JP2004223172A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid crystal display mounting structure which protects the liquid crystal display installed on the front door of a game machine from being easily broken with the opening or closing of the front door. <P>SOLUTION: A liquid crystal unit 51 has two pairs of protrusion parts 51A on the side thereof and the protrusion parts 51A are covered with the first buffer member 54. The liquid crystal unit 51 with the first buffer member 54 thereon is fitted into a frame body 31 as a component of a door 3. A transparent member 53 has the corners thereof 53 covered with the second buffer member 55. The transparent member 53 with the second buffer member 55 thereon is disposed on the front of the liquid crystal unit 51 with the first buffer member 54 thereon and the frame body 31 is clamped with a cover 52 to elastically support the liquid crystal unit 51 and the transparent member 53. Thus, the energy by the impact forces as caused when the door 3 is opened or closed can be absorbed by the buffer members to ease the transmission thereof to the liquid crystal unit. This constitution can prevent the breakage of the liquid crystal unit. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a gaming machine including a liquid crystal unit.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, gaming machines such as pachinko machines and slot gaming machines have become popular, and various types of gaming machines have been developed by each gaming machine manufacturer.
[0003]
Such a gaming machine is provided with a display unit in its housing, and various images such as an image showing the contents of the game and an image for performing an effect are displayed on the display unit. Thus, the display unit of the gaming machine is indispensable for the gaming machine.
[0004]
As the display unit, various liquid crystal displays such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display using a cathode ray tube, a super-twisted transistor (STN) method, and a thin film transistor (TFT) method are used. Since the above-mentioned display is mounted in a convex shape inside the housing of the gaming machine, a thin liquid crystal display is mainly used to secure a component mounting space in the gaming machine (see, for example, Patent Document 1). .
[0005]
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a conventional display unit in the slot game machine.
[0006]
Details of the conventional display unit 80 in the slot game machine will be described with reference to FIG.
[0007]
The front door is provided with a display unit 80, and various effect images are displayed.
[0008]
The display unit 80 includes a touch panel 81 that detects a coordinate position touched by a player, and a pattern sheet 83 in which various patterns are printed on a transparent film material on the inner surface side of a transparent acrylic plate 82 that is a protective cover. A liquid crystal display device 84 composed of a transparent liquid crystal display device such as ITO is laminated on the frame 8A.
[0009]
Further, above and below the liquid crystal display device 84, a liquid crystal backlight 84A serving as a lighting device as a backlight of the liquid crystal display device 84 is provided. Further, the liquid crystal backlight 84A is controlled to be lit when power is supplied. For this reason, the liquid crystal backlight 84A is always driven at the time of power supply so that the image displayed on the liquid crystal display device 84 can be clearly seen by the player. The liquid crystal backlight 84A mainly employs a cold cathode tube.
[0010]
Furthermore, a symbol illumination lamp 85 that functions as an illumination device that illuminates the symbol on the reel 91 is provided on the upper and lower portions on the inner surface side of the display unit 80. The symbol illumination lamp 85 is controlled to light up when power is supplied. For this reason, it is possible to make the symbol clearly visible by always driving the symbol illumination lamp 85.
[0011]
As an action of each display element, the symbol drawn on the pattern sheet 83 is always visible to the player regardless of the effect control state of the slot game machine. The liquid crystal display device 84 is a display area for image effects such as jackpot effects and various notice effects.
[0012]
Further, a lamp housing 92 mounted with a reel back lamp is provided in the vicinity of the front surface of the reel 91.
[0013]
Furthermore, in recent years, large-scale liquid crystal displays have become mass-produced, and with this large-sized liquid crystal display, not only can the game score and performance be displayed in an auxiliary manner, but instead of symbol display with a mechanical reel, It has become possible to display a combination of symbols that is the center of the game.
[0014]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2002-272903 A (see FIG. 1)
[0015]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Such a display unit is arranged at a position that is most easily seen by a player among gaming machines. For example, in the case of a general slot machine, a display unit is installed at the front door closest to the player. There are many.
[0016]
However, a liquid crystal display is obtained by sandwiching an electrode or a liquid crystal film between thin plates such as glass, and is weak against twisting or distortion. When such a force is applied, the liquid crystal display is easily broken.
[0017]
Since the liquid crystal display device 84 shown in FIG. 5 is not as thick as the proportion of the display area, the twisting and distortion forces applied to the liquid crystal display device 84 need to be considered in particular.
[0018]
On the other hand, the front door of the gaming machine has a flat structure in which a display unit, a control unit thereof, an operation unit and a panel of the gaming machine are installed on a frame body that is attached to the main body housing by a hinge mechanism. When the front door is opened, the shape of the front door tends to be twisted or distorted due to the weight of the front door itself or external force.
[0019]
Moreover, the front door is frequently opened and closed for normal maintenance such as setting the operation of the gaming machine or taking out medals accumulated inside, and when the front door having a considerable weight is opened and closed The impact force is transmitted not only to the housing of the gaming machine but also to the front door itself. And when the display part installed in the front door was a liquid crystal display, there existed a problem that it would be easily damaged.
[0020]
The liquid crystal display device 84 shown in FIG. 5 has a display surface of, for example, 20 inches, and it is necessary to consider the impact force as such a large display area. It must be in view.
[0021]
The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display mounting structure in which a liquid crystal display installed on a front door of a gaming machine is not easily damaged by opening and closing of the front door. And
[0022]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
More specifically, the present invention provides the following.
[0023]
(1) A liquid crystal unit having at least one protrusion on a side surface, at least one first buffer member covering the protrusion of the liquid crystal unit, and a frame holding the liquid crystal unit And a gaming machine characterized by having a door equipped with.
[0024]
According to the invention of (1), “a liquid crystal unit having at least one protrusion on a side surface, at least one first buffer member covering the protrusion of the liquid crystal unit, and the liquid crystal unit” And the frame body holding the door ”, the energy due to the impact force when opening and closing the door is absorbed by the first buffer member and can be mitigated from being transmitted to the liquid crystal unit. Then, the liquid crystal unit is prevented from being damaged. Further, the first buffer member can absorb the error in manufacturing the liquid crystal unit or the frame and can be assembled.
[0025]
(2) The gaming machine according to (1), wherein the frame has a side surface for forming a recess for fitting the liquid crystal unit.
[0026]
According to the invention of (2), since “the frame has a side surface for forming a recess for fitting the liquid crystal unit”, the liquid crystal unit is simply fitted into the frame from the front surface of the door. It is easy to assemble, and it is not necessary to fasten the components with screws or the like.
[0027]
(3) The gaming machine according to (2), wherein a hole for holding the first buffer member is formed in the side surface of the frame.
[0028]
According to the invention of (3), since “a hole for holding the first buffer member is formed in the side surface of the frame body”, the liquid crystal unit is fitted into the frame body from the front surface of the door. At this time, since the hole formed in the frame guides the first buffer member, assembly is facilitated. Further, in the assembled state, the first buffer member is held by the hole formed in the frame body, so that the first buffer member can mitigate that the shock and vibration are directly transmitted from the frame body to the liquid crystal unit. .
[0029]
(4) The gaming machine according to (1), (2), or (3), wherein the door further includes a transparent member disposed on a front surface of the liquid crystal unit.
[0030]
According to the invention of (4), since “the door further includes a transparent member disposed on the front surface of the liquid crystal unit”, it is possible to prevent the article from coming into direct contact with the liquid crystal unit. And since it is a transparent member, the display of a liquid crystal unit is not prevented.
[0031]
(5) The gaming machine according to (4), wherein the transparent member is a glass plate or a touch panel.
[0032]
According to the invention of (5), since “the transparent member is a glass plate or a touch panel”, in the case of a glass plate, the member can be obtained at low cost. In the case of a touch panel, a switch function can be added.
[0033]
(6) The gaming machine according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein a cover having an opening formed in the center is fixed to the frame.
[0034]
According to the invention of (6), “the cover having an opening formed in the center is fixed to the frame”, the number of parts can be reduced by directly fixing the cover to the frame. .
[0035]
(7) In any one of (2) to (6), the transparent member has at least one corner, and a second buffer member covers the corner of the transparent member. The gaming machine described.
[0036]
According to the invention of (7), since “the transparent member has at least one corner, and the second buffer member covers the corner of the transparent member”, the shock and vibration are transparent members. The direct transmission to the second buffer member can be mitigated.
[0037]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Although the present embodiment is described by applying the present invention to a slot machine, the present invention is not limited to this and may be applied to various gaming machines such as video game machines, medal game machines, card game machines, and the like. Can do.
[0038]
Next, the configuration of the slot machine will be described.
[0039]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the slot machine 1. In the slot machine 1, a door (front door) 3 is provided at an opening of a housing 2 serving as a cabinet so as to be opened and closed by a hinge mechanism, for example. A top frame 4 is attached to the top of the housing 2. A decorative panel plate is provided on the front surface of the top frame 4.
[0040]
A liquid crystal display 5 for displaying game information is installed on the door 3. A liquid crystal unit 51 that is a main component of the liquid crystal display 5 is covered with a cover 52 in which an opening is formed. Further, a transparent member 53 for protecting the liquid crystal unit 51 is attached to the front surface of the liquid crystal unit 51.
[0041]
An operation unit 6 is arranged in a protruding manner at the front center of the door 3. On the left inclined surface of the operation unit 6, various operation buttons are arranged and a medal insertion slot for inserting medals is provided. On the right side of the operation unit 6, a bill guide unit for guiding bills to a bill validator (bill validator) stored in the housing 2 is provided.
[0042]
A door body 7 connected to the door 3 so as to be openable and closable is provided below the operation unit 6. A decorative panel plate is applied to the door body 7. A medal tray 30 for receiving medals is formed at the bottom of the door body 7 and at the bottom of the door 3.
[0043]
Next, the configuration of the liquid crystal display 5 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the liquid crystal display 5.
[0044]
In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the liquid crystal unit 51 is integrally formed in a rectangular shape with a display unit and a frame plate, and this liquid crystal unit 51 has two pairs of rectangular parallelepiped protrusions 51A on its side surfaces. ing.
[0045]
The convex first buffer member 54 is formed with a rectangular hole 54A into which the protrusion 51A is inserted, and the first buffer member 54 is attached to the protrusion 51A so as to cover the protrusion 51A. The hole 54A for holding the first buffer member 54 may be a through hole or a counterbore hole. The first buffer member 54 is made of synthetic rubber such as natural rubber or chloroprene rubber, and the first buffer member 54 is elastically inserted into the protrusion 51A.
[0046]
The frame 31 constituting a part of the door 3 (see FIG. 1) is formed with a recess 31A for fitting the liquid crystal unit 51, and guides the first buffer member 54 to the inner side surface 31B of the recess 31A. A plurality of holes 31 </ b> C for holding one buffer member 54 are formed.
[0047]
In FIG. 2, the horizontal width of the hole 31C formed in the frame 31 is T1, the horizontal width of the tip of the protrusion 51A is T2, and T1> T2, and the horizontal width T1 of the hole 31C is the protrusion 51A. It is slightly larger than the width T2 at the tip of the.
[0048]
The width of the recess 31A formed in the frame 31 is W1, and the depth of the recess 31A is D1. On the other hand, the gap between the steps in the pair of first buffer members 54 attached to the liquid crystal unit 51 is W2, and the depth of the liquid crystal unit 51 is D2.
[0049]
In FIG. 2, the relationship is W1> W2 and D1> D2, respectively, W1 is slightly larger than W2, and D1 is slightly larger than D2. That is, the liquid crystal unit 51 is elastically supported in a state where the liquid crystal unit 51 with the first buffer member 54 is inserted into the recess 31 </ b> A in the frame 31.
[0050]
Then, when the liquid crystal unit 51 with the first buffer member 54 assembled as a unit in this way is inserted into the recess 31A of the frame body 31 described later, the first buffer member 54 against the manufacturing error of the liquid crystal unit 51. The above error can be absorbed and assembled.
[0051]
In the embodiment of FIG. 2, two pairs of a total of four first buffer members 54 are arranged on the side surface in the longitudinal direction of the liquid crystal unit 51, but the first corresponding to the size and weight of the liquid crystal unit 51. Appropriate arrangements such as increasing or decreasing the number of mounting of the buffer members 54 or changing the mounting interval of the first buffer members 54 are also possible.
[0052]
FIG. 3 is a partial assembly view of the transparent member 53. The transparent member 53 is a rectangular plate, and triangular second buffer members 55 are attached to the corners of the four corners of the transparent member 53. The transparent member 53 uses a glass plate from which a member can be obtained at a low cost or a touch panel to which a switch function can be added. The second buffer member 55 is made of synthetic rubber such as natural rubber or chloroprene rubber. The second buffer member 55 has an opening corresponding to the plate thickness of the transparent member 53 and covers the corners of the four corners of the transparent member 53.
[0053]
Thus, the reason why the second buffer members 55 are attached to the four corners of the transparent member 53 is that the ease of assembly is taken into consideration. That is, the second buffer member 55 made of rubber has good adhesion, and the transparent member 53 with the second buffer member 55 is assembled in advance as a unit, so that the assembly with the liquid crystal display 5 that is the next assembly step becomes easy.
[0054]
Next, an embodiment of the mounting structure of the liquid crystal display 5 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional assembly view of the liquid crystal display 5.
[0055]
In FIG. 4, the frame 31 which is a component of the door 3 has a recess 31 </ b> A for fitting the liquid crystal unit 51, and the first buffer member 54 is disposed between the liquid crystal unit 51 and the inner wall of the frame 31. Has been. The recess 31A has an opening so that the back surface of the liquid crystal unit 51 can be seen.
[0056]
Here, the mounting structure of the liquid crystal display 5 will be described based on the assembly order in FIG.
[0057]
First, the liquid crystal unit 51 with the first buffer member 54 shown in FIG. 2 is inserted into the recess 31 </ b> A of the frame 31. Next, the transparent member 53 with the second buffer member 55 shown in FIG. A waterproof rubber 56 is embedded in advance on the entire surface of the cover 52 facing the transparent member 53, and the waterproof rubber 56 has a buffer function for the transparent member 53 in addition to the original waterproof function. ing.
[0058]
Then, the cover 52 with the transparent member 53 is fitted into the recess 31A, and the cover 52 is fixed from the back side of the frame 31 (with the door 3 opened) with a fastener such as a screw 33, whereby the frame 31 and the cover are fixed. The liquid crystal unit 51 can be elastically supported by 52. In addition, the second buffer member is sandwiched between the cover 52 and the liquid crystal unit 51, and the transparent member 53 can be elastically supported.
[0059]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, the liquid crystal unit has at least one protrusion on its side surface, and the protrusion is covered with at least one first buffer member. Then, the liquid crystal unit with the first buffer member is fitted into a frame that is a component of the door. On the other hand, in the transparent member, the second buffer member covers the corner of the transparent member. When the transparent member with the second buffer member is disposed on the front surface of the liquid crystal unit with the first buffer member, and the frame is fastened with a cover, the liquid crystal unit and the transparent member are elastically supported, and the door is opened and closed. It is possible to mitigate transmission of energy due to the impact force by the buffer member to the liquid crystal unit. And damage to the liquid crystal unit can be prevented.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a slot machine according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view of a liquid crystal display according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a partial assembly view of a transparent member according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional assembly view of a liquid crystal display 5 according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a conventional display unit.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Slot machine 2 Case 3 Door 4 Top frame 5 Liquid crystal display 6 Operation part 7 Door 30 Medal tray 31 Frame 31A Recess 31B Inner side 31C Hole 33 Screw 51 Liquid crystal unit 51A Protrusion 52 Cover 53 Transparent member 54A Hole 54 First 1 buffer member 55 second buffer member 56 waterproof rubber

Claims (7)

A liquid crystal unit having at least one protrusion on a side surface;
At least one first buffer member covering the protrusion of the liquid crystal unit;
A frame holding the liquid crystal unit;
A gaming machine comprising a door provided with The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the frame has a side surface for forming a recess for fitting the liquid crystal unit. The gaming machine according to claim 2, wherein a hole for holding the first buffer member is formed in the side surface of the frame body. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the door further includes a transparent member disposed on a front surface of the liquid crystal unit. The gaming machine according to claim 4, wherein the transparent member is a glass plate or a touch panel. The gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a cover having an opening formed in the center is fixed to the frame. The gaming machine according to claim 2, wherein the transparent member has at least one corner, and a second buffer member covers the corner of the transparent member.

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