US 5,807,177 · Granted 1998-09-15
The Gaming Chair That Lets Players Control Everything From the Armrest
Imagine a chair at an arcade or casino that isn't just a place to sit — it's got built-in controls and a card reader right on the armrests so players can operate the gaming machine without reaching away. The chair talks directly to the game machine, making the whole experience more convenient and compact.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a specialized chair designed for gaming machines that integrates an operation section (control buttons or inputs) and a card read/write section (to accept payment or player cards) directly into the armrests. What's protected here is the specific layout and mechanical integration of these components into a single piece of furniture that faces and communicates with a gaming machine via a control section.
Why it matters
This patent represents an early approach to making gaming machines more user-friendly and compact by combining seating, controls, and payment systems into one integrated unit. Rather than requiring separate peripherals or reach-around designs, this chair puts everything the player needs within arm's reach, potentially reducing the footprint and improving the user experience in gaming venues.
Real-world use
When you sit at a pachinko or slot machine in a Japanese gaming house, the chair's armrests might contain the buttons you press and the slot where you insert your prepaid card — no need to lean or stretch.
Original USPTO abstract
A gaming machine chair comprising a seat (7), a back (8) and and a support member (1a) for supporting them and being installed facing a gaming machine in a gaming house. It comprises at least one armrest (2); an operation section (3) for a player to perform operating instructions for the gaming machine; a card read/write section (6) for taking in and discharging a card and reading and writing information from and into a recording area of the card; and a control section (9) for transferring information to and from the card read/write section and accepting instruction operation from the operation section and sending it to the gaming machine, wherein the operation section (9) and the card read/write section (6) are placed on the armrest (2).
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 5,807,177
- Filing date
- 1993-06-29
- Grant date
- 1998-09-15
- Assignee
- Kabushiki Kaisha Ace Denken
- Inventor(s)
- TAKEMOTO; TAKATOSHI, TSURUMI; MASAYUKI
- CPC class
- A63F13/245
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