AU767190B2 - Hinge assembly for a gaming machine - Google Patents

Description

PCT/AUOO/01462 1 Received 30 July 2001 Hinge assembly for a gaming machine Field of the Invention This invention relates to a gaming machine. More particularly, the invention relates to a cabinet for a gaming machine and to a hinge assembly for the cabinet.

Background to the Invention Gaming machines such as slot machines, poker machines or fruit machines consist of a housing in which control equipment and a video display unit are mounted. Large sums of money are stored within these machines and it is necessary for a front door of a cabinet of the machine to be securely mounted on the housing. In addition, the hinges by which the door is hingedly secured to the housing must be secure hinges which preclude unauthorised access being gained to the interior of the housing via the hinges.

Summary of the Invention According to the invention there is provided a hinge assembly for a cabinet for a gaming machine, the hinge assembly including a first hinge part associated with a door of the cabinet; a second hinge part associated with a housing of the cabinet; and a pivot pin received in complementary, aligned formations of the first hinge part and the second hinge part, the pivot pin including a locking means for locking it in an operative position relative to the first hinge part and the second hinge part, one of the hinge parts defining a receiving means in which the locking means of the pivot pin is received when the pivot pin is inserted into the hinge parts and the receiving means being in the form of an L-shaped slot having a longer part which opens out into a free end of said one of the hinge parts with a second, shorter part of the slot extending transversely to the longer part of the slot.

The complementary formation of the first hinge part may be in the form of a first passage-defining portion. The complementary formation of the second hinge part may be in the form of an interrupted, second passagedefining portion.

The interruption of the second passage-defining portion may be as a result of a recess defined in the second passage defining portion, the first rMFI1At HE2T IPIEM/Au PCT/AU00/01462 2 Received 30 July 2001 passage-defining portion of the first hinge part being pivotally received in said recess.

The second passage-defining portion may have a first part which, in use, is arranged on a first side of the recess and a second part which, in use, is arranged on a second side of the recess. The second part may define a blind bore in which a first end of the pivot pin is receivable. The receiving means may be defined in the first part of the second passage-defining portionof the second hinge part, the longer part of the slot opening out into a free end of said first part of the second passage-defining portion.

The receiving means may include a retaining means for retaining the pivot pin in an operative position relative to the hinge parts, in use. The retaining means may be an enlarged, bulbous portion defined at an end of the shorter part of the L-shaped slot.

The first hinge part may include a bracket portion. The door may be a moulding of a synthetic plastics material. The bracket portion of the first hinge part may be formed integrally with the door as a one-piece unit.

Hence, the bracket portion of the first hinge part may be a thickened weblike portion formed as part of the door. It will be appreciated that the passage-defining portion of the first hinge part is thus formed integrally with the door and is arranged adjacent a side of the door.

The second hinge part may include a bracket which is secured to, and co-operates with, a locating formation, in the form of a step, of a sidewall of the housing for holding the pivot pin captive relative to the cabinet, in use.

The invention extends also to a cabinet for a gaming machine, the cabinet including a housing having an access opening for enabling access to be gained to an interior of the housing; a door for closing off the access opening; and at least one hinge assembly, as described above, for hingedly attaching the door to the housing, the first hinge part of the, or each, hinge assembly being fast with the door and the second hinge part of the, or each, hinge assembly being fast with the housing, with the pivot pin of the, or each, hinge assembly being displaceable along its longitudinal axis to be received in said complementary formations and being rotatable about said axis for locking the pivot pin in its operative position.

1AZ It24f. U WO 01/42602 PCT/AU00/01462 3 Preferably, the cabinet includes at least two hinge assemblies arranged in spaced relationship. Thus, when the cabinet is an upright cabinet, the hinge assemblies may be vertically spaced with respect to each other.

As described above, the door may be a moulding of a synthetic plastics material, the first part of each hinge assembly having a thickened web portion as part of the door with its complementary formation arranged adjacent a side edge of the door.

Each locating formation in the sidewall of the housing may comprise a stepped recess to define a step against which the pivot pin bears, in use.

Brief Description of the Drawings The invention is now described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a three dimensional view of a gaming machine, including a cabinet, in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 shows a side view of a part of the gaining machine; Figure 3 shows a three dimensional, internal view of part of the gaming machine showing a hinge assembly, also in accordance with the invention Figure 4 shows a three dimensional, exploded view from one side, of the hinge assembly; and Figure 5 shows a three dimensional, exploded view from the other side of the hinge assembly.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments In the drawings. reference numeral 10 generally designates a gaming machine. The gamining machine 10 includes a cabinet 12. The cabinet 12 comprises a housing 14 having an access opening 16 closed off by a door 18.

The door 18 has, in a conventional fashion. a window 20 defined therein through which a video display unit 22 is visible.

The door 20 is hingedly secured to the housing 14 via a pair of vertically spaced hinge assemblies 24, in accordance with the invention.

One of the hinge assemblies 24 is shown in greater detail in Figures 2 to 5 of the drawings.

Each hinge assembly 24 includes a first hinge part 26 and a second hinge part 28. The first hinge part 26 is formed integrally with the door 18.

In this regard, it is to be noted that the door 18 is a moulding of a synthetic WO 01/42602 PCT/AU00/01462 4 plastics material. Thus, the first hinge part 26 has a bracket-like structure which comprises a thickened web part 30 (Figure 4) on an inner surface of the door 18 and a similarly thickened web part 32 (Figure 5) on an outer surface of the door 18.

A first passage-defining portion or collar 34 projects from the thickened web parts 30, 32 beyond a side edge 36 of the door 18. The collar 34 defines an open passage 38 through it.

The second hinge part 28 includes a bracket 40 which is secured by fasteners (not shown) to a shaped part 42 of a wall of the housing 14. The shaped part 42 is formed from a sheet of metal bent into the required shape and the bracket 40 is secured to that part so that the shaped part is received in a slot 44 defined in the bracket 40 to impart rigidity to the bracket Obviously. the fasteners are received through openings 46 on an inner side of the bracket 40 so that they are not externally accessible.

The second hinge part 28 includes a second passage-defining portion or tubular part 48 attached to the bracket 40. The tubular part 48 is interrupted by a recess 50 in which the collar 34 of the first hinge part 26 is pivotally received. Thus, the recess 50 divides the tubular part 48 into a first, lower part 52 and a second, upper, or cap, part 54. The lower part 52 has a passage 56 defined through it which extends into the cap part 54. The part of the passage 56 in the cap part 54 is thus a blind bore. The passage 56 is aligned with the passage 38 when the collar 34 of the first hinge part 26 is received in the recess Each hinge assembly 24 includes a pivot pin 58. The pivot pin 58 has a locking means or locking rod 60 projecting radially outwardly from a lower end thereof.

The lower part 52 of the tubular part 48 of the bracket 40 has an Lshaped slot 62 defined in it. The slot 62 has a longer, longitudinally extending part 64 and a shorter, transversely extending part 66. A retaining means 68 is defined at an end of the part 66, the retaining means 68 receiving the rod 60 for retaining the pivot pin 58 in its operative position, as will be described in greater detail below. For this purpose, the retaining means 68 has an enlarged. bulbous appearance.

In use, to assemble the hinge assembly 24, the pivot pin 58 is inserted into the passage 56 from a bottom of the lower part 52 and such that the rod is received in the longer part 64 of the slot 62. The pin 58 is then urged WO 01/42602 PCT/AU00/01462 upwardly and. when the rod 60 is at an elbow 70 between the parts 64 and 66 of the slot 62. the pin 58 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 72 so that the rod 60 is received in the-retaining means 68. With the pivot pin 58 in this position, the bracket 40 is secured to the part 42 of the housing 14. The rod 60 is then disengaged from the retaining means 68 and is pivoted in the direction opposite to that of the arrow 72 so that the rod 60 is again aligned with the longer part 64 of the slot 62 and slides down the slot 62. The rod engages a step 74 (Figure 5) of the part 42 of the wall of the housing 14 and is held captive in that position. In other words, once the bracket 40 of the second hinge part 28 has been secured to the wall of the housing 14, the pin 58 is prevented from falling out the bottom of the part 48 of the bracket The collar 34 of the first hinge part 26 is placed in position in the recess 50 so that the passage 38 of the collar 34 is aligned with the passage 56 of the part 48. The pin 58 is then again raised so that the pin 58 is received through the passage 38. Once again, when the rod 60 is in the elbow 70 of the L-shaped slot 62, the pill is pivoted in the direction of the arrow 72 so that the rod 60 is received in the retaining means 68. The bulbous nature of the retaining means 68 ensures that a positive lifting motion is required to disengage the rod 60 from the retaining means 68 to move it to the position of the elbow 70. This then ensures that the pin 58 is inhibited from rotating when the door 18 is rotated relative to the housing 14.

It is to be noted that the part 42 of the housing 14 has a strengthening rib 76 extending vertically along it. The bracket 40 is secured to this rib 76 thereby imparting strength to the bracket 40 and, in turn, the hinge assembly 24.

Thus, it will be appreciated that the hinge assembly 24 has no externally accessible parts. The rib 76 imparts rigidity to the second hinge part 28 and the integral formation of the first hinge part 26 with the door 18 imparts rigidity to the first hinge part 26. As a result, a high strength hinge assembly 24 is provided which is also secure. A further advantage of the hinge assembly 24 is that the pin 58 can be withdrawn into the lower part 52.

In other words, the pin 58 can be easily disengaged from the first hinge part 26 to enable the door 18 to be removed. The pin 58 is retained in position in the lower part due to the step 74 and hence is unlikely to be lost. The ability to disassemble the hinge assembly 24 is advantageous as it is often necessary to work on the interior of the machine 10. The ability to remove the door 18 WO 01/42602 PCT/AU00/01462 6 from the housing 14 facilitates access to the interior of the housing 14 and makes it easier to work in the housing 14.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims (16)

1. A hinge assembly for a cabinet for a gaming machine, the hinge assembly including a first hinge part associated with a door of the cabinet; a second hinge part associated with a housing of the cabinet; and a pivot pin received in complementary, aligned formations of the first hinge part and the second hinge part, the pivot pin including a locking means for locking it in an operative position relative to the first hinge part and the second hinge part, one of the hinge parts defining a receiving means in which the locking means of the pivot pin is received when the pivot pin is inserted into the hinge parts and the receiving means being in the form of an L-shaped slot having a longer part which opens out into a free end of said one of the hinge parts with a second, shorter part of the slot extending transversely to the longer part of the slot.

2. The assembly of claim 1 in which the complementary formation of the first hinge part is in the form of a first passage-defining portion.

3. The assembly of claim 2 in which the complementary formation of the second hinge part is in the form of an interrupted, second passage- defining portion.

4. The assembly of claim 3 in which the interruption of the second .passage-defining portion is as a result of a recess defined in the second passage defining portion, the first passage-defining portion of the first hinge part being pivotally received in said recess.

The assembly of claim 4 in which the second passage-defining portion has a first part which, in use, is arranged on a first side of the recess and a second part which, in use, is arranged on a second side of the recess.

6. The assembly of claim 5 in which the second part defines a blind bore in which a first end of the pivot pin is receivable.

7. The assembly of claim 4 or claim 5 in which the receiving means is defined in the first part of the second passage-defining portionof the second hinge part, the longer part of the slot opening out into a free end of said first part of the second passage-defining portion. ,J:i D PCT/AU00/01462 8 Received 30 July 2001

8. The assembly of any one of the preceding claims in which the receiving means includes a retaining means for retaining the pivot pin in an operative position relative to the hinge parts, in use.

9. The assembly of claim 8 in which the retaining means is an enlarged, bulbous portion defined at an end of the shorter part of the L-shaped slot.

The assembly of any one of the preceding claims in which the first hinge part includes a bracket portion.

11. The assembly of claim 10 in which the bracket portion of the first hinge part is formed integrally with the door as a one-piece unit.

12. The assembly of any one of the preceding claims in which the second hinge part includes a bracket which is secured to, and co-operates with, a locating formation of a sidewall of the housing for holding the pivot pin captive relative to the cabinet, in use.

13. A cabinet for a gaming machine, the cabinet including a housing having an access opening for enabling access to be gained to an interior of the housing; a door for closing off the access opening; and at least one hinge assembly, as claimed in any one of the preceding .claims, for hingedly attaching the door to the housing, the first hinge part of the, or each, hinge assembly being fast with the door and the second hinge part of the, or each, hinge assembly being fast with the housing, with the pivot pin of the, or each, hinge assembly being displaceable along its longitudinal axis to be received in said complementary formations and being rotatable about said axis for locking the pivot pin in its operative position.

14. The cabinet of claim 13 which includes at least two hinge assemblies arranged in spaced relationship. The cabinet of claim 14 in which the door is a moulding of a synthetic plastics material, the first part of each hinge assembly having a thickened web portion as part of the door with its complementary formation arranged adjacent a side edge of the door.

PCT/AUOO/01462 Received 30 July 2001

16. The cabinet of claim 14 or claim 15, insofar as they are dependent on claim 12, in which each locating formation in the sidewall of the housing comprises a stepped recess to define a step against which the pivot pin bears, in use. A E