JP2003340140A - Medal game device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce manufacturing and maintenance costs of a game device by integrating a supply passage of medals to medal hoppers in the game device having a plurality of medal hoppers. <P>SOLUTION: This medal game device has the plurality of medal hoppers 20 for discharging the medals 50, an upstream medal supply passage 24 for commonly passing the medals 50 supplied to the plurality of medal hoppers 20, a downstream medal supply passage 26 for guiding the medals 50 up to a medal hopper group 22 composed of at least one medal hopper 20 among the plurality of medal hoppers 20 from the upstream medal supply passage 24, a discharge counting means 35 for counting the discharge number of medals 50 from the respective medal hoppers 20, and a medal supply device 40 for supplying the medals 50 of the number counted by at least the discharge counting means 35 to the upstream medal supply passage 24. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,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 having a plurality of medal hoppers, and more particularly to a game machine having a part of a medal supply path to each medal hopper.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various game devices using medals have been provided. Among them, the so-called penny fall gaming machine exists. There are various variations of the penny fall gaming machine, but basically the following configuration is provided. A play field exists inside the housing, and an extrusion device that reciprocates on the play field is provided. The player throws the medal on the play field through a shooter that rolls and throws the medal. When the inserted medals enter a specific part on the play field, a predetermined number of medals are released to the play field from the medal hopper provided inside the casing as a bonus. As a result, medals inserted by the player and released from the medal hopper are accumulated on the play field. The accumulated medals are pushed out to the edge of the play field by the reciprocating motion of the pushing device. The pushed medals fall and are paid out to the player.

In the penny fall game machine as described above, the play field is divided into several parts, and the extrusion device, shooter and medal hopper are provided for each of them, so that a plurality of players can simultaneously execute the game. Many are possible. That is, in such a penny fall game machine, a plurality of medal hoppers are required.

Since the medal hopper always ejects medals as the game progresses, it is necessary to replenish the medals appropriately. Therefore, conventionally, a dedicated medal supply device has been required for each of the plurality of medal hoppers.

[0005]

However, when the medal supply device is provided for each of the plurality of medal devices, the mechanism becomes complicated and the cost for manufacturing the game device increases. In addition, since it is necessary to perform maintenance and inspection on each of the supply devices, the cost is likely to be high in this respect as well.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to reduce the cost relating to the manufacturing and maintenance of such a game machine by unifying the medal supply path to the medal hopper in a game machine having a plurality of medal hoppers. .

[0007]

In view of the above-mentioned problems, in the gaming device according to the present invention, a plurality of medal hoppers 20 for ejecting medals 50 and at least one medal hopper 20 among the plurality of medal hoppers 20 are provided. A plurality of medal hopper groups 22, an upstream medal supply path 24 through which the medals 50 supplied to the plurality of medal hoppers 20 commonly pass, and each medal hopper group 22 branched from the upstream medal supply path 24.
Downstream medal supply path 26 for guiding medals up to, a discharge counting means 35 for counting the number of medals discharged from each medal hopper 20, and at least the number of medals counted by the above-mentioned discharge counting means 35 for the upstream medal supply path 24. And a medal supply device 40 for supplying the medal.

According to the above construction, when the medals 50 are ejected from the medal hopper 20, the number of the medals 50 is counted by the ejection counting means 35. This counting is performed as the total number of medals discharged from each medal hopper 20. Then, the medal supply device 40 supplies the number of medals 50, which is not less than the counted number of medals to be discharged, to the upstream medal supply path 24.

The supplied medal 50 is an upstream medal supply path.
It goes through 24 and reaches either of the downstream medal supply paths 26. Here, it is desirable that the upstream medal supply path 24 is installed substantially vertically. Furthermore, each downstream medal supply path
It is desirable that 26 be formed in substantially the same duct shape. Further, it is desirable that each downstream medal supply path 26 diverges from the upstream medal supply path 24 at the same height position. With such a shape and arrangement, the medals 50 supplied to the upstream medal supply path 24 are provided in the respective downstream medal supply paths 26.
Can be expected to reach either of the above. In addition, the duct shape makes it possible to stack medals on the medal hopper 20.
50 will be regulated on the upper surface of the duct. As a result, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the medals are unlimitedly piled up on the medal hopper 20.

On the other hand, the supply position of the medals 50 from the medal supply device 40 to the upstream medal supply path 24 should be a position where the medals 50 preferentially drop to the downstream medal supply path 26 corresponding to one medal hopper group 22. May be. For example, the vertically installed upstream medal supply path 24 is divided into two downstream medal supply paths 26 to the left and right, and the medals 50 supplied from the medal supply device 40 are, for example, the left downstream medal supply path. It is possible to let it fall from above the origin of 20. By doing so, the medals 50 supplied from the medal supply device 40 are preferentially supplied to the downstream medal supply path 20 on the left side.

However, in this case, at least in the downstream medal supply path 26, medals are accumulated in advance to the branch position, and medals 50 are spilled from the downstream medal supply path 26 to another downstream medal supply path 26. Need to be kept. Then, the medal hopper group 22
When the medal 50 is consumed in the medal hopper group 22 corresponding to the medal 50 of the corresponding downstream medal supply path 26.
When the medals 50 are supplied, the medals 50 are almost restored to the original accumulation state. Also, other medal hoppers 22
When the medals 50 are consumed in, the medals 50 supplied by that amount fall once to the downstream medal supply path 26, but immediately spill to the other downstream medal supply path 26, resulting in other The medals 50 will be supplied to the medal hopper group 22.

Then, the medals 50 that have reached a certain downstream medal supply path 26 will eventually reach the medal hopper group 22 that is located downstream thereof and will be accumulated in the medal hoppers 20 belonging to the medal hopper group 22 and will be used for ejection. . In the present invention, it is desirable that the medal hopper group 22 includes at least two medal hoppers 20.

Here, the medal hoppers 20 belonging to each medal hopper group 22 are formed to have substantially the same shape, and the downstream medal supply path corresponding to the medal hopper group 22.
It is desirable to arrange symmetrically with respect to 26. With such a shape and arrangement, the medals 50 supplied to the downstream medal supply path 26 can be expected to reach any of the medal hoppers 20. At this time, for example, in a certain medal hopper 20, the medal reaches the lower end of the downstream medal supply path 26.
If 50 is accumulated, the probability that the medals 50 will reach the medal hoppers 20 other than the medal hopper 20 will be high.

Further, in the present invention, the medal hopper 20 is provided with a medal storage portion 21 having an open upper surface for temporarily storing the medals 50 to be ejected, and the medal hoppers 20 belonging to one medal hopper group 22 are adjacent medal hoppers. 20 and the medal accumulating portion 21 are installed so as to be in contact with each other on one side, and the downstream medal supply path 26 is provided with an adjacent medal hopper.
It is desirable that the medal storage portion 21 is formed so as to supply the medals 50 from the upper surface of the medal storage portion 21 to the medal storage portion 21 while straddling the boundary 21a of the medal storage portion 21.

With this structure, the symmetry of each medal hopper 20 with respect to the downstream medal supply path 26 is ensured.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, FIG. 1 is a front view (partial cross section) showing the supply path of the medals 50 in the medal game device 10 according to the present embodiment. Figure 2
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a supply path of medals 50 in the medal game device 10 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the supply path of the medals 50 in the medal game device 10 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the downstream medal supply path 26 and the medal storage section 21. FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram showing the medal game device 10 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 6 schematically shows the medal supply in the present embodiment.

(1) Structure of Supply Channel for Medal 50 In the medal game device 10 according to the present embodiment, the inside of the casing (not shown) is divided into four, each of which becomes a play field 11 (see FIG. 2). ing. As shown in FIG. 1, a medal hopper 20 and a video monitor 13 are installed for each play field 11. Also,
A medal supply path 23, which is a flow path for the medals 50 supplied to each medal hopper 20, is also provided.

In this embodiment, one medal game device 10 is provided with four medal hoppers 20. As shown in FIG. 3, the four medal hoppers 20 form one set with two sides contacting one side of the medal storage portion 21, and a medal hopper group 22 including the one medal hopper 20 is formed. It is provided on each of the left and right. Each medal hopper 20 ejects the medal 50 to the play field 11 through the medal ejection port 20a.

A medal supply path 23 to the medal hopper 20
As shown in cross section in FIG. 1, an upstream medal supply path 24 through which medals 50 reaching each medal hopper 20 pass in common, and a downstream medal supply path 26 branched from this upstream medal supply path 24 to each medal hopper group 22. It is divided into Downstream medal supply route
26 is formed in a duct shape, and the lower end portion thereof has a rectangular opening 26a. As shown in FIG. 4, the lower side of the opening 26a forms a right angle with the boundary 21a of the medal storage part 21 and has a width substantially equal to the width of two medal storage parts 21. In addition, the upper side of the opening 26a is the medal storage unit 2
It is located above the upper edge of 1. Further, the height of the branch line 25 that forms the boundary between the two downstream medal supply paths 26 is located above the upper side of the opening 26a.

[0020] Medals 50 supplied to each medal hopper 20
Are supplied to the upper end of the upstream medal supply path 24 by the medal supply device 40 installed below the play field 11.
The medal supply device 40 includes a medal hopper portion 41 that ejects the medal 50, and a rail portion 42 that guides the medal 50 to the upper end of the upstream medal supply path 24. In other words, the medals 50 ejected from the medal hopper section 41 are pushed up in order along the rail section 42 so as to rise, and drop one by one into the upstream medal supply path 24 at the upper end portion thereof.
The upper end portion of the rail portion 42 is installed at a position slightly leftward with respect to the center line of the upstream medal supply path 24. That is, the upper end portion of the rail portion 42 is located above the starting portion of the downstream medal supply path 26 on the left side.

The medals 50 supplied by the medal supply device 40 fall on the upstream medal supply path 24 and reach the branch line 25. And the downstream medal supply path on the left side
Fall preferentially to 26. (2) Function Block The functions of the medal game device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described below.
This will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.

The medal game device 10 has a built-in game control device 30 mainly composed of a CPU and having a ROM, a RAM and an I / O interface. Further, the game control device 30 is connected to a prize area 12, a video monitor 13, a medal hopper 20, and a medal supply device 40, which will be described later, through this I / O interface. The game control device 30,
According to the control program recorded in the ROM, it controls the game executed by the medal game device 10. In the process of this control, the following winning detection means 31, hit determination means 32,
It functions as the image control means 33, the emission control means 34, and the emission counting means 35.

(2-1) Winning Detecting Unit 31 A winning area 12 into which a medal 50 inserted through a shooter (not shown) can enter is provided at a predetermined position on each play field 11. In the winning area 12, a detection device for detecting the entered medal 50 is provided. The detection signal of the medal 50 from this detection device is input to the winning detection means 31 of the game control device 30 via the I / O interface.

(2-2) Winning determination means 32 When a detection signal of the medal 50 is input to the winning detection means 31, the winning determination means 32 executes a lottery. This lottery is performed using random numbers. The result of this lottery is divided into "hit" where the medal 50 is released from the medal hopper 20 to the play field 11 and "miss" where it is not.

(2-3) Image control means 33 The image control means 33 acquires image data corresponding to the lottery result of the hit determination means 32 from the ROM, and displays an image according to the image data on the video monitor 13 ( (See FIG. 1). (2-4) Release Control Means 34 When the lottery result of the hit determination means 32 is “win”, the release control means 34 activates the medal hopper 20 related to the play field 11 in which the prize is won, and sets the predetermined value. The number of medals 50 is released onto the play field 11.

(2-5) Emission counting means 35 Each time one medal 50 is ejected, the medal hopper 20 outputs an ejection signal for the medal 50.
The discharge counting means 35 counts the total number of discharged coins of the four medal hoppers 20. Then, the total number of discharged coins is totaled every predetermined time, and the number of medals 50 corresponding to the total is calculated.
Are supplied to the medal supply device 40. The medals 50 supplied by the medal supply device 40 are supplied to the upstream medal supply path 24 of the medal supply path 23. Replenished medals 50
As described above, it reaches any one of the medal storage parts 21 of each medal hopper 20, but if there is a medal hopper 20 in which medals 50 have accumulated to a certain extent and a medal hopper 20 in which medals 50 are insufficient, replenish The awarded medals 50 will naturally lead to the latter.

(3) Supply of Medals Next, the supply of medals in the present embodiment will be described with reference to the schematic diagram of FIG. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6A, before starting the game, the medals 50 are previously provided above the branch line 25 of the downstream medal supply path 26.
Is to be stored. That is, each downstream medal supply path 26 is filled with the medals 50.

As shown in FIG. 6B, when medals are discharged from the medal hopper 20 on the left side, the medals 50 decrease on the downstream medal supply path 26 on the left side. Here, the medals 50 reduced by this discharge are supplied by the medal supply device 40. However, as described above, in the upstream medal supply path 24, the supplied medals 50 are the branch lines 25. The left side falls toward you. Therefore, the dropped medals 50 are replenished to the downstream medal supply path 26 on the left side as they are, and as a result, the state shown in FIG. 6A is approached.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6C, when medals are discharged from the medal hopper 20 on the right side, the medals 50 decrease on the downstream medal supply path 26 on the right side. Here, the medals 50 reduced by this discharge are supplied by the medal supply device 40. However, as described above, in the upstream medal supply path 24, the supplied medals 50 are the branch lines 25. The left side falls toward you. Therefore, the dropped medals 50 once collide with the medals 50 accumulated on the left side medal supply path 26 on the left side, and collapse to the right side downstream medal supply path 26 by the supplied amount. That is, as a result, by supplying medals to the downstream medal supply path 26 on the right side, the state shown in FIG. 6A is approached.

[0030]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects. That is, according to the invention, in a gaming machine provided with a plurality of medal hoppers, by unifying the medal supply path to the medal hopper, it is possible to reduce the cost for manufacturing and maintaining such a gaming machine.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view (partial cross section) showing a medal supply path in a medal game device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a medal supply path in the medal game device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a medal supply path in the medal game device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a relationship between a downstream medal supply path and a medal storage section.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram showing a medal game device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the supply of medals in the medal game device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 medal game device 11 play field 12 Winning area 13 Video monitor 20 medal hopper 20a medal outlet 21 Medal storage area 21a Border 22 Medal hopper group 23 Medal supply path 24 Upstream medal supply channel 25 Branch line 26 Downstream medal supply path 26a Opening 30 Game control device 31 Winning detection means 32 hit determination means 33 image control means 34 Emission control means 35 Emission counting means 40 medal feeder 41 medal hopper 42 Rail 50 medals

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of medal hoppers for ejecting medals, a plurality of medal hopper groups each consisting of at least one medal hopper of the plurality of medal hoppers, and medals supplied to the plurality of medal hoppers pass in common. An upstream medal supply path, a downstream medal supply path that branches from the upstream medal supply path to guide medals to each medal hopper group, and an ejection counting unit that counts the number of ejected medals from each medal hopper; A medal game device comprising: a medal supply device that supplies the number of medals counted by the means to the upstream medal supply path. 2. The medal game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the medal hopper group includes at least two medal hoppers. 3. The medal hopper is provided with a medal hopper having an open upper surface for temporarily storing medals to be ejected, and the medal hoppers belonging to one medal hopper group are provided with an adjacent medal hopper on one side of each other. The downstream medal supply path is installed so as to be in contact with each other, and is formed so as to supply medals from the upper surface of the medal storage section to the same medal storage section across the boundary between the medal storage sections of the adjacent medal hoppers. The medal game device according to claim 2, wherein