JP2010042318A - Reel unit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a reel unit, small-sized and easily carried. <P>SOLUTION: A support frame 53 of the reel unit 51 supports the respective reels 13L, 13M, 13R to rotate around the shaft of rotation, and supports a motor connected to the rotating shafts of the reels 13L, 13M, 13R, respectively. A board 61 where a control circuit of a motor is mounted is disposed horizontally on a top plate pat 53a of the support frame 53, and also a board case 63 is disposed to enclose the board 61 thereon. The board 61 is fixed with a screw on the top plate part 53a together with the board case 63. A substantially rectangular through-hole 632 elongated in the lateral direction is bored in the board case 63. A handle 69 is integrally formed to stride over the through-hole 632 in the lateral direction on the board case 63. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a reel unit provided in a gaming machine such as a slot machine.

  A gaming machine such as a general slot machine has a start switch for starting rotation of three reels having a plurality of symbols drawn on the outer peripheral surface all at once, three stop switches corresponding to each reel, and the like. After inserting 1 to 3 medals, the three reels start rotating by operating the start switch, and a lottery for determining a winning mode is performed. Then, when the player sequentially operates the stop switch corresponding to each reel, the rotation of the corresponding reel is stopped. When a predetermined winning mode is won by the lottery, the symbol corresponding to the winning mode is displayed. Reel stop control is performed so that the combinations are easy to align, and when the combination of symbols stops on one or more winning lines activated according to the number of medals inserted, it is preset according to the winning mode. The number of medals is paid out to the tray. In such a gaming machine, conventionally, three reels and three motors that rotationally drive each reel are unitized as a reel unit (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the reel unit described in Patent Document 1, a board on which a control circuit for driving each motor is mounted is placed above the reel.

JP 2004-154447 A (FIG. 1)

  However, in the conventional reel unit described in Patent Document 1, since the frame is extended above the reel and the substrate is vertically placed and fixed to the extended frame, the large size of the unit is increased in the height direction. Is inviting. Therefore, in order to reduce the size of the unit, it is conceivable to place the substrate horizontally on the top plate of the unit. On the other hand, the reel unit is carried when assembling or repairing the gaming machine, but when carrying the reel unit described in Patent Document 1, it is only necessary to hold the frame extending upward. On the other hand, in the configuration in which the substrate is placed horizontally on the top plate of the unit in order to reduce the size of the reel unit, it is not necessary to extend the frame above the reel. If it is not provided separately, there is a problem that it is difficult to carry.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a reel unit that is small and easy to carry.

  In order to achieve the above object, a reel unit according to the present invention is a reel unit disposed inside a gaming machine including a housing and a front panel that closes the front surface of the housing so as to be openable and closable. A plurality of reels having a plurality of symbols displayed on the surface, a plurality of motors for driving the reels, a frame for holding the reels and the motors, and a control circuit for controlling the motors are mounted. A substrate placed horizontally on a frame, a substrate case encapsulating the substrate and fixed on the frame together with the substrate, and a carrying handle formed integrally with the substrate case; (Claim 1).

  Further, the handle may be disposed substantially in the center in the left-right direction of the frame (claim 2).

  The board case is disposed to the left of the center in the left-right direction of the frame, the handle is disposed to the right of the center in the left-right direction of the board case, and a connector hole is provided at least on the left side of the board case. May be provided transparently (claim 3).

  In addition, the handle may include a grip portion having a flat plate forming a lower surface and a thin plate-like rib extending in the left-right direction on the upper surface of the flat plate.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the handle is formed integrally with the substrate case which encloses the substrate disposed horizontally on the frame and is fixed to the frame, the reel unit can be easily carried. It can be carried out.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the handle is formed so as to be positioned at substantially the center in the left-right direction of the frame with the substrate fixed to the frame, and therefore when the reel unit is lifted by gripping the handle. The reel unit can be carried stably.

  According to the invention of claim 3, since the handle is formed slightly to the right of the center in the left-right direction of the substrate case, and the substrate case is disposed slightly to the left of the center in the left-right direction of the frame, It is located at the center in the left-right direction.

  According to the invention of claim 4, the handle is easily gripped by the flat plate of the gripping part, and has a certain strength by the rib.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a slot machine including an embodiment of a reel unit according to the present invention. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a reel unit according to the present invention. It is a front view of one Embodiment of the reel unit concerning this invention. It is a top view of one Embodiment of the reel unit concerning this invention. It is a right view of one Embodiment of the reel unit concerning this invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a state where a substrate case is removed from the reel unit of FIG. 2. It is a perspective view of a substrate case. It is a front view of a substrate case. It is a top view of a substrate case. It is a right view of a substrate case. It is a perspective view of a board | substrate. It is a top view of a board | substrate.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a slot machine including an embodiment of a reel unit according to the present invention. The slot machine 1 is configured, for example, as shown in FIG. That is, in the slot machine 1, the front surface of the housing 3 is closed by the front panel 5 so as to be freely opened and closed, and the operation plate 7 is disposed at a substantially central height position of the front panel 5. A front plate 9 is disposed above the front plate 9.

  The front plate 9 is provided with a horizontally long display window 11. Inside the display window 11, a reel unit 51 (see FIG. 2) including left, middle, and right reels 13L, 13M, and 13R (see FIG. 2) each having a plurality of symbols displayed on its peripheral surface is disposed. From the display window 11, it is set so that three symbols on the reels 13L, 13M, and 13R can be seen through the upper, middle, and lower stages. Further, the operation panel 7 has a bet switch 15 for instructing the insertion of one medal from the credit medals stored inside, and the maximum number of medals per game (for example, three) from the credit medals. A maximum bet switch 17 for instructing the rotation, a lever-shaped start switch 19 for starting the rotation of each reel, and the left, middle and right for stopping the rotation of the left, middle and right reels 13L, 13M and 13R, respectively. Stop switches 21L, 21M, and 21R, a settlement switch 23 for paying out credit medals, and a medal slot 25 are provided.

  In addition, a liquid crystal display 27 for displaying a moving image or the like is provided in the approximate center above the front plate 9, and various winning symbols are displayed immediately above the liquid crystal display 27. An explanation panel 29 is provided, and speakers 31L and 31R are provided on the left and right sides of the liquid crystal display 27 and the explanation panel 29, respectively, for performing effects by music. A central lamp portion 33M is disposed on the upper side of the explanation panel 29 and the speakers 31L and 31R, and left and right lamp portions 33L and 33R are disposed on the left and right sides thereof. Each lamp unit 33M, 33L, 33R is provided with a light source such as a light emitting diode. These lamp portions 33M, 33L, and 33R are integrally formed, and constitute an upper lamp portion 33 for performing effects such as notifying a player of winning and winning.

  In addition, a lower panel 35 on which a decorative image or the like is displayed is provided below the operation panel 7. A lower lamp unit in which a plurality of light sources are arranged in, for example, two rows on the left and right sides of the lower panel 35. 37L and 37R are provided. A medal payout port 39 and a medal receiver 41 for receiving medals paid out from the payout port 39 are provided below the lower panel 35. A hopper unit (not shown) for discharging medals to the payout opening 39 is disposed below the reels 13L, 13M, and 13R inside the housing 3.

  2 to 5 are views showing an embodiment of a reel unit according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view, FIG. 3 is a front view, FIG. 4 is a plan view, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the reel unit shown in FIG. 2 with the substrate case removed. FIGS. 7 to 10 are views showing the substrate case, FIG. 7 is a perspective view, FIG. 8 is a front view, FIG. 9 is a plan view, and FIG. 10 is a right side view. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the substrate, and FIG. 12 is a plan view of the substrate.

  The support frame 53 of the reel unit 51 includes a top plate portion 53a, a bottom plate portion 53b, a right frame portion 53c, and a left frame portion 53d. The support frame 53 supports the reels 13L, 13M, and 13R so as to be rotatable around the rotation shaft 55, respectively. Further, the support frame 53 supports motors 57L, 57M, and 57R connected to the rotation shafts 55 of the reels 13L, 13M, and 13R, respectively. A rectangular board 61 on which the control circuit 59 of the motors 57L, 57M, and 57R is mounted horizontally is disposed on the top plate portion 53a of the support frame 53, and a board that encloses the board 61. A case 63 is provided.

  In FIG. 12, round holes 611L and 611R for allowing screws to pass therethrough are formed through substantially the center of the left half and the center of the right half of the substrate 61, respectively. The control circuit 59 includes the electronic components 65, 65,... Constituting the control circuit 59 in a region excluding the rectangular region 612 having a predetermined size with the line passing through the round hole 611L as the left side and the line passing through the round hole 611R as the right side. Are mounted with connectors 67, 67,... Thus, by limiting the mounting positions of the electronic component 65 and the connector 67, a wiring pattern is prevented from being formed in the rectangular region 612.

  On the other hand, the substrate case 63 is formed in a box shape that is slightly larger than the substrate 61 in plan view and slightly higher than the combined size of the substrate 61 and the electronic components 65, 65,. Wrapping. Further, the board case 63 is provided with connector holes 631, 631,... At positions opposite to the connectors 67, 67,... Of the board 61, so that the connectors 67, 67,. It can be mated.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the substrate case 63 is provided with a substantially rectangular through hole 632 that is elongated in the left-right direction, approximately at the center in the up-down direction and slightly to the right in the left-right direction. A handle 69 is integrally formed on the substrate case 63 so as to straddle the through hole 632 in the left-right direction from the round hole 611L to the round hole 611R. The handle 69 includes left and right standing portions 691L and 691R and a gripping portion 692 extending in the horizontal direction and connecting the left and right standing portions 691L and 691R to each other. Round holes 633L and 633R for allowing screws to pass therethrough are formed at positions corresponding to the round holes 611L and 611R of the substrate 61 at substantially the center of the left and right standing portions 691L and 691R. The gripping portion 692 is composed of a flat plate 693 on the lower surface and a thin plate-like rib 694 that stands upright and extends on the upper surface of the flat plate 693. The flat plate 693 facilitates gripping, and the rib 694 has a certain strength. Have been made to have.

  The top plate portion 53a of the support frame 53 is screwed with screw holes (not shown) at positions corresponding to the round holes 611L and 611R, and the screws 71L and 71R (FIG. 6) are respectively connected to the substrate case. The board 61 is fixed together with the board case 63 to the top board 53a of the support frame 53 by screwing into the screw holes of the top board 53a through the round holes 633L and 633R of 63 and the round holes 611L and 611R of the board 61. Is done. Here, the handle 69 is formed slightly to the right of the center in the left-right direction of the board case 63, and the board case 63 is disposed slightly to the left of the center in the left-right direction of the top plate portion 53a. The portion 53a is located substantially in the center in the left-right direction. Thus, in this embodiment, the support frame 53 corresponds to the “frame” of the present invention.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, since the substrate 61 is disposed horizontally on the top plate portion 53a of the support frame 53, the reel unit 51 can be downsized. Further, since the handle 69 is formed integrally with the substrate case 63 that encloses the substrate 61 and is fixed to the top plate portion 53a, the reel unit 51 can be easily carried.

  In addition, according to this embodiment, the handle 69 is formed so as to straddle the elongated hole 632 in the left-right direction provided in the substrate case 63, so that the handle 69 and the substrate case 63 are integrally formed. In addition to improving the durability of the mold for the purpose, the manufacturing cost of the mold can be reduced. In addition, the handle 69 is positioned substantially at the center in the left-right direction of the top plate portion 53a with the substrate 61 fixed to the top plate portion 53a. Therefore, when the handle 69 is gripped and the reel unit 51 is lifted, the handle 69 has a substantially center of gravity. The reel unit 51 can be stably carried.

  In addition, according to this embodiment, the through hole 632 of the substrate case 63 is provided so as to oppose the rectangular region 612 in which the wiring pattern of the substrate 61 is not formed. For example, even when a conductive object such as a medal is placed, it is possible to prevent the control circuit 59 mounted on the substrate 61 from being short-circuited and failing.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications other than those described above can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the substrate case 63 is provided with the through hole 632 and the handle 69 is formed so as to straddle the through hole 632 in the left-right direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the through hole 632 is provided. May not be provided.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Slot machine, 13L, 13M, 13R ... Reel, 51 ... Reel unit, 53 ... Support frame (frame), 53a ... Top plate part, 57L, 57M, 57R ... Motor, 59 ... Control circuit, 61 ... Substrate, 612 ... Rectangular area (area where the wiring pattern of the board is not formed), 63 ... Board case, 632 ... Through hole, 69 ... Handle

Claims (4)

In a reel unit disposed inside a gaming machine comprising a housing and a front panel for closing the front surface of the housing so as to be freely opened and closed,
A plurality of reels each having a plurality of symbols displayed on the circumference,
A plurality of motors for driving the reels;
A frame for holding each reel and each motor;
A board mounted with a control circuit for controlling the motor and placed horizontally on the frame;
A substrate case encapsulating the substrate and fixed on the frame together with the substrate;
A reel unit comprising a carrying handle formed integrally with the substrate case.   The reel unit according to claim 1, wherein the handle is disposed substantially in the center in the left-right direction of the frame. The substrate case is disposed to the left of the center in the left-right direction of the frame,
The handle is disposed to the right of the center in the left-right direction of the substrate case,
The reel unit according to claim 1, wherein a connector hole is formed at least on the left side of the substrate case.   The reel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the handle includes a grip portion having a flat plate forming a lower surface and a thin plate-like rib extending in the left-right direction on the upper surface of the flat plate. unit.

Images