Bar Top Gaming Unit Top Door for Low-Profile Service Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bar top gaming machines are difficult to service and have complex designs due to their unique configuration, making them unsuitable for bar top environments where they block the bar and are difficult for players to use.
Innovation Solution
A bar top gaming unit with a housing featuring a rotatable top door, biasing struts, and a player tracking unit that remains stationary during door movement, along with a curved video display and integrated components for easy access and service.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the gaming machine is placed on a bar top with a raised serving surface, then the gaming machine can be positioned in a bar top environment, but it would be too tall for players to use and would block the bar behind the bar top
Solution Approach 1:
The top door is made movable between open and closed positions, allowing the housing to dynamically adjust its configuration. When open, the interior components are accessible for servicing; when closed, the housing presents a compact low profile suitable for bar top placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is segmented into distinct components including the base, walls, and a separable top door assembly. This segmentation allows the top door to be independently moved for servicing while maintaining the overall compact structure when closed.
2Length of stationary object
If the gaming machine is designed with a low profile to fit on bar top, then it can be positioned without blocking the bar, but servicing becomes difficult and design becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The top door transitions from a static to a dynamic component, enabling it to open upward for easy access to interior components during servicing, while maintaining a closed low profile during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The top door is extracted as a separate movable component from the fixed housing structure, allowing it to be independently opened for servicing without requiring disassembly of the entire housing.
3Ease of repair
If the top door is made movable for easy servicing, then maintenance becomes easier, but the design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The top door is designed as a simple movable component that rotates on hinges, providing easy access to interior components without requiring complex mechanisms. The biasing strut adds minimal complexity while enabling automatic positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
A biasing strut is used to counterbalance the weight of the top door, automatically positioning it in the open position during servicing and the closed position during operation, eliminating the need for complex locking mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a serviceable and player-friendly gaming unit that fits bar top environments without obstructing the bar, enhancing usability and simplifying maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
at least one biasing strut, the biasing strut having a first end and a second end, the first end mounted to the frame and the second end mounted to the top door, the biasing strut extending downwardly at an angle below horizontal from a rear towards the front of the housing when the top door is in the second position, and wherein the biasing strut biases the top door upwardly when the top door is in the first position
Data Source
AI summary
A bar top gaming unit is configured to be mounted to or in a support surface such as a bar top. The unit has a housing and a top door which is movable between open and closed positions for accessing the interior of the housing. A biasing element such as a strut generates a biasing force to aid in opening of the top door, wherein the biasing element extends at a negative angle when the top door is in a closed position. The unit includes a player tracking unit which is mounted independently of the top door, allowing the top door to be opened and closed without removing or moving the player tracking unit. At least a portion of the periphery of the top of the top door may be defined by a peripheral edge of a video display cover panel, which may also be edge lit.