JP2005230409A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress the forward projecting quantity of a table surface and to improve the visibility of a reel in a slot machine having a table surface on which the hand of a player is to be placed. <P>SOLUTION: A slot machine 100 having the reel 107 having a plurality of symbols arrayed on peripheral surfaces to vary-display the patterns by its rotation has a nearly horizontal table surface 101 on which the hand of a player is to be placed and a machine front surface 102 standing nearly vertically from the rear end part of the table surface 101. The reel 107 is arranged projecting to over the table surface 101 or the front of the machine front surface 102. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine having a rotating drum having a plurality of symbols arranged on a peripheral surface and displaying the symbols in a variable manner by the rotation thereof.

In general, for example, a slot machine or the like is known as a gaming machine including a spinning cylinder having a plurality of symbols arranged on a peripheral surface.
Slot machines are used for the purpose of paying out a large number of game media (coins, etc.), and the contents of the prizes are given by stopping the symbols drawn on the rotating drum by inserting coins in a predetermined prize arrangement. A predetermined number of game media corresponding to the payout amount is paid out, and the payout game media can be exchanged for a predetermined prize according to the number.

The structure of such a conventional gaming machine is shown in FIGS.
FIG. 1A is a front view of a conventional gaming machine (conventional example 1, for example, a slot machine), and FIG. 1B is a side view of the slot machine of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2A, the conventional slot machines 200 are normally arranged in a horizontal row on the installation table 10 provided in the hall. In the hall, slot machines 200 arranged in a horizontal row are arranged in two rows back to back to constitute a gaming machine island. In front of each slot machine 200, as shown in FIG. 5B, a player chair 20 is provided, and a medal lending machine 30 for lending medals is provided between the stands.
The heights of the installation table 10 and the chair 20 are both about 50 cm above the floor (between about 40 to 60 cm), and the slot machine 200 has a substantially vertical front surface 201 facing the player sitting on the chair 20. Yes. The distance between the back of the slot machine 200 and the back of the chair 20 is about 900 mm.

On the front surface 201 of the slot machine 200, a display panel 202, an operation unit 203, a tray 204, and the like are provided.
A symbol display window 205 is formed on the display panel 202, and a plurality of rotatable drums 206 (206a, 206b, 206c) are arranged in parallel on the inside thereof. A plurality of types of symbols arranged in the rotational direction are arranged on the circumferential surface of each spinning cylinder 206, and these symbols are viewed from the outside of the machine through the symbol display window 205.

The operation unit 203 includes a medal slot 207, a bet switch 208 for betting a medal, a start lever 209 for starting rotation of the rotating drum 206, and a plurality of stop buttons 210 (210a, 210b for stopping rotation of the rotating drum 206). 210c) and the like.
In the vicinity of the upper side of the tray 204, a medal payout exit 211 is formed, and medals paid out from here are stored in the tray 204.

Next, a gaming method of the slot machine 200 will be described.
First, the player bets medals prior to the start of the game. As a method for betting a medal, there are a method for inserting a medal into the medal insertion slot 207 and a method for pressing a bet switch 208.
Next, the player presses the start lever 209 to start the game. When the game starts, each of the drums 206 rotates and the symbols are variably displayed in the symbol display window 205.

The player presses each stop button 210 in order while watching the design of each rotating drum 206 to stop the rotation of each of the rotating drums 206. When all the cylinders 206 are stopped, a plurality of symbols are arranged in the symbol display window 205, and a winning is determined based on the arrangement. When the stopped symbol arrangement is a winning combination, the number of medals corresponding to the winning combination is paid out from the medal payout opening 211.
These operations are repeated as many times as the number of games played by the player.

By the way, a player who has come to the hall usually plays a game several tens to several hundreds of times, and may feel tired during or after the game. Examples include fatigue of eyes and neck caused by visual inspection of the rotating drum, fatigue of hands and shoulders caused by medal insertion operation, lever operation, button operation, and the like.
In recent years, in order to cope with such a problem, a slot machine (for example, refer to Patent Document 1) in which the arrangement of the rotating cylinder is changed and a table type slot machine (see FIG. 9) have been proposed. Hereinafter, these slot machines will be described.

In the slot machine shown in Patent Document 1, the rotating drum is disposed below the center of the front of the machine. Thereby, a player's eyes | visual_axis becomes downward rather than before, and fatigue, such as a neck, is reduced.
However, in the slot machine shown in Patent Document 1, the arrangement of the bet switch, the start lever, the stop button, and the like is almost the same as that of the conventional one, so that fatigue of hands and shoulders caused by lever operation and button operation is reduced. It is not possible.
In this case, since the tray is arranged above the rotating drum and the medals are paid out through the lifter, not only is the handling of the medals difficult, but there is a concern that the medal payout speed may be reduced.

FIG. 9 is a side view of a conventional slot machine (conventional example 2).
The slot machine 300 shown in this figure has a substantially horizontal table surface 301 on which a player's hand is placed, and a machine front surface 302 that rises substantially vertically from the rear end of the table surface 301. The rotating drum 303 is disposed below the rear end of the table surface 301. According to such a configuration, as in the case of Patent Document 1, the player's line of sight faces downward, so that fatigue of the neck and the like can be reduced.
Further, the table surface 301 is provided with a bet switch 304, a start button 305, a stop button 306, and a tray 307, so that the player can operate buttons and insert medals while placing his hand on the table surface 301. The operation can be performed. Thereby, fatigue of hands and shoulders due to button operation and medal insertion operation is reduced.
JP 2002-315864 A

However, in the slot machine 300 having the table surface 301, there is a problem that a large installation space is required because the housing projects largely forward.
Further, since the casing of the slot machine 300 is configured to be directly installed on the floor, it cannot be introduced into the hall in which the installation table is originally provided. Still, if you wanted to install it, you had to secure a dedicated installation space.
Further, in the slot machine 300, the position of the rotary drum 303 is far from the player, and thus the visibility of the rotary drum 303 may be reduced.

  The present invention has been considered in view of the above circumstances, and has a table surface on which a player's hand is placed. It is an object to provide a slot machine that can improve the performance.

In order to achieve the above object, a gaming machine of the present invention is a gaming machine having a rotating drum having a plurality of symbols arranged on a peripheral surface thereof, a substantially horizontal table surface on which a player's hand is placed, A machine front surface that rises substantially vertically from the rear end of the table surface, and a part or almost a quarter of the circumferential surface of the rotating drum protrudes above the table surface and / or forward of the machine front surface. is there.
If comprised in this way, since a rotating cylinder approaches the position of a player's eye, the visibility of a rotating cylinder can be improved further.

Moreover, the gaming machine of the present invention is configured such that the rotating drum is arranged at the intersection of the table surface and the machine front, or in the vicinity of the upper side of the intersection.
If comprised in this way, even if it has a table surface in which a player's hand is mounted, since the amount of front protrusion of a table surface can be suppressed, a housing can be reduced in size and installation space can be reduced. .
Moreover, since the spinning cylinder approaches the position of the player's eyes and the height becomes appropriate, the visibility of the spinning cylinder can be improved.

Moreover, the gaming machine of the present invention has a configuration in which the protruding portion of the spinning cylinder is covered with an arc-shaped transparent cover along the circumferential surface of the spinning cylinder.
If comprised in this way, the visibility of a rotating drum will not only improve, but the external appearance of a game machine can be comprised in three dimensions. Further, the reflection of ambient illumination light is reduced by the effect of the convex mirror, and the effect of suppressing glare can be achieved.

Moreover, the gaming machine of the present invention is configured such that the projecting portion of the rotating drum is covered with an inclined transparent cover.
If comprised in this way, the surrounding surface of a rotating drum can be made to protrude ahead of a machine, without forming a convex part in the external appearance of a game machine.

In the gaming machine of the present invention, a medal slot, betting means for betting a medal, start means for starting the rotation of the rotating drum, and stopping means for stopping the rotation of the rotating drum are provided on the table surface. It is as a configuration provided.
If comprised in this way, since most game operations will be possible in the state which put the hand on the table surface, the fatigue of the hand and shoulder resulting from game operation can be reduced.

In addition, the gaming machine of the present invention has a configuration in which the medal slot is provided in the vicinity of the spinning drum.
If comprised in this way, since the moving amount | distance of the hand at the time of throwing in a medal becomes small, the fatigue of a hand or a shoulder can further be reduced.

Moreover, the gaming machine of the present invention has a configuration in which a tray for collecting paid-out medals and / or returned medals is provided on the table surface.
If comprised in this way, since the taking-out of the medal from a saucer becomes easy, fatigue of a hand or a shoulder can further be reduced.

In addition, the gaming machine of the present invention includes a hopper in which a payout medal is stored inside the machine, and the hopper is disposed above the rotating drum.
With this configuration, the medals can be paid out in a falling state on the tray, so that the medal payout speed can be improved as compared with the case where the medals are paid out via the lifter. Moreover, it is possible to produce gorgeousness by the falling sound of medals.

In addition, the gaming machine of the present invention identifies a medal inserted from the medal slot and automatically selects a regular medal into the machine and a regular medal imported into the machine up to the hopper. The lifter is configured to be provided with a lifter for transporting to the surface.
With this configuration, even if the hopper is arranged above the rotating drum, the inserted medal is automatically supplied to the hopper, so that an average carrying capacity of 3 medals / 4.1 seconds to 45 medals / min is sufficient. The number of medals supplied to the hopper can be reduced.

In the gaming machine of the present invention, the proper installation height of the table surface on which the player's hand is placed is about 70 cm above the floor.
If comprised in this way, the player can put a hand on a table surface comfortably, and can operate each button. For this reason, the player can further reduce hand and shoulder fatigue.

In addition, the gaming machine of the present invention is configured to include a video display unit and / or a game information display unit on the front side of the machine.
If comprised in this way, since the various image | video linked | related with the game content can be displayed on an image | video display part, the effect effect of a game can be heightened. For this reason, on the game hall side, an attractive gaming machine can be provided to the player, so the number of customers can be increased.
Furthermore, for the player, various information can be obtained from the video display unit, video can be enjoyed, and a game with a high production effect can be performed. In addition, the player can know information about the game by looking at the game information display section.

As described above, according to the present invention, while having a table surface on which a player's hand is placed, the front projection amount of the table surface is suppressed, thereby enabling a reduction in the size of the housing. Space can be reduced.
In addition, the position of the crotch can be brought close to the position of the player's eyes, and the visibility of the crotch can be improved.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
However, the description of Conventional Example 1 or Conventional Example 2 is used for the basic configuration and gaming method of the slot machine.

[First embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a side view of the slot machine according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a VV top sectional view of the slot machine shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, the slot machine 100 is not installed on the floor, but is usually installed on an installation table 10 provided in a hall. That is, the slot machine 100 is configured such that the appropriate installation height on the lower surface of the machine is about 50 cm in accordance with the height of the installation table 10.
It is assumed that a chair 20 having a seating portion with a height of around 50 cm is provided in front of the slot machine 100 with a predetermined interval.

On the front side of the slot machine 100, there are formed a substantially horizontal table surface 101 on which a player's hand is placed, and a machine front surface 102 that rises substantially vertically from the rear end of the table surface 101.
Here, the front-side protruding portion of the slot machine 100 including the table surface 101 is considered to be thin enough that it does not interfere with the player's legs on the bottom surface. Moreover, the proper installation height of the table surface 101 on which the player's hand is placed is about 70 cm above the floor. With such a structure, the player can play the game while putting his / her feet on the lower side of the protruding portion on the front side and placing his / her hand on the table surface 101.
The table surface 101 on which the player's hand is placed is provided with a bet switch (bet means) 103, a start button (start means) 104, a stop button (stop means) 105, and a tray 106. The user can operate buttons and take out medals while placing a hand on the table surface 101. As a result, fatigue of the hands, shoulders, and feet caused by operating buttons and taking out medals can be reduced.

  Further, a medal insertion port 109 for inserting medals is provided on the surface of the table surface 101 that is one step higher. Moreover, the medal slot 109 is arranged in the vicinity of the right side of the rotating drum 107. If the medal slot 109 is arranged in this way, the distance from the tray 106 provided on the table surface 101 is reduced, so that the amount of movement of the hand when inserting the medal is reduced, and fatigue of the hand and shoulder is further reduced. It becomes possible.

  Inside the slot machine 100, a cylindrical rotating drum 107 that displays the symbols in a variable manner is provided so as to be rotatable about a support shaft facing left and right. A plurality of symbols are arranged on the peripheral surface of the rotating drum 107, and these symbols are visually recognized by the player through the transparent cover 108. In the present invention, when the rotating drum 107 is provided in the slot machine 100, the rotating drum 107 is disposed at the intersection K (the rear end portion of the table surface 101) of the table surface 101 and the machine front surface 102 or near the upper side of the intersection K. Yes. In this way, not only is the player's line of sight downward and fatigue of the neck or the like is reduced, but the forward protrusion amount of the table surface 101 can be suppressed.

That is, as compared with the case where the rotating drum 107 is arranged in front of the intersection K, the position of the rotating drum 107 is shifted rearward, so that the protruding amount of the table surface 101 can be reduced by that amount. Thereby, since the depth dimension of the slot machine 100 is around 550 cm, it is possible to play by simply shifting the existing chair 20 backward about 100 mm (the distance between the back of the slot machine 100 and the backrest of the chair 20 is About 1000 mm).
In addition, when the rotating drum 107 is arranged as described above, the rotating drum 107 approaches the position of the player's eyes and the height becomes appropriate, so that the visibility of the rotating drum 107 can be improved.

  Further, in the present embodiment, a part or almost ¼ of the peripheral surface of the rotating drum 107 is projected forward of the machine (above the table surface 101 or the front of the machine front 102), and this protruding portion is used as the rotating drum. It is covered with an arc-shaped transparent cover 108 along the peripheral surface 107. Thereby, the rotating cylinder 107 approaches the position of the player's eyes, and not only the visibility of the rotating cylinder 107 is further improved, but also the appearance of the slot machine 100 can be configured in a three-dimensional manner.

Note that the rotating drum 107 can also be arranged so that the center thereof is located below the intersection K as shown in FIG. 3.
Even in this case, a part of the rotating drum 107 is disposed so as to protrude above the table surface 101 or forward of the machine front surface 102. Thereby, the visibility of the rotating drum 107 can be improved and a player's eye fatigue can be reduced.

Next, the internal configuration of the slot machine 100 will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the flow of medals.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, an upper hopper 110, a selector 111, a lower hopper 112, and a lifter 113 are provided inside the slot machine 100.

The upper hopper 110 stores medals for payout, and medals are paid out to the tray 106 from here. In this embodiment, the upper hopper 110 is disposed above the rotating drum 107 so that the medals are paid out to the tray 106 in a fallen state. As a result, the medal payout speed can be increased compared to the case where the medal payout is performed via the lifter.
The upper hopper 110 is provided with a medal supply path 114 communicating with the outside of the machine, so that medals can be supplied from the outside of the machine.

The selector 111 discriminates medals inserted from the medal insertion slot 109 and switches the medal path in accordance with the identification result, and is provided in the vicinity below the medal insertion slot 109. The medals determined to be legitimate by the selector 111 are stored in the lower hopper 112, and the medals determined to be illegal are returned to the tray 106.
The lifter 113 is provided so as to automatically convey medals accumulated in the lower hopper 112 to the upper hopper 110. In this way, even if the upper hopper 110 is disposed above the rotating drum 107, the inserted medals are automatically supplied to the upper hopper 110, so that the number of medals supplied to the upper hopper 110 from the outside can be reduced. .
Note that the lower hopper 112 may be omitted, and a medal that is determined to be legitimate by the selector 111 may be immediately conveyed to the upper hopper 110 by the lifter 113.

According to the slot machine 100 of the first embodiment configured as described above, a substantially horizontal table surface 101 on which a player's hand is placed, and a front surface of the machine that rises substantially vertically from the rear end of the table surface 101. 102, and the rotating drum 107 is disposed at the intersection K between the table surface 101 and the machine front surface 102 or in the vicinity of the upper side of the intersection K, and therefore has the table surface 101 on which the player's hand is placed. Even so, the forward protrusion amount of the table surface 101 can be suppressed. Thereby, the housing of the slot machine 100 can be reduced in size and the installation space can be reduced.
Further, according to the above arrangement configuration, the rotating drum 107 approaches the position of the player's eyes and the height becomes appropriate, so that the visibility of the rotating drum 107 can be improved.

Further, in the slot machine 100 of the present embodiment, about 1/4 of the circumferential surface of the rotating drum 107 protrudes forward of the machine, so that the rotating drum 107 is further brought closer to the player's eyes and the rotating drum is moved. The visibility of 107 can be further improved.
Further, since the protruding portion of the rotating drum 107 is covered with an arc-shaped transparent cover 108 along the circumferential surface of the rotating drum 107, the slot machine 100 has a three-dimensional appearance while ensuring good visibility of the rotating drum 107. Can be configured.

  Further, the table surface 101 is provided with a bet switch 103 for designating the number of medals bet, a start button 104 for starting the rotation of the rotating drum 107, and a stop button 105 for stopping the rotation of the rotating drum 107. Therefore, most game operations can be performed with the hand placed on the table surface 101, and hand and shoulder fatigue resulting from the game operation can be reduced.

Further, since the table surface 101 is provided with a tray 106 for collecting the paid-out medals, it is easy to take out medals from the tray 106.
In addition, since the medal insertion port 109 is provided in the vicinity of the rotating drum 107, the amount of movement of the hand when inserting the medal is reduced, and fatigue of the hand and shoulder can be further reduced.

  Further, the slot machine 100 of the present embodiment has an upper hopper 110 in which medals for payout are stored inside the machine, and the upper hopper 110 is disposed above the rotating drum 107. It becomes possible to pay out medals in a falling state. Thereby, the medal payout speed can be improved as compared with the case where the medal payout is performed via the lifter.

  Further, the slot machine 100 of the present embodiment identifies a medal inserted from the medal slot 109, selects a regular medal into the machine, and a regular medal captured inside the machine into the upper hopper. Therefore, even if the upper hopper 110 is disposed above the rotating drum 107, the number of medals supplied from the outside to the upper hopper 110 can be reduced.

  In addition, the slot machine 100 of the present embodiment can be installed on the existing installation table 10 provided in the hall because the appropriate installation height on the lower surface of the machine is around 50 cm. Thereby, the slot machine 100 having the table surface 101 can be introduced without securing a dedicated installation space.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
However, about the structure which is common in 1st embodiment, the code | symbol same as 1st embodiment is attached | subjected and description of 1st embodiment is used.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the slot machine according to the second embodiment.
The slot machine 100 shown in this figure is different from the first embodiment in that the projecting portion of the rotating drum 107 is covered with an inclined transparent cover 108.
If comprised in this way, the surrounding surface of the rotating drum 107 can be made to protrude ahead of a machine, without forming a convex part in the external appearance of the slot machine 100. FIG.

[Third embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
However, about the structure which is common in 1st embodiment, the code | symbol same as 1st embodiment is attached | subjected and description of 1st embodiment is used.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the slot machine according to the third embodiment.
The slot machine 100 shown in this figure is different from the first embodiment in that a game information display unit 115 and a video display unit 116 are provided on the front surface 102 of the machine.
Here, as shown in FIG. 7, the game information display unit 115 is a part for displaying information about the game, and specifically, can display a winning arrangement, the number of acquired medals, a description of the game, and the like. .
Thus, the player can check the game specifications and the like by looking at the game information display unit 115.

The video display unit 116 can be composed of, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), a CRT (CRT), a plasma display, a video terminal, etc., and displays, for example, game effects, television broadcasts, movie screenings, notifications from game halls, and the like. be able to.
In this video display unit 116, the position of the rotating drum 107 in the slot machine 100 of this embodiment is lowered below the position of the rotating drum 206 of the conventional slot machine 200 shown in FIGS. It can be installed.
By providing the video display unit 116, it is possible to provide the player with an attractive gaming machine such as an increase in the effect of playing the game, so that the gaming hall side can expect an increase in the number of customers.

Furthermore, in the slot machine 100 of this embodiment, the lower part of the main body is in contact with the floor surface of the game hall, and the bottom plate portion 117 is provided on the surface in contact with the floor surface.
The bottom plate portion 117 is formed in a plate shape, is attached to the bottom surface of the main body of the slot machine 100, and further protrudes from here toward the front of the machine (the direction in which the chair 20 is provided). In this overhanging portion, the upper surface is a surface on which the player's feet are placed. In addition, the protruding portion prevents the slot machine 100 from tipping forward.

  The present invention is applied to a slot machine that has a rotating drum in which a plurality of symbols are arranged on the peripheral surface and displays the symbols in a variable manner by the rotation thereof. In particular, it is useful when implemented as something that can be installed on an existing installation table provided in a hall.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the slot machine according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a VV top sectional view of the slot machine shown in FIG. 1. It is a side view showing other composition of the slot machine concerning a first embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the flow of medals. It is a side view of the slot machine which concerns on 2nd embodiment. It is a side view of the slot machine which concerns on 3rd embodiment. It is a front view which shows the example of a display of a game information display part. (A) is a front view of the slot machine according to Conventional Example 1, and (B) is a side view of the slot machine according to Conventional Example 1. FIG. 10 is a side view of a slot machine according to Conventional Example 2. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Installation stand 20 Chair 100 Slot machine 101 Table surface 102 Machine front 103 Bet switch 104 Start button 105 Stop button 106 Receptacle 107 Turning cylinder 108 Transparent cover 109 Medal insertion slot 110 Upper hopper 111 Selector 112 Lower hopper 113 Lifter 114 Medal supply path 115 Game information display part 116 Video display part 117 Bottom plate part K Intersection

Claims (11)

A gaming machine having a spinning cylinder having a plurality of symbols arranged on a peripheral surface,
A substantially horizontal table surface on which the player's hand is placed;
The front of the machine rises almost vertically from the rear end of the table surface,
Part or almost ¼ of the circumferential surface of the spinning cylinder protrudes above the table surface and / or forward of the front of the machine. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the rotating drum is arranged at an intersection of the table surface and the front of the machine, or near an upper side of the intersection. The gaming machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the protruding portion of the rotating cylinder is covered with an arc-shaped transparent cover along a circumferential surface of the rotating cylinder. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the protruding portion of the rotating drum is covered with an inclined transparent cover. On the table surface,
Medal slot,
Betting means to bet medals,
Start means for starting rotation of the cylinder,
The gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising stop means for stopping rotation of the rotating drum. The gaming machine according to claim 5, wherein the medal slot is provided in the vicinity of the spinning drum. The gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the table surface is provided with a tray for collecting paid-out medals and / or returned medals. The gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: a hopper in which a medal for payout is stored inside the machine, and the hopper is disposed above the rotating drum. A selector for identifying medals inserted from the medal slot and taking only regular medals into the machine;
The gaming machine according to claim 8, further comprising a lifter that automatically conveys regular medals taken into the machine to the hopper. The gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein an appropriate installation height of a table surface on which a player's hand is placed is about 70 cm above the floor. The game machine according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a video display unit and / or a game information display unit are provided in front of the machine.

Images