GB2434478A

GB2434478A - Game device

Info

Publication number: GB2434478A
Application number: GB0703666A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Shinya Niwa
Original assignee: Namco Ltd
Current assignee: Namco Ltd
Priority date: 2004-08-31
Filing date: 2005-08-31
Publication date: 2007-07-25
Anticipated expiration: 2025-08-31
Also published as: JP2006068173A; GB2434478B; GB0703666D0; WO2006025464A1

Abstract

Maintenance of a passage through which a medal inserted from a medal inlet passes is facilitated. A medal game device (1) has a support mechanism (50). The support mechanism (50) has a pair of support arm members (51) fixed so as to extend from left and right war ends of an operation section (40) to the back side and has guide rails (53) individually arranged on the inner side of left and right side walls of a housing (10) and supporting the support arm members (51) so as to be movable in the forward/backward direction. When the support arm members (51) are slid along their longitudinal direction, the guide rails (53) enable the operation section (40) to be pulled out to the front side of the housing (10) through the support arm members (51).

Description

DESCRI PTION

GAME APPARATUS

Technical Field

0001J The present invention relates to a game apparatus for amusing a game by inserting a medal (this term is used to include a coin such as a hundred yen coin and a fifty yen coin) into the apparatus.

Background Art

0002] Conventionally, a medal game apparatus of a so-called pusher type has been known (refer to Patent Document 1) . In such a known apparatus, a medal is inserted in a medal insertion slot by a player so that it drops on a playing field, and medals pushed by recipfocating motions of a pusher plate and dropped from the edge of the playing field are paid out to the player (refer to Patent Document 1).

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 3527722

Disclosure of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention 0003] By the way, in the above-described medal game apparatus, an operation section including a medal insertion slot and the like is generally made to be fixed to the housing. Accordingly, a maintenance work, that is, a removing work to remove a medal stopped in a passage, which was inserted through the medal insertion slot, a cleaning work to clean dust and the like which was collected in the passage, or the like is not easy, since such a work requires, for example, opening a door provided at a lower part or the like, of the housing and peeking the inside thereof, to work with a unstable posture.

0004) The present invention has been made in the light of the above-mentioned problem and, therefore, an object of the invention is to make the maintenance work for the passage for medals inserted through the medal insertion slot.

Means for Solving the Problems 0005] In order to solve the problem, the game apparatus according to the first invention, includes: a housing (for example, housing 10 as shown in FIG. 1) including a medal containing section (for example, inserted-medal containing section 60 as shown in FIG. 2) arranged inside; and an operation section (for example, operation section 40 as shown in FIG. 1) which is provided on the housing at a position higher than that of the medal containing section, and includes a medal insertion slot (for example, medal insertion slot 43 as shown in FIG. 1) and a medal pool portion (for example, medal pool portion 41 as shown in FIG. 1), wherein the apparatus has a structure to allow the operation section to be drawn out of the housing, and a medal containing route (for example, inserted medal guide 71 as shown in FIG. 3) which ieads to the medal containing section from the medal insertion slot, is fixed to the operation section, to expose when the operation section is drawn out of the housing.

0006] According to the first invention, it is possible to expose the medal containing route which leads to the medal containing section from the medal insertion slot by drawing the operation section out of the housing. Therefore, it is possible to conduct easily a maintenance work, that is, a removing work to remove a medal stopped in a passage, which was inserted through the medal insertion slot, a cleaning work to clean dust and the like which was collected in the passage, or the like. The term "medal" in this application means one including a coin such as a hundred yen coin or a fifty yen coin.

0007] The second invention is the game apparatus of the first invention, wherein the operation section includes an inserted medal guide (for example, inserted medal guide 71 as shown in FIG. 3) one end of which communicates with the medal insertion slot and which has a gradually descending inclination from the one end toward the other end; the housing comprises a conveying path (for example, conveying path 73 as shown in FIG. 3) which has a gradually descending inclination from one end toward the other end which communicates with the medal containing section; the other end of the inserted medal guide is provided at a position higher than the one end of the conveying path, and the other end of the inserted medal guide is positioned above and near the one end of the conveying path when the operation section is in a fully closed position in the housing, and the inserted medal guide is separated from the conveying path when the operation section is drawn out of the housing.

0008] According to the second invention, when the operation section is in a fully closed position in the housing, it is possible to guide the medals inserted from the medal insertion slot and to put in the medal containing section through the inserted medal guide and the conveying path. When the operation section is drawn out of the housing, the inserted medal guide can be exposed. As a result, it is possible to conduct easily a maintenance work, that is, a removing work to remove a medal stopped in a passage, which was inserted through the medal insertion slot, a cleaning work to clean dust and the like which was collected in the passage, or the like.

0009) The third invention is the game apparatus of the second invention, wherein the inserted medal guide comprises a medal selecting mechanism.

0010] According to the third invention, it is possible to select the medals inserted through the medal insertion slot.

0011] The fourth invention is the game apparatus of the third invention, wherein the medal selecting mechanism comprises a pair of rails (for example, guide frames 711 and 713, as shown in FIG. 4A), at least one of which has an opposing groove to support an end of a medal, and the medal is selected by the pair of rails in such a manner that the pair of rails allow only the medal that can be supported by them to slide downward, and other medals that can not be supported by them to drop from between the pair of rails.

0012] According to the fourth invention, it is possible to select the medals by dropping medals with a small diameter than that of medals which can be supported by the pair of rails, from between the pair of rails.

0013] The fifth invention is the game apparatus of the fourth invention, wherein the pair of the rails are arranged so that the width between the pair of the rails is adjustable.

0014] According to the fifth invention, it is possible to select the medals by adjusting the width between the pair of the rails.

0015J The sixth invention is any one of the game apparatuses of the first to fifth inventions, further includes a passage adjustment member having slot forming portions which includes a plurality of openings or cutouts corresponding to different thickness of medals, to be positioned, and each of the slot forming portions forming the medal insert slot.

0016] According to the sixth invention, it is possible to form a medal insert slot by positioning one slot forming portion among slot forming portions which includes a plurality of openings or cutouts corresponding to different thickness of medals, of the passage adjustment member.

Therefore, it is easily possible to adjust the thickness and the diameter of a medal which can be inserted through the medal insert slot. As a result, it is possible to prevent use of wrongful medal.

0017] The seventh invention is the game apparatus of the sixth invention, wherein the passage adjustment member has the slot forming portions formed adjacent to each other in a given direction, positioning of the slot forming portion being performed by sliding the passage adjustment member in the given direction.

0018] According to the seventh invention, it is possible to perform positioning of one slot forming portion by sliding the passage adjustment member in the given direction.

0019] The eighth invention is the game apparatus of the seventh invention, wherein a slope (for example, slope 47 as shown in FIG. 1) is formed on the top surface of the operation section to allow successive insertion of medals into the medal insert slot by their own weight; the slot forming portions comprises cutouts; the passage adjustment member is positioned by glidingly moving it along an end surface of the slope; arid the medal insert slot is formed by the cutout of the passage adjustment member and the end surface of the slope.

0020] According to the eighth invention, it is possible to form a medal insert slot by the cutout of the passage adjustment member and the end surface of the slope.

Effect of the Invention 0021] According to the invention, it is possible to expose the medal containing route which leads to the medal containing section from the medal insertion slot by drawing the operation section out of the housing. Therefore, it is possible to conduct easily a maintenance work, that is, a removing work to remove a medal stopped in a passage, which was inserted through the medal insertion slot, a cleaning work to clean dust and the like which was collected in the passage, or the like.

Brief Description of the Drawings 0022)

FIG. 1] This is a front outline view of a medal operated game apparatus.

FIG. 2] This is a vertical sectional view of the main part of a housing, taken along a traveling path of a medal inserted in the medal insertion slot.

FIG. 3] This is an explanation view of the housing with a cut out right side.

FIG. 4A] This is a top plan view of the main part of an operation section on the periphery of the medal insertion slot.

FIG. 4B] This is a sectional view taken along a line A-A of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4C] This is a view showing a modification of the inserted medal guide 71.

FIG. 5] This is a front view of a passage adjustment member.

FIG. 6A] This is an explanation view of a modification of the passage adjustment member.

FIG. 6B] This is an explanation view of a modification of the passage adjustment member.

FIG. 6C] This is an explanation view of a modification of the passage adjustment member.

FIG. 7A] This is a general external view of a game apparatus used for a commercial use.

FIG. 7B3 This is a view for explaining the passage adjustment member 1220 in the commercial use game apparatus shown in FIG. 7P.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

0023) One of the embodiments according to the invention will be explained hereinafter referring to the drawings. It is to be noted that the one of the embodiments is one in which a game apparatus according to the invention is used for a medal operated game apparatus.

0024] FIG. 1 is a front outline view of a medal operated game apparatus 1, FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the main part of a housing 10, taken along a traveling path of a medal M inserted in the medal insertion slot 43, FIG. 3 is an explanation view of the housing 10 with a cut out right side, and FIG. 4A is a top plan view of the main part of an operation section 40 on the periphery of the medal insertion slot 43. This medal operated game apparatus 1 is what is called a pusher type game apparatus.

0025] First of all, the outline structure of the medal operated game apparatus 1 will be explained. The housing 10 of the medal operated game apparatus 1 is mounted on a basement 20, and has a play section 30 which forms a play space SF inside, and an operation section 40 disposed below and at the near side of the play section 30, that is, at a side portion of the front side of the basement 20. The front face of the play section 30 is formed with a glass window which separates the play space SP from the external space.

In the following explanation, the direction means the one due to the game player' s eye. In the description, the directions of the left, right, top and bottom on FIG. 1 will be explained as the direction of the left, right, top and bottom, respectively, and the side of the operation section 40 and the backside, of the medaL operated game apparatus 1 will be explained as a near side and a rear side, respectively.

0026) The operation section 40 provides a medal pool portion 41 to pool medals N and a medal insertion slots 43 into which medals N are inserted. A payout outlet 45 for paying out medals is provided in the rear side of the medal pool portion 41. In the right and left sides of the top surface of the operation section 40, slopes 47 with a descending inclination for guiding medals M to the medal insertion slots 43 are provided so that the slopes 47 allow the medals to be inserted successively in the medal insertion slots 43.

0027) At the upper rear side of the play space SP, a game board 310 is almost vertically arranged, and a display 311 for displaying the status of a game in response to the progress of the game is provided at the center of the game board 310. At the right and left upper portions of the game board 310, two discharge slots 313 for discharging medals N are provided to sandwich the display 311, and at positions under the discharge slots 313, movable flippers 315 are respectively provided for changing the traveling path of discharged medals N by their vertical movements.

002B3 Below the game board 310, another game board 330 which is in successively contact with the bottom end of the game board 310 is arranged to slant downward from the rear side to the near side. Below the game board 330, there is provided a rotating discs 331 on which a plurality of pins 331a and 331b for changing the traveling path of the medal N are implanted. When the medal N sliding down on the slanted surface of the game board 330 reaches the rotating disc 331, the medal N passes through on the rotating disc 331 while the traveling path of the medal N is changed by the rotational movement of the rotating disc 331 and by the pins 331a and 33lb.

0029] Below and at the near Side of the rotating disc 331, a win inlet section 350 which has a slant surface portion 351 and a plurality of win inlets 353 are arranged in a given distance from the rotating discs 331. This win inlet section 350 has medal pass sensors (not shown) for detecting the pass of the medal M which have passed through either one of the plurality of the win inlets 353, and awards (e.g. occurrence of various events) will be given to the player in response to the kinds of the respective win inlets through which the medal has passed or the number of the medals that have passed through the win inlets. The medal M having transversed the rotating disc 331 along the slant surface portion 351 of the win inlet section 350 either enters into the win inlet 353 or drops along the slant surface portion 351 deviating from the win inlets 353. In other cases, the medal M may drop from gaps at the side ends of the rotating discs 331 or gaps between the rotating discs 331 and the win inlet section 350, without reaching the slant surface 351.

0030] At the bottom of the play space SP, there is provided a playing field 370 for placing medals thereon, which includes a pusher plate 371 reciprocating at a constant speed in the forward and backward directions. The pusher plate 373. is a plate like thing disposed horizontally on the playing field and the medals dropped from the play space SP will stay or be placed on the top surface thereof. This pusher plate 371 urges the medals M dropped onto the playing field 370 in the forward direction (toward the near side), so that those medals will push the medals already distributed on the game field 370, like a pileup, into a "win duct" (not shown). The medals N which have been dropped into the win duct are paid out from the payout outlet 45 to the medal pool 41 through a payout path (not shown) provided in the inside of the housing 10. It should be noted here that a payout means (for example, medal hopper) may be used as a payout system in which the number of the medals M dropped in the win duct is counted and the medals M, the number of which corresponds to the counted number, are paid out from the medal hopper through payout outlet 45 to the medal pool 41.

0031J At the right central portion of the play space SP, a medal shooter 390 is provided for paying out bonus medals.

This medal shooter 390 is formed in a curved and slanted shape and disposed to extend from the rear side of the upper right side of the play space SP with its tail end positioned above the playing field 370. The bonus medals M paid out from the medal shooter 390 in the progress of the game drop onto the top surface of the pusher plate 371 and/or playing

field 370.

0032] Next, the structure contributing for the process from the insertion of the medal M into the medal insertion slot 43 to the discharge of the same medal from the discharge slot 313.

Such the structure comprises: a supporting mechanism 50 to support the operation section 40 so that the latter can be drawn in an ariteroposterior direction, an inserted-medal containing section 60 to contain the medal N inserted through the medal insertion slot 43, a medal guide mechanism 70 with a descending inclination to guide the medal N inserted through the medal insertior slot 43 to the inserted-medal containing section 60, an inserted-medal conveyer mechanism to convey the medal M contained in the inserted-medal container 60 to the discharge slot 313 provided at the upper portion of the housing 10, and a passage adjustment member 90 to set the thickness and the diameter of an acceptable medal to desired sizes.

0033] The supporting mechanism 50 includes a pair of supporting arm members 51 fixed to the operation section 40 so that they extend from the right and the left sides of the operation section 40 toward the rear side, and guide rails 53 which are respectively fixed at the inner side of the right and the left side walls of the housing 10 so as to support the respective supporting arm members 51 which can be moved in the forward and backward directions.

0034] Each supporting arm 51 is formed with an elongated plate shape. On the other hand, each guide rails 53 is a rail with a generally U-shape in section and is respectively fixed to the inside of the right and the left side walls of the housing 10 along the forward and backward directions thereof. The respective guide rails 53 support the supporting arms 51 which are arranged in the inside of the guide rails 53. These guide rails 53 allows the operation section 40 to be drawn out from the housing 40 to the near side of the housing 10, by sliding the supporting arm members 51 in the longitudinal directions.

00351 n elongated opening 531 which extends in the longitudinal direction of each guide rail 53 is formed in the guide rail 53. With the elongated opening 531, a projection 511 attached to a flat surface of each supporting arm 51, in the side of the guide rail 53, is engaged. 1ccordingly, the moving range of the operation section 40 is limited by the projection 511 bumping against the front extreme end or rear extreme end of the elongated opening 531. The position and the length of the elongated opening 531 is configured so that the operation section 40 will be fully closed when the projection 511 bumps against the rear extreme end of the elongated opening 531, and the operation section 40 will be drawn out of the housing 10 to the position where an inserted medal guide 71, which will be explained later, will be fully exposed when the projection 511 bumps against the front extreme end of the elongated opening 531. Incidentally, a lock mechanism may be provided to hold the operation section in the fully closed state or the fully opened state.

0036} The medal guide mechanism 70 includes: an insertion medal guide 71 which is fixed to and supported by the operation section 40 and the upstream end of which is communicated to the medal insertion slot 43; a conveying path 73 which is fixed to and supported by the housing 10 and the downstream end of which is communicated to the inserted medal containing section 60; and a medal brushing away member 75 provided at the upstream end of the medal conveying path 73.

A medal containing path is formed by the inserted medal guide 71 and the conveying path 73. At the downstream end of the inserted medal guide 71, a sensor 77 is provided. By the sensor 77, the medal M which passes through the inserted medal guide 71 can be detected.

0037] The inserted medal guide 71 includes a medal selecting mechanism. That is, the inserted medal guide 71 is composed of a pair of guide frames 711 and 713, which support the both radial ends of the medal N indlyidually. Each of guide frames 711 and 713 is formed by piling three elongated plates with a narrower middle plate sandwiched by two other plates and disposed to one side so that a generally U-shape in section is formed to form a groove between the upper and lower plates. In FIG. 4A, the respective guide frames 711 and 713 are shown with the upper plates thereof being removed.

0038j FIG. 46 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 4A. As shown in FIG. 4B, the guide frames 711 and 713 are disposed opposite each other so that the opening sides of their grooves face to the other. The medal N is slidably supported at its both sides in the radial direction by the opposing grooves, and is guided along the longitudinal direction of the guide frames 711 and 713. It is to be noted that the groove is not necessarily formed in both guide frames 711 and 713. If the medal can be suitably supported,

S

it may be possible to form the groove in either one of the guide frames.

0039] Furthermore, in the embodiment explained above, although the inserted medal guide 71 is composed of a pair of the guide frames 711 and 713 which are respectively formed by three plates by piling them so that the shape in cross section thereof comes to be of a U-shape, the inserted medal guide 71 may be made by integrating the middle plate and lower plate of the respective guide frames 711 and 713 and covering the top surfaces of the guide frames with one upper plate (FIG. 4C) 0040] At least one guide frame (713) among the guide frames 711 and 713 has an elongated opening 711a formed along the direction to change the parallel distance from the other guide frame 711 keeping its parallel condition with respect to the guide frame 711, and a fixing screw 7llb for fixing the guide frame 711 is penetrated the elongated opening 711a.

By loosening the fixing screw 7llb, it allows the guide frame 711 to slidably move in the right and the left directions along the elongated opening 711a. With such structure, it comes to be possible to adjust, as desired, the width between the guide frames 711 and 713 in conformity to the width of the diametric direction of a coin to pass through the spacing therebetween.

0041] As a result, a medal M having a diameter less than the gap width between the lower plates of the guide frames 711 and 713 will drop without being guided by and along the inserted medal guide 71, even though the medal has been inserted in the medal insertion slot 43. The dropped medal N is received by a medal recovery tray 79 disposed below the inserted medal guide 71, to be recovered. This medal recovery tray 79 is fixed to the operation section 40 and the medals in the medal recovery tray 71 can be easily recovered by drawing out the operation section 40.

0042] In the respective guide frames 711 and 713, only the upstream ends in the side of the medal insertion slot 43 are supported by the operation section 40, and the guide frames 711 and 713 are fixed to the operation section 40 so that the downstream ends thereof will be positioned adjacent to and above the upstream end of the conveying path 73 when the operation section 40 is in a fully closed condition.

Accordingly, when the operation section 40 is drawn out, the inserted medal guide 71 will be drawn out together with the operation section 40 to the near side of the housing 10, and exposed away from the conveying path 73. Therefore, maintenance works such as a removing work to remove medals N when they have gotten stuck in the inserted medal guide 71 communicating to the medal insertion slot 43 and a cleaning work to clean up dirt such as dusts piled up in the opposing grooves of the medal guide 71 can be easily performed.

0043] The conveying path 73 is of an approximate U-shape in section in the conveying direction with the top surface thereof opened, and the medal N moves inside the conveying path 73. The medal N is guided to the inserted medal containing section 60 by the conveying path 73, to drop into it.

D044] The brushing away member 75 is arranged to face to the downstream end of the inserted medal guide 71 while the operation section 40 is in a totally closed condition so that the inserted medal N discharged out with sliding momentum from the downstream end of the inserted medal guide 71 can be dropped into the conveying path 73. As such, the medal N discharged from the inserted medal guide 71 is guided to the conveying path 73 by the medal brushing away member 75.

0045] A passage adjustment member 90 is arranged on the top surface of the operation section 40 and disposed at the end of the slope 47 communicating to the upstream end of the inserted medal guide 71 so that it forms the medal insertion slot 43. The medal insertion slot 43 is formed to accept the medal when the medal is flatly put on the slope 47 and slides thereon to be inserted in. The passage adjustment member 90 is disposed so that it covers over the end of the slope 47 with the lower end of its front flange being placed along the top surface of the slope 47.

0046] The passage adjustment member 90 is fixed to and supported by the operation section 40 through a fixing screw which penetrates an elongated opening 93 extending in the horizontal direction at the rear side end of the passage adjustment member 90. With this structure, the passage adjustment member 90 can slide to move in the right and the left directions along the elongated opening 93 by loosening the fixing screw 95.

0047] FIG. 5 is a front view of the passage adjustment member 90. As shown in FIG. 5, the front end portion of the passage adjustment member 90 has two slot-forming portions 9la and 91b, having cutouts in a rectangular shape formed adjacent to each other at the lower end portion thereof. The cutouts of the slot-forming portions 9la and 91b are formed so that their widths l and (2 are the same but the depths dl and d2 are different. The widths (1 and t2 of the cutouts are configured to have approximately the same length as the maximum diameter of the medal which can be used, and the depths dl and d2 of the cutouts are configured in response to the thickness of the medal which can be used.

0048] The medal insertion slot 43 is formed by moving to adjust the passage adjustment member 90 in the right or the left direction so that the slot-forming portion 91a or 9J.b is positioned in the given place. That is, the slot-forming portion 91a or 91b and the top surface of the slope 47 form side surfaces of the medal insertion slot 43. In the first place, either of the slot-forming portion 91a or 91b is positioned by glidingly moving the passage adjustment member along the top surface of the slope 47. The length of the slot formed by the slot-forming portion 91a or 91b is determined by the side wall 47a or 47b of the slope 47. As a result, a slit-like medal insertion slot 43 is formed at the end portion of the slope 47 by the selected cutout of the slot-forming portion and the end surface of the slope 47.

0049] Accordingly, by selecting either the slot-forming portion 91a or 91b, of which the depths of cutouts are different, the thickness of the medal which can pass through the medal insertion slot can be selected asdesired. That is, the thickness and the diameter of the medal N that can pass through the medal insertion slot 43 can be easily and voluntarily configured by only shifting to position the left side portion or right side portion of the slot-forming portion with respect to the medal insertion slot 43, in a state of any one of the slot-forming portions is set at the end portion of the slope 47.

0050) The passage adjustment member 90 is fixed by the fixing screw 95 after it has placed at the desired position as explained above. The fixing screw 95 to fix the passage adjustment member 90 is hided inside the housing 10 while the operation section is in the totally closed condition, and is exposed when the operation section 40 is drawn out.

Therefore, the thickness and the diameter of the medal which can be used in the game apparatus 1 can be accorrrnodated only when, such as when the maintenance works are performed, the operation section 40 is drawn out by an administrator of the game apparatus.

0051] According to the embodiment of the invention, as explained hereinbefore, the inserted-medal guide 71 can be exposed outside by drawing out the operation section 40.

Therefore, the administrator can easily do the maintenance work such as cleaning of the medal guide 71 and clearance of jamming.

0052] Further, the medal insertion slot 43 can be formed in conformity to the thickness and the diameter of the medal to be inserted. Accordingly, the thickness and the diameter of a medal which can be inserted in the medal insertion slot 43 can be easily configured and, therefore, use of unacceptable medals can be prevented.

0053] [Modified Embodiment] The above explanation is made as to a preferable embodiment according to the invention, the present invention is not limited to the above-explained embodiment, and thus the embodiment can be suitably modified to the extent that it does not depart from the spirit of the invention.

0054] For example, though the passage adjustment member has two slot-forming portions 9la and 91b in the shape of an elongated cutout in the embodiment explained above, it is not limited to such structure. Needles to say, the number of the slot-forming portion to be formed in the front end of the passage adjustment member may be three or more. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6A, the passage adjustment member 910 may have three slot-forming portions 911a, 911b, and 911c, each cutout corresponding to the thickness of three kinds of medals.

0055] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6B, the passage adjustment member 920 may have the slot-forming portions in the shape of elongated openings 921a, 921b, and 921c, the sizes of which correspond to the thicknesses of the medals.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6C, the passage adjustment member 930 can be formed to have the slot-forming portions 931a through 931d in the stair-like shape, each having a cutout with a different depth. According to the passage adjustment member 930, it is possible to adapt to four kinds of the medals with different thickness.

0056] Although the above-described embodiments are explained as an example in the case of medal game apparatuses to which the invention is adapted, the invention may be

I

adaptable to any game apparatus so long as the game starts by the insertion of a medal. Specifically, the invention can be adapted to various kinds of game apparatuses game apparatus used for a commercial use such as a slot game apparatus, a video game apparatus and the like.

0057] For example, FIG. 7A is an outline view of an example of a game apparatus 1200 for a commercial use, in which the present invention is adapted. With this game apparatus 1200 for a commercial use, a player can amuse oneself by commencing a game by inserting a medal in the medal insertion slot 1216 and operating push buttons 1212 or an operating stick 1214, with listening to game sounds outputted from speakers 1208 and watching game images displayed on a display 1206.

0058] The game apparatus 1200 for a commercial use, shown in FIG. 7A has a structure in which an operation section 1210 having a medal insertion slot 1216 formed by a passage adjustment member 1220 can be drawn out, the operation buttons 1212 and the operating stick 1220. The medal insertion slot 1216 is formed so as to accept a medal when it is vertically inserted in. In the case, the Inserted-medal guide (not shown) communicating to the medal insertion slot 1216 supports the medal from the rear and near sides and guides the medal to the inserted-medal containing section (not shown) 0059] As shown in FIG. 7B, the passage adjustment member 1220 has slot-forming portions 1220a, 1220b and 1220c, each having an elongated opening, sizes of which correspond to the thicknesses of three kinds of the medals. By glidingly moving the passage adjustment member 1220 in the right and the left directions of FIG. 7B, an opening suitable for the thickness of the medal to be used in this game apparatus can be adjusted.

Explanation of the Reference Numeral 0060) 1 medal game apparatus housing basement play section 310, 330 game board 311 display 313 discharge slot 315 movable flipper 331 rotating disc 33la, 33lb pin 350 win inlet section 351 slant surface 353 win inlet

370 game field

371 pusher plate 390 medal shooter operation section 41 medal pool 43 medal insertion slot payout outlet 47 slope supporting mechanism 51 supporting arm member 53 guide rail inserted medal containing section medal guide mechanism 71 inserted medal guide 711, 713 guide frame 73 conveying path medal brushing away member 77 sensor 79 medal recovery tray inserted medal conveying mechanism passage adjustment member 91a, 91b slot forming portion 93 elongated opening SE' play space medal

Claims

S

CLAIMS

1] A game apparatus comprising: a housing including a medal containing section arranged inside; and an operation section which is provided on the housing at a position higher than that of the medal containing section, and includes a medal insertion slot and a medal pool portion; wherein the apparatus has a structure to allow the operation section to be drawn out of the housing, and a medal containing route which leads to the medal containing section from the medal insertion slot, is fixed to the operation section, to expose when the operation section is drawn out of the housing.

2] The game apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operation section comprises an inserted medal guide one end of which communicates with the medal insertion slot and which has a gradually descending inclination from the one end toward the other end; the housing comprises a conveying path which has a gradually descending inclination from one end toward the other end which communicates with the medal containing section; the other end of the inserted medal guide is provided at a position higher than the one end of the conveying path, and the other end of the inserted medal guide is positioned above and near the one end of the conveying path when the operation section is in a fully closed position in the housing, and the inserted medal guide is separated from the conveying path when the operation section is drawn out of the housing.

3] The game apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the inserted medal guide comprises a medal selecting mechanism.

4] The game apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the medal selecting mechanism comprises a pair of rails, at least one of which has an opposing groove to support an end of a medal, and the medal is selected by the pair of rails in such a manner that the pair of rails allow only the medal that can be supported by them to slide downward, and other medals that can not be supported by them to drop from between the pair of rails.

5] The game apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the pair of the rails are arranged so that the width between the pair of the rails is adjustable.

6] The game apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1-5, further comprising a passage adjustment member having slot forming portions which includes a plurality of openings or cutouts corresponding to different thickness of medals, to be positioned, and each of the slot forming portions forming the medal insert slot.

7] The game apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the passage adjustment member has the slot forming portions formed adjacent to each other in a given direction, positioning of the slot forming portion being performed by 5liding the passage adjustment member in the given direction.

8] The game machine as claimed in claim 7, wherein a slope is formed on the top surface of the operation section to allow successive insertion of medals into the medal insert slot by their own weight; the slot forming portions comprises cutouts; the passage adjustment member is positioned by glidingly moving it along an end surface of the slope; and the medal insert slot is formed by the cutout of the passage adjustment member and the end surface of the slope.