Cabinet construction for an amusement game device

Abstract

An amusement game having a cabinet wherein the cabinet is assembled by attaching cabinet pieces together using knock-down fasteners.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An amusement game, comprising:
 a plurality of cabinet panel pieces having pre-formed openings for accepting knock-down hardware used to assembly the cabinet panel pieces into an amusement game cabinet; and   a playfield which is adapted to be attached to the amusement game cabinet and thereby provide structural support to the amusement game cabinet.   
     
     
         2 . The amusement game as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the playfield is adapted to be attached to the amusement game on an incline and wherein the amusement game comprises a pinball machine. 
     
     
         3 . The amusement game as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the playfield is pre-assembled and shipped with the plurality of cabinet pieces and the knock-down hardware. 
     
     
         4 . The amusement game as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of cabinet panel pieces are powder-coated mdf panels. 
     
     
         5 . The amusement game as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the playfield comprises a plywood core sandwiched by high density fiber board. 
     
     
         6 . The amusement game as recited in  claim 5 , wherein a plunger unit is pre-attached to the pre-assembled playfield and indexed to a ball launching alley. 
     
     
         7 . The amusement game as recited in  claim 6 , comprising a cover hingedly attached to the amusement game cabinet and covering the playfield. 
     
     
         8 . The amusement game as recited in  claim 7 , wherein an end of the cover rests on an upper edge of a font panel of the amusement game cabinet and is substantially co-planer with upper edges of left and right side panels of the amusement game cabinet. 
     
     
         9 . The amusement game as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the upper edges of the left and right side panels of the amusement game cabinet adjacent to the upper edge of the front panel of the amusement game cabinet are provided with radiused edges. 
     
     
         10 . The amusement game as recited in  claim 9 , comprising a backbox assembly attached to the amusement game cabinet. 
     
     
         11 . The amusement game as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the backbox comprises a vacuum-formed plastic structure. 
     
     
         12 . The amusement game as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the backbox carries a CPU and the CPU is coupled to a connector adapted to releasable engage with a connector associated with an electrical system of the playfield. 
     
     
         13 . The amusement game as recited in  claim 12 , comprising LEDs mounted directly to the board carrying the CPU. 
     
     
         14 . The amusement game as recited in  claim 1 , comprising a ramp playfeature mounted to the playfield, the ramp playfeature comprising a plurality of flat plastic pieces arranged into a three-dimensional structure. 
     
     
         15 . The amusement game as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of flat plastic pieces comprise corresponding tabs and grooves for allowing the plurality of flat plastic pieces to be placed into slidable engagement with one another.