Gaming machine cabinet with vertically operating doors
View Patent ↗A gaming machine includes a cabinet defining an enclosure volume with a cabinet front opening. A main door is pivotally connected at its upper end to the cabinet so as to be pivotable with respect to the cabinet between a closed position and an open position. In the open position the lower end of the main door is pivoted upwardly and away from the cabinet to expose the enclosure volume in the main portion of the cabinet. A button panel or button panel and armrest structure is mounted at the lower end of the main door, and extends in a plane lying at an angle to the remainder of the main door so as to project outwardly from the cabinet when the main door is in the closed position. A lower door of the gaming machine has a lower end which is ako pivotally connected to the cabinet so as to be pivotable with respect to the cabinet between a closed position and an open position.
1. A gaming machine including:
(a) a cabinet having a cabinet back, a first cabinet side, a second cabinet side, a cabinet bottom, and a cabinet top which together define an enclosure volume with a cabinet front opening;
(b) a main door pivotally connected at its upper end to the cabinet so as to be pivotable with respect to the cabinet between a closed position and an open position, the main door in the closed position covering the cabinet front opening in a main portion of the cabinet to define a front side of the main portion of the cabinet, the main door in the open position having its lower end pivoted upwardly and away from the cabinet to expose the enclosure volume in the main portion of the cabinet;
(c) a button panel structure mounted on the main door and forming a part thereof at the lower end of the main door, the button panel structure (i) extending in a plane lying at an angle to the remainder of the main door so as to project outwardly from the cabinet front opening when the main door is in the closed position, and (ii) having an inner edge that meets a plane defined by the remainder of the main door, the angle of the button panel structure to the remainder of the main door positioning a portion of the button panel structure forward of a front-most extent of the cabinet front opening; and
(d) a lower door pivotally connected at its lower end to the cabinet so as to be pivotable with respect to the cabinet between a closed position and an open position, the lower door in the closed position covering the cabinet front opening in a lower portion of the cabinet to define a front side of the lower portion of the cabinet, the lower door in the open position having its upper end pivoted downwardly and away from the cabinet and the main door to expose the enclosure volume in the lower portion of the cabinet,
(e) wherein the upper end of the lower door in the closed position and the lower end of the main door in the closed position meet along a closure line which extends across the width of the cabinet between the first cabinet side and the second cabinet side, the closure line being located immediately below the outwardly projecting button panel structure when the gaming machine is in an operating position.
2. The gaming machine of claim 1 wherein:
(a) the main door includes a first lateral side element that lies in a plane defined by the first cabinet side and abuts an upper portion of the cabinet front opening at the first cabinet side when the main door is in the closed position;
(b) the main door includes a second lateral side element that lies in a plane defined by the second cabinet side and abuts an upper portion of the cabinet front opening at the second cabinet side when the main door is in the closed position;
(c) the lower door includes a first lateral side element that lies in a plane defined by the first cabinet side and abuts a lower portion of the cabinet front opening at the first cabinet side when the lower door is in the closed position; and
(d) the lower door includes a second lateral side element that lies in a plane defined by the second cabinet side and abuts a lower portion of the cabinet front opening at the second cabinet side when the lower door is in the closed position.
3. The gaming machine of claim 1 further including an armrest extending along a front edge of the button panel structure.
4. The gaming machine of claim 3 wherein the armrest projects outwardly from the remainder of the main door a distance that is approximately 38% of an overall depth dimension of the gaming machine comprising the shortest distance from the cabinet back to a front edge of the armrest.
5. The gaming machine of claim 3 further including a player input device mounted in the armrest.
6. The gaming machine of claim 1 further including a number of player input devices and wherein each player input device is mounted above the lower door.
7. The gaming machine of claim 1 wherein the main door defines a display area plane which is inclined rearwardly approximately 15 degrees with respect to vertical when the gaming machine is in the operating position and the main door is in the closed position.
8. A gaming machine including:
(a) a cabinet having a cabinet back, a first cabinet side, a second cabinet side, a cabinet bottom, and a cabinet top which together define an enclosure volume with a cabinet front opening;
(b) a main door pivotally connected at its upper end to the cabinet so as to be pivotable with respect to the cabinet between a closed position and an open position, the main door in the closed position covering the front opening in a main portion of the cabinet to define a front side of the main portion of the cabinet, the main door in the open position having its lower end pivoted upwardly and away from the cabinet to expose the enclosure volume in the main portion of the cabinet;
(c) a button panel and armrest structure mounted on the main door and forming a part thereof at the lower end of the main door, the button panel and armrest structure including a button panel which (i) extends in a plane lying at an angle to the remainder of the main door so as to project outwardly from the cabinet front opening when the main door is in the closed position, and which (ii) includes an inner edge that meets a plane defined by the remainder of the main door, the angle of the button panel to the remainder of the main door positioning a portion of the button panel forward of a front-most extent of the cabinet front opening; and
(d) a lower door pivotally connected at its lower end to the cabinet so as to be pivotable with respect to the cabinet between a closed position and an open position, the lower door in the closed position covering the front opening in a lower portion of the cabinet to define a front side of the lower portion of the cabinet, the lower door in the open position having its upper end pivoted downwardly and away from the cabinet and the main door to expose the enclosure volume in the lower portion of the cabinet,
(e) wherein, when the gaming machine is in an operating position, the main portion of the cabinet extends vertically from the upper edge of the main door to a base of the button panel to define a main portion height dimension, and the lower portion of the cabinet extends vertically from the cabinet bottom to the base of the button panel and armrest structure to define a lower portion height dimension, and wherein the lower portion height dimension is approximately 65% of the main portion height dimension.
9. The gaming machine of claim 8 wherein the button panel and armrest structure projects outwardly from the remainder of the main door a distance that is approximately 38% of an overall depth dimension of the gaming machine comprising the shortest distance from the cabinet back to a front edge of the button panel and armrest structure.
10. The gaming machine of claim 8 wherein the overall gaming machine depth dimension comprising the shortest distance from the cabinet back to a front edge of the button panel and armrest structure is approximately 75% of a gaming machine width dimension comprising the shortest distance from the first cabinet side to the second cabinet side.
11. The gaming machine of claim 8 wherein the main portion height dimension is approximately 83% to approximately 88% of a gaming machine width dimension comprising the shortest distance from the first cabinet side to the second cabinet side.
12. The gaming machine of claim 8 wherein the lower portion height dimension is approximately 54% to approximately 58% of a gaming machine width dimension comprising the shortest distance from the first cabinet side to the second cabinet side.
13. The gaming machine of claim 8 wherein:
(a) the main door includes a first lateral side element that lies in a plane defined by the first cabinet side and abuts an upper portion of the cabinet front opening at the first cabinet side when the main door is in the closed position;
(b) the main door includes a second lateral side element that lies in a plane defined by the second cabinet side and abuts an upper portion of the cabinet front opening at the second cabinet side when the main door is in the closed position;
(c) the lower door includes a first lateral side element that lies in a plane defined by the first cabinet side and abuts a lower portion of the cabinet front opening at the first cabinet side when the lower door is in the closed position; and
(d) the lower door includes a second lateral side element that lies in a plane defined by the second cabinet side and abuts a lower portion of the cabinet front opening at the second cabinet side when the lower door is in the closed position.