JP2003265805A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that in a conventional game machine, shifting medals from a medal receiving tray to a medal container is inefficiently carried out by a player, holding the medal container with one hand and putting the medals into the medal container with the other hand, thus requiring a lot of time and effort. <P>SOLUTION: The upper edge of the outer periphery 21a of the medal receiving tray 21 is formed with a pair of notch portions 21a and 21b of an inverted trapezoid, spaced apart at a predetermined interval L at a depth h, respectively. Accordingly, the upper edge of the outer periphery 21a of the medal receiving tray 21 is formed with a protruded portion 21c with a width L and a height h between the notch portions 21b and 21b. One longitudinal side part of the upper edge 16c, which is bent into a substantially inverted U-shape, of the medal container 16 is hooked on the protruded portion 21c to hold the medal container 16 on the outer periphery 21a of the medal receiving tray 21. Therefore, the player can shift the medals from the medal receiving tray 21 to the medal container 16 with both hands without holding the medal container 16 for improved operating efficiency. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a game machine provided with a game medium tray for storing game media dispensed from inside the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a game machine of this type, there is a slot machine 1 shown in FIG.

In a conventional general slot machine 1, three display windows 3, 4, 5 are formed on a panel 2 in the front center, and three reels are behind each of these display windows 3, 4, 5. 6, 7, 8 are installed. A plurality of symbols are drawn on the outer circumference of each reel 6-8. When a player inserts a medal into the medal insertion slot 9 and operates the start lever 10, the reels 6 to 8 start rotating to start the game. While the reels 6 to 8 are rotating, symbols moving at high speed are observed in the display windows 3 to 5. When the player presses the stop buttons 11, 12, and 13, the reels 6, 7, and 8 are stopped and controlled in accordance with the operation timing. When the reels 6 to 8 are stopped and a predetermined symbol combination is aligned on the activated winning line, a prize is generated, and a predetermined number of medals are received from the medal payout opening 14 to the medal tray 15
Be paid out to. The medals that cannot be stored in the medal tray 15 are separately stored in a storage box 16 made of plastic shown in FIG. It

The housing box 16 generally has a rectangular bottom surface 16a and a peripheral side surface 1 which rises vertically from the periphery thereof.
6b, and the upper edge 16c of the peripheral side surface 16b is bent outward in a substantially inverted U shape. The width in the longitudinal direction of the storage box 16 is formed to be slightly narrower than the shoulder width of a general person, and handles 16d and the like are provided on both side surfaces of the storage box 16 for easy holding.

[0005]

However, in the conventional slot machine, when the medals are transferred from the medal tray 15 to the dollar box 16, the player holds the dollar box 16 with one hand and the other hand. I was going to scrape the medal into the dollar box 16. Since such medal transfer work is performed with one hand, it is inefficient and very time-consuming. In addition, the weight of the medal, an unexpected shock, or the like may cause the dollar box 16 supported by one hand to drop, causing the medal to be scattered on the floor. In order to avoid such a situation and transfer medals as efficiently as possible, hold the dollar box 16 between your groins to stabilize it.
There were some players who tried to scrape with both hands, but in any case it was annoying because they were forced into an unnatural posture.

[0006]

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and in a gaming machine provided with a game medium tray for storing a game medium dispensed from the inside of the device, the game medium tray is The upper edge of the outer edge is formed with a ridge having a predetermined width or a pair of notches separated by a predetermined distance.

According to this structure, the width of the protrusion formed on the upper edge of the outer edge of the game medium tray is set to a predetermined width narrower than the longitudinal width of the storage box, or a pair of By setting the distance between the cutouts so as to correspond to the width in the longitudinal direction of the storage box, the upper edge of the circumferential side surface in the longitudinal direction of the storage box bent in a substantially inverted U shape is projected. Or you can hook it between the notches.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the game medium tray is provided in the lower portion of the front surface of the device.

In this structure, the storage box held on the outer edge of the game medium tray is located on the knees of the player sitting in front of the game machine.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Next, an embodiment in which a gaming machine according to the present invention is applied to a slot machine will be described.

The slot machine according to the present embodiment is different from the conventional slot machine 1 shown in FIG. 1A in the structure of the medal tray, but other configurations are the same as the slot machine 1. Therefore, in the following description, the same or corresponding parts as those of the slot machine 1 described above are designated by the same reference numerals.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing the appearance of the medal tray 21 of the slot machine according to this embodiment. The medal tray 21 is provided along with the ashtray 22 in the lower part of the front surface of the main body of the slot machine, and stores the medals paid out from the medal payout opening 14.

A pair of inverted trapezoidal notches 21b, 21b are formed at a predetermined interval L at the upper end of the front portion of the outer edge 21a of the medal tray 21. This notch 21b, 21
The interval L of b is set corresponding to the longitudinal width of the dollar box 16 shown in FIG. 1 (b) described above, and in the present embodiment, is set to a dimension of L = 21 [cm]. . In addition, the notch depth h of the notch portion 21b is set in correspondence with the pocket depth of the upper edge 16c of the peripheral side surface 16b of the dollar box 16 bent in a substantially inverted U shape. In the embodiment, the dimension is set to h = 4 to 5 [mm]. That is, the medal tray 21 in this embodiment has the outer edge 21a.
The protrusion 21c having the width L and the height h is formed between the notches 21b, 21b at the upper end of the front part. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2B, one side portion in the longitudinal direction of the upper edge 16c of the dollar box 16 which is bent in a substantially inverted U shape is hooked on the protrusion 21c of the front edge of the medal tray 21. be able to.

FIG. 3 (a) is an enlarged plan view of the medal tray 21 on which the dollar box 16 is hung, and FIG. 3 (b) is an enlarged view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3 (a). As shown in (a) and (b) of the drawing, the protrusion 21c at the upper end of the front part of the outer edge 21a of the medal tray 21 is provided with an upper edge 16c of the dollar box 16 which is bent in a substantially inverted U shape. One side portion in the longitudinal direction is hooked, and the projecting portion 21c of the medal tray 21 and the upper edge 16c of the dollar box 16 which is bent in a substantially inverted U shape are engaged with each other to hold the dollar box 16 on the medal tray 21. Has been done.

According to the slot machine of the present embodiment, the distance L between the pair of notches 21b, 21b is set to correspond to the width of the dollar box 16 in the longitudinal direction. Of the dolly box 16 in which the ridge 21c is formed and is bent in a substantially inverted U shape.
The upper edge 16c can be hooked on this ridge 21c. Therefore, the player can hold the dollar box 16 on the outer edge 21a of the medal tray 21 without supporting it by hand. As a result, the player can transfer medals from the medal tray 21 to the dollar box 16 with both hands, and the work efficiency of the transfer is improved. Further, since the medal tray 21 can be easily configured by forming the notches 21b and 21b without making a large design change from the conventional medal tray 15, the manufacturing cost does not increase.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the medal tray 2
Since 1 is provided in the lower part of the front surface of the device body of the slot machine, the dollar box 16 held on the outer edge 21a of the medal tray 21 is located on the knees of the player who is seated in front of the slot machine. Therefore, even if the weight of the medal or the unexpected impact reaches the dollar box 16, the player can support the dollar box 16 without taking an unreasonable posture with his knees and drop the dollar box 16 to win the medal. There is no risk of scattering on the floor.

In the present embodiment, the notch portion is formed by forming a pair of notch portions 21b, 21b having a notch depth h at the front end upper end of the outer edge 21a of the medal tray 21 with a space L therebetween. Although the rib 21c is formed between the ribs 21b and 21b, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, at the upper end of the front part of the outer edge 121a of the medal tray 121, the protrusion 12 having a width L and a height h is formed.
1c itself may be simply formed. Even in such a configuration, the upper edge 16c of the peripheral side surface 16b of the dollar box 16 can be hooked on the protrusion 121c, and the same operation and effect as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

Further, although the case where the gaming machine according to the present invention is applied to the slot machine has been described in the present embodiment, the present invention has a gaming machine provided with a tray for storing the game medium dispensed from the device body, for example, a pachinko machine. It can also be applied to a ball game machine such as a pachinko machine equipped with a saucer for storing balls. Even in this case, the same operation and effect as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, the width of the protrusion formed on the upper edge of the outer edge of the game medium tray is set to a predetermined width narrower than the longitudinal width of the storage box. By this or by setting the distance between the pair of cutouts so as to be separated from each other in correspondence with the longitudinal width of the storage box, the circumferential side surface in the longitudinal direction of the storage box bent in a substantially inverted U shape. The upper edge can be hooked between the ridges or notches.
Therefore, the storage box can be held on the outer edge of the game medium tray without being manually supported by the player. As a result,
The player can transfer the game medium from the game medium tray to the storage box with both hands, and the work efficiency of the transfer is improved. Further, the game medium tray of the present invention can be easily and inexpensively constructed by forming the ridges or the notches without making a major design change from the conventional game medium tray.

Further, when the game medium tray is provided in the lower part of the front surface of the device, the storage box held at the outer edge of the game medium tray is located on the knees of the player sitting in front of the game machine. Therefore, even if the weight or unexpected impact of the game medium reaches the storage box, the storage box can be supported without taking an unreasonable posture with the player's knees, and the storage box is dropped to put the game medium on the floor. There is no risk of the light being scattered around.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing an appearance of a conventional general slot machine, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing an appearance of a general dollar box.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing a structure of a medal tray of the slot machine according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view when the dollar box is hooked on the medal tray.

FIG. 3A is an enlarged plan view of a medal tray on which a dollar box of the slot machine according to the embodiment of the present invention is hung, and FIG. 3B is an enlarged view taken along the line AA of FIG. Is.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another structure of the medal tray of the slot machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Slot machine 3,4,5 ... Reel 6, 7, 8 ... Display window 9 ... Medal slot 10 ... Start lever 11, 12, 13 ... Stop button 14 ... Medal payout exit 16 ... Dollar box (accommodation box) 16a ... the bottom of the dollar box 16b ... peripheral side of dollar box 16c ... upper edge of peripheral side surface 16b 16d ... handle 21, 121 ... medal saucer 21a, 121a ... Outer edge of medal tray 21b ... Notch 21c, 121c ... ridges

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A game machine provided with a game medium tray for storing a game medium dispensed from the inside of the device, wherein the game medium tray has a ridge portion having a predetermined width at a top end portion of an outer edge or a pair of cuts spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. A gaming machine having a cutout portion formed therein. 2. The game machine according to claim 1, wherein the game medium tray is provided in a lower portion of a front surface of the device. 3. The game machine according to claim 1, wherein the game machine is a slot machine or a ball game machine.
Gaming machine described in.