JP2004167065A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game machine capable of reserving tokens on a token tray almost evenly without moving tokens on the token tray by hand. <P>SOLUTION: A game machine 10 comprises the token tray formed along a prescribed width on a front panel and a token put-out mechanism 50 formed so that tokens can be put out almost evenly along the almost whole width of the token tray. The token put-out mechanism 50 has an extensible token put-out conduit 54, having a token outlet 56 for putting out tokens on one end and inclined downward toward the token outlet 56, and a driving part 60 for driving the extension/contraction of the token put-out conduit 54. Tokens are put out from the token outlet 56 via an opening for token put-out. In addition, a shielding part for shielding the opening for token put-out except for a part where the token outlet 56 is located is mounted on the front panel. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a gaming machine using medals.
[0002]
BACKGROUND ART AND PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION
A gaming machine using medals, such as a slot machine, has a medal tray for storing medals paid out for winning or the like. A considerable number of medals can be stored in such a medal tray.
[0003]
However, in such a gaming machine, when a large amount of medals are paid out, medals accumulate in the vicinity of the medal payout opening, and there is room for accepting medals in other areas of the medal receiving tray. Nevertheless, the medal payout opening may be closed, causing an error. In order to prevent such errors and ensure that medals are paid out smoothly and that medals are stored almost evenly on the medal tray, the player usually places medals near the medal payout slot in other areas of the medal tray. It is moved by.
[0004]
However, such an operation is not directly related to the progress of the game, and is a complicated operation for the player. In such a moving operation, a large amount of medals are handled, which is a major cause of dirty hands.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a game in which medals can be stored almost uniformly on a medal tray without manually moving the medals on the medal tray. The machine.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
(1) A gaming machine according to the present invention is a gaming machine using medals, and includes a housing, a front panel located on a front surface of the housing, and a medal slot formed on the front panel and into which medals are inserted. And a medal receiving tray formed on the front panel over a predetermined width to store paid-out medals, and a medal payout mechanism formed so as to be able to pay out medals almost uniformly over substantially the entire width of the medal receiving tray.
According to the present invention, the medal payout mechanism can pay out medals almost uniformly over almost the entire width of the medal tray. Therefore, the medals can be stored almost uniformly on the medal tray without manually moving the medals on the medal tray.
[0007]
(2) Note that the medal payout mechanism may include a medal payout conduit formed at one end and having a medal payout port for paying out medals. Thereby, the medal payout port located at one end of the medal payout conduit formed so as to be extendable and retracted can be moved to a range over substantially the entire width of the medal tray, and the medal can be paid out almost uniformly over almost the entire width of the medal tray. .
[0008]
(3) In addition, the medal payout pipeline may be inclined downward toward the medal payout opening. In this way, the medal payout channel is inclined downward toward the medal payout port, so that the medals in the medal payout channel can be moved to the medal payout port by moving gravity without power. It becomes.
[0009]
(4) Alternatively, the medal payout mechanism may further include a drive unit that drives expansion and contraction of the medal payout conduit. This makes it possible to automatically expand and contract the medal payout channel by the drive unit and pay out medals almost uniformly over almost the entire width of the medal tray.
[0010]
(5) The gaming machine of the present invention may further include a hopper for sending medals to the medal payout mechanism.
[0011]
(6) The front panel includes a medal payout opening formed near the medal tray, the medal payout port pays out medals through the medal payout opening, and the front panel includes: The computer may further include a shielding unit that shields the medal payout opening other than the portion where the medal payout opening is located. In this way, by configuring the medal payout opening other than the portion where the medal payout opening is located by the shielding portion, the medal payout opening other than the portion where the medal payout opening is located. It is possible to prevent a foreign substance from entering from being hindered by the shielding portion, thereby preventing improper operation.
[0012]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to the drawings.
[0013]
1. <First embodiment>
[0014]
FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a slot machine 10 as a gaming machine of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic front view showing the slot machine 10 with the front panel 20 removed. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing the slot machine 10 with the side panel removed.
[0015]
The slot machine 10 of the present embodiment is a gaming machine that performs a game using medals. As shown in these figures, the slot machine 10 includes a housing 12, a rotating reel 80, a front panel 20, a hopper 40, and a medal payout mechanism 50. The housing 12 also includes a main board 14 on which main electronic circuits are mounted, and a sub-board 16 on which other electronic circuits are formed.
[0016]
The front panel 20 is located on the front surface of the housing 12 and includes a medal insertion slot 24, a medal receiving tray 28, a medal payout opening 32, and a shielding part 36. The medal payout opening 32 is formed in the vicinity of the medal tray 28 so that the medals flowing from the medal payout opening 32 enter the medal tray 28.
[0017]
The medal slot 24 is formed on the front panel 20 as described above, and medals for playing a game are inserted.
[0018]
The medal tray 28 is formed on the front panel 20 over a predetermined width. In the medal tray 28, the paid-out medals are stored.
[0019]
The medal payout mechanism 50 is formed so as to pay out medals almost uniformly over almost the entire width of the medal tray 28. Specifically, the medal payout mechanism 50 includes a medal payout pipeline 54 and a driving unit 60.
[0020]
The drive unit 60 includes, for example, a guide rail 62 and a moving member 64 having a pinion 65 that engages with a rack 63 formed on the guide rail 62. The pinion 65 is driven by a motor (not shown).
[0021]
The medal payout conduit 54 has a medal payout port 56 at one end for paying out medals, and is formed to be stretchable by a bellows-like structure, for example. Expansion and contraction of the medal payout conduit 54 is driven by the driving unit 60 described above. The medal payout port 56 pays out medals through the medal payout opening 32. With such a configuration, the medal payout port 56 located at one end of the medal payout conduit 54 formed to be extendable and retractable can be moved to a range over substantially the entire width of the medal tray 28. As a result, medals can be paid out almost uniformly over almost the entire width of the medal tray 28.
[0022]
Note that the medal payout pipeline 54 is inclined downward toward the medal payout opening 56. As described above, since the medal payout pipeline 54 is inclined downward toward the medal payout port 56, the medals in the medal payout pipe 54 are moved by gravity without power and moved to the medal payout port 56. It is possible to do.
[0023]
The shielding portion 36 is formed so as to cover the medal payout opening 32 other than the portion where the medal payout opening 56 is located. The shielding portion 36 is formed so as to expand and contract in conjunction with the movement of the medal payout opening 56. As described above, by configuring the medal payout opening 32 other than the portion where the medal payout opening 56 is located by the shielding portion 36, the medal other than the portion where the medal payout opening 56 is located. The blocking portion 36 prevents foreign matter from entering the payout opening 32. Thereby, it is possible to prevent fraud.
[0024]
The hopper 40 sends out medals to the medal payout mechanism 50 via the conduit 42.
[0025]
In the slot machine 10 according to the present embodiment, the operation of the medal payout mechanism 50 makes it possible to pay out medals almost uniformly over almost the entire width of the medal tray 28. Therefore, the medals can be stored almost uniformly on the medal tray 28 without manually moving the medals on the medal tray 28.
[0026]
2. <Modification>
[0027]
2.1 In the above-described embodiment, a gaming machine provided with a medal payout mechanism capable of paying out medals almost uniformly over the entire width of the medal tray in the medal tray located below the gaming machine has been described. However, a gaming machine having a medal tray in the middle of the height direction may have a medal payout mechanism that can pay out medals almost uniformly over the entire width of such a medal tray.
[0028]
2.2 In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the medal payout pipe 54 has a bellows-like structure so as to be able to expand and contract. However, the medal payout line only needs to be formed so as to be extendable and contractable. For example, as shown in FIG. Good [0029]
2.3 The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention or within the equivalent scope of the claims.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a slot machine as a gaming machine according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a schematic front view showing the slot machine with a front panel removed.
FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing the slot machine with a side panel removed.
FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a modified example of the medal payout pipeline.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 slot machines (game machines)
12 housing 20 front panel 24 medal slot 28 medal receiving tray 32 medal payout opening 36 shield part 50 medal payout mechanism 54 medal payout conduit 56 medal payout port 60 drive unit

Claims (6)

A gaming machine using a medal,
A housing;
A front panel located on the front of the housing,
A medal insertion slot formed in the front panel and into which a medal is inserted;
A medal tray formed on the front panel over a predetermined width to store paid-out medals;
A gaming machine having a medal payout mechanism formed so as to pay out medals substantially uniformly over substantially the entire width of the medal tray. The gaming machine according to claim 1,
The gaming machine, wherein the medal payout mechanism has a medal payout conduit formed at one end and having a medal payout port for paying out medals. The gaming machine according to claim 2,
A gaming machine, wherein the medal payout pipeline is inclined downward toward the medal payout opening. The gaming machine according to claim 2, wherein
The gaming machine, wherein the medal payout mechanism further includes a driving unit that drives expansion and contraction of the medal payout pipeline. The gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A gaming machine further comprising a hopper for sending medals to the medal payout mechanism. The gaming machine according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein
The front panel includes a medal payout opening formed near the medal tray,
The medal payout pays out medals through the medal payout opening,
The gaming machine, wherein the front panel further includes a shielding portion that shields the medal payout opening other than the portion where the medal payout opening is located.

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