Abstract
A modular unit for portable arcade gaming with a lower profile than the standard arcade game cabinet or unit found in a game room or arcade with telescoping and foldable modular features for more comfort and convenience when transporting the unit for gaming at home or away. The unit houses several modules including a movable display module, a movable game controller tray, multiple removable game control modules with arcade-quality joysticks and buttons. The unit has doors to secure any gaming console(s). The modular unit expands in multiple ways to a full arcade unit for single or multiple players. The unit folds completely down into a compact portable unit easy for travel and storage. The unit can be comprised of a multitude of materials including plastic or wood. One of the preferred embodiments of the portable unit consists of several structural support panels, a door or doors opening outward exposing the inside of the cabinet for storage of any brand of game console. The unit further consists of a reliance panel, game controller tray, controller modules and retractable or foldable display modules and several locking and securing mechanisms for storage mode, transporting mode and interactive playing mode.
Claims
1. A portable arcade unit comprising: a moveable display housing module; an arcade cabinet; a game controller tray; a gaming control module; a gaming console compartment.
2. A unit as in claim 1, wherein the unit can be comprised of a sturdy textile or a combination of sturdy textiles including wood, plastic, plexiglass, or glass.
3. A unit as in claim 1, wherein the moveable display housing module is affixed to the arcade cabinet to facilitate watching and playing games in “play” mode; can house singular or multiple displays which can be constructed to reduce the profile of the unit by any means including retracting or folding down and being secured in or to the arcade cabinet in “storage” or “transport” mode.
4. A unit as in claim 1, wherein the arcade cabinet acts as the anchor for the entire unit, specifically the moveable display housing module while also housing the game controller tray, gaming console compartment, arcade cabinet doors for access to the gaming console compartment, a sound bar for sound augmentation in “play” mode and panels outlining the design and stabilization of the unit of claim 1 for either: “play”, “storage” or “transport” mode.
5. A unit in claim 1, wherein the game controller tray is affixed to the arcade cabinet and extends and scopes from the arcade cabinet supported by a tray support arm affixed to the arcade cabinet providing the housing for gaming control modules and an auxiliary control hub. The gaming control modules can further scope from the game controller tray and the unit itself.
6. A unit in claim 1, wherein the gaming control module is affixed to the arcade cabinet by cable and sits inside the game controller tray and is customizable and comprises a joystick and customizable game control buttons that can be configured in any requested design.
7. A unit in claim 1, wherein the gaming console compartment is configured by panels outlining and structuring the arcade cabinet to allow for commercial or home-grown gaming systems to reside for connectivity to displays when the arcade cabinet is positioned in “play” mode.
8. A gaming console compartment further comprising a door or set of doors or closures which secure the gaming console in the gaming console compartment and also provide access to the compartment. Said doors can have a plurality of different connecting orientations to the arcade cabinet itself such as being secured by vertical hinges on one end and spanning the width of the arcade cabinet providing access to the gaming console compartment by a single directional fulcrum and access point or by dual closures or side-by-side doors which provide access to the gaming console compartment by providing access to the entire compartment when both are opened on opposite but vertical fulcrums as with “french doors.”
9. The arcade cabinet in claim 4, further comprising front, side and back panels and a front reliance panel to erect a stable arcade cabinet able to support displays and their respective display housing modules, controller trays and controllers, along with different gaming consoles singularly or in multiples. The arcade cabinet further comprises a transport means, as in casters or wheels, affixed to the bottom of the arcade cabinet to facilitate its transportability which can be locked when the cabinet is maintaining a stationary position. The arcade cabinet further comprises display housing module support and release mechanisms for “play” or “transport and storage” mode.
10. An auxiliary control hub as in claim 5, further comprising an auxiliary control hub cover for customizing the arcade cabinet and protecting the auxiliary control hub and an auxiliary gaming console controller access promoting interactive competitive gaming.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates the side view of one of the preferred embodiments of the portable arcade unit in “play” position in accordance with the disclosure provided herein;
[0020] FIG. 2 illustrates the front view of one of the preferred embodiments of the portable arcade unit in “play” position;
[0021] FIG. 3 illustrates the side view of another preferred embodiment of the portable arcade unit also in “play” position;
[0022] FIG. 4 illustrates the front view of the same preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 of the portable arcade unit in “play” position;
[0023] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective of the top and front view of the fully collapsed compacted portable arcade unit in “storage and transport” position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] Referring now specifically to the figures, beginning with FIGS. 1 and 2 which illustrate a first preferred embodiment of the portable arcade unit 100. FIG. 1 is an illustration of the side view of the portable arcade unit 100 fully erect and ready to play in “play” position. The display housing module 108 is unfolded from the portable arcade unit 100 and extended up and is fastened securely atop the arcade cabinet 130 of the portable arcade unit 100 by the stabilizing anchors 111 which are connected to the display housing stands 110 that are connected to the back panel 103 and side panel 101 of the arcade cabinet 130 supporting the displays 109 and the display housing module 108. Further affixed atop the arcade cabinet 130 is the sound bar 112 centered between the stabilizing anchors 111 and the display housing stands 110 for the display housing module 108. The sound bar 112 is affixed to the arcade cabinet 130 such that the display housing module can fold 180-degrees vertically down and into the portable gaming unit 100 to the rear of the arcade cabinet 130 under the sound bar 112 . The game controller tray 106 is seen in its fully extended position which is 90 degrees from its “storage and transport” position which it is in when collapsed for travel and for storage as depicted in FIG. 5.; perpendicular to the arcade cabinet 130. illustrated positioned inside the game controller tray 106, are the gaming control modules 107 which house the game control buttons 114 and joystick 113. Further, illustrated in FIG. 1 is the side panel 101 which operates to supporting the portable arcade unit's 100 overall structure and arcade cabinet 130 which directly supports the display housing module 108, the game controller tray 106 with gaming control modules 107 along with the cabinet door 116 with cabinet door cover 104. The cabinet door cover 104 is attached to cabinet door 116 with cabinet door cover fasteners 115 while the cabinet door 116 is attached to the arcade cabinet 130 with cabinet door hinges 105. The cabinet door 116 is affixed to the arcade cabinet 130 above the front reliance panel 102. The front reliance panel 102 offers stability to the entire portable arcade unit 100 and is positioned in an anchoring position to the arcade cabinet 130.
[0025] FIG. 2 illustrates the front view of the portable arcade unit 100 in FIG. 1 fully erect in “play” position which further depicts the arcade cabinet 130, cabinet door cover 104 with a metal catch 117 which allows the cabinet door cover 104 to remain open if necessary after coming in contact with the magnetic surface on the front panel 126 of the arcade cabinet 130. The front panel 126 has a magnet that acts to secure the metal catch 117 when the cabinet door cover 104 is open.
[0026] Illustrated in FIG. 3, a side view of another embodiment of the portable arcade unit 100 depicted fully erect in “play” position with the retractable display housing 120 and display 109 fully extended out from the arcade cabinet 130 for full exposure in “play” position for the user. The portable arcade unit's 100 arcade cabinet 130 also contains a console dock 119 for a specific gaming console and can be customized for any gaming console. Illustrated in this embodiment, the sound bar 112 is housed in the front reliance panel 102 and the casters 118 can be seen affixed to the bottom panel 127 of the arcade cabinet 130. The same orientation as in FIG. 1 of the side panels 101 and the front reliance panel 102 as connected to the bottom panel 127 and the back panel 103 is illustrated here in FIG. 3 for the arcade cabinet 130. Further illustrated is the game controller tray 106 in the fully erect “play” position from its “storage and transport” position with the gaming control modules 107 shown on either side of the auxiliary control hub cover 121b and auxiliary control hub 121 as seen between the joysticks 113 in this perspective. The tray support arm 128 is shown engaged to maintain the game control tray in the “play” position.
[0027] illustrated in FIG. 4 is a front view of the same embodiment in FIG. 3 of the portable arcade unit 100 in “play” position further depicting the auxiliary control hub cover 121b and the auxiliary control hub access 122 on the arcade cabinet 130 for connections to various gaming console controllers which can be used either instead of the gaming control modules 107 or concurrently. Further illustrated in FIG. 4, this embodiment has a slightly wider footprint than the preferred embodiment of the portable arcade unit 100 and the arcade cabinet 130 depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 with a different gaming console compartment 129 configuration. The arcade cabinet 130 and cabinet doors 116 in FIG. 4 open in a 90-degree horizontal outward orientation perpendicular to the unit like French doors.
[0028] illustrated in FIG. 5 is the fully compacted and collapsed portable arcade unit 100 embodiment highlighting the arcade cabinet 130 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The illustration is of the “storage and transport” position of the arcade cabinet 130 of the portable arcade unit 100. The retractable display housing is in “storage and transport” position which negotiates a slide into the arcade cabinet 130. The display support release 123 which secures the retractable display housing 120 in both “play” and “storage and transport” position is seen affixed to the back panel 103 of the arcade cabinet 130. The game controller tray 106 is folded down into “storage and transport” position exposing the game tray connectors 124 which secure the game controller tray 106 in “play” position. The gaming control modules 107 are fully disclosed by this view and in addition to the game buttons 114 and the joystick 113, the player selector buttons 125 are seen in this illustration. The front reliance panel 102 is shown stabilizing the portable arcade unit's 100 arcade cabinet 130 in its “storage and transport” position.
