JP2004195128A - Symbol display device for game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a symbol display device for a game machine by which a rendition effect to raise amusement for a player is sufficiently exhibited, and which is easily incorporated into a game machine. <P>SOLUTION: A first display body 19 displays a message in linkage with a second display body 20 through the use of a residual image by an LED 18. The first and second display bodies 19, 20 and a display body driving part 21 are made into a unit and attached to a support board 24. The support board 24 is incorporated into a slot machine 2, so that the symbol display device 14 is mounted on the slot machine 2. Driving forces from first and second driving motors 32, 33 are transmitted to first and second rotary axes 30, 31 via pulleys 42-45 and toothed belts 46, 47. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a gaming machine symbol display device including a plurality of display bodies for displaying symbols, driving means for driving these, and a drive shaft for transmitting the driving force of the driving means to the display bodies.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A game machine symbol display device for rotating a mechanical reel having symbols arranged on the outer periphery, or displaying a moving symbol on a CRT or a liquid crystal display panel to reproduce the rotation of the reel in a pseudo manner. There is. In addition, recently, in order to enhance the interest of the player with a novel effect, a device that displays a symbol using an afterimage phenomenon of a light emitting diode (LED) has been proposed (see Patent Documents 1 and 2). .
[0003]
On the other hand, there is a disk rotation type symbol display device that rotates a disk provided with symbols and stops the rotation at a predetermined timing, such as a roulette gaming machine. In the disk-rotating symbol display device, the presence or absence of a game prize is determined by the symbol indicated by the index. Further, the disk-rotating symbol display device is incorporated in a pachinko machine or a slot machine, and is used, for example, in a sub-game for determining the number of coins to be paid and a multiplier.
[0004]
Among the above-described disk rotating type symbol display devices, there is a device in which two disks having different outer diameters are arranged coaxially and these two disks are rotated. In this disk-rotating symbol display device, a motor and a motor are fixed to a disk composed of a disk portion provided with a symbol, a hub for fixing a drive shaft of the motor, and spokes extending from the hub. The supporting frames are integrated and are unitized as a large disk unit or a small disk unit.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-7-612 [Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-224265
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the symbol display devices described in Patent Literatures 1 and 2, since the symbols are displayed alone without displaying the symbols in cooperation with other display devices, the effect of producing the interest of the player is sufficient. Was not able to demonstrate. On the other hand, when a disk-rotating symbol display device is incorporated in a slot machine or the like, the space for incorporating the disk display symbol is limited, so the symbol display device itself must be compact. Further, it is necessary to align the small disk unit and the large disk unit, and there is a problem in workability when assembling.
[0007]
The present invention provides a variety of gorgeous effects, thereby fully exhibiting the effect of stimulating the interest of the player, and a symbol display for a game machine that can be easily incorporated into a game machine. It is intended to provide a device.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a game comprising: a plurality of displays for displaying symbols; a driving unit for driving the symbols; and a driving shaft for transmitting a driving force of the driving unit to the display. In the device symbol display device, at least one of the plurality of display bodies is provided with a light emitting display unit for displaying a symbol by using an afterimage phenomenon by a plurality of arranged light emitting elements, and each of the drive shafts has an outer diameter. Are formed to be different and hollow, and a plurality of display bodies are held coaxially by inserting a drive shaft having a small outer diameter through the hollow portion.
[0009]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
1, a reel group 10, a coin slot 11, an operation panel 12, a coin tray 13, a symbol display device 14, and the like are provided on a front surface of the slot machine 2. A start lever 15 is provided on a side surface of the slot machine 2. The reel group 10 has a configuration in which nine reels are arranged in a 3 × 3 matrix, and is provided with a total of eight winning lines indicated by an index 10a vertically, horizontally, and diagonally. On the front surface of the reel group 10, a front panel 17 having display windows 16 for the number of reels is arranged. Through this display window 16, three symbols on each reel are observed vertically.
[0010]
The operation panel 12 includes a bet button 12a, a payout button, and the like. When the number of coins to be bet is selected by operating the bet button 12a, a pay line to be activated is determined (for example, one pay line for one bet, eight pay lines for max bet). Enabled).
[0011]
The game is started by operating the start lever 15, and each reel is automatically stopped at a stop position sampled by a random number in advance. At this time, when a predetermined combination of symbols is arranged on the pay line or when the predetermined symbol stops on the pay line, a win is made, and coins corresponding to the type of the win are paid out to the coin tray 13.
[0012]
The symbol display device 14 operates to determine the number of coins to be paid out when a win is achieved in a free game (a game performed without inserting coins) that is played when the big trigger hand wins. . The symbol display device 14 includes a first display body 19 in which eight light-emitting diodes (LEDs) 18 are arranged in a line along a radius, and a payout number of coins (10 , 50, 100, 300, 500, 1000) on the outer periphery, and a display drive unit 21 for individually rotating these displays 19, 20 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). , And its front surface is covered with a glass door 22.
[0013]
The first display body 19 is rotationally driven by a first drive motor 32 (see FIG. 4) of the display body drive unit 21. Before the start of the free game, the second display 20 is stopped after being rotated by the second drive motor 33 (see FIG. 4) of the display drive 21 for a predetermined time. An indicator 23 is provided on the upper part of the second display 20. When the second display 20 is stopped, the number pointed by the index 23 is the coin payout number.
[0014]
The first display 19 displays a message suitable for a game situation by using an afterimage phenomenon by the LED 18. That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 2A, when the second display body 20 is rotating, a message such as “GO! GO!” Is displayed. Further, as shown in (B), when the second display body 20 is stopped and the number of coins to be paid is determined by the index 23, a message associated with the second display body 20, such as "1000 GOOD LUCK!" Display to excite the player's interest in the game. The rotation of the first display 19 may be stopped together with the stop of the second display 20. However, in this case, the display as shown in (B) is not performed.
[0015]
As shown in FIG. 3, the first display 19, the second display 20, and the display driver 21 are unitized and mounted on the support plate 24. By incorporating the support plate 24 inside the slot machine 2, the symbol display device 14 is attached to the slot machine 2. The outer diameter of the second display body 20 is formed larger than that of the first display body 19 so that the payout number of coins drawn on the outer periphery thereof does not overlap with the display of the message by the LED 18 of the first display body 19. ing.
[0016]
As shown in FIG. 4, the display drive unit 21 includes first and second rotation shafts 30 and 31, first and second drive motors 32 and 33, and a slip ring 34. The first and second rotating shafts 30 and 31 have a cylindrical shape in which hollow portions 30a and 31a are formed, and are fixed to openings 35a and 36a of the first and second display body flanges 35 and 36, respectively.
[0017]
The first and second display body flanges 35 and 36 are fixed to the back surfaces of the first and second display bodies 19 and 20 by screws or the like. The first display body flange 35 has a through hole 35b through which a harness 37 described later is inserted. A recess 36b is formed in the second display body flange 36, and a part of the first display body flange 35 is housed in the recess 36b.
[0018]
The first rotating shaft 30 is inserted through the hollow portion 31a of the second rotating shaft 31. The harness 37 is inserted through the hollow portion 30a of the first rotating shaft 30. The harness 37 includes, via a slip ring 34, a harness 38 connected to a CPU (not shown) that controls the entire operation of the slot machine 2, and a circuit board 39 on which a control circuit that drives and controls the LEDs 18 is mounted. Make an electrical connection.
[0019]
Bearing members 40 and 41 are attached to the second rotating shaft 31. The bearing members 40, 41 are provided with bearings 40a, 41a. The support plate 24 is held between the bearing members 40 and 41. With such a configuration, the first display body 19 and the second display body 20 are held coaxially.
[0020]
Pulleys 42 to 45 are attached to the first and second rotating shafts 30 and 31 and the first and second drive motors 32 and 33. Toothed belts 46 and 47 are wound around these pulleys 42 to 45. The driving force from the first and second drive motors 32 and 33 is transmitted to the first and second rotating shafts 30 and 31 via the pulleys 42 to 45 and the toothed belts 46 and 47. The first and second drive motors 32 and 33 are held by brackets 48 and 49 and fixed to the back surface of the support plate 24.
[0021]
Here, although not shown, a position detection sensor that detects the rotational position of the first and second display bodies 19 and 20 is attached to the pulleys 42 and 43. The position detection sensor attached to the second rotating shaft 31 detects a stop position of the second display body 20 and transmits a detection signal to the CPU. The CPU sets the number of coins to be paid according to the detection signal from the position detection sensor. In addition to this, a packing or the like for preventing dust from entering the hollow portion 31a is attached to the display body driving unit 21.
[0022]
With the above configuration, the display driver 21 can be collectively arranged on the back side of the support plate 24, and the symbol display device 14 can be compactly assembled. Further, since each member is unitized and assembled on the support plate 24 and the symbol display device 14 is incorporated into the slot machine 2 simply by attaching the support plate 24 to a predetermined position, the assembly can be easily performed. Performance can be improved.
[0023]
Note that the type and number of symbols arranged in the reel group 10 and the arrangement order and the number of winning lines can be appropriately changed in consideration of game characteristics. Further, a stop button for stopping the rotation of the reel may be provided on the operation panel 12, and the presence or absence of a hit may be determined by lottery before the game starts.
[0024]
The number of times the free game is executed may be set in advance, or a device for determining the number may be provided separately. Further, the trigger for shifting to the free game is not limited to the case where the big trigger combination of the above embodiment has won, but can be changed as appropriate. Further, as symbols drawn on the second display body 20, various symbols, patterns, characters, and the like can be used in addition to the numbers indicating the number of coins to be paid according to the above embodiment.
[0025]
In the above embodiment, the outer diameter of the second display 20 is formed to be larger than that of the first display 19, and the display of the number of coins to be paid by the second display 20 and the display of the message by the first display 19 are performed. However, the size and the material of the display body are not particularly limited. For example, the first display body 19 and the second display body 20 are the same size, and the first display body 19 is made of a transparent material such as acrylic. And the payout number of coins drawn on the second display 20 may be made observable through the first display 19. In the case where illumination is provided on the back side of the display, the display illuminated by the illumination is preferably formed of a transparent or translucent member. Furthermore, the number of display bodies is not limited to two, and can be changed as appropriate in consideration of game characteristics.
[0026]
The means for driving the first and second rotating shafts 30 and 31 is not limited to the toothed belts 46 and 47 of the above embodiment, and other means such as gears and chains can be used. Further, although the slip ring 34 is used as the rotary connector, any device that can supply or receive power to and from the fixed portion with respect to the rotating portion may be used, and a rotary connector, a rotary joint, and other similar devices may be used as specifications. It can be selected accordingly.
[0027]
In the above-described embodiment, an example in which eight LEDs 18 are arranged in one row has been described, but a plurality of LEDs 18 may be arranged in a plurality of rows or in a radial pattern. In this case, a more complicated and detailed message can be displayed, and a more vivid effect can be achieved by using LEDs of a plurality of colors. The symbols displayed using the LEDs are not limited to the messages of the above embodiment, and various characters and animations can be displayed by controlling the lighting patterns of the LEDs.
[0028]
The drive circuit and the control circuit of the LED 18 may be mounted on the circuit board 39 as one integrated circuit or may be separate. The location of the circuit board 39 is not limited to the back surface of the first display body 19 of the above embodiment, and is not particularly limited. Further, an optical fiber may be used for connection between the circuit board 39 and the CPU.
[0029]
Although the first display body 19 and the second display body 20 are formed in a disk shape, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a star-shaped or polygon-shaped display body in which LEDs are arranged may be used. Good. Further, if the afterimage phenomenon of the LED is obtained, it is not necessary to rotate the display body, and the normal rotation and the reverse rotation may be repeated within a predetermined angle range. Further, a symbol may be displayed by using a rod-shaped light-emitting display element in which LEDs are arranged and reciprocating the same in a predetermined angle range.
[0030]
In the above embodiment, the example in which the symbol display device 14 is incorporated in the slot machine 2 has been described. However, the symbol display device 14 can be similarly used for other gaming machines such as a roulette gaming machine and a pachinko gaming machine. Further, the symbol display device of the present invention may be used as one independent gaming machine.
[0031]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the gaming machine symbol display device of the present invention, at least one of the plurality of display bodies is provided with the light emitting display unit for displaying the symbols by using the afterimage phenomenon by the plurality of arranged light emitting elements. Since the drive shafts are provided so as to have different outer diameters and are formed in a hollow shape, and the drive shaft having a smaller outer diameter is inserted through the hollow portion, the plurality of display bodies are held coaxially. It is possible to sufficiently exhibit a staging effect that enhances the interest of the player, and to easily incorporate it into a gaming machine.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a slot machine embodying the present invention.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating examples of a message displayed using an afterimage phenomenon of an LED, wherein FIG. 2A illustrates a case where the second display is rotating, and FIG. 2B illustrates a case where the second display is stopped. Are shown below.
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the symbol display device.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a configuration of a symbol display device.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 Slot machine 10 Reel group 14 Symbol display device 18 Light emitting diode (LED)
19 First display body 20 Second display body 21 Display body drive unit 24 Support plate 30 First rotation shaft 31 Second rotation shaft 32 First drive motor 33 Second drive motor 34 Slip ring 35 First display body flange 36 2 display body flange 37 harness 40, 41 bearing member 40a, 41a bearing 42-45 pulley 46, 47 toothed belt

Claims (1)

In a gaming machine symbol display device including a plurality of display bodies for displaying symbols, a driving unit for driving these, and a drive shaft for transmitting a driving force of the driving unit to the display body,
At least one of the plurality of display bodies is provided with a light-emitting display unit that displays a symbol using an afterimage phenomenon caused by a plurality of arranged light-emitting elements,
The drive shafts are formed so as to have different outer diameters and are hollow, and the plurality of display bodies are held coaxially by inserting a drive shaft having a smaller outer diameter into the hollow portion. Symbol display device for gaming machines.

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