Granted Patent B2

US 8,029,369 · App. 11/569,689 · Granted Oct 4, 2011

Abstract

Claims (41)

1. A gaming system comprising:

a chair;

a base including a cross-pin and one or more guide pins, the one or more guide pins extending in a horizontal direction parallel with a length of the base;

a gaming machine that is couplable to the chair via the base; and

a connection assembly for association with the gaming machine, the connection assembly including one or more float-mounted guide pin receivers configured to adaptively receive the one or more guide pins in a horizontal and a vertical direction, and a rotary locking mechanism including a removable actuator that is insertable into a rotatable tubular member for controlling a rotational position of the tubular member, the tubular member configured to receive the cross-pin of the base to latch the base to the gaming machine;

wherein the tubular member is rotatable from a first rotational position to a second rotational position to lock the cross-pin within the tubular member upon inserting the actuator into the tubular member and pushing a spring-loaded pin positioned adjacent to an end of the actuator into a pin-receiving cutout.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a first electrical connection included in the connector assembly or the gaming machine and a second electrical connector included in the base, the first electrical connector configured to mate with the second electrical connector.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the electrical connector on the connector assembly or the gaming machine is float-mounted.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical connector is positioned above and oriented parallel with a top planar surface of the base.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the float-mounted guide pin receivers are spring-mounted on the gaming machine.

6. A gaming system comprising:

a chair;

a base having a leading end and a trailing end, the base including a cross-pin connector, extending horizontally outward from a central region of the leading end, and an electrical connector;

a gaming machine; and

a connection assembly for association with the gaming machine, the connection assembly including an electrical connector, configured to mate with the electrical connector of the base, a front plate having a slot-like opening, and a relay locking mechanism including a removable actuator that is insertable into a rotatable tubular member for controlling a rotational position of the tubular member, the tubular member configured to mate with the cross-pin connector to latch the base to the gaming machine,

wherein the cross-pin connector is sized, shaped and positioned to penetrate the slot-like opening prior to being received within and coupled, behind the opening, using the rotary locking mechanism.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the electrical connector included in the connection assembly is float-mounted relative to the front plate, and wherein one or more guide pins included in the base are configured to mate with one or more float-mounted receivers mounted to the front plate.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the electrical connector included in the connection assembly is mounted to a plate, which is spring-mounted to the front plate.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein one or more guide pin receivers are mounted to a spring-mounted plate.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the electrical connector included in the base is rigidly connected to the base.

11. The system of claim 6 , wherein the electrical and mechanical connections between the base and the connection assembly are configured to happen substantially simultaneously.

12. The system of claim 6 , wherein the chair includes electronics and an electrical connection runs from the electronics through the base and towards the leading edge of the base.

13. An apparatus for use in a gaming system comprising:

a connection assembly for association with a gaming machine, the connection assembly including an electrical connector, float-mounted to a front plate, and a mechanical coupling member including a rotatable tubular member configured to receive a mating cross-pin of a chair base to latch the base to the gaming machine, and a removable actuator insertable into the tubular member for controlling a rotational position of the tubular member,

wherein the rotatable tubular member of the connection assembly is configured such that the cross-pin is receivable within the tubular member by a horizontal movement of the base towards the gaming machine, and

wherein the tubular member is rotatable from a first rotational position to a second rotational position to lock the cross-pin within the tubular member upon inserting the actuator into the rotatable tubular member and pushing a spring-loaded pin positioned adjacent to an end of the actuator into a pin-receiving cutout.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the electrical connector included in the gaming machine is mounted to a plate, which is spring-mounted to the front plate.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the plate further includes one or more guide pin receivers to mate with one or more guide pins included in the chair base.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the connection assembly includes one or more float-mounted guide pin receivers, configured to adaptively receive a guide pin of the chair base in a horizontal and a vertical direction when the base is mounted to the assembly.

17. A method comprising:

sliding a chair base toward a gaming machine, the chair base having a leading edge and a tailing edge;

electrically coupling the chair base to the gaming machine via a floating connector on the gaming machine; and

mechanically coupling the chair base to the gaming machine by receiving a pin member extending outward from a horizontal central region of the base leading edge into a rotatable tubular member recessed within the gaming machine, inserting an actuator into the tubular member, pushing a spring-loaded pin positioned adjacent to an end of the actuator into a pin-receiving cutout, and rotating the tubular member from a first rotational position to a second rotational position to lock the pin member within the to member.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein electrically coupling includes electrically coupling a speaker attached to the chair to the gaming machine.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein electrically coupling includes coupling a receptacle connector on the base to a plug connector on the gaming machine.

20. A gaming system comprising:

a gaming machine having an electrical connector, a front plate having a slot-like opening, and a rotary locking mechanical connector; and

a chair having a base, the base having a mechanical connector configured to mate with the rotary locking mechanical connector of the gaming machine, and an electrical connector configured to mate with the electrical connector of the gaming machine,

wherein the base electrical connector is exposed on a front end of the base and is located below a top planar surface of the base,

wherein the mechanical connector on the base is sized, shaped and positioned to penetrate the slot-like opening of the front plate prior to being received within and coupled, behind the opening, using and the rotary locking mechanism of the gaming machine, and

wherein the rotary locking mechanism includes a rotatable tubular member and the mechanical connector of the base includes a cross-pin, the tubular member being rotatable from a first rotational position to a second rotational position using an operably coupled actuator to enclose and lock the cross-pin within the tubular member.

Assignments (8)