Universal printer bezel for a gaming machine

Abstract

A universal printer bezel for a gaming machine is disclosed. The gaming machine includes a housing and a selected ticket printer from a plurality of ticket printers. The selected printer is mounted within the housing. The plurality of printers have respective output slots for dispensing tickets along different exit paths. The printer bezel comprises an elongated hollow body extending between a front door of the housing and the output slot of the selected printer. The elongated body is mounted to the front door but unconnected to the selected printer. The elongated body is adapted to accept tickets dispensed from the output slots of the respective printers along the different exit paths regardless of which of the plurality of printers is the selected printer mounted within the housing.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A printer arrangement for a gaming machine, the gaming machine including a housing with a front door, the printer arrangement comprising: 
 a ticket printer mounted within the housing and including an output slot; and    a bezel extending between the front door of the housing and the output slot, the bezel being mounted to the front door but unconnected to the printer, the bezel being adapted to accept tickets dispensed from the output slot along different exit paths relative to the housing.    
     
     
         2 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the bezel includes an entry slot adjacent to the output slot, the entry slot having a height of at least about 0.30 inches.  
     
     
         3 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the front door of the housing includes a detachable plate, the bezel being mounted to the plate.  
     
     
         4 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the bezel includes an exit slot and a peripheral flange encompassing the exit slot, the peripheral flange being attached to the front door.  
     
     
         5 . The arrangement of  claim 4 , wherein the exit slot is exposed by an opening in the front door, the peripheral flange being attached to the front door adjacent to the opening.  
     
     
         6 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the bezel is elongated and extends upwardly from the output slot to the front door.  
     
     
         7 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the bezel forms a channel that tapers from a large entry slot adjacent to the output slot.  
     
     
         8 . A printer arrangement for a gaming machine, the gaming machine including a housing with a front door, the printer arrangement comprising: 
 a selected ticket printer from a plurality of different ticket printers, the selected printer being mounted within the housing at a mounting location therein, the plurality of printers having respective output slots and adapted to be mounted within the housing at the mounting location, the plurality of printers dispensing tickets from their respective output slots along different exit paths relative to the housing when mounted within the housing at the mounting location; and    a bezel extending between the front door of the housing and the output slot of the selected printer, the bezel being mounted to the front door but unconnected to the selected printer, the bezel being adapted to accept tickets dispensed from the output slots of the respective printers regardless of which printer is the selected printer.    
     
     
         9 . The arrangement of  claim 8 , wherein the bezel includes an entry slot adjacent to the output slot of the selected printer, the entry slot having a height of at least about 0.30 inches.  
     
     
         10 . The arrangement of  claim 8 , wherein the front door of the housing includes a detachable plate, the bezel being mounted to the plate.  
     
     
         11 . The arrangement of  claim 8 , wherein the bezel includes an exit slot and a peripheral flange encompassing the exit slot, the peripheral flange being attached to the front door.  
     
     
         12 . The arrangement of  claim 11 , wherein the exit slot is exposed by an opening in the front door, the peripheral flange being attached to the front door adjacent to the opening.  
     
     
         13 . The arrangement of  claim 8 , wherein the bezel is elongated and extends upwardly from the output slot of the selected printer to the front door.  
     
     
         14 . The arrangement of  claim 8 , wherein the bezel forms a channel that tapers from a large entry slot adjacent to the output slot of the selected printer.  
     
     
         15 . A universal printer bezel for a gaming machine, the gaming machine including a housing and a selected ticket printer from a plurality of ticket printers, the selected printer being mounted within the housing, the plurality of printers having respective output slots for dispensing tickets along different exit paths, the printer bezel comprising an elongated hollow body extending between a front door of the housing and the output slot of the selected printer, the elongated body being mounted to the front door but unconnected to the selected printer, the elongated body being adapted to accept tickets dispensed from the output slots of the respective printers along the different exit paths regardless of which printer is the selected printer.  
     
     
         16 . The bezel of  claim 15 , wherein the elongated body has an entry slot and an exit end, the entry slot being adjacent to the output slot of the selected printer, the exit end being attached to the front door and including an exit slot.  
     
     
         17 . The bezel of  claim 16 , wherein the entry slot has a height of at least about 0.30 inches.  
     
     
         18 . The bezel of  claim 16 , wherein the exit end includes a peripheral flange encompassing the exit slot, the peripheral flange being attached to the front door.  
     
     
         19 . The bezel of  claim 15 , wherein the elongated body forms a channel that tapers from a large entry slot adjacent to the output slot of the selected printer.  
     
     
         20 . A method of replacing a first ticket printer in a gaming machine with a second ticket printer, the gaming machine including a housing and a bezel, the first printer being mounted within the housing and including a first output slot, the second printer including a second output slot, the bezel initially extending between a front door of the housing and the first output slot, the bezel being mounted to the front door but unconnected to the first printer, the method comprising: 
 opening the front door to access the first printer;    replacing the first printer with the second printer without adjusting or replacing the bezel; and    closing the front door so that the bezel extends between the front door of the housing and the second output slot.    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the first printer is initially mounted within the housing at a mounting location therein, and wherein the step of replacing the first printer includes dismounting the first printer from the housing and mounting the second printer within the housing at the mounting location.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the first and second printers dispense tickets from their respective first and second output slots along different exit paths relative to the housing when mounted within the housing, the bezel being adapted to accept tickets dispensed from the first and second output slots along the different exit paths.  
     
     
         23 . A method of replacing printers in a gaming machine, the gaming machine including a housing and a bezel mounted to a front door of the housing, a first printer being mounted within the housing and including a first output slot, the bezel extending between the front door and the first output slot, the bezel being unconnected to the first printer, the method comprising: 
 receiving in the bezel tickets dispensed from the first output slot along a first exit path;    opening the front door to access the first printer;    replacing the first printer with a second printer, the second printer including a second output slot;    closing the front door so that the bezel extends between the front door and the second output slot, the bezel being unconnected to the second printer; and    receiving in the bezel tickets dispensed from the second output slot along a second exit path different from the first exit path.    
     
     
         24 . A method of replacing printers in a gaming machine, the gaming machine including a housing and a bezel mounted to a front door of the housing, the method comprising: 
 mounting a first printer within the housing at a mounting location therein, the first printer including a first output slot, the bezel extending between the front door and the first output slot, the bezel being unconnected to the first printer;    receiving in the bezel tickets dispensed from the first output slot along a first exit path;    opening the front door to access the first printer;    dismounting the first printer from the housing;    mounting a second printer within the housing at the mounting location, the    second printer including a second output slot;    closing the front door so that the bezel extends between the front door and the second output slot, the bezel being unconnected to the second printer; and    receiving in the bezel tickets dispensed from the second output slot along a second exit path different from the first exit path.