JP2004173705A - Panel opening/closing mechanism for game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a finger pinching or adverse effects when a panel is closed from occurring. <P>SOLUTION: A guide 41 is attached to a right front lower part of a box body 3, and at the same time, a roller 43 is rotatably attached to a right end lower part of a front surface panel 5. Then, the peripheral surface of the roller 43 is brought into slide-contact with the guide 41 during a period from right before the front surface panel 5 is closed to a closed state. In addition, the shaft of a rotary damper 45 as a cushioning means is integrally pivotally supported by the central shaft of the roller 43. Thus, a resisting force (braking force) is generated by the rotary damper 45 to the rotation of the roller 43 accompanying the slide-contact with the guide 41 when the front surface panel 5 is closed, and a cushioning force to the front surface panel 5 is generated. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a panel opening / closing mechanism for a game machine for attaching a panel, which is rotatably supported on one side to a game machine housing and closes a front surface of the housing, to the housing.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Generally, in a gaming machine such as a slot machine or a pachinko machine, one side of a panel large enough to cover the entire front surface is rotatably supported by a hinge in a box-shaped housing having an open front surface. The front surface is closed, and is locked so that it can be opened and closed by a lock unit.
[0003]
As a specific example of a panel in this type of gaming machine, there is a front door as described in Patent Document 1, for example.
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-6-254212 (page 2, FIG. 4-6)
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Meanwhile, on the front side of such a panel, various operation switches of the game, a display unit such as a display unit for displaying the number of medal payouts, a medal insertion slot, a medal tray, and the like are arranged. Since the fluorescent lamp that illuminates the panel from the inside and the LED for displaying the effective line corresponding to the number of inserted medals are arranged on the symbol display section on which the symbols of the three rotating reels are displayed, the weight of the panel itself is increased. Is very heavy.
[0006]
As a result, when the panel is opened for inspection, etc., and the panel is closed after the inspection, the momentum is given by the weight of the panel and the inspection worker pinches his finger between the panel and the housing. May occur. In addition, the impact of the vigorous closing of the panel can adversely affect the components attached to the panel.
[0007]
At this time, in order to make it easier to close the panel by using the weight of the panel, it is common to support the panel with a slight inclination in the case. The risk of finger stuffing being too high is very high.
[0008]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to prevent finger stuffing and adverse effects on panel components when a panel is closed.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a panel opening / closing mechanism for attaching a panel whose one side is rotatably supported by a gaming machine housing to close a front surface of the housing to the housing. It is characterized by comprising a buffer means for applying a buffering force to the panel when the panel rotates in the closing direction (claim 1).
[0010]
According to such a configuration, the cushioning means applies a cushioning force to the panel when the panel is rotated in the closing direction. As a result, the panel does not close vigorously, and it is possible to prevent a worker from squeezing a finger between the panel and the housing, and to prevent a part attached to the panel from being impacted when the panel vigorously closes. An adverse effect can be prevented beforehand.
[0011]
Furthermore, even when the panel is strongly closed, the shock can be reduced by the shock absorbing means, so that finger stuffing and adverse effects on panel components can be reliably prevented.
[0012]
The present invention also provides a guide body provided on one of the housing or the panel, and a guide body rotatably mounted on the other of the housing or the panel, from just before the panel is closed to a closed state. A roller having a surface slidably contacting the guide body, wherein the buffering means is provided integrally with the roller, and resists rotation of the roller accompanying sliding contact with the guide body when the panel is closed. And a buffering force for the panel is generated (claim 2).
[0013]
According to such a configuration, when the panel is closed, a resistance force is generated by the buffering means against the rotation caused by the sliding contact of the roller with the guide body, so that the momentum of the panel at the time of closing can be suppressed. It is thus possible to prevent finger stuffing and adverse effects on panel mounting parts.
[0014]
Further, according to the present invention, the panel is inclined and supported by the housing so as to be easily rotated in a closing direction by its own weight, and the guide body moves the other side of the panel upward when the panel is closed. It has a characteristic inclination (claim 3).
[0015]
According to such a configuration, when the panel is supported by the housing by being inclined so as to be easily rotated in the closing direction by its own weight, when the roller slides on the inclined guide body and rotates, the buffer means is provided. As a result, a resistance force is generated, so that the momentum of the panel at the time of closing can be effectively suppressed.
[0016]
Further, the present invention is characterized in that the guide body has gear teeth on a sliding contact surface of the roller, and the roller has gear teeth meshing with the guide body on a peripheral surface thereof ( Claim 4).
[0017]
According to such a configuration, the roller is reliably rotated in accordance with the sliding contact of the roller with the guide body, so that the buffering means provided integrally with the roller surely generates a resistance force against the roller to be closed. It is possible to suppress the momentum of the panel at the time of closing, and to prevent the stuffing of the fingers and the adverse effect on the panel attachment parts.
[0018]
Further, the present invention provides that the buffering means has a characteristic of changing its resistance to large or small with respect to a large or small rotation speed of the roller caused by sliding contact with the guide body. It is a feature (claim 5). At this time, it is preferable that the buffering means generates the resistance only when the panel is closed.
[0019]
According to such a configuration, even when the momentum of the panel at the time of closing is large and the rotation speed of the roller accompanying the sliding contact with the guide body is increased, the resistance generated by the buffer means is also increased, so that the momentum is surely increased. Can be suppressed, and adverse effects on finger stuffing and panel mounting components can be prevented.
[0020]
Furthermore, if the buffer means generates resistance only when the panel is closed, no resistance is generated by the buffer means even when the roller rotates when the panel is opened. It can be easily opened without disturbing opening.
[0021]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
One embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a slot machine which is a game machine will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 are front and side views of the slot machine, FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a part, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another part.
[0022]
The slot machine according to the present embodiment is configured as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, for example. That is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the slot machine 1, the front opening of the housing 3 is openably and closably closed by the front panel 5, and the operation plate 7 is provided at a position substantially at the center of the front panel 5. A front plate 9 is provided above the operation plate 7. At this time, the left end of the front panel 5 is rotatably supported by the housing 3 by the hinge, and the entire front surface of the housing 3 is covered and closed by the front panel 5.
[0023]
On the front plate 9, three reel windows 11 are juxtaposed, and left, middle and right rotating reels are arranged inside each reel window 11, and beside the reel window 11 on the right end, A liquid crystal display 13 for displaying a game effect screen is provided, and each reel window 11 is set so that three symbols on each reel can be seen.
[0024]
The operation plate 7 further includes a bet switch 15 for reducing the number of credited medals and replacing the inserted medals, a start lever 17 for starting rotation of each reel, and first to third stop switches 19. , 21 and 23, and a payout switch 27 for paying out the medal slot 25 and the stored medals. In addition, a pay line is drawn on the front panel 9, a valid display lamp 31 for displaying a valid line in the pay line, various effect display lamps 33 for displaying a state of a bonus game, and the number of credit medals. A medal number display 35 is provided on the front plate 9, and a medal payout port 37 and a medal receiver 39 are provided below the operation plate 7.
[0025]
By the way, as shown in FIG. 2, the front panel 5 is inclined and supported by the housing 3 so as to be easily rotated in the closing direction by its own weight. In order to perform the operation, the front panel 5 is supported by the housing 3 so that the front panel 5 in a substantially closed state is slightly shifted below the front opening of the housing 3.
[0026]
As described above, since the front panel 5 is supported by the housing 3 at an angle so as to be easily rotated in the closing direction by its own weight, when the front panel 5 opened for inspection or the like is closed, the front panel 5 is vibrated by its own weight. There is a possibility that the operator may close his / her finger tightly and the finger may be stuffed. In order to prevent such stuffing of the finger, in the present embodiment, the front panel 5 generates a resistance when it is rotated in the closing direction and generates A buffer means for providing a buffering force to the panel 5 is provided.
[0027]
That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the guide body 41 is attached to the lower right front portion of the housing 3, and the roller 43 is rotatably attached to the lower right end portion of the front panel 5. In the meantime, the peripheral surface of the roller 43 comes into sliding contact with the guide body 41. Here, the guide body 41 has an upward incline in the depth direction such that the right side of the front panel 5 is moved upward by sliding of the roller 43 when the front panel 5 is closed, and the guide body 41 is shifted downward from the housing 3. The front panel 5 is configured to move upward to securely close the front opening of the housing 3. Gear teeth are formed on the sliding surface of the roller 43 of the guide body 41, and gear teeth meshing with the teeth of the guide body 41 are formed on the peripheral surface of the roller 43. It is structured to be surely guided and rotated.
[0028]
The shaft of the rotary damper 45 as a buffering means is integrally pivotally supported by the center axis of the roller 43, and the rotary damper 45 rotates against the rotation of the roller 43 caused by the sliding contact with the guide body 41 when the front panel 5 is closed. As a result, a resistance force is generated, and a buffering force for the front panel 5 is generated.
[0029]
As the rotary damper 45, a one-way rotary damper FRN series manufactured by Fuji Latex Co., Ltd. can be used. The FRN series includes, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, a main body case K having a substantially concave cross section, a rotor R rotatably housed in the case K, and silicon oil filled in a gap inside the case K. And a cap C for closing the opening of the case K so as to prevent silicon oil from leaking. The shaft S of the rotor R, which extends to the outside through the cap C, is pivotally supported by the central axis of the roller 43. At this time, only when the rotor R rotates in one direction, the viscous resistance of the silicon oil in the case K acts to generate a braking force (resistance force).
[0030]
Further, the rotary damper 45 of the FRN series has a characteristic that its resistance changes to large or small with respect to the rotation speed of the roller 43 due to the sliding contact with the guide body 41, so that the resistance at the time of closing is Even if the momentum of the front panel 5 is large and the rotation speed of the roller 43 accompanying the sliding contact with the guide body 41 is increased, the resistance (braking force) generated by the rotary damper 45 is also increased, so that the front panel 5 is surely formed. Momentum at the time of closing can be suppressed.
[0031]
As described above, when the front panel 5 is closed, the rotary damper 45 is attached to the roller 43 so that the viscous resistance of the silicon oil acts on the rotation of the roller 43 due to the sliding contact with the guide body 41. When the panel 5 is closed, a buffering force against the front panel 5 is generated, so that the front panel 5 can be prevented from closing vigorously by its own weight. On the other hand, since the viscous resistance of the rotary damper 45 of the FRN series is unidirectional, no resistance occurs when the front panel 5 is opened, and the front panel 5 can be easily opened without disturbing the opening of the panel. When the front panel 5 is completely closed, a lock unit (not shown) is locked to the housing 3 so that the front panel 5 cannot be opened.
[0032]
Therefore, according to the above-described embodiment, the rotary damper 45 generates a resistance when the front panel 5 rotates in the closing direction, and a buffering force is applied to the front panel 45. Also, it is possible to prevent the worker from closing his finger between the front panel 5 and the housing 3 without violent closing. Further, even when the front panel 5 is strongly closed, the impact can be reliably reduced by the rotary damper 45.
[0033]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various changes other than those described above can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.
[0034]
For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a pair of gears G1 and G2 that mesh with each other are provided on the front panel 5 and the hinge side (left side) of the casing 3 supporting the front panel 5, respectively. A rotary damper 45 may be attached.
[0035]
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the guide body 41 is provided on the housing 3 side and the roller 43 is provided on the front panel 5 side has been described, but the guide body 41 is provided on the front panel 5 and the roller 43 is provided on the housing 3 side. Needless to say, it may be provided at
[0036]
In the above-described embodiment, gear-shaped teeth are formed on the guide body 41 and the roller 43. However, it is not particularly necessary to form such gear teeth. The configuration may be such that the friction of the sliding contact surface increases so as to make contact.
[0037]
Further, the buffering means is not limited to the rotary damper 45 described above, but may be any one that can generate a buffering force on the front panel when the front panel 5 is closed.
[0038]
In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a slot machine has been described. However, the present invention can be applied to other gaming machines such as a pachinko machine, and in that case, the same as each of the above-described embodiments is applied. The effect of can be obtained.
[0039]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the cushioning means applies a cushioning force to the panel when the panel is rotated in the closing direction, so that the panel does not close vigorously, and However, it is possible to prevent a finger from being packed between the panel and the housing, or to adversely affect panel mounting components due to the momentum when the panel is closed.
[0040]
Further, even when the panel is strongly closed, the shock can be reduced by the shock absorbing means.
[0041]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the panel is closed, a resistance force is generated by the buffering means against the rotation caused by the sliding contact of the roller with the guide body. Can be suppressed, and it is possible to prevent the stuffing of fingers and the adverse effect on the panel mounting parts.
[0042]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the panel is supported by the housing at an angle so as to be easily rotated in the closing direction by its own weight, the roller slides on the inclined guide body and rotates. At this time, since a resistance force is generated by the buffer means, it is possible to effectively suppress the momentum of the panel at the time of closing.
[0043]
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the roller is reliably rotated in accordance with the sliding contact of the roller with the guide body, the buffering means provided integrally with the roller ensures that the roller to be closed is prevented from closing. Resistance can be generated, and the momentum of the panel at the time of blockage can be suppressed to prevent finger jamming and adverse effects on panel mounting components.
[0044]
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the resistance to the rotation of the roller is gradually increased, the momentum of the panel at the time of closing can be surely suppressed. It is possible to prevent adverse effects on the vehicle.
[0045]
Further, when the cushioning means generates a resistance only when the panel is closed, even when the roller is rotated when the panel is opened, the resistance by the cushioning means is not generated even when the roller rotates. Opening can be easily performed without disturbing opening.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view of a slot machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the slot machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a partial schematic view of an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another part of the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a partial schematic view of another embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 slot machine (game machine)
3 Housing 5 Front panel 41 Guide body 43 Roller 45 Rotary damper (buffer)

Claims (6)

In a panel opening and closing mechanism for attaching a panel, which is rotatably supported on one side of the gaming machine housing and closes a front surface of the housing, to the housing,
A panel opening / closing mechanism for a gaming machine, comprising a buffering means for applying a buffering force to the panel when the panel rotates in a closing direction. A guide body provided on one of the housing or the panel and a peripheral surface of the guide body which is rotatably attached to the other of the housing or the panel from immediately before the panel is closed to a closed state. And a roller that comes into sliding contact,
The buffer means,
It is provided integrally with the roller, and generates a buffering force on the panel by generating a resistance against rotation of the roller due to sliding contact with the guide body when the panel is closed. The panel opening / closing mechanism for a gaming machine according to claim 1. The panel is supported by the housing while being inclined so as to be easily rotated in the closing direction by its own weight, and the guide body has an inclination to move the other side of the panel upward when the panel is closed. The panel opening / closing mechanism for a gaming machine according to claim 2. The said guide body has a gear tooth on the sliding contact surface of the said roller, and the said roller has the gear tooth which meshes with the said guide body on the peripheral surface, The said body is characterized by the above-mentioned. Panel opening / closing mechanism for gaming machines. 3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the buffering means has a characteristic of changing the resistance of the roller to large or small with respect to a large or small rotational speed of the roller caused by sliding contact with the guide body. A panel opening / closing mechanism for a gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4. 6. The panel opening / closing mechanism for a gaming machine according to claim 5, wherein the buffering means generates the resistance only when the panel is closed.

Images