JP2005066331A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game machine permitting accurately and securely mounting a guide rail on a game board with simple work, and having the guide rail stably fastened to the trajectory of a shot ball. <P>SOLUTION: The game machine comprises the guide rail 32 for guiding game balls to a game area P on the game board 14 and a rail holder 31 for holding the guide rail 32. The rail holder 31 has a fixing means for fixing the rail holder 31 to the game board 14, and a rail guide face 31a for supporting the guide rail 32. The rail guide face 31a has a positioning guide 41 for locking the guide rail 32. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine, and more particularly to a rail structure for guiding a gaming ball to a gaming area such as a pachinko machine.

  Game boards such as pachinko machines are provided with guide rails for guiding game balls to the game area. The guide rail is made of a strip-shaped steel material and is bent in a substantially arc shape on the game board. The game ball is launched along the guide rail from below the game board, and is released to the upper part of the game area.

Conventionally, as a structure for fixing the guide rail to the game board, the guide rail 3 is fixed to the game board 2 by rail pins 4 as shown in FIG. The rail pin 4 is a split pin having bifurcated pin legs 4a and 4a. Through holes R0 are opened at predetermined intervals in the length direction of the guide rail 3, and the pin feet 4a are respectively passed through these through holes R0. Then, the pin legs 4 a and 4 a are straddled on the left and right sides of the guide rail 3, and these tips are fitted into the mounting holes M 0 of the game board 2. Next, the back of the guide rail 3 is struck and all the rail pins 4 are penetrated into the board surface, and the guide rail 3 is fixed in a substantially vertical posture with respect to this board surface.
In addition, the following patent documents 1-4 are mentioned as a technique relevant to the rail structure of a pachinko machine.
No. 7-42460 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 61-32708 JP 2001-269448 A JP 2002-165940 A

However, in the conventional rail structure as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3, the operation of passing the pin foot 4a through the small through hole R0 of the guide rail 3 is extremely troublesome.
Further, it is not easy to accurately and reliably position the guide rail 3 on the game board 2 with a large number of rail pins 4 attached to the guide rail 3. For example, in a configuration in which a large number of mounting holes are made in the board surface of the game board and the rail pin of the guide rail is fitted into this mounting hole, the rail pin must be accurately mounted at a predetermined position in the length direction of the guide rail. If the position is not accurate, variations will occur in the arcuate track of the guide rail, and it will not be possible to release the game ball to the game area in a stable track. For this reason, the burden on the operator is large, and the apparatus for automating the fixing work tends to have a complicated configuration.

On the other hand, as disclosed in Patent Document 4, for example, a gaming machine having a configuration in which a guide rail (outer rail) is fixed to a gaming board via a rail holder (decorative member for gaming machine) is known. In this type of gaming machine, an arc-shaped rail guide surface (rail surface) on the inner periphery of the rail holder is used as means for forming the rail track of the guide rail. Then, the guide rail is supported along the rail guide surface by screwing the start end and the end of the guide rail to the rail holder.
However, in such a gaming machine, when the guide rail is attached to the rail guide surface, the guide rail is uniformly distributed over the entire length at a predetermined position in the width direction of the rail guide surface so that the guide rail does not deviate from the trajectory of the launch ball. However, such positioning work may be troublesome. Further, when a game board in which the rail holder and the guide rail are assembled is transported and stored, the game board may be held in a suspended state with a finger placed on an intermediate portion of the guide rail (eg, near the upper center of the game board). In this case, the guide rail may deviate in the rail width direction toward the front side of the game board and protrude from the rail guide surface with the fixed portion (starting end and terminal end) of the guide rail as a fulcrum, which is troublesome to handle. .

  The present invention has been made in view of such a current situation, and enables a guide rail to be attached to a game board accurately and reliably by a simple operation, and stably stops the guide rail along the trajectory of the launch ball. It aims to provide a gaming machine that can be kept.

A gaming machine according to the present invention (first invention) for solving the above-described problems is characterized by having the following configuration. That is,
Game board,
A metal guide rail that guides the game ball to the game area of the game board;
A rail holder made of synthetic resin for holding the guide rail;
A fixing means for fixing the rail holder to the game board;
The rail holder has a rail guide surface that supports the guide rail along a guide track of the game ball,
The guide rail is attached along the rail guide surface by fixing the start end and the end of the guide rail to the rail holder, and
A positioning guide that restricts the movement of the guide rail in the width direction protrudes in front of the game board from the guide rail of the rail guide surface.

  According to the gaming machine of the present invention (first invention), as a first effect, a structure in which the guide rail is fixed to the game board via the rail holder (rail guide surface) is adopted. The rail pin to install becomes unnecessary. Thereby, the troublesome work of passing the rail pin through the through hole of the guide rail can be omitted. Further, by fixing the guide rail to the game board integrally with the rail holder, positioning of the guide rail becomes simple and reliable. For example, if the rail holder is fixed to the game board by a fixing means such as a press-fit pin or a screw, the mounting position and interval of such fixing means are not limited to the rail shape. The rail shape can be maintained by means alone, and the guide rail mounting process can be greatly simplified.

  According to the gaming machine of the present invention (first invention), as a second effect, the rail guide surface is provided with the positioning guide for restricting the movement of the guide rail in the width direction. By simply aligning the side edges of the rail, the guide rail can be easily positioned along the trajectory of the launch ball. In addition, when transporting and storing the game board, even if you hold the game board by placing your finger on the middle part of the guide rail (such as near the top center of the game board), it will be positioned on the side edge of the guide rail on the front side of the game board. The guide hits and stops the deviation of the guide rail in the rail width direction. For this reason, handling of a game board becomes easy and it becomes possible to improve work efficiency, such as conveyance and storage.

As a means for fixing the rail holder to the game board, a press-fit pin may be provided at a predetermined position in the rail length direction. For example, a press-fit pin is integrally formed on the back surface of the rail holder, and the press-fit pin is pushed into a mounting hole of the game board, so that the work of attaching the rail holder to the game board can be easily performed with one touch.
Further, a screw hole may be provided at a predetermined position in the rail length direction of the rail holder so that the rail holder is screwed to the game board.

  A gaming machine according to the present invention (second invention) has the configuration of the gaming machine according to the first invention, and the positioning guide has a bowl-like shape continuous in the rail length direction of the rail guide surface. It is a feature.

Generally, a guide rail of a gaming machine is bent in a substantially arc shape so as to surround a gaming area. Therefore, the rail holder for supporting such a guide rail is formed to have a substantially arc-shaped rail guide surface in the rail length direction.
However, when an external force (pressing force, gravity, or the like) is applied inward in the radial direction, such a rail holder is easily bent so that the rail guide surface is bent inward, and mechanical strength tends to be insufficient.

  According to the configuration of the second invention, since the hook-shaped positioning guide protrudes in the rail length direction of the rail guide surface, the positioning guide acts as an external force (pressing force and gravity) acting in the radial direction of the rail holder. Etc.) as a reinforcing material (rib). Thereby, the mechanical strength of a rail holder increases and durability can be improved.

  A gaming machine according to the present invention (third invention) has the configuration of the gaming machine of the second invention, and the rail holder has a constriction in which the thickness in the vertical direction is reduced near the center of the end of the gaming board. The positioning guide is formed in the constricted portion.

In recent years, with the diversification and complexity of the decorations of gaming machines, there is a demand for securing a wider gaming area. Since the gaming board is often limited to a certain size due to the design of the gaming machine, it is desirable to determine the position and shape of the guide rail so that the gaming area becomes wider.
However, as described in the first invention, when a structure in which the guide rail is attached to the game board via the rail holder is adopted, the radius of the arc formed by the guide rail is reduced by the width of the rail holder. The game area tends to narrow. In particular, if the upper and lower thicknesses of the rail holder are large in the vicinity of the center (upper end, lower end, right end, left end) of the game board, the game area cannot be used efficiently.

  According to the structure of 3rd invention, a guide rail can be brought close to the edge part of a game board by making the upper and lower thickness of the rail holder in the vicinity of the center part of the edge part of a game board thin by a constriction part. Thereby, a game area can be used widely and it is easy to respond to diversification and complexity of gaming machines.

Further, according to the configuration of the third aspect of the present invention, since the stress tends to concentrate among the portions of the rail holder and the strength tends to decrease, the neck portion is selectively provided with the collar-shaped positioning guide. The strength of is increased.
In other words, the constricted portion of the rail holder is a portion where the guide rail is likely to come off from the rail guide surface, but the strength of the constricted portion is increased by providing a hook-shaped positioning guide in the constricted portion of such a rail holder. However, it is possible to prevent the guide rail from shifting in the rail width direction, and as a result, it is possible to realize a structure in which the guide rail is unlikely to come off from the rail guide surface.
Thus, the rail holder provided with the constricted portion is particularly effective for a gaming machine provided with a large symbol display device in which a game area is likely to be narrowed.

  The protruding length of the bowl-shaped positioning guide according to the third invention is preferably about the same as the thickness of the guide rail or slightly longer than the thickness of the guide rail. With such a configuration, the guide rail can be covered from the front of the game board, and the positioning guide is unlikely to obstruct the game.

The present invention (first to third inventions) can be applied to various gaming machines having a rail structure of game balls. For example, it is effective when applied to a gaming machine such as a pachinko machine, an arrangement ball machine, or a sparrow ball game machine.
The present invention (first to third inventions) may be applied alone as necessary, or may be applied in combination with each other. Further, other inventions described in this specification may be combined.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to a pachinko machine.

[First Embodiment]
As shown in FIG. 1, in the pachinko machine 10 according to the first embodiment, a glass frame 13 is attached to the front surface of a base frame 12 so as to be opened and closed. A game board 14 is provided inside the glass frame 13. A rail unit 20 that partitions the game area P is attached to the front of the game board 14.
Below the game board 14, a handle 17 for launching a game ball is provided. When the handle 17 is operated, a game ball is launched on the launch rail 18 and is discharged to the game area P through the guide passage W of the rail unit 20.
A recovery port K is provided directly below the game board 14. The game balls that have not reached the game area P fall into the collection port K and are collected in the tray 19 below the game board 14.

  FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of the front portion of the game board 14. As shown in FIG. 2, the game board 14 has a rail unit 20 fixed to a base plate 15. The rail unit 20 is formed by connecting an outer rail unit 21, an intermediate rail unit 22, and an inner rail unit 23 in a substantially arc shape. The outer rail unit 21 extends from the center of the lower part of the game board 14 to the upper end part of the game board 14 through the left end part, and the tip thereof reaches the vicinity of the right end part of the game board 14. The intermediate rail unit 22 extends to the lower center of the game board 14 through the right end of the game board 14. The inner rail unit 23 extends from the lower center of the game board 14 along the inner side of the outer rail unit 21.

  At the connecting portion between the outer rail unit 21 and the intermediate rail unit 22, tongue pieces 21 a and 22 a are provided, and these tongue pieces 21 a and 22 a are overlapped and connected by a connecting pin 24. In addition, tongue portions 22 b and 23 b that overlap each other are provided at a connecting portion between the intermediate rail unit 22 and the inner rail unit 23, and are connected by a connecting screw 25.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in the game area P inside the rail unit 20, guide nails (not shown) for restricting the falling direction of the game ball are provided, and a lottery symbol is displayed between these guide nails. A display device 26, a start gate 27 for starting a lottery symbol display, a gate 28 for small hits, an attacker device 29 that opens and closes at the time of a big hit and promotes winning of a game ball, and the like are arranged. The game ball passes between the outer rail unit 21 and the inner rail unit 23 and is released to the game area P.

  Panel decorations (not shown) with electrical decoration etc. are provided outside the rail unit 20 and at the corners of the game board 14. In this way, by using the rail unit 20 and the panel decoration as separate units, the rail unit 20 can be applied to a plurality of models, and can be efficiently manufactured and managed as a rail component (standard product).

The outer rail unit 21 includes an outer rail holder 31 integrally formed of synthetic resin, and a rail plate 32 (guide rail) made of a strip-shaped steel material (see FIG. 5). A game ball is guided by the rail surface of the rail plate 32.
On the other hand, a rail plate is not attached to the intermediate rail unit 22 and the inner rail unit 23 that are integrally formed of synthetic resin. Side surfaces of the intermediate rail unit 22 and the inner rail unit 23 are rail surfaces.

  The reason why the rail plate 32 made of steel is attached only to the outer rail unit 21 in this way is as follows. That is, when a game is played with the pachinko machine 10, the rail surface of the outer rail unit 21 receives the fired ball that has been launched vigorously, slides in a sliding contact state, and guides it to the game area. For this reason, it is necessary to be able to endure wear for a long period of time due to impact or friction caused by collision of game balls. However, when the rail surface of the outer rail unit 21 is formed of a synthetic resin like the intermediate rail unit 22 and the inner rail unit 23, sufficient durability cannot be expected. Therefore, the rail plate 32 made of a steel material is arranged on the outer rail unit 21 as described above, and the durability of the rail surface is improved.

  As shown in FIG. 4, press-fit pins 35 a to 35 f are integrally formed on the back side of the rail unit 20. The pin shafts of the press-fit pins 35a to 35f extend almost perpendicularly to the back surface of the unit (see FIGS. 5 and 6). The lengths of the press-fit pins 35 a to 35 f are evenly aligned with a length shorter than the thickness of the base plate 15.

The press-fit pins 35a to 35f are arranged in such a manner that five (press-fit pins 35a to 35e) are provided on the outer rail unit 21 with a high contact frequency of game balls, and one (press-fit pin 35f) is provided on the inner rail unit 23 with a low contact frequency. Yes. That is, the press-fit pin 35a is the rail start end portion of the outer rail unit 21 (outer rail holder 31), the press-fit pin 35b is the rail side end portion of the unit 21, and the press-fit pins 35c and 35d are the rail upper end center portion of the unit 21. In addition, the press-fit pins 35e are disposed at the end portions of the unit 21 near both sides of the constricted portion 40 described later. Further, the press-fit pin 35 f is arranged at the lower end of the inner rail unit 23 and in the vicinity of the connecting portion with the intermediate rail unit 22.
The intermediate rail unit 22 is not provided with a press-fit pin and can be supported only by a connecting portion between the outer rail unit 21 and the inner rail unit 23. Thereby, the assembly workability | operativity of the intermediate rail unit 22 is improved.

  Of the rail unit 20, the insides of the outer rail unit 21 and the intermediate rail unit 22 are hollow (see FIG. 4), and these hollow portions Q are partitioned by a partition plate 39. Thus, by providing the hollow portion Q in the outer rail unit 21 and the intermediate rail unit 22, the outer rail unit 21 and the intermediate rail unit 22 can be reduced in weight. Further, by providing the partition plate 39 in the hollow portion Q, the mechanical strength of these units 21 and 22 is increased. In addition, you may heighten the decoration effect of a game board by attaching an electrical decoration etc. to the hollow part Q of each unit 21 and 22. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, bottomed cylindrical recesses 36 a and 36 b are provided on the front side of the rail unit 20 so as to be spaced from each other in the rail length direction. The recess 36a is provided at a position shifted in the circumferential direction from the press-fit pins 35a to 35f, and a fixing means such as a screw is inserted into the mounting hole H1 (see FIG. 13) of the recess 36a as necessary. On the other hand, the recess 36b is formed directly behind the press-fit pins 35a to 35f (see FIG. 12), and plays a role such as preventing molding sink and improving the die-cut of the press-fit pins 35a to 35.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the outer rail holder 31 has a rail guide surface 31a toward the game area P, and supports the rail plate 32 along the rail guide surface 31a. A locking portion 31b for locking the rail plate 32 protrudes at a predetermined position of the rail guide surface 31a (see FIG. 10), and the locking portion 31b is fitted in the through hole R1 of the rail plate 32.
The height of the locking portion 31b is such that when the locking portion 31b is fitted in the through hole R1 of the rail plate 32, the tip thereof is substantially the same as the upper end of the through hole R1 or slightly protrudes. Adjusted.

Here, in the outer rail holder 31, the structure in which the engaging portion 31b of the rail guide surface 31a is fitted in the through hole R1 of the rail plate 32 is as follows.
For example, as a comparative example, when the outer rail holder 31 is provided with a groove through which the rail plate 32 passes along the rail guide surface 31a, the rail guide surface 31a and the rail plate 32 It is necessary to provide appropriate play between the rail plates 32, and the rail plate 32 is likely to be loose. On the other hand, if it is attempted to eliminate rattling of the rail plate 32, the workability of inserting the rail plate 32 into the groove tends to deteriorate.
As described above, when the structure in which the locking portion 31b of the rail guide surface 31a is fitted in the through hole R1 of the rail plate 32 is adopted, the through hole R1 is pushed into the locking portion 31b, so that the rail guide surface 31a can be very easily reached. A rail plate 32 can be mounted. In addition, since the locking portion 31b prevents the rail plate 32 from coming off, the rail plate 32 can be easily brought into close contact with the rail guide surface 31a, the rail track can be stabilized, and rattling of the rail plate 32 can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the locking portion 31b can be integrally formed on the rail guide surface 31a, the manufacturing process is simplified.
Furthermore, since the rail plate 32 can be easily attached to and detached from the outer rail holder 31, maintenance work such as replacement of the rail plate 32 and disassembly / sorting work when recycling both parts are facilitated.
Furthermore, in a constricted portion 40 (see FIG. 14) of the outer rail holder 31 to be described later, when the outer rail holder 31 is distorted, the rail plate 32 is prevented from being laterally displaced from the rail guide surface 31a together with the hook-shaped rib 41. You can also

  As shown in FIG. 7, a stop groove 31 c is provided at the start end of the outer rail unit 21. The start end portion 32a of the rail plate 32 bent in an L shape is fitted in the stop groove 31c.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, a receiving groove 33 and a contact rubber 34 are provided at the end portion of the outer rail unit 21. The end portion 32b of the rail plate 32 is stopped in the receiving groove 33, and the rail plate 32 is supported by pushing the rail surface outward by the abutting rubber 34. The game ball that reaches the vicinity of the end portion of the rail plate 32 hits the contact rubber 34 and moves downward, and falls toward the center of the game area P by the guide nail 37.

  When the start end portion 32a and the end end portion 32b of the rail plate 32 are stopped by the outer rail holder 31, the start end portion 32a and the end end portion 32b are received by the elastic groove 31c and the receiving groove 31c of the outer rail holder 31 and the receiving portion. It is pushed into the groove 33. That is, when the bent portion 32c of the outer rail 32 is bent, a repulsive force (elastic force) acts so as to expand the rail plate 32 in the length direction. Therefore, the starting end of the rail plate 32 is generated by this repulsive force (elastic force). The portion 32 a and the end portion 32 b are pressed against the retaining groove 31 c and the receiving groove 33 of the outer rail holder 31. Thereby, in the gaming machine 10 of the first embodiment, the start end portion 32a and the end end portion 32b can be easily and reliably stopped on the outer rail holder 31 without troublesome work such as screwing.

FIG. 9 shows a developed view of the rail plate 32.
The rail plate 32 has substantially the same length and width as the rail guide surface 31a. The plate surface of the rail plate 32 is provided with a through hole R1 that can be fitted into the engaging portion 31b of the outer rail holder 31. The through hole R1 is a long hole that is longer in the length direction of the rail plate 32 (the vertical direction in FIG. 9) than the locking portion 31b, and the long axis of this long hole is sufficiently longer than the outer diameter of the locking portion 31b. The short axis is set to a width that can be press-fitted into the locking portion 31b. Thus, by making the through hole R1 a long hole extending in the rail length direction, the rail plate 32 can be brought into sliding contact with the rail guide surface 31a within the range of the length of the long hole.

  In the rail plate 32, the position of each through hole R1 in the rail width direction, as shown in FIG. 9, is from the game board contact end (the right end in FIG. 9 (B)) to the opening edge near the center of the rail of each through hole R1. The distance L is set to be within the radius of the game ball. Similarly, the locking portion 31b of the outer rail holder 31 is also arranged at a distance within the radius of the game ball from the game board contact end corresponding to the through hole R1. By doing so, even if the end of the locking portion 31b slightly protrudes from the through hole R1, the rail plate has a structure in which the locking portion 31b of the outer rail holder 31 is fitted into the through hole R1 of the rail plate 32. A game ball that slides on 32 does not contact any of the locking portions 31b. As a result, the rail plate 32 can be easily fixed to the outer rail holder 31 without affecting the sliding of the launch ball.

As shown in FIG. 9, a bent portion 32 c is formed at a position slightly lowered from the upper end of the rail plate 32. The bent portion 32 c is bent in a V shape when viewed from the side of the rail plate 32. Since the V-shaped inclined surfaces have a uniform length and are inclined in opposite directions, the track of the rail plate 32 is kept on the same line before and after the bent portion 32c (up and down in FIG. 9).
The bending angle of the bent portion 32c is about 30 to 40 °. In this angle range, if the bending angle is too small, the expansion / contraction width of the rail plate 32 is small and the rail length adjusting action becomes insufficient. On the other hand, if the bending angle is too large, the bent portion 32c is in the length direction. It becomes difficult to shrink. Therefore, an appropriate angle is selected according to the material of the rail plate 32.

When attaching the rail plate 32 to the game board 14, first, the rail plate 32 is fixed to the outer rail holder 31. In this case, for example, the start end portion 32a of the rail plate 32 is first fitted into the retaining groove 31c of the outer rail holder 31 (see FIG. 7), and the locking portion is stretched while the rail plate 32 is stretched upward from below the rail guide surface 31a. The through hole R1 of the rail plate 32 is fitted into 31b (see FIG. 10). By fitting the through hole R1 of the rail plate 32 to each locking portion 31b, the rail plate 32 is supported in close contact with the rail guide surface 31a.
Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the end portion 32 b of the rail plate 32 is inserted into the receiving groove 33 of the outer rail holder 31, and the work is completed with a stopper rubber 34.

Here, when there is a positional shift between the locking portion 31b and the through hole R1, the through hole R1 is a long hole longer in the rail length direction than the locking portion 31b. For example, the locking portion 31b can be accommodated within the length of the through hole R1. Thereby, the rail plate 32 can be fixed without imposing an excessive burden on the outer rail holder 31.
When the length of the rail plate 32 is longer than the rail guide surface 31a, the gap S1 of the bent portion 32c in the rail length direction is narrowed to the gap S2 as shown in FIG. Shrinks. As a result, the rail length is adjusted in accordance with the rail guide surface 31a, and the rail plate 32 can be securely stored in the rail guide surface 31a.

After the mounting of the rail plate 32 to the outer rail holder 31 is completed, the outer rail unit 21, the intermediate rail unit 22, and the inner rail unit 23 are connected to form the rail unit 20, and the rail unit 20 is fixed to the base plate 15. . In this case, as shown in FIG. 12, the press-fit pins 35 a to 35 f of the rail unit 20 are aligned and pushed into the mounting holes M 1 of the base plate 15. Thereby, the rail unit 20 can be fixed to the game board 14 with one touch.
If it is necessary to increase the fixing strength, the rail unit 20 is screwed to the base plate 15 using the recess 36a as shown in FIG. In this case, the mounting hole H1 on the bottom surface of the recess is aligned with the mounting hole M1 of the rail unit 20, and the screw 38 is screwed into the game board 14 through these mounting holes H1 and M1. Since the screw 38 is housed in the recess 36a, it does not get in the way on the game board 14.

  When the rail plate 32 is fixed to the outer rail holder 31 as described above, and the rail unit 21 is fixed to the base plate 15 by a fixing means such as a press-fit pin or a screw, there are the following advantages. That is, in the case of the rail structure shown in the conventional example (see FIG. 21), the shape of the guide rail 3 is determined by the position and interval of the rail pins 4. That is, in order to keep the guide rail 3 in an arc shape, a plurality of (for example, 10 or more) rail pins are required. On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the rail plate 32 (guide rail) is held by the rail guide surface 31a, the mounting position and interval of fixing means such as press-fit pins and screws are not limited to the rail shape. In extreme terms, the rail holder may be fixed to the game board by one or two press-fitting pins or screws, and the guide rail mounting process can be greatly simplified.

Moreover, since the gaming machine 10 has a structure in which the rail plate 32 is held on the rail guide surface 31a of the outer rail holder 31, a work of passing a stopper such as a conventional rail pin through the rail plate 32 becomes unnecessary. That is, by attaching the outer rail holder 31 and the rail plate 32 as a unit and fixing them to the game board 14 as a unit, the rail attachment work to the game board 14 can be extremely simplified.
Furthermore, since the rail plate 32 can be brought into close contact with the rail guide surface 31a of the outer rail holder 31, there is less variation in the track and the running of the game ball can be stabilized.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the press-fit pins 35a to 35f and the screw 38 are used together as the fix means for fixing the rail unit 20 to the game board 14 has been described. Only one of -35f or screw 38 may be used.

Next, the configuration and operation of the upper portion of the outer rail holder 31 will be described.
In the present embodiment, the shape of the outer rail holder 31 is devised in order to ensure a wide gaming area P and the like.
As shown in FIG. 14, the vertical width D of the outer rail holder 31 is extremely narrow near the center of the upper end of the game board 14. That is, the outer rail holder 31 has a constricted portion 40 near the center of the upper end of the game board 14. The top surface (upper side surface in FIG. 14) of the constricted portion 40 is a substantially flat surface along the upper end of the game board 14.
By providing the constricted portion 40 in the outer rail holder 31 in this way, the arc of the rail plate 31 can be brought close to the upper end of the game board 14, and a wide game area P is secured within a limited area of the game board 14. It becomes possible to do.

  Moreover, since the constriction part 40 was provided in the outer rail holder 31, this constriction part 40 becomes easy to elastically deform rather than another part. For example, when the rail plate 32 is longer than the rail guide surface 31a, even if the outer rail holder 31 is pushed outward from the rail plate 32, the pressing force is absorbed by the constricted portion 40, and the rail plate 32 is distorted and lifted. It also has the effect that it can be prevented. That is, when the rail plate 32 is longer than the rail guide surface 31a and is likely to protrude, the constricted portion 40 is pushed by the rail plate 32 and slightly bulges upward, so that the rail plate 32 can be securely placed on the rail guide surface 31a. it can. Note that the structure of the constricted portion 40 is also employed at the center of the left and right end portions of the game board 14 (see FIG. 3).

Further, as shown in FIG. 15A, a hook-shaped rib 41 (positioning guide) covering the side end of the rail plate 32 extends at the tip of the constricted portion 40. The hook-shaped rib 41 is integrally formed with the outer rail holder 31 and is continuous with the length direction (left-right direction in FIG. 14) of the rail guide surface 31a of the constricted portion 40.
The protruding length of the hook-shaped rib 41 is approximately equal to the thickness of the rail plate 32. Thereby, when viewed from the front of the game board 14, the side edges of the rail plate 32 can be covered with the bowl-shaped rib 41, and the bowl-shaped rib 41 does not interfere with the game ball traveling on the rail board 32.

Thus, by providing the hook-shaped rib 41 in the constricted portion 40, the following effects can be obtained.
First, when the rail plate 32 is attached to the rail guide surface 31a, the hook-shaped rib 41 serves as a positioning guide and serves to facilitate alignment of the position in the rail width direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 15-2 (A), when the rail plate 32 is placed on the rail guide surface 31a, if the side end 32k of the rail plate 32 is brought into contact with the inner end 41k of the bowl-shaped rib 41, the rail guide surface 31a. The rail plate 32 is naturally positioned at a predetermined position in the width direction (see FIG. 15B). Thus, the rail plate 32 can be attached to the rail guide surface 31a while being easily positioned.

Second, it becomes possible to reliably stop the rail plate 32 from coming out of the outer rail holder 31 and jumping out to the front side by the hook-shaped rib 41.
FIG. 15-3 shows a perspective view of the vicinity of the constricted portion 40 of the outer rail holder 31. 15-3 (A) is a view showing the first embodiment having the hook-shaped rib 41, and FIG. 15-3 (B) is a view showing a comparative example in which the hook-shaped rib 41 is not present. .
For example, in a game board manufacturing factory or hall, when carrying the game board, there is a case where the constricted part 40 is put on a finger and the game board 14 is held in a suspended state. In such a case, a rail near the constricted part 40 is used. When the plate 32 is pulled to the front side of the game board 14, the rail plate 32 is laterally shifted in the rail width direction and jumps forward from the rail guide surface 31a with the fixed portion (start end portion and end end portion) of the rail plate 32 as a fulcrum. (See FIG. 15-3 (B)).
In the first embodiment, even if the rail plate 32 in the vicinity of the constricted portion 40 is pulled to the front side of the game board 14, the rail plate 32 jumps out of the rail guide surface 31a because the rail plate 32 is locked by the hook-shaped rib 41. Is prevented. As a result, workability such as transportation and storage of the game board becomes extremely good.

  Thirdly, the hook-shaped rib 41 serves as a reinforcing material (rib) against an external force (pressing force, gravity, etc.) acting in the radial direction of the outer rail holder 31. That is, the constricted portion 40 is a portion where the stress of the outer rail holder 31 tends to concentrate and the strength tends to decrease, but the structural strength of the constricted portion 40 can be increased by the hook-shaped rib 41.

Next, other feature points in the present embodiment will be described.
In the above-described conventional rail structure (see FIG. 21), since the rail plate 3 is fixed to the game board 2 (base plate) by the rail pins 4, the rail plate 3 is arranged between the rail pins 4 and 4 aligned in the rail length direction. Easy to bend. Therefore, by receiving the launch ball at such a portion, breakage and deformation of the rail plate 3 due to the impact of the launch ball are suppressed.

However, as described above, in the rail structure in which the rail plate 32 is brought into close contact with the rail guide surface 31a, the rail plate 32 does not bend even when it receives the firing ball, so that the impact received by the rail plate 32 from the firing ball increases. For this reason, the surface of the rail plate 32 is likely to be scraped and easily broken at the portion where the shot ball repeatedly hits.
Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to eliminate such a problem, a gap S3 is maintained between the rail guide surface 31a and the rail plate 32 in the lower portion of the outer rail holder 31 (see FIG. 16). .

  As shown in FIG. 16, columnar support portions 51, 51 are formed in a portion slightly above the starting end portion of the outer rail holder 31. The support portions 51 and 51 are arranged at a predetermined distance in the rail length direction, and support the rail plate 32 with the pillar surfaces of the support portions 51 and 51. That is, the rail plate 32 is bridged on the support portions 51, 51, and a gap S 3 is formed between the rail guide surface 31 a and the rail plate 32.

By providing the gap S3 between the rail plate 32 and the outer rail holder 31 in this way, even if the shot ball hits the rail plate 32, the rail plate 32 bends outward by the amount of the gap S3 and impacts the shot ball. Can be absorbed. That is, the gap S3 provides a buffering effect against the impact of the launch ball. Thereby, even if a shot ball hits the rail plate 32 repeatedly, the rail plate 32 is less likely to break or deform. In addition, it is possible to eliminate the problem that the launch ball hits the rail plate 32 and jumps greatly.
The gap S3 between the rail guide surface 31a and the rail plate 32 is provided in three portions from the rail start end to the rail side end (see FIG. 5). Thereby, even when the shot ball lands near the start end of the rail plate 32 and then bounces on the rail plate 32, each gap S3 exhibits a buffering effect of the game ball.

FIG. 17 shows a perspective view of the lower part of the outer rail unit 21 and the inner rail unit 23.
The launch ball launched from the launch rail 18 (see FIG. 1) normally lands on the bent portion 32d slightly above the start end portion 32a of the rail plate 32 and travels upward along the rail plate 32. As shown in FIG. 18, in the bent portion 32d of the rail plate 32, if the rail plate 32 stands substantially perpendicular to the board surface of the game board 14, and the inclination angle of the rail surface is maintained at an optimum angle, the game The sphere B rolls straight on the center line of the rail plate 32, and its course is also stabilized. However, if the inclination in the width direction or the longitudinal direction of the bent portion 32d of the rail holder 31 is bad, it will adversely affect the subsequent path of the game ball B that has landed, or the rail plate 32 may be broken or deformed by being repeatedly landed. It tends to happen.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17, the thickness of the lower end portion 50 of the outer rail holder 31 is about half the rail width of the rail plate 32, and an exposed portion 32 g is provided near the starting end of the rail plate 32. Yes. The exposed portion 32g is large enough to be grasped by a tool such as pliers, and a space enough to insert a tool is secured around the exposed portion 32g.

  Thus, by providing the exposed portion 32g near the starting end of the rail plate 32, the tilt of the rail plate 32 can be finely adjusted by grasping the exposed portion with a tool. Specifically, the shot ball can run smoothly on the rail plate 32 by slightly plastically deforming the rail plate 32 in the vicinity of the bent portion 32d from the exposed portion 32g and maintaining the optimum inclination angle. As a result, the above-described problems during running of the fired ball are solved, and a comfortable game can be easily realized.

  In addition, as a problem caused by the game balls traveling on the rail plate 32, the game balls falling along the rail plate 32 jump from the vicinity of the start end of the rail plate 32 to the launch rail 18 side from the recovery port K (see FIG. 1). May enter. When a game ball once launched in this way enters the launch rail 18 side, it is in a so-called double shot state in which two game balls are launched simultaneously, and further falls into a state in which a foul ball is generated.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17, a first baffle plate 56 is provided at the lower end portion of the outer rail holder 31. The first baffle plate 56 is an extension of the rail surface of the rail plate 32 and extends in a tongue plate shape along the board surface of the game board 14. As shown in FIG. 16, the tip of the first baffle plate 56 is suppressed to such a height that the game ball B launched from the launch rail 18 can jump over the first baffle plate 56 and land on the rail plate 32. .
A second baffle plate 57 is provided at the lower end of the inner rail unit 23. The second baffle plate 57 is located slightly to the right of the first baffle plate 56 on the game board 14 and is located almost directly above the collection port K (see FIG. 19).

According to the first baffle plate 56 and the second baffle plate 57, the game ball that runs backward on the rail plate 32 hits the first baffle plate 56 at the lower end portion of the outer rail holder 31, and its traveling direction is directed upward. (Refer to B1 in FIG. 19). At this time, if the speed of the game ball B1 is sufficiently suppressed by the first baffle plate 56 (ball killing action), the game ball B1 passes over the first baffle plate 56 and falls to the recovery port K.
Even when the speed of the game ball B1 is not sufficiently suppressed by the first baffle plate 56, the game ball B2 that hits the first baffle plate 56 and bounces upward hits the second baffle plate 57 and falls to the recovery port K.
As a result, game balls that run backward on the rail plate 42 do not jump over the collection port K and enter the firing rail side, and problems such as two shots of the launching device can be avoided.

Although the configuration of the gaming machine 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention has been described, the following configurations can be given as modifications.
For example, as shown in FIG. 20, the rail plate 32 may be a U-shaped bent portion 32e or an Ω-shaped bent portion 32f instead of the V-shaped bent portion 32c. With such a shape, when the rail plate 32 is expanded and contracted, the bent portions 32e and 32f are more easily bent, and the assembly work of the rail plate 32 to the rail guide surface 31a is facilitated. In addition, the shape of the bent portion of the rail plate 32 is not limited to the V-shape, U-shape, or Ω-shape described above as long as the expansion and contraction action can be obtained, and other shapes such as a W-shape are adopted. May be.

  The gaming machine 10 employs a configuration in which the through hole R1 of the rail plate 32 is fitted to the locking portion 31b of the outer rail holder 31 to stop the rail plate 32 on the outer rail holder 31. The fitting means between the holder 31 and the rail plate 32 is not necessarily adopted. For example, the engaging portion 31b and the through hole R1 may be omitted, and the start end portion 32a and the end portion 32b of the rail plate 32 may be fixed to the outer rail holder 31.

  Further, as a fixing means for fixing the rail unit 20 to the game board 14, bolts and nuts may be employed instead of the press-fit pins 35 a to 35 f and the screws 38. Further, the back surface of the rail unit 20 can be directly fixed to the game board 14 with an adhesive or the like.

  In the first embodiment, the outer rail unit 21 is configured by the outer rail holder 31 and the rail plate 32. However, the intermediate rail unit 22, the inner rail unit 23, and other auxiliary rail units are similarly provided with the rail holder. You may employ | adopt the structure which consists of a rail board.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a gaming machine according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The gaming machine of the second embodiment has a configuration different from that of the first embodiment, such as integrally forming a panel decoration, which is a separate body in the first embodiment, on the rail unit (rail holder). .

  FIG. 22 is a perspective view showing the pachinko machine 70 of the second embodiment, and shows a state in which the base frame 72 and the glass frame 73 are opened in front of the outer frame 71. A game board 74 is detachably attached to the front opening of the base frame 72. A rail unit 80 that partitions the game area P is attached to the front of the game board 74.

Below the game board 74, a handle 77 for launching a game ball is provided. When the handle 77 is operated, a game ball is launched on the launch rail 78 and is discharged to the game area P through the guide passage W of the rail unit 80.
A recovery port K is provided immediately below the game board 74. A game ball that has not reached the game area P falls into the collection port K and is collected in a tray 79 below the game board 74.

  As shown in FIG. 23, in the game board 74, a rail unit 80 made of a plastic molding material is attached to a base plate 75 made of a plate material such as veneer. The game area P is partitioned into a portion surrounded by the rail unit 80 in the board surface of the game board 74.

  The rail unit 80 includes an outer rail unit 81, an intermediate rail unit 82, and an inner rail unit 83. Panel decorations that cover the four corners of the base plate 75 are integrally formed outside the game area P of each unit 81, 82, 83. Thus, by providing a panel decoration in a rail unit, the number of parts can be reduced, the assembly work can be simplified, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  The outer rail unit 81 passes from the vicinity of the outer rail start end to the upper end of the game board 74 through the left end of the game board 74 and extends to the vicinity of the outer rail end (see FIG. 25). The intermediate rail unit 82 extends downward from the vicinity of the outer rail end through the right end of the game board 74 and extends to the vicinity of the lower center of the game board 74 (see FIG. 28). The inner rail unit 83 extends upward from the vicinity of the lower center of the game board 74 along the inner surface of the outer rail unit 81 (see FIG. 28).

  As shown in FIG. 24, the outer rail unit 81 and the intermediate rail unit 82 are connected by a connecting pin 84, while the intermediate rail unit 82 and the inner rail unit 83 are connected by a connecting screw 85. .

As shown in FIG. 23, in the game area P inside the rail unit 80, guide nails (not shown) for restricting the falling direction of the game ball are provided, and a symbol for displaying a lottery symbol between these guide nails. A display device 86, a start gate 87 for starting lottery symbol display, a gate 88 for small hits, an attacker device 89 that opens and closes at the time of big hits and promotes winning of game balls, and the like are arranged. The game ball is discharged to the game area P through the outer rail unit 81 and the inner rail unit 83 (guide passage W).
The rail cover F attached to the lower front portion of the outer rail unit 81 is for preventing the game ball falling in the guide passage W from hitting the glass frame 73 directly.

  The outer rail unit 81 includes an outer rail holder 91 (see FIG. 25) integrally formed of a synthetic resin, and a rail plate 92 (see a two-dot chain line in FIG. 26) made of a strip-shaped steel material. A rail plate 92 is attached along the arc-shaped inner periphery of the outer rail holder 91. The game ball rolls on the rail surface of the rail plate 92 and does not directly touch the inner peripheral surface of the outer rail holder 91. Thereby, deterioration of the outer rail holder 91 due to the impact of the launch ball is suppressed, and the durability of the outer rail unit 81 is enhanced.

  On the other hand, the intermediate rail unit 82 and the inner rail unit 83 that are integrally formed of synthetic resin do not have a configuration for holding the rail plate. That is, in the normal gaming state, the game balls are less frequently brought into contact with the rail surfaces of the intermediate rail unit 82 and the inner rail unit 83. Therefore, in these units 82 and 83, the resin molding surface (inner The peripheral surface) is used as it is as the rail surface of the game ball.

  On the back side of the rail unit 80, press-fit pins 95a to 95d (see FIGS. 26 and 27) on the back surface of the outer rail unit 81, and press-fit pins 95e and 95f (see FIGS. 29 to 31) on the back surface of the intermediate rail unit 82, Press-fit pins 95g and 95h are provided on the back surface of the inner rail unit 83, respectively. The pin shafts of the press-fit pins 95 a to 95 h extend substantially perpendicularly to the back surface of the unit, and the length of each press-fit pin 95 a to 95 h is shorter than the thickness of the base plate 75.

  The press-fit pins 95a to 95h are arranged on the outer rail unit 81 having a high contact frequency of game balls (press-fit pins 95a to 95d) and two on the intermediate rail unit 82 and the inner rail unit 83 having a low contact frequency (press-fit). Pins 95e, 95f and 95g, 95h) are provided. That is, the press-fit pin 95a is the rail start end of the outer rail unit 81 (outer rail holder 91), the press-fit pin 95b is the rail-side end of the unit 81, and the press-fit pins 95c and 95d are the center of the upper end of the rail of the unit 81. Therefore, they are arranged near both sides of the constricted portion 100 described later. The press-fit pins 95e and 95f are arranged in the vicinity of the upper end and the lower end of the intermediate rail unit 82, and the press-fit pins 95g and 95h are arranged in the middle and the upper end of the inner rail unit 83, respectively. As described above, the press-fit pins 95e to 95h are arranged at appropriate intervals in each of the units 81 to 83, whereby the fixing strength between the base plate 75 and the rail unit 80 is increased, and the deviation or deformation of the rail surface can be suppressed. .

  Of the rail unit 80, the insides of the outer rail unit 81 and the intermediate rail unit 82 are hollow (see FIGS. 26, 27, and 29). In these hollow portions, partition plates 99A, 99B, 99C, etc. Is provided. The partition plate 99A extends in the rail length direction on the back side of the rail guide surface 31a, and partitions the outer rail unit 81 and the intermediate rail unit 82 into a rail holder main body portion Q1 and a panel decoration portion Q2, respectively. The partition plate 99B partitions the rail holder main body Q1 at an appropriate interval in the rail length direction. The partition plate 99C partitions predetermined portions of the panel decoration portion Q2 of the outer rail unit 81 and the intermediate rail unit 82 in the vertical and horizontal directions.

  Thus, by providing the hollow portions Q1 and Q2 in the outer rail unit 81 and the intermediate rail unit 82, the outer rail unit 81 and the intermediate rail unit 82 can be reduced in weight. Further, by providing the partition plates 99A, 99B, 99C, etc., the mechanical strength of each of these units 81, 82 is increased. Furthermore, the decoration effect of the game board 74 can be enhanced by attaching electric decorations or the like to the hollow portions Q1 and Q2 of the units 81 and 82, particularly the hollow portion Q2 near the panel decoration.

  As shown in FIG. 24, bottom-side cylindrical recesses 96a and 96b are provided on the front side of the rail unit 80 with an appropriate interval therebetween. The concave portion 96a serves as a boss for fixing the screw, and is in a position shifted from the press-fit pins 95a to 95h. A fixing means such as a screw is inserted into the mounting hole H1 (see FIG. 38) of the recess 96a as required. On the other hand, the recess 96b is directly behind the press-fit pins 95a to 95f (see FIG. 37), and plays a role such as preventing molding sink and improving the die-cut of the press-fit pins 95a to 95f.

  As shown in FIG. 27, the outer rail holder 91 has a rail guide surface 91a toward the game area P, and supports the rail plate 92 (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 26) along the rail guide surface 91a. doing. A locking portion 91b for locking the rail plate 92 protrudes at a predetermined position of the rail guide surface 91a (see FIG. 35), and the locking portion 91b fits into the through hole R1 of the rail plate 92. The height of the locking portion 91b is such that when the locking portion 91b is fitted in the through hole R1 of the rail plate 92, the tip thereof is substantially the same as the upper end of the through hole R1 or slightly protrudes. Adjusted.

When the structure in which the engaging portion 91b of the rail guide surface 91a is fitted in the through hole R1 of the rail plate 92 is adopted in this way, the rail guide surface 91a is very easily inserted into the rail guide surface 91a by pushing the through hole R1 into the engaging portion 91b. A plate 92 can be mounted. Further, since the locking portion 91b prevents the rail plate 92 from coming off, the rail plate 32 can be easily brought into close contact with the rail guide surface 91a, the rail track can be stabilized, and rattling of the rail plate 92 can be suppressed. Furthermore, the manufacturing process can be simplified by integrally forming the locking portion 91b on the rail guide surface 91a.
Furthermore, since the rail plate 92 can be easily attached to and detached from the outer rail holder 91, maintenance work such as replacement of the rail plate 92 and disassembly / sorting work when recycling both parts are facilitated.
Furthermore, in a constricted portion 100 (see FIG. 39) of the outer rail holder 91 described later, when the outer rail holder 91 is distorted, the rail plate 92 is prevented from being laterally displaced from the rail guide surface 91a together with the hook-shaped rib 101. You can also

  As shown in FIG. 32, a stop groove 91 c is provided at the start end of the outer rail unit 81. The start end portion 92a of the rail plate 92 bent in an L shape is fitted in the stop groove 91c. In the present embodiment, no baffle plate is formed at the starting end of the outer rail unit 81 (outer rail holder 91).

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 33, a receiving groove 93 and a contact rubber 94 are provided at the end portion of the outer rail unit 81. The end portion 92b of the rail plate 92 is stopped in the receiving groove 93, and the rail plate 92 is supported by pushing the rail surface outward with the contact rubber 94.

  When the start end portion 92a and the end end portion 92b of the rail plate 92 are stopped by the outer rail holder 31, the start end portion 92a and the end end portion 92b are received by the elastic groove 91c and the stop groove 91c of the outer rail holder 31 and the receiving portion. It is pushed into the groove 93. That is, when the bent portion 92c of the outer rail 92 is bent, a repulsive force (elastic force) acts so as to expand the rail plate 92 in the length direction. Therefore, the repulsive force (elastic force) causes the start end of the rail plate 92. The portion 92 a and the end portion 92 b are pressed against the retaining groove 91 c and the receiving groove 93 of the outer rail holder 91. Thereby, in the gaming machine 70 of the second embodiment, the start end portion 92a and the end end portion 92b can be easily and reliably stopped on the outer rail holder 91 without troublesome work such as screwing.

  As shown in the rail development view of FIG. 34, the rail plate 92 has approximately the same length and width as the rail guide surface 91a. A through-hole R1 that can be fitted into the stopper 91b is provided. The through hole R1 is a long hole longer in the length direction of the rail plate 92 (the vertical direction in FIG. 34) than the locking portion 91b, and the long axis of this long hole is sufficiently longer than the outer diameter of the locking portion 91b. The short axis is set to a width that can be press-fitted into the locking portion 91b. Thus, by making the through hole R1 a long hole extending in the rail length direction, the rail plate 92 can be slidably contacted with the rail guide surface 91a within the range of the length of the long hole.

  As in the first embodiment, in the rail plate 92, the position of each through hole R1 in the rail width direction is an opening closer to the center of the rail of each through hole R1 from the game board contact end (the right end in FIG. 34 (B)). The distance L to the edge is set to be within the radius of the game ball. Similarly, the locking portion 91b of the outer rail holder 91 is also arranged at a distance within the radius of the game ball from the game board contact end corresponding to the through hole R1. As a result, even though the engaging portion 91b of the outer rail holder 91 is fitted in the through hole R1 of the rail plate 92, even if the tip of the engaging portion 91b slightly protrudes from the through hole R1, The game ball that slides through the wheel does not come into contact with any of the locking portions 91b. As a result, the rail plate 92 can be easily fixed to the outer rail holder 91 without affecting the sliding of the launch ball.

  As shown in FIG. 34, a bent portion 92c is formed at a position slightly lowered from the upper end of the rail plate 92. The bent portion 92 c is bent in a U shape when viewed from the side of the rail plate 92. The track of the rail plate 92 is kept on the same line before and after the U-shaped bent portion 92c (up and down in FIG. 34).

When the rail plate 32 is attached to the base plate 75 of the game board 74, first, the rail plate 92 is fixed to the outer rail holder 91. In this case, for example, first, the start end 92a of the rail plate 92 is fitted into the retaining groove 91c of the outer rail holder 91 (see FIG. 32), and the locking portion is stretched while the rail plate 92 is stretched upward from below the rail guide surface 91a. The through hole R1 of the rail plate 92 is fitted into 91b (see FIG. 35). By fitting the through holes R1 of the rail plate 92 in each locking portion 91b, the rail plate 92 is supported in close contact with the rail guide surface 91a.
Next, as shown in FIG. 33, the end portion 92 b of the rail plate 92 is inserted into the receiving groove 93 of the outer rail holder 91, and the operation is completed by stopping with the contact rubber 94.

Here, when there is a positional shift between the locking portion 91b and the through hole R1, the through hole R1 is a long hole longer in the rail length direction than the locking portion 91b. For example, the locking portion 91b can be accommodated within the range of the length of the through hole R1. Thereby, the rail plate 92 can be fixed without imposing an excessive burden on the outer rail holder 91.
When the length of the rail plate 92 is longer than the rail guide surface 91a, the gap S1 in the rail length direction of the bent portion 92c is narrowed to the gap S2 as shown in FIG. Therefore, the rail length is adjusted, so that the rail plate 92 can be securely stored in the rail guide surface 91a.

After the mounting of the rail plate 92 to the outer rail holder 91 is completed, the outer rail unit 81, the intermediate rail unit 82, and the inner rail unit 83 are connected to the base plate 75 to form a rail unit 80, and this rail unit 80 is used as the base plate. Fix to 75. In this case, as shown in FIG. 37, the press-fit pins 95a to 95h of the rail unit 80 are aligned and pushed into the mounting holes M1 of the base plate 75. Thereby, the rail unit 80 can be fixed to the base plate 75 with one touch.
Further, when it is necessary to increase the fixing strength, the rail unit 80 is screwed to the base plate 75 using the recess 96a as shown in FIG. In this case, the mounting hole H1 on the bottom surface of the recess is aligned with the mounting hole M1 of the rail unit 80, and the screw 98 is screwed into the base plate 75 through these mounting holes H1 and M1. Since the screw 98 is housed in the recess 96a, it does not get in the way on the front side of the game board 74.

  In the gaming machine 70 of the second embodiment, the rail plate 92 is fixed to the outer rail holder 91, and then the rail unit 80 is fixed to the base plate 75 by fixing means such as a press-fit pin or a screw. Similarly, the mounting position and interval of fixing means such as press-fit pins and screws are not limited to the rail shape. For this reason, the mounting process of the rail plate 92 can be greatly simplified.

In addition, since the gaming machine 70 has a structure in which the rail plate 92 is held on the rail guide surface 91a of the outer rail holder 91, the work of passing a stopper such as a conventional rail pin through the rail plate 92 becomes unnecessary. That is, the rail mounting operation of the game board 74 can be greatly simplified by unitizing the outer rail holder 91 and the rail plate 92 and integrally fixing them to the base plate 75.
Furthermore, since the rail plate 92 can be brought into close contact with the rail guide surface 91a of the outer rail holder 91, variations in the track are reduced, and the running of the game ball can be stabilized.

  In the embodiment, the example in which the press-fit pins 95a to 95h and the screw 98 are used in combination as the fixing means for fixing the rail units 81, 82, and 83 to the base plate 75 has been described. Any one of the press-fit pins 95a to 95h and the screw 98 press-fit may be used.

Next, the configuration and operation of the upper portion of the outer rail holder 91 will be described.
In the present embodiment, the shape of the outer rail holder 91 is devised in order to ensure a wide gaming area P.
As shown in FIG. 39, the vertical width D of the outer rail holder 91 is extremely narrow in the vicinity of the center of the upper end of the game board 74. That is, the outer rail holder 91 has a constricted portion 100 near the center of the upper end of the game board 74. The top surface (upper side surface in FIG. 39) of the constricted portion 100 is a substantially flat surface along the upper end of the game board 74.
By providing the constricted portion 100 in the outer rail holder 91 in this way, the arc of the rail plate 92 can be brought close to the upper end of the game board 74, and a wide game area P is secured within a limited area of the game board 74. It becomes possible to do.

Further, as shown in FIG. 40A, an arcuate hook-shaped rib 101 (positioning guide) that covers the side end of the rail plate 92 extends at the tip of the constricted portion 100. The hook-shaped rib 101 is integrally formed with the outer rail holder 91 and is continuous with the length direction (left-right direction in FIG. 39) of the rail guide surface 31a of the constricted portion 100.
The protruding length of the hook-shaped rib 101 is approximately equal to the thickness of the rail plate 92. As a result, when viewed from the front of the game board 74, the side edges of the rail plate 92 can be covered with the bowl-shaped rib 101, and the bowl-shaped rib 101 does not interfere with the game ball traveling on the rail board 92.

By providing the hook-shaped rib 101 in the constricted portion 100 as described above, the following effects can be obtained.
First, when the rail plate 92 is attached to the rail guide surface 91a, the hook-shaped rib 101 serves as a positioning guide and serves to facilitate alignment of the position in the rail width direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 40-2 (A), when the rail plate 92 is placed on the rail guide surface 91a, if the side end 92k of the rail plate 92 is brought into contact with the inner end 101k of the bowl-shaped rib 101, the rail guide surface 91a. The rail plate 92 is naturally positioned at a predetermined position in the width direction (see FIG. 40-2 (B)). Thereby, the rail plate 92 can be attached to the rail guide surface 91a while being easily positioned.

Secondly, it is possible to reliably stop the rail plate 92 from coming off the outer rail holder 91 and jumping to the front side by the hook-shaped rib 101.
FIG. 40-3 shows a perspective view of the vicinity of the constricted portion 100 of the outer rail holder 91. FIG. 40-3 (A) is a view showing a second embodiment having a hook-shaped rib 101, and FIG. 40-3 (B) is a view showing a comparative example in which the hook-shaped rib 101 is not present. .
For example, in a game board manufacturing factory or hall, when carrying a game board, a finger may be placed on the constricted part 100 to hold the game board 74 in a suspended state. In such a case, a rail near the constricted part 100 is used. When the plate 92 is pulled to the front side of the game board 74, the rail plate 92 is laterally shifted in the rail width direction and forward from the rail guide surface 91a with the fixed portion (starting end portion and terminal end portion) of the rail plate 92 as a fulcrum. It may pop out (see FIG. 40-3 (B)).
In the second embodiment, even if the rail plate 92 in the vicinity of the constricted portion 100 is pulled to the front side of the game board 74, the rail plate 92 is locked by the hook-shaped rib 101, so the rail plate 92 is separated from the rail guide surface 91a. Jumping out is prevented. As a result, workability such as transportation and storage of the game board becomes extremely good.

Third, the hook-shaped rib 101 serves as a reinforcing material (rib) against an external force (pushing force, gravity, etc.) acting in the radial direction of the outer rail holder 91. That is, the constricted portion 100 is a portion where the stress of the outer rail holder 91 tends to concentrate and the strength is likely to decrease, but the structural strength of the constricted portion 100 can be increased by the hook-shaped rib 101.
In the second embodiment, since the hook-shaped rib 101 is formed in an arc shape along the rail guide surface 91a, it is easy to ensure a long contact surface between the rail plate 92 and the hook-shaped rib 101. For this reason, the first to third effects can be enhanced also by the first embodiment.

Although the gaming machine 70 according to the second embodiment has been described, the following configuration can be given as a modification.
For example, the bent portion 92c of the rail plate 92 may be a bent portion having a V-shaped cross section similar to that of the rail plate 32 of the first embodiment, instead of the bent portion 92c having a U-shaped cross section. A bent portion such as a W shape may be used.

  The gaming machine 70 employs a configuration in which the through hole R1 of the rail plate 92 is fitted to the locking portion 91b of the outer rail holder 91 to stop the rail plate 92 on the outer rail holder 91. The fitting means between the holder 91 and the rail plate 92 is not necessarily adopted. For example, the engaging portion 91b and the through hole R1 may be omitted, and the start end portion 92a and the end end portion 92b of the rail plate 92 may be fixed to the outer rail holder 91.

  Further, as a fixing means for fixing the rail units 81, 82, 83 to the base plate 75, bolts and nuts may be employed instead of the press-fit pins 95 a to 95 h and the screws 98. The back surfaces of 82 and 83 can also be directly fixed to the base plate 75 with an adhesive or the like.

  In the second embodiment, the outer rail unit 81 is configured by the outer rail holder 91 and the rail plate 92. However, the rail holder (resin) is similarly applied to the intermediate rail unit 82, the inner rail unit 83, and other auxiliary rail units. May be employed and a rail plate (made of metal).

As described above, according to the present invention, the following excellent effects can be obtained.
(a) Since the guide rail is fixed to the game board via the rail holder, the troublesome work of passing the rail pin through the through hole of the guide rail can be omitted, and the guide rail can be positioned easily and reliably. Can do.
(b) Since the rail guide surface of the rail holder is provided with a positioning guide that restricts the movement of the guide rail in the width direction, the guide rail can be easily positioned along the positioning guide, and the game board can be At the time of storage, it is possible to make it easier to handle the game board by preventing the guide rail from shifting in the rail width direction and jumping out from the rail guide surface.

1 is a perspective view showing a gaming machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the game board by the same 1st Embodiment. It is a front view showing the game board according to the first embodiment. It is a rear view which shows the rail unit by the 1st embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the outer rail unit by the 1st Embodiment. The outer rail holder by the 1st embodiment is shown, (A) is a top view, (B) is a front view, (C) is a side view. It is a partial expansion perspective view which shows the back surface of the start end part of the outer rail unit by the said 1st Embodiment. It is a partial expanded sectional view which shows the termination | terminus part of the outer rail unit by the 1st Embodiment. The rail board (guide rail) by the said 1st Embodiment is shown, (A) is an expansion | deployment side view, (B) is an expansion | deployment top view. It is a partial expansion perspective view which shows the outer rail holder and rail board by the 1st Embodiment. It is a side view for demonstrating the expansion-contraction effect | action of the rail board (guide rail) by the 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the fixing method by the press-fit pin of the outer rail unit by the said 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the fixing method with the screw of the outer rail unit by the said 1st Embodiment. It is a partial enlarged front view which shows the constriction part of the outer rail holder by the said 1st Embodiment. It is a partial expanded sectional view which shows the constriction part of the outer rail holder by the said 1st Embodiment. The constriction part of the outer rail holder by the said 1st Embodiment is shown, and it is a fragmentary top view for demonstrating the positioning effect | action of a positioning guide. FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view for illustrating a constriction portion of the outer rail holder according to the first embodiment, for explaining the guide rail pop-out preventing action by the positioning guide. It is a partial enlarged front view which shows the structure of the lower end part of the outer rail unit by the same 1st Embodiment, and an inner rail unit. It is a partial expansion perspective view which shows the structure of the lower end part of the outer rail unit by the same 1st Embodiment, and an inner rail unit. It is sectional drawing which shows the bending part of the outer rail unit by the 1st Embodiment. It is a front view for demonstrating the effect | action of the baffle plate of the outer rail unit by the same 1st Embodiment, and an inner rail unit. It is a side view showing the modification of the rail board (guide rail) by the 1st embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the rail structure of the conventional game board. It is a perspective view which shows the game machine by 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the game board by the 2nd Embodiment. It is a front view showing a rail unit according to the second embodiment. It is a front view showing an outer rail unit (outer rail holder) according to the second embodiment. It is a rear view showing an outer rail unit (outer rail holder) according to the second embodiment. It is a back perspective view showing the outer rail unit (outer rail holder) by the 2nd embodiment. It is a front view showing an intermediate rail unit and an inner rail unit according to the second embodiment. It is a rear view showing an intermediate rail unit and an inner rail unit according to the second embodiment. It is a front perspective view showing an intermediate rail unit and an inner rail unit according to the second embodiment. It is a side view showing an intermediate rail unit and an inner rail unit according to the second embodiment. It is a partial expansion perspective view which shows the back surface of the starting end part of the outer rail unit (outer rail holder) by the 2nd embodiment. The terminal part of the outer rail unit (outer rail holder) by the 2nd embodiment is shown, (A) is a partial expansion rear view, and (B) is a partial expansion front view. The rail board (guide rail) by 2nd Embodiment is shown, (A) is a development side view, (B) is an expansion | deployment top view. It is a partial expansion perspective view which shows the outer rail holder and rail plate by 2nd Embodiment. It is a side view for demonstrating the expansion-contraction effect | action of the rail board (guide rail) by the 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the fixing method by the press-fit pin of the outer rail unit by the 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the fixing method by the screw of the outer rail unit by the 2nd Embodiment. It is a partial enlarged front view which shows the constriction part of the outer rail holder by the 2nd Embodiment. It is a partial expanded sectional view which shows the constriction part of the outer rail holder by the 2nd Embodiment. The constriction part of the outer rail holder by the said 2nd Embodiment is shown, and it is a fragmentary top view for demonstrating the positioning effect | action of a positioning guide. The constriction part of the outer rail holder by the said 2nd Embodiment is shown, and it is a fragmentary perspective view for demonstrating the pop-out prevention action of the guide rail by a positioning guide.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Game machine 12 Base frame 13 Glass frame 14 Game board 15 Base board 17 Handle 18 Launch rail 19 Receptacle 20 Rail unit 21 Outer rail unit 22 Intermediate rail unit 23 Inner rail unit 31 Outer rail holder (rail holder)
31a Rail guide surface 31b Locking portion 32 Rail plate (guide rail)
32a Start end portion 32b End portion 32c Bend portion 32d Bend portions 35a to 35f Press-fit pins 36a, 35b Recess 38 Screw 40 Constricted portion 41 Sponge rib (positioning guide)
50 Lower end D Vertical width K Recovery port P Game area R1 Through hole H1 Mounting hole M1 Mounting hole

Claims (1)

Game board,
A guide rail for guiding game balls to the game area of the game board;
A rail holder for holding the guide rail;
A fixing means for fixing the rail holder to the game board;
A gaming machine, wherein the rail holder is provided with a rail guide surface for supporting the guide rail, and the rail guide surface is provided with a positioning guide for locking the guide rail.

Images