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  Roulette apparatus and roulette gaming machineUSPTO Application #: 20060055109Title: Roulette apparatus and roulette gaming machine Abstract: A roulette apparatus includes: a roulette wheel having a rolling region where a ball rolls; and a ball reception member provided contiguously to the rolling region to receive the ball. The ball reception member includes: a plurality of reception portions that receives the ball in one of the reception portions; and a plurality of separation walls that separates the reception portions from one another, wherein the ball reception member is formed separately from the roulette wheel and removably attached to the roulette wheel. (end of abstract)
Agent: Mcginn Intellectual Property Law Group, PLLC - Vienna, VA, US Inventors: Tetsuya Yokota, Katsuhiro Kido, Yoshitomo Sasaki USPTO Applicaton #: 20060055109 - Class: 27314200R (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060055109. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO THE RELATED APPLICATION(S) [0001] The present application is based upon and claims a priority from a prior Japanese Patent Applications of: 1) No. 2004-236595 filed on Aug. 16, 2004; 2) No. 2004-242750 filed on Aug. 23, 2004; and 3) No. 2004-242761 filed on Aug. 23, 2004, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to a roulette apparatus allowing a ball to roll thereon and having a plurality of ball reception members separated from one another and for receiving the rolling ball at predetermined timing, and relates to a roulette gaming machine that performs a game in which a ball is rolled on the roulette wheel. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] In a so-called medal game such as a roulette gaming machine using a roulette wheel, medals are used as game media. The medal game is a game in which a player purchases or borrows a plurality of medals in a medal borrowing machine, and the medals are inserted into a medal insertion slot of the game machine to start a game. When a player wins the game, a predetermined number of medals are paid out. Thus, a player who has acquired a large number of medals can enjoy games continuously without purchasing or borrowing new medals. [0006] Here, particularly in the roulette gaming machine, the player selects one of symbols (or numbers) disposed on the roulette wheel. Then, the roulette wheel rotates, and a ball thrown therein rolls on the roulette wheel. When the rotation of the roulette wheel becomes so weak that the ball is received and held in one of ball reception members (grooves) in the roulette wheel, it is determined whether the symbol (number) selected by the player matches (is placed on) the symbol (number) where the ball is received, or not. When it is concluded that the ball is received and held in the reception portion with the same symbol (win), medals are paid out to the player at a predetermined payout rate. [0007] In the related art, a roulette wheel for use in such a roulette gaming machine is required to have a rolling region where a ball rolls, and ball reception members which are separated in accordance with symbols (numbers) and in one of which the ball rolling in the rolling region will be finally received. For example, JP-A-8-229191 discloses a roulette wheel formed out of a fixed wheel which is not rotatable relatively to a body, and a rotatable wheel which is rotatable relatively to the fixed wheel. The rotatable wheel to be rotated by a motor provided in the body is provided with a large number of concave ball reception members. Numbers "1" to "8" corresponding to prize numbers and numbers "0" different from the prize numbers are provided equally on the ball reception members respectively. [0008] In the related art, the roulette gaming machine has a ball recovery mechanism for once recovering the ball from the roulette wheel. The ball used in the last game and recovered thus is launched onto the roulette wheel. The ball once recovered by the ball recovery mechanism is always thrown in one and the same state with respect to the roulette wheel. For example, JP-A-8-229191 discloses a roulette gaming machine as follows. That is, ball pass holes are formed in ball reception members on a rotatable wheel respectively, while a flange for closing the ball pass holes is formed on a fixed wheel. A notch portion is formed in a part of the flange. An opening/closing plate for opening/closing the notch portion in accordance with drive of a solenoid is provided in the notch portion. The notch portion is opened to recover the ball. Thus, the ball is dropped from the wheel without providing any mechanism to lift up the rotatable wheel, so that a bucket can be miniaturized. [0009] In the related art, only one gaming mode is provided in a roulette apparatus for performing a lottery in the aforementioned roulette gaming machine. That is, as disclosed in JP-A-8-229191, an operation in which a ball rotates on a roulette wheel for a predetermined time and is received in one of ball reception members is merely repeated. Further, in recent years, there is a tendency to reduce movable portions as much as possible for the sake of saving of the cost, easiness of maintenance, and so on. For example, there is a roulette apparatus in which gaming is performed without rotating a roulette wheel but with rotating only a ball. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] In the roulette wheel disclosed in JP-A-8-229191, however, the rotatable wheel and the ball reception members are formed integrally. The ball reception members have to be separated in accordance with the symbols (numbers) so that the rolling ball is received in one of the ball reception members. It is therefore necessary to form a large number of partition walls for partitioning the reception regions. Accordingly, the rotatable wheel has to be molded in accordance with its complicated shape, so that the manufacturing cost increases. [0011] In addition, the partition walls for partitioning the reception regions are members that are worn very easily due to collision with the ball. That is, due to repeated collision with the ball with long-term use, there may occur irregularities in the surfaces of the partition walls, or painting applied thereto may peel off. In such an event, in the related-art roulette wheel having the partition walls formed integrally with the rotatable wheel, the rotatable wheel as a whole has to be replaced by a new one in order to replace the partition walls. Accordingly, the maintenance is inefficient, and a roulette wheel having a novel structure to solve such a problem has been desired. [0012] In the roulette gaming machine disclosed in JP-A-8-229191, a complicated mechanism to retain the ball recovered from the wheel and shoot the ball onto the wheel again has to be provided under the wheel. [0013] In addition, each ball reception member needs a movable portion such as a shutter for opening/closing the ball pass hole. Accordingly, the cost is increased, and it is highly likely that a game may be stopped due to a failure or the like in the movable portion. Further, the maintenance work of the equipment becomes troublesome. Since a ball pass hole has to be formed in each ball reception member, the ball reception member is required to have at least a predetermined depth so that a part of the ball received in the ball reception member sinks into the wheel. On the other hand, a launching hole for shooting the recovered ball onto the roulette wheel has to be formed in the wheel. Thus, the wheel is required to have at least a predetermined height. [0014] The ball recovered thus is typically thrown in by a ball launcher provided on or inside the wheel. However, the ball is always thrown in from one and the same place in one and the same direction. Accordingly, little change can be observed in the rolling state of the ball in any game. When games are played for a long time, the games become unvaried to bore players therewith. [0015] In the roulette apparatus disclosed in JP-A-8-229191, other motions than the rolling motion of the ball are so scarce that functions of stage effects for players are lowered. That is, since a mechanical lottery operation is repeated simply, players' feeling of expectation or players' feeling of tension with a result of a lottery declines. Thus, the gaming becomes unvaried enough to bore the players therewith. [0016] In addition, a bet time in which each player performs an operation to select symbols and a lottery time in which a lottery is held using a ball in the roulette apparatus are separated in the roulette gaming machine. However, a new player who wants to take part in a game cannot confirm the current state of progress of the game unless the new player comes close to the roulette gaming machine actually. This work is troublesome. It is therefore desired to provide an informing unit for informing persons even in the distance of the current state of progress of a game in the roulette gaming machine. [0017] The present invention provides at least one of: [0018] (1) A roulette wheel in which ball reception members are formed separately and provided removably so that the roulette wheel can be molded easily in spite of its complicated shape with separation walls for defining reception portions for receiving a ball, while the separation walls which are easy to be worn can be repaired by replacing only the ball reception members with new ones, so that the maintenance work can be performed easily and efficiently. [0019] (2) A roulette apparatus in which the compressed air discharged to a ball allows the ball to roll repeatedly without recovering the ball from the roulette wheel, so that any complicated mechanism such as a movable portion for recovering the ball or a launcher for launching the ball is not required, the maintenance work becomes easy and the equipment cost can be reduced. [0020] (3) A roulette apparatus in which the discharge direction of the air can be changed over between different directions so as to bring the ball into a wide variety of rolling states and thereby prevent players from being bored. [0021] (4) A roulette apparatus and a roulette gaming machine using the roulette apparatus, in which a roulette wheel is illuminated in various modes in accordance with the progress of a game so that novel stage effects using the illumination of the roulette wheel can be exhibited, and players' feeling of expectance or players' feeling of tension with a result of a lottery can be enhanced, while persons even in the distance are informed of the current state of progress of the game so that the convenience of gaming can be improved. Continue reading... Full patent description for Roulette apparatus and roulette gaming machine Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Roulette apparatus and roulette gaming machine patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Roulette apparatus and roulette gaming machine or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Double sided scratch-off lottery tickets and methods of manufacturing the same Next Patent Application: Game capsule Industry Class: Amusement devices: games ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Roulette apparatus and roulette gaming machine patent info. 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