JP2005204700A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To let a player concentrate in a game by adjusting the number of stored tokens in a token receiving plate and reducing the number of times of shifting the tokens from the token receiving plate to a token storage box. <P>SOLUTION: A slot machine 10 is provided with a plurality of rotatable reels drawn with symbols and the token receiving tray, when the symbols are completed by the rotation of the reels, receiving tokens put out from a body; the token receiving plate 71 is provided with a first tray 72 formed of both side plates 75 and 76, and a front plate 77 into a frame shape and provided in the body 11, and a second plate 73 formed of a bottom plate 84, both side plates 81 and 82, and a front plate 83 and capable of raising/lowering along the first plate 72; and the second plate 73 can be lowered along the first plate 72 to a position where the lower end parts of the both side plates 75 and 76 and the front plate 77 of the first tray 72 are stacked on the upper end parts of the both side plates 81 and 82 and the front plate 83 of the second plate 73. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine such as a slot machine, and more particularly to a gaming machine including a medal tray that can change the number of medals accommodated.

  Generally, in a gaming machine, for example, a slot machine, when a player operates a start lever, each spinning reel, which is a rotating body of three horizontal rows in which a large number of symbol marks made of a plurality of patterns are drawn in the outer peripheral rotation direction, is rotated. After that, when the player presses each of the three stop buttons at an appropriate timing, the spinning reels corresponding to the buttons are sequentially stopped according to the timing of the pressing, and each spinning reel is prepared. When a predetermined pattern of the symbol marks matches, it becomes “winning” and a large number of game medals (hereinafter simply referred to as “medals”) are discharged to the medal tray. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

JP 2003-275372 A (see FIGS. 1 to 3)

  By the way, the medal tray is formed relatively small. The reason for this is that, in a game store where a large number of slot machines are arranged, each row where a plurality of slot machines are arranged is arranged in parallel, and as many slot machines as possible are deployed using the space in the game store effectively. In other words, it seems that the number of game medals paid out from the slot machine appears to be large, and appeals the service of the store.

  On the other hand, a slot machine in recent years is configured to discharge, for example, about 750 to about 400 game medals when a special role called a big bonus is made once during a game. If such a big bonus is hit consecutively, a relatively small medal tray as described above will fill up quickly with a large number of discharged game medals, and the medals will overflow from the medal tray and be scattered on the floor. There is a fear. In such a case, the player has transferred the medals to a medal storage box (so-called dollar box) before the game medals overflow from the medal tray. For this reason, the game had to be interrupted once. In particular, when the big bonus is continuous as described above, the player holds the medal storage box with one hand, and scrapes and transfers the medal in the medal tray to the medal storage box with the other hand. The operation had to be performed frequently, and the game had to be interrupted each time the operation was performed.

  In addition, since the medal storage box can generally store only about 1000 cards, it was easy to fill up in a relatively short time when continuously winning big bonuses. For this reason, after placing the medal storage box with the medals transferred on the floor of the amusement store or in the box storage space above the slot machine, the player moves the medals again to another medal storage box. The game had to be repeated, and even in this case, the game had to be interrupted.

  Further, when the so-called assist time (AT) is hit, the medals are continuously discharged, so the player must frequently transfer medals to the medal storage box. Similarly, the game had to be interrupted once. In particular, when a player plays a role such as the AT just before closing the store, the player will have a lot of time to transfer the medals to the medal storage box, and the medals will be transferred from the medal tray to the medal storage box. Hurry and rushed to drop a medal on the floor, or in the worst case, the hand holding the medal storage box slipped and dropped the medal storage box to the floor.

  One solution to this problem is to increase the medal tray to increase the number of stored medals and to avoid interrupting the game as much as possible. However, as described above, the medal tray is made smaller. It was contrary to the idea of an amusement shop that likes that, and there was no appropriate solution.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a gaming machine in which the number of medals stored in a medal tray can be adjusted, the number of medals transferred from the medal tray to the medal storage box is reduced, and the player can concentrate on the game. It is aimed.

  The invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that a plurality of rotatable rotating bodies (21) on which a pattern is drawn, and medals discharged from the main body (11) when the patterns are aligned by the rotation of the rotating body (21). In the gaming machine provided with a medal tray, the medal tray (71) is formed in a frame shape with both side plates (75) (76) and a front plate (77) and is provided in the main body (11). A second plate (73) formed of one plate (72), a bottom plate (84), both side plates (81) (82) and a front plate (83), which can be moved up and down along the first plate (72); The second dish (73) includes upper ends of both side plates (81), (82) and a front plate (83) of the second dish (73) along the first dish (72). (81a) (82a) (83a) are lower end portions of both side plates (75), (76) and the front plate (77) of the first plate (72). 75a) is a (76a) (a game machine, characterized in that to a position overlapping with 77a) can be lowered (10).

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the second dish (73) is held in the raised position, and the second dish (73) is lifted to release the holding when a force greater than a predetermined force is applied downward. The gaming machine (10) according to claim 1, further comprising position holding means (89).

  The invention according to claim 3 includes urging means (88) for urging the second dish (73) upward, and the second dish (73) resists the urging means (88). The gaming machine (10) according to claim 1, wherein the gaming machine (10) is lowered according to the number of medals to be accommodated.

  The gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first dish (72) in the invention according to claim 4 has elasticity that is elastically deformable toward the front side. (10).

  The invention according to claim 5, wherein the first dish (72) is located inside the second dish (73) and is formed of a transparent member. A gaming machine (10) according to item 1.

  In addition, the code | symbol in a parenthesis is attached | subjected for convenience and making it easy to contrast with drawing, Comprising: The structure of this invention is not limited at all.

  The gaming machine according to claim 1 is configured such that the number of medals stored in the medal tray can be adjusted by the second tray. Therefore, the number of transfers of medals from the medal tray to the medal storage box is reduced so that the player can It is possible to concentrate on the game and to improve the game.

  The gaming machine according to claim 2 is configured such that when the number of pieces stored in the medal tray reaches a predetermined number, the second plate is automatically lowered to increase the number of stored medals. By reducing the number of times the medals are transferred from the tray to the medal storage box, the player can concentrate on the game and the game performance can be improved.

  The invention according to claim 3 includes urging means for urging the second dish upward, and the second dish descends according to the number of medals accommodated against the urging means. It can be lowered automatically to increase the number of medals stored, reduce the number of medals transferred from the medal tray to the medal storage box, and allow the player to concentrate on the game. Can be increased. Further, since the empty second plate is automatically returned to the original position, the player does not need to return the second plate to the original position, and the handling is easy.

  In the invention according to claim 4, since the fixed frame has elasticity that can be elastically deformed toward the front side, even if the medal tray becomes deep due to the lowering of the second plate and it becomes difficult to scrape out the medal, The medal can be scraped from the medal tray to the medal storage box, and the medal can be easily and quickly transferred in a short time.

  In the gaming machine according to claim 5, since the expansion frame is formed of a transparent member, the player can easily determine visually the amount of medals stored in the medal tray, and the medal from the medal tray. The number of medals transferred to the storage box can be optimized. Thereby, a player can concentrate on a game and can improve game nature.

  Hereinafter, as an embodiment of the gaming machine of the present invention, a slot machine installed in a game arcade will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a slot machine as an embodiment of the gaming machine of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the medal tray for explaining the procedure for using the medal tray. (A) is a state diagram when the number of medals is small. (B) is a state diagram when the number of medals reaches a predetermined number. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the lowering operation of the lifting pan. (A) is a state figure by which the raising / lowering plate is hold | maintained in the raise position. (B) is a state diagram when a predetermined number of medals are stored in the medal tray and the lifting tray is lowered. (C) is a state figure which the raising / lowering plate descend | falls against the leaf | plate spring. FIG. 4 is a state diagram of the medal tray when the medal is scraped by giving elasticity to the fixed frame. FIG. 5 is a state diagram of the medal tray when the lifting tray is constantly biased upward by the tension spring.

(Description of slot machine structure)
As shown in FIG. 1, the slot machine 10 includes a main body 11 and a front door 12 that is attached to one side end of the main body 11 so as to be freely opened and closed and faces the player.

  The front door 12 has an operation panel 13 at a substantially central portion in the vertical direction in FIG. 1, and has a liquid crystal display panel 14 and a medal tray 71 above and below the operation panel 13, respectively. The medal tray 71 is provided at a position facing the medal discharge port 22.

  Above the liquid crystal display panel 14, there is provided a game state display unit 15 for displaying the number of credits, the number of bets (BET), the state of medal discharge, and the like. The operation panel 13 has a bet button 17 and a medal slot 18 on the top, and a start lever 19 and three stop buttons 30 on the front. It should be noted that the horizontal three rows of reel reels 21 that can be seen from the transparent window 16 to the inside of the liquid crystal display panel 14 are rotated and stopped so that the symbols and the like that are revealed can be clearly seen through the transparent window 16 from the player side. It has become. In addition, the outer peripheral rotation surface on which the symbols of the three horizontal reel reels 21 are drawn is disposed so as to face the rear surface side of the transmission window 16. The transmission window 16 is formed of a transparent hard plastic plate or the like so as to reliably protect the rotating reel 21 from the outside. A lower panel 39 displaying the name of the game is provided between the transmission window 16 and the medal tray 71.

(Explanation of slot machine operation)
In the slot machine 10, when a player inserts a medal into the medal insertion unit 18 and operates the start lever 19, the spinning reels 21, which are three horizontal rows of rotating bodies, start rotating, and then the player appropriately selects the slot machine 10. When each of the three stop buttons 30 is pressed at the timing, the spinning reels 21 corresponding to the buttons 30 are sequentially stopped, and among the symbol marks provided on each spinning reel 21, When predetermined pictures match each other, it becomes “winning”, and a large number of game medals (hereinafter simply referred to as “medals”) are discharged from the discharge port 22 to the medal tray 71.

(Description of medal tray structure)
The medal tray 71 includes a fixed frame 72 that is a first plate and an elevating plate 73 that is a second plate. The fixed frame 72 is formed of a left side plate 75, a right side plate 76, and a front plate 77 in a U shape in plan view, and is provided on the main body 11 of the slot machine. The elevating plate 73 is formed of a left side plate 81, a right side plate 82, a bottom plate 84 and a front plate 83.

  The elevating plate 73 has a guide pin 85 protruding on the outer surface near the side plates 75 and 76 of the fixed frame 72 (or the main body 11) and a long length in the vertical direction formed near the side plates 81 and 82 of the elevating plate 73. Guided by the engagement with the hole 86, it moves up and down along the outer surface 72 a of the fixed frame 72. A guide pin projecting near the left side plate 75 and a long hole formed in the left side plate 81 are not shown. The elongated hole 86 is provided with an arcuate leaf spring 87 that holds the raised position of the elevating plate 73 in contact with the guide pin 85.

  The guide pin 85, the long hole 86, and the leaf spring 87 hold the elevating plate 73 in the raised position, and when a force more than a predetermined weight (predetermined force) of the medal is applied to the elevating plate 73, Ascending position holding means 89 for releasing the holding is configured.

(Explanation of medal tray usage procedure)
As shown in FIGS. 2A and 3A, the elevating plate 73 overlaps with the fixed frame 72 and is aligned with the upper end until a predetermined number of medals are discharged to the medal tray 71, and the leaf spring 87. It is held in the raised position by the elasticity of. That is, the elevating plate 73 tries to descend integrally with the leaf spring 87 due to the weight of the medal, but the leaf spring 87 maintains an arc shape and is in contact with the guide pin 85, so that the raised position is Is retained.

  When a predetermined number of medals are discharged to the medal tray 71, the elevating tray 73 descends against the elasticity of the leaf spring 87, as shown in FIG. That is, the elevating plate 73 is lowered integrally with the leaf spring 87 so that the leaf spring 87 having an arc shape is crushed by the guide pin 85 by the weight of the medal and settles at the lowered position (FIG. 2). (B), see FIG. 3 (c)). As shown in FIG. 2B, the elevating plate 73 descends along the outer periphery 72 a of the fixed frame 72, so that there is almost no gap between the outer peripheral surface 72 a of the fixed frame 72 and the inner peripheral surface 73 a of the elevating frame 73. It has not occurred. When the elevating plate 73 is settled at the lowered position, the upper end portions 81a, 82a, 83a of the side plates 81, 82 and the front plate 83 are lower ends of the side plates 75, 76 of the fixed frame 72 and the front plate 77. It overlaps with the portions 75a, 76a, 77a. For this reason, medals do not spill from between the lowered elevating plate 73 and the fixed frame 72.

  The medal tray 71 emptied by scraping the medals can be returned to the original state shown in FIGS. 2A and 3A when the elevating plate 73 is pushed up against the leaf spring 87. .

  In the slot machine 10 of this embodiment, when the number of sheets stored in the medal tray 71 reaches a predetermined number, the elevating tray 73 automatically descends against the elasticity of the leaf spring 87 to increase the number of stored medals. Can be done. For this reason, the slot machine 10 of this embodiment can adjust the number of medals received in the medal tray 71 by the elevating tray 73 and reduce the number of medals transferred from the medal tray 71 to the medal storage box. The player can concentrate on the game, and the game performance can be improved. In particular, during play, for example, when the above-mentioned big bonus hits and a large number of medals are discharged to the medal tray 71 and there is a possibility that the medals overflow from the medal tray 71 and fall to the floor, the lifting pan 73 is lowered. Since the medal tray 71 is deepened to increase the number of stored medals, the player can transfer medals with sufficient time for transferring medals. In addition, since the elevating plate 73 is automatically lowered, the player does not need to perform a special operation for increasing the number of stored medals, and can concentrate on the game and increase playability. be able to.

  In the case where the medal tray 71 is deepened when the elevating plate 73 is lowered and it becomes difficult to scrape out the medal, the medal tray 71 is made of a resin member that can be elastically deformed to the front side like the fixed frame 172 shown in FIG. It may be formed. Further, when the medal tray 71 becomes deep and it is difficult to confirm the number of medals accommodated, the fixed frames 72 and 172 may be formed of a transparent member.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, instead of the leaf spring 87, a tension spring 88 as an urging means may be used so that the lifting plate 73 is always urged upward by the tension spring 88. As described above, when the tension spring 88 is used, the elevating plate 73 descends in proportion to the number of medals. Further, when the medal tray 71 becomes empty, the lifting tray 73 is automatically pulled up by the tension spring 88 and can be returned to the original position.

It is an external perspective view of a slot machine as an embodiment of the gaming machine of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the medal tray for demonstrating the use procedure of a medal tray. (A) is a state diagram when the number of medals is small. (B) is a state diagram when the number of medals reaches a predetermined number. It is a figure for demonstrating the descent | fall operation | movement of a raising / lowering tray. (A) is a state figure by which the raising / lowering plate is hold | maintained in the raise position. (B) is a state diagram when a predetermined number of medals are stored in the medal tray and the lifting tray is lowered. (C) is a state figure which the raising / lowering plate descend | falls against the leaf | plate spring. It is a state diagram of the medal tray when the medal is scraped by giving elasticity to the fixed frame. It is a state figure of a medal tray when a raising / lowering plate is always urged | biased upwards with a tension spring.

Explanation of symbols

10 Slot machines (gaming machines)
11 Body 21 Revolving reel (Revolving body)
22 Discharge port 71 Medal tray 72 Fixed frame (first plate)
73 Elevating plate (second plate)
74 Bottom plate 75 Left side plate 75a Lower end portion of left side plate 76 Right side plate 76a Lower end portion of right side plate 77 Front plate 77a Lower end portion of front plate 81 Left side plate 81a Upper end portion of left side plate 82 Right side plate 82a Upper end portion of right side plate 83 Front plate 83a Top plate upper end 84 Bottom plate 85 Guide pin 86 Long hole 87 Leaf spring 88 Tension spring (biasing means)
89 Lifting position holding means

Claims (5)

In a gaming machine comprising a plurality of rotatable rotator bodies on which a pattern is drawn, and a medal tray that receives medals discharged from the main body when the pattern is aligned by the rotation of the rotator body,
The medal tray is
A first plate formed in a frame shape with both side plates and a front plate and provided in the main body;
A second plate that is formed of a bottom plate, both side plates, and a front plate and that can be raised and lowered along the first plate;
The second dish can be lowered along the first dish to a position where the upper ends of the side plates and the front plate of the second dish overlap with the lower ends of the side plates and the front plate of the first dish. A gaming machine characterized by being.   2. A lifting position holding means for holding the second dish in a raised position and releasing the holding when a force of a predetermined downward force or more is applied to the second dish. The gaming machine according to 1.   The urging means for urging the second dish upward is provided, and the second dish descends according to the number of medals accommodated against the urging means. Game machines.   4. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the first dish has elasticity that can be elastically deformed toward the front side. 5. The gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first dish is formed of a transparent member located inside the second dish.

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