resiliently upwardly biased state by biased lock and handle assembly 37.

The resiliently upwardly biased state is one where if downward pressure is brought to bear upon the bill validator .o unit 31 whilst locked at any one of first stable position 42, 15 second stable position 40 or third stable position 41 by the biased lock and handle assembly 37 the bill validator unit 31 will give and move downwardly but no more than a predetermined distance preferably in the range 1 to 20mm and more preferably in the range 1 to In use, when it is desired to return the bill validator unit 31 from its fully raised third stable position 41 to ooee either second stable position 40 or first stable position 42 this is achieved by a use manually causing handle 43 to be rotated upwardly and away from housing 32 which causes 10 locking portion 44 to rotate out of engagement with a corresponding locking aperture 45 located in bill validator unit 31 thereby releasing bill validator unit 31 for movement relative to housing 32.

Sufficient downward urging force by a user will then cause bill validator unit 31 to move downwardly towards and through second stable position 40 at which time, if the user has released handle 43 it will be urged into engagement with a corresponding locking aperture 45B in bill validator unit 31 thereby causing the bill validator unit 31 to be retained at second stable position 40, again in a resiliently upwardly biased state.

Manual activation of handle 43 so as to release locking portion 44 from corresponding locking aperture 45B allows the application of further downward pressure on bill validator unit 31 to cause it to move downwardly against the action of gas strut 35 until it reaches first stable position 42, being the operational position for the bill validator unit 31.

The resiliently upwardly biased condition experienced by the bill validator unit 31 at each of the first stable position, second stable position and third stable position is effected, in this instance, by sizing the vertical inside dimension of respective locking apertures 45A, 45B and 45C in bill validator unit 31 such that when locking portion 44 of 11 biased lock and handle assembly 37 is fully engaged within it there remains a "play" or clearance D of a predetermined distance from the upper bound of the locking portion 44 to the upper bound of locking aperture 45 as illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 1.

The distance D provides a predefined amount of play whereby sufficient downward pressure on bill validator unit 31 so as to overcome the upward urging force exerted by gas strut 35 will cause bill validator unit 31 to move downwardly by a distance D until the top portion of the aperture encounters the top portion of locking portion 44.

This arrangement can be used with advantage to ensure, for example, positive sealing of the bill validator unit 31 against a fascia plate or equivalent of the gaming machine when the fascia plate is closed over the bill validator unit 31.

The bill validator unit 31 is slidingly supported by oo linear bearings 36 located, as illustrated in Fig. 1 on the left side of the bill validator lift system 30. This 20 arrangement ensures that an uneven or off centre pulling action exerted by upper end 39 of gas strut 35 will still allow the bill validator unit 31 to move smoothly upwardly and downwardly.

12 Fig. 2A illustrates the bill validator lift system with the bill validator unit 31 in first stable position 42.

Fig. 2B shows bill validator unit 31 at second stable position 40. Fig. 2C illustrates bill validator unit 31 at third stable position 41.

Typically, at third stable position 31 the cash box 34 is fully exposed so that convenient and quick front entry can be had to it to remove its contents.

At second stable position 40 various maintenance tasks can be effected.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate further views of the fully assembled bill validator lift system 30 in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the invention.

"The above describes only one embodiment of the present

S.

invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art, can be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

*So.

Claims (11)

1. 2. The bill validator lift system of Claim 1 wherein said bill validator unit achieves said second position and said third position as a result of upward urging of said bill validator unit by said gas lift means.
2. 3. The bill validator lift system of Claim 2 wherein said bill validator unit achieves said second position and said third position as a result of the urging only of oooo said gas lift means. 15 4. The bill validator lift system of any one of claims 1 to oQ.ooi 3 wherein said gas lift means comprises a gas strut. The lift system of any preceding claim wherein said bill validator unit is resiliently upwardly biased by said gas lift means when said bill validator unit is in each S 20 of said first stable position, said second stable position and said third stable position. The system of Claim 5 when in each of said first stable position, said second stable position and said third stable position a predetermined downward pressure on 14 said bill validator unit will cause said bill validator unit to be lowered no more than a predetermined distance.
3. 7. The lift system of Claim 6 wherein said predetermined distance is in the range 1 to
4. 8. The lift system of Claim 6 wherein said predetermined distance is in the range 1 to
5. 9. The bill validator lift system of any previous claim wherein said bill validator unit is released from said first stable position by releasable locking means. The bill validator lift system of any preceding claim wherein said bill validator unit is released from said second stable position by releasable locking means.
6. 11. The bill validator lift system of any preceding claim wherein said bill validator unit automatically locks at said second stable position when passing from said first stable position to said third stable position.
7. 12. The bill validator lift system of any preceding claim wherein said bill validator unit automatically locks at o. 20 said second stable position when passing from said third stable position to said first stable position.
8. 13. The bill validator lift system of any preceding claim wherein said bill validator unit is locked at said 15 second position by action of said releasable locking means.
9. 14. A bill validator lift system comprising, in combination, gas lift means operable in conjunction with guide means so as to urge a bill validator unit from a first stable position. A locking mechanism for a bill validator lift system, said locking mechanism incorporating a locking portion adapted for releasable engagement with a locking aperture associated with a bill validator.
10. 16. The locking mechanism of Claim 15 incorporating a predetermined degree of play in the engagement of said locking portion in said locking aperture. .o{17. The locking mechanism of Claim 15 or Claim 16 having a locking aperture associated with each of a first stable 0 :.".position, second stable position and third stable see 0 position of said validator unit. 0
11. 18. A method of automatically raising a bill validator from a first stable position through a second stable position O. 20 to a third stable position, said method comprising providing gas lift means in conjunction with guide means whereby said bill validator unit achieves said second position and said third position as a result of the urging only of said gas lift means. 16 DATED THIS 7 thDAY OF JUNE 2001 KONAMI AUSTRALIA BY ITS PATENT ATTORNEYS WALLINGTON-DUMMER