US 5,762,617 · Granted 1998-06-09
The Slot Machine Throne: A Patent for the Perfect Gaming Seat
Imagine a chair bolted to a slot machine that moves forward and backward so you're always at the perfect distance, and can even vibrate for comfort while you play. This patent covers an adjustable stool that clips onto a slot machine and lets gamblers dial in their ideal sitting position without leaving their seat.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers an adjustable stool assembly that attaches to the front of a slot machine with a detachable base plate and an upright post topped by a movable seat. What's protected is the combination of the seat's horizontal adjustment (moving closer to or away from the machine), vertical adjustment options, motorized positioning, vibration functions in the backrest, and optional built-in remote controls or decorative lights. Anyone building a competing product with these same features in this same configuration would be infringing.
Why it matters
Casinos are obsessed with patron comfort because comfortable players stay longer and spend more money. By patenting an adjustable gaming seat with motorized features and built-in ergonomics, Infanti Chair Manufacturing locked down a niche product for the gambling industry. The patent's inclusion of vibration, remote controls, and lighting shows the inventor understood that casinos will pay for any edge that keeps players in their seats.
Real-world use
Walk into a casino in the late 1990s and 2000s, and you'd find these motorized stools attached to slot machines, letting players adjust their position without standing up or calling an attendant.
Original USPTO abstract
An adjustable and detachable game stool assembly for a slot machine includes an elongated base plate member which is detachably connected at its front edge to the slot machine, and includes an adjustable seat configuration secured to the opposite edge of the base plate. The seat configuration includes a vertical post secured to the base plate, and a seat is connected to the post so as to be manually adjustable toward and away from the slot machine for maximum comfort of the patron as he or she plays the slot machine. In alternate embodiments of the invention, the seat is adjustable vertically as well as horizontally. In further embodiments of the invention, the seat is connected to suitable electrically powered motor and actuating devices so as to readily facilitate positioning of the seat relative to the slot machine for maximum comfort of the patron. In additional embodiments of the invention, the back portion of the seat is connected to a suitable electrically powered vibrator and actuating devices so as to readily facilitate vibration of the back portion of the seat for the maximum comfort of the patron. In even further embodiments of the subject invention, a collapsible and retractable control configuration is attached to the seat configuration so as to readily facilitate remote operation of the gaming machine and in alternate embodiments the control configuration is retractable to a position within an arm of the seat and has controls which are identical to the controls of the gaming machine. In another embodiment of the subject invention, electrical lights are mounted on the seat for the affirmative attraction of patrons.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 5,762,617
- Filing date
- 1995-03-23
- Grant date
- 1998-06-09
- Assignee
- Infanti Chair Manufacturing Corp.
- Inventor(s)
- INFANTI; VITTORIO
- CPC class
- A47C15/004
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