JP2002272908A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To smoothly take in game balls from an upper tray at high speed. SOLUTION: When a start button switch 8 is operated, a stepping motor 404 is normally driven by a driving control part 400 to start the rotation of a rotation body 403. Game balls falling of their own weight from an inlet 301 of an upper tray are directly received in order by a recessed part 403a of the rotation body 403 positioned in a ball receiving position, in association with the normal rotation of the rotation body 403, and led into a first discharge position where the game balls fall from the recessed part 403a onto a discharge trough 50. When the number of game balls detected by a game ball sensor 405 exceeds the set number of bet, the normal driving of the stepping motor 404 is stopped by the driving control part 400.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a gaming machine for playing a slot machine using a game ball as a game medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a gaming machine for playing a slot machine using a game ball as a game medium. In each game with such a gaming machine, the game can be started only after the number of bets (for example, 5, 10, 15) is set, and when 5 is set as the number of bets, The display indicating the number 5 of the bet amount display 601 as shown in FIG. 6 is turned on, and one display line (thin fluorescent tube) related to this display is set to the active line as shown in FIG. , And the symbol combination related to this activated line is a winning combination target.

[0003] When 10 is set as the bet amount, the display units 5 and 10 of the bet amount display unit 601 as shown in FIG. The display line is turned on as an active line as shown in FIG. 7 (b), and the symbol combinations related to these active lines are to be won.

[0004] Further, when 15 is set as the bet amount, the bet amount display section 601 shown in FIG.
The display portions indicating 0 and 15 are respectively turned on, and five display lines related to these display portions are shown in FIG.
As shown in (c), the line is turned on as an active line, and the symbol combinations related to these active lines are to be won.

On the other hand, when the number of bets is set, a number of game balls corresponding to the number of bets are taken in from the upper plate by the game ball taking-in device. FIG. 8 shows an example of such an apparatus.

The game ball taking-in device and the upper plate are communicated with each other through an entrance 844. The game balls on the upper plate sequentially flow into the passage 846 through the entrance 844, and the game balls immediately before being sent out are placed on the upper plate. It is locked by the ball stopper 855 of the ball feeder 853.

In this state, the electromagnetic solenoid 868 is turned on.
In this case, the vertical piece 863 is pushed by the rod 869, the engagement between the reverse rotation preventing piece 866 and the regulation pin of the ball feeder 853 is released, and the electromagnetic force is adjusted according to the number of game balls sent to the outlet 845. The timing at which the solenoid 868 is turned off is controlled.

Every time the ball feeder 853 rotates 180 degrees,
Since five game balls are sent out at a time, for example, when five game balls are sent out, the electromagnetic solenoid 868 is turned on, and the rotation preventing piece 866 and the ball feeder 853 are restricted. Immediately after the engagement with the pin is released, the electromagnetic solenoid 868 is turned off, and the reverse rotation preventing piece 866 engages with another restriction pin when the ball feeder 853 rotates 180 degrees.

[0009]

However, the passage 846 for guiding and aligning the upper game ball to the ball feeder 853 becomes dirty due to the ball dirt as the game ball is sent out. Since the movement of the game ball in the passage 846 may be deteriorated, it is necessary to periodically clean the passage 846 of each gaming machine for dirt.

In this game ball capturing device, the opening and closing piece 8
71 is manually retracted from the ball return port 870, and the ball return port 8
Since the game ball is dropped by its own weight from 70 and pulled out, there is naturally a limit in shortening the time required for ball removal, and it has been difficult to further shorten it.

Further, when the number of game balls per unit is to be changed, it is necessary to change the arrangement of the regulating pins of the ball feeder 853 in accordance with the number of game balls per unit.
However, for example, when the number of game balls per unit is to be changed to two, interference between the regulating pin and the reverse rotation prevention piece 866 is inevitable, and such a ball sending mechanism cannot be adopted.

An object of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine which solves the above problems.

[0013]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gaming machine for playing a slot machine using a game ball as a game medium, an alignment section for aligning the stored game balls, An upper plate having an intake for taking in the game balls aligned by the alignment portion as a betting ball, and a rotating body having a same-shaped ball receiving portion disposed at an equal angular interval on a peripheral edge portion; Each ball receiving portion receives a game ball from the intake of the upper plate at the ball receiving position, and guides the received game ball to either the first discharge position or the second discharge position; A discharge gutter for guiding the game balls discharged at the first discharge position to the discharge port, a return gutter for guiding the game balls discharged at the second discharge position to the lower plate, and stepping for driving the rotating body Motor, betting number setting means for setting the number of bets, and instruction to remove balls Ball removing instruction means for counting, counting means for counting the number of game balls received by the ball receiving portion of the rotating body from the ball receiving position to before the first discharge position, and taking in the game balls. Ball taking instructing means for instructing, and responding to the instruction by the ball taking instructing means, until the number of game balls counted by the counting means exceeds the bet number set by the bet number setting means. And a drive control means for rotating the stepping motor in the normal direction and, in response to an instruction from the ball removing instruction means, for reversely rotating the stepping motor until all game balls are removed.

In the first aspect, the bet amount setting means may be a slide switch having a selected position corresponding to the bet amount.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of a gaming machine for playing a slot machine using a game ball as a game medium, and its appearance is shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a bet amount setting slide switch for setting a bet amount, which has three selection positions.
For example, five, ten, and fifteen bets are placed on one of the selected positions.
The number of game balls corresponds to each other. Reference numeral 2 denotes a take-in lever switch for instructing to take in the game balls on the upper plate 3 by the number set by the bet number setting slide switch 1. Reference numerals 4 and 5 denote capture button switches, which have the same function as the capture lever switch 2 and instruct the capture of the number of game balls set by the bet number setting slide switch 1.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a line display device, which has a line indicator light 61 and a display line (thin fluorescent tube) 62. The line indicator light 61 is a line corresponding to the bet number set by the bet amount setting slide switch 1. Only the indicator light is turned on, and only the active line corresponding to the bet number is turned on on the display line 62. Reference numeral 7 denotes a variable display device, which starts a variable display when a player operates a start button switch 8 and stops the variable display when a player operates a stop button switch 9.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a return button switch for instructing return of a game ball. Reference numeral 11 denotes a lower plate for storing returned game balls.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the upper plate 3 of FIG. FIG.
1 and 3 indicate the same parts as in FIG. Reference numeral 301 denotes an intake for taking in the game balls stored in the upper plate 3. Reference numeral 302 denotes an alignment unit for aligning the game balls stored in the upper plate 3 near the inlet 301.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show the distribution device 40. FIG. 4 and 5, reference numerals 301 and 302 denote the same parts as in FIG. The distributing device 40 has a vertically elongated trough 401,
402, the gutters 401, 402 and the intake port 301 are in communication with each other, and the rotating body 4 is located immediately below the intake port 301.
03 is provided rotatably. In the rotating body 403, recesses 403a of the same shape are arranged at equal angular intervals on the periphery of the disk. 404, a stepping motor;
It is for driving.

Reference numeral 50 denotes a discharge gutter having an entrance facing the exit of the gutter 401, and for guiding game balls dropped from the concave notch 401a of the rotating body 403 to the discharge gutter. The position at which the game ball falls off from the concave notch 401a is determined by the first position.
Discharge position. A game ball sensor 405 detects a game ball just before the first discharge position. Reference numeral 51 denotes a return gutter whose entrance faces the outlet of the gutter 402 and which holds the game balls dropped from the concave notch 401a of the rotating body 403 to the lower plate 1
1 (FIG. 2). The position at which the game ball falls off from the concave portion 401a is referred to as a second discharge position.

Referring to FIG. 1, the same parts as those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals. A variable display control unit 70 controls the variable display of the variable display device 7. Reference numeral 60 denotes a line display control unit which controls the display of the line display device 6 based on the number of bets. Reference numeral 80 denotes a prize ball payout control unit, which controls a prize ball payout device 81 that pays out a prize ball.

A main control unit 100 includes a CPU 101
, A ROM 102, and a RAM 103.
02 is a control program stored in the CPU 101.
Controls each part of the gaming machine according to a control program of the ROM 102, and the RAM 103 is used as a work area of the CPU 101. The main control section 100 counts the number of game balls received by the concave portion 401a of the rotating body 403 in cooperation with the game ball sensor 405. Reference numeral 400 denotes a drive control unit, which rotates the stepping motor 404 forward until the counted number of game balls exceeds the number of bets set by the bet number setting slide switch 1, and returns the ball by the return button switch 10. The driving of the stepping motor 404 is started in response to the instruction,
The drive of the stepping motor 404 is stopped when a predetermined time has elapsed after the game ball is no longer detected by the game ball sensor 505 disposed on the return gutter 51.

Since the gaming machine is constructed as described above, when a game ball is supplied to the upper plate 3 by a player or from a ball lending device, the game ball on the upper plate 3 flows toward the intake port 301, After being aligned by the aligning portion 302 in front of the intake port 301, it falls by its own weight from the intake port 301. The first game ball that has dropped by its own weight is directly received by the concave notch 403a of the rotating body 403 located at a position (ball receiving position) facing the intake port 301, and the received game ball in the axial direction of the rotating body 403 of the rotating game ball. The displacement is regulated by the inner wall of the device facing the rotating body 403. Further, the received game ball is pressed by the subsequent game ball, and the game ball has no play.

In this state, when the player operates one of the capture lever switch 2 and the capture button switches 4 and 5, the number of captures set in advance by the selection lever switch 1, for example, , 10 (see FIG. 2) are set in the counter. And the drive control unit 4
00 drives the stepping motor 404 forward,
The normal rotation of the rotating body 403 is started.

The concave portion 403 that receives the game ball at the ball receiving position
When the game ball deviates from the ball receiving position, the pressing of this game ball by the subsequent game ball is removed, and with the normal rotation of the rotating body 403, the game ball rolls and comes into contact with the inner wall of the gutter 401 in the first position.
It is guided to the discharge position, falls off from the concave notch 403a at this position, and falls into the discharge gutter 50.

On the other hand, following the forward rotation of the rotating body 403, subsequent game balls from the intake port 301 are sequentially received by the respective recessed portions 403a located at the ball receiving positions.

Each time a game ball is detected by the game ball sensor 405, the counter is incremented by one, and when the number of detected game balls exceeds the set bet number, the drive control unit 400 The normal rotation drive of the stepping motor 404 is stopped.

Since the game ball sensor 405 is disposed before the first discharge position where the game ball drops from the concave notch 403a, the game ball falls to the discharge gutter 50 before the forward rotation of the stepping motor 404 is stopped. The number of played balls
In this example, it is 10. That is, when the forward drive of the stepping motor 404 is stopped, the game ball sensor 4
The game ball detected as the eleventh game ball by 05 does not fall off from the concave notch 403a.

The next bet number to be set is also 10
In this case, the player does not need to operate the bet number set slide switch 1 again,
Or one of the capture button switches 4 and 5 may be operated.

On the other hand, when the return button switch 10 is operated by the player to instruct the ball return, the drive control unit 400 starts the reverse rotation driving of the rotating body 403 in response to the instruction.

If the state of the game ball when the return button switch 10 is operated is, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the concave notch 4
The three game balls inserted into 03a are guided to the second discharge position against the pressing of the game balls from the intake port 301 of the upper plate 3. In the meantime, every time the empty concave notch 403a is located in the ball receiving portion, the game balls from the intake port 301 are sequentially received by the empty concave notch 403a and guided to the second discharge position. Then, the game ball guided to the second discharge position falls from the concave notch 403a and returns to the gutter 51.

The game ball sensor 5 disposed on the gutter 51
When a predetermined time elapses after the game ball is no longer detected in step 05, the drive control unit 400 controls the rotating body 403
Is stopped.

[0035]

As described above, according to the present invention,
With the above configuration, it is possible to smoothly take in the game ball from the upper plate at a higher speed.

Further, according to the present invention, since the above-described configuration is employed, the ball can be removed at a higher speed.

Further, according to the present invention, since the above-described configuration is employed, it is possible to flexibly cope with a change in the number of game balls per unit.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the gaming machine according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state in which game balls on an upper plate 3 are aligned by an alignment unit 302 in front of an intake port 301.

FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway view showing the distribution device 40.

FIG. 5 is a cutaway view showing the distribution device 40 of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a bet amount display unit 601.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the relationship between the number of bets and an activated line.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a conventional example of a game ball capturing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 bet amount setting slide switch 2 take-in lever switch 3 upper plate 4,5 take-in button switch 6 line display device 7 variable display device 8 start button switch 9 stop button switch 10 return button switch 11 lower plate 40 distribution device 50 discharge Gutter 51 return gutter 60 line display controller 61 line indicator light 62 display line 70 variable display controller 80 prize ball payout controller 81 prize ball payout device 100 main controller 101 CPU 102 ROM 103 RAM 301 intake 302 alignment unit 403 Rotating body 400 Drive control unit 401, 402 Gutter 403 Rotating unit 403a Concave notch 404 Stepping motor 405, 505 Game ball sensor

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A game machine for playing a slot machine using a game ball as a game medium, comprising: an alignment section for aligning stored game balls; and a betting ball for the game balls arranged by the alignment section. An upper plate having an inlet for taking in as a ball, and a rotating body having the same-shaped ball receiving portions arranged at equal angular intervals on a peripheral portion, and each ball receiving portion of the rotating body is located at a ball receiving position. Ball distribution means for receiving game balls from the inlet of the upper plate and guiding the received game balls to either a first discharge position or a second discharge position; and a game ball discharged at the first discharge position. A discharge gutter for guiding to the discharge port; a return gutter for guiding the game balls discharged at the second discharge position to the lower plate; a stepping motor for driving the rotating body; a bet for setting the number of bets Number setting means; ball-pulling instruction means for instructing ball-pulling; Counting means for counting the number of game balls received by the ball receiving portion of the rotating body from the ball receiving position to the position before the first discharge position; and ball taking instructing means for instructing to take in game balls. In response to the instruction by the ball take-in instruction means, the stepping motor is rotated forward until the number of game balls counted by the counting means exceeds the bet number set by the bet number setting means, A game machine comprising: a drive control unit that reverses the stepping motor until all game balls are removed in response to an instruction from the ball removal instruction unit. 2. A gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein said bet amount setting means is a slide switch having a selected position corresponding to the bet amount.