JP2005329072A - Slot machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify a structure on an opening/closing panel rear surface side in a slot machine using the game balls as game media. <P>SOLUTION: A storage area 36 inside a storage tray part 8 is sectioned into an upstream area 53 and a downstream area (straightening path) 54 at the front and back by a partition wall 56, a ball supply port 35 is disposed near one left or right side of the upstream area 53, and both areas are communicated by a communicating opening 57 formed near the other left or right side separated from the side of the ball supply port 35. Further, a fetch port 66 communicated with a ball fetch path 48 is formed at a position near an end opposite to the communicating opening 57 in the downstream area (straightening path) 54, and a fetch member (sprocket) 71 of a ball fetching device 50 is disposed in the ball fetch path 48 at a position more in front than the rear surface 34 of an opening/closing panel. In such constitution, since the fetch member 71 conventionally disposed on the rear surface side of the opening/closing panel 7 is disposed on the front surface side of the opening/closing panel 7, the structure on the rear surface side of the opening/closing panel 7 is simplified, and the degree of freedom of the design of the slot machine is improved. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a slot machine using game balls as game media.

  A slot machine using a game ball as a game medium has been proposed. In such a slot machine, instead of a medal used as a game medium, a rotating drum can be rotated by inserting a game ball into the gaming machine, and when a predetermined hit state is achieved by stopping the rotating drum, a predetermined number of A game ball is paid out to a player. Since these slot machines can be played using the game balls used for pachinko machines, by installing them together with the pachinko machines in the game hall, players can enjoy both pachinko machines and slot machines with one type of game medium. And the convenience of the player can be improved. In addition, this slot machine can be mounted on a game island for a pachinko machine in the amusement hall and can use a ball supply / discharge mechanism for the pachinko machine. There is also an advantage that administrative costs can be reduced.

  However, on the other hand, in a game hall, since the value of one game ball is generally treated lower than the value of one medal, a slot machine using a medal as a game medium uses one medal as the minimum unit of bets. On the other hand, in a slot machine that uses game balls, a plurality of game balls constitute the minimum unit of bets, and instead of inserting one medal, the number of games equivalent to one medal You must throw a ball. For this reason, such a slot machine has a mechanism for storing game balls in front of the slot machine and automatically taking the number of game balls corresponding to one unit of bet into the slot machine by a button operation or the like. Slot machines have been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

  Such a slot machine has an opening / closing panel attached to the front surface of a gaming machine main body provided with a rotating drum so as to be openable and closable, and a storage tray portion disposed on the front surface side of the opening / closing panel and having a storage area for storing game balls. A ball take-in device that is provided in a ball take-in path that communicates with a take-in port formed in the storage dish portion, and that takes in a predetermined number as a unit, and detects a game ball taken in by the ball take-in device A game ball detecting means; and a take-in ball discharge path for allowing the game ball detected by the game ball detecting means to flow down. When the player operates the input switch, the ball take-in device is activated. The game balls flowing down from the intake on the storage tray side are taken into the intake ball discharge path side with a predetermined number as one unit. The ball take-in device includes a sprocket-like take-in member provided with a plurality of recesses for accommodating game balls, and the take-in member from a position where the recess communicates with the take-in port, An electric drive device such as a stepping motor that rotates to a communicating position. The take-in member and the driving device are attached to the back surface (back surface) of the open / close panel. In addition, the game ball detecting means is usually composed of a switch, a sensor, or the like disposed at a position where the game ball flows down from the ball take-in device, and the game ball taken in by the ball take-in device is It is detected by the game ball detecting means and counted by the control device on the game machine main body side. In addition, the game ball detected by the game ball detection means passes through the take-in ball discharge path formed downstream of the game ball detection means and is discharged to the back side of the game machine main body.

Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 7-47056 JP 2001-299995 A

  By the way, the slot machine is provided with a rotating drum and a driving device for driving the rotating drum, as in the slot machine using medals as game media. However, on the other hand, since such a slot machine is provided on a game island for a pachinko machine, its outer shape is not the shape of a conventional slot machine using medals as a game medium, but a pachinko machine suitable for the game island. It is necessary to have the same shape as For this reason, such a slot machine is required to have a different layout design from a conventional slot machine using medals as a game medium, and simplification of the internal structure is desired. However, in such a current situation, the ball take-in device mounted on the back surface of the open / close panel occupies a large internal space of the slot machine, and there is a problem that the degree of freedom of design is greatly limited.

  The present invention is an attempt to solve such a problem. In a slot machine using a game ball as a game medium, the back structure of the open / close panel can be simplified, and a smooth supply of the game ball is possible. The purpose is to provide a machine.

  The present invention is an opening / closing panel attached to the front of a gaming machine main body provided with a rotating drum so as to be openable and closable, and a storage tray portion disposed on the front side of the opening / closing panel and having a storage area for storing game balls, A ball take-in device provided with a take-in member that is provided in a ball take-in path that communicates with a take-in port formed in the storage dish part and takes in a predetermined number of game balls stored in the storage dish part as a unit And a game ball detecting means for detecting the game ball taken in by the ball take-in device, and a take-in ball discharge path for causing the game ball detected by the game ball detecting means to flow down. In the slot machine, the storage area is divided into an upstream area and a downstream area, and a sphere supply port is arranged near the left and right sides of the upstream area, and at the left and right other sides separated from the sphere supply port side. Connect the two areas with the formed communication opening. A left and right direction folding section means, and further, an inlet opening communicating with the ball intake path is formed at a position near the end opposite to the communication opening in the downstream region, and the intake member of the ball intake device is connected to the opening / closing panel. The slot machine is characterized in that it is arranged in the ball take-in path at a position ahead of the back surface (Claim 1).

  Here, this ball take-in device is arranged in a ball take-in path formed between the take-in port formed in the storage tray portion and the take-in ball discharge path, and the game flows down from the take-in port. A take-in member that has a recess for receiving a ball, and that fluctuates between a position where the recess communicates with the take-in port, and a position where the recess communicates with the take-in ball discharge path, and a predetermined number of game balls And an electric drive device that operates the take-in member to discharge to the ball discharge path side, and the take-up member is driven by the electric drive device based on the operation of the insertion switch by the player, and the storage plate portion It is proposed to take a predetermined number of game balls stored as a unit. The take-in member may be configured to automatically drive and take in the game ball if it is detected that there is a predetermined number of game balls in the storage tray portion, regardless of the operation of the input switch. Good. Further, the game ball detecting means for detecting the game ball taken in by the ball take-in device can be constituted by a ball detection switch disposed at the entrance of the take-in ball discharge path.

  In addition, as the ball take-in device, it is possible to suitably use the already proposed configuration. For example, a sprocket or the like is used as the take-in member, and a motor or solenoid is used as the electric drive device. Can do. In such a configuration, since the intake member that has been conventionally disposed on the back surface of the open / close panel is disposed at the front position of the back surface, the structure on the back surface side of the open / close panel becomes simple, The degree of freedom in designing the slot machine can be improved. In particular, in this configuration, not only the take-in member but also the electric drive device is provided in the front part of the open / close panel, and if all of the ball take-in devices are arranged at the front position of the open / close panel, the storage plate part of the open / close panel The back side is flat, and the internal design freedom can be further improved.

  Furthermore, since the taking-in member is arranged at a position ahead of the back surface of the open / close panel, the taking-in port can also be arranged at the front position of the storage dish portion. Therefore, the storage area is divided into an upstream area and a downstream area on the bottom surface of the storage dish portion, and a sphere supply port is disposed near one side of the upstream area, and an end separated from the sphere supply port side. In the section, a folding section means in the left-right direction configured to communicate both areas is provided. Thereby, the route of the game ball from the ball supply port to the take-in port is folded back by the turn-back sorting means, and the route length is increased. For this reason, the inclination gradient of the storage area is reduced, the flow speed of the game ball is lowered, the game ball is less popped out from the storage dish portion, and the game ball can be supplied smoothly.

  Here, the folding section means is a left and right partition that divides the storage area into the upstream area and the downstream area on the bottom surface of the storage dish portion, and both areas at the end separated from the sphere supply port side. A communication opening that communicates with each other can be formed (claim 2). As a result, a substantially U-shaped flow path is realized, and there is no interference between the game balls in the upstream region and the downstream region due to the partition wall, and the game ball group in the upstream region is added to the game ball group in the downstream region. The ball pressure is suppressed, and the flow of the game ball can be made smoother.

  The upstream region and the downstream region can be inclined in the downstream direction, and the inclination angle of the downstream region can be made larger than the inclination angle of the upstream region. In this case, the game ball slowly flows down in the upstream region, and the game ball flows down in the downstream region from the communication opening serving as the turn-up portion to the intake port. Thereby, it becomes easy to confirm the game ball flowing down from the ball supply port in the upstream region.

  The downstream region may be formed in a narrow width from the communication opening to the intake port, and may be a right and left rectifying passage in which game balls are aligned in a row in the downstream region (Claim 4). In such a configuration, the downstream region becomes a rectifying passage, and can follow the speed at which game balls are taken in, and can be reliably delivered to the take-in port by a predetermined number of units. Here, it is also possible to take a relatively wide downstream area, form an elongated concave groove in the downstream area, and make the inside of the concave groove a rectifying passage.

As described above, according to the present invention, the storage area is divided into the upstream area and the downstream area in the front-rear direction, and the sphere supply port is disposed near one side of the upstream area, and is separated from the sphere supply port side. The left and right direction folding section means that communicates both areas at the end, and further, forming an intake port communicating with the ball intake path at a position near the end opposite to the communication opening in the downstream area, Since the take-in member of the take-in device is disposed in the ball take-in path at a position in front of the back surface of the open / close panel (claim 1),
1) Since the take-in member, which was previously arranged on the back side of the open / close panel, is placed in front of the panel mounting surface of the open / close panel, the structure on the back side of the open / close panel becomes simple. The degree of freedom in designing the slot machine can be improved.
2) Inside the storage dish, the storage area is divided into an upstream area and a downstream area by the turn-up section means, and the intake port communicating with the ball intake path is located at a position opposite to the communication opening. For this reason, the route of the game ball from the ball supply port to the intake port is folded back by the turn-up sorting means, and the route length is increased. For this reason, the inclination gradient of the bottom surface of the storage tray portion can be reduced, the flow speed of the game ball is lowered, the game ball is less popped out from the storage tray portion, and the smooth supply of the game ball is possible. .
3) As a result of the turn of the path of the game ball from the ball supply port to the intake port, the ball supply port and the intake port are disposed on the same side in the left-right direction. For this reason, the passage that communicates with the ball supply port and the passage that communicates with the intake port are on the same side, so that the group of passages can be consolidated, the back structure of the game main body can be easily integrated, and other rear regions The degree of freedom increases, and the layout design becomes easy.
4) As the folding section means, on the bottom surface of the storage dish part, the storage area is composed of a left and right partition that divides the upstream area and the downstream area in the front and back direction, and both areas are separated from the sphere supply port side. When a communication opening that communicates with each other is formed (Claim 2), a substantially U-shaped flow path is realized, and there is no interference between the game balls in the upstream region and the downstream region by the partition wall, and in the upstream region The ball pressure applied from a certain game ball group to the game ball group in the downstream region is suppressed, and the flow of the game balls can be further smoothed.
5) When the upstream area and the downstream area are inclined in the downstream direction and the inclination angle of the downstream area is made larger than the inclination angle of the upstream area (Claim 3), The game ball flows down slowly, and the flow of the game ball becomes faster in the downstream region from the communication opening serving as the folded portion to the intake port. Thereby, it becomes easy to confirm the game ball flowing down from the ball supply port in the upstream region.
6) If the downstream area is narrow, extending from the communication opening to the intake opening, and the right and left rectifying passages are arranged in a row in the downstream area (Claim 4), the downstream area is rectified. It becomes a passage and can be reliably sent out to the intake port by a predetermined number of units.

Embodiments of the present invention are described according to the following examples.
The slot machine 1 of the present embodiment uses a game ball as a game medium, and is normally attached to a game island for a pachinko machine in the same manner as the pachinko machine. That is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the slot machine 1 includes an outer frame 2 having the same shape as a pachinko machine fixed to a game island, and rotating drums 12 a to 12 c. 2 and a gaming machine main body 3 pivotably attached to the door. Also, on the left side of the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, a card unit 11 that is connected to the slot machine 1 and reads and writes a prepaid card storing the number of rented balls is mounted as an accessory device.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the gaming machine main body 3 has a front frame 4 that pivots directly on the outer frame 2 via a hinge member 9, and a front frame 4 that is attached to the front half of the front frame 4 so that it can be opened and closed. The door 6 is provided with a storage tray portion 8 or the like on the front surface, and includes an opening / closing panel 7 that can be opened / closed below the front door 6 and a back mechanism plate 5 that can be opened / closed on the back side of the front frame 4. Is done.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the front frame 4 is provided with three rotary drums 12 a to 12 c having various kinds of symbols P on the outer peripheral surface at the center. These rotating drums 12a to 12c are assembled integrally with a stepping motor that individually drives them and a support member that supports the motor, and those used in a slot machine having a conventional configuration are suitable. Can be used. In addition, at a position directly below the rotating drums 12a to 12c, a game number display 14 for displaying the number of winnings in a regular bonus, a payout number display 15 for displaying the number of winning balls acquired by one winning, An unpaid-out number display 16 for displaying the number of game balls for which the payout operation has not been completed is arranged side by side. Further, a sphere discharge port 18 is formed at the lower part of the front side of the front frame 4 so as to be positioned below the open / close panel 7, and an auxiliary tray 19 is disposed so as to face the sphere discharge port 18. The auxiliary tray portion 19 is provided with a ball slide slider 20 that opens and closes an opening formed on the bottom surface thereof. When the player moves the ball slide slider 20, the opening is opened. The game ball x in 19 is discharged downward. In addition, on the lower back side of the front frame 4, a speaker that emits game sound effects, a power supply unit that supplies power to various electrical components, and the like (not shown) are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the front door 6 has a rectangular shape with decoration on the front surface, and is attached so as to be openable and closable via a hinge member (not shown) provided on the left edge thereof. A display window 23 is formed at the center position of the front door 6 so that the rotary drums 12a to 12c provided on the front frame 4 can be visually recognized from the front, and the design P on the front of the rotary drums 12a to 12c is formed on the display window 23. Is now displayed. A display unit 29 is provided below the display window 23 so that the various indicators 14 to 16 can be visually recognized. On the left side of the display window 23, a winning line lamp for informing a player of an effective winning line. 24 is provided. Further, at the lower part of the front door 6, a card return button 25 for instructing the player to return the prepaid card inserted into the card unit 11, and a ball for instructing to pay out a predetermined number of game balls x as rental balls. A card operation unit 28 including a lending button 26 and a frequency indicator 27 for displaying the balance of the prepaid card inserted into the card unit 11 is provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the open / close panel 7 made of a rectangular metal plate is attached to the lower portion of the front frame 4 via a hinge member 55 so that it can be opened and closed. A storage tray portion 8 to be stored and a resin cover member 37 that supports the storage tray portion 8 from the front and is fixed to the open / close panel 7 are mounted. The storage tray portion 8 is used as a storage area 36 for storing the game ball x. The storage area 36 is partitioned by a partition wall 56, and a rectifying passage 54 into which the game balls x flows and is aligned is formed. The game ball x flows into the storage area 36 from the ball supply port 35 formed on the left side of the open / close panel 7 and is stored. Then, the game balls x flowing into the rectifying passage 54 from the storage area 36 flow down sequentially from the intake port 66 formed at the head (left end) of the rectifying passage 54, and a predetermined number of balls are taken in by the ball intake device 50 described later. (5) is taken in as a unit. In addition, since it concerns on the principal part of this invention, the detailed structure of the storage tray part 8 grade | etc., Is mentioned later separately.

  The cover member 37 fixes the storage tray portion 8 to the open / close panel 7, covers the entire bottom surface of the storage tray portion 8, and removes the ball intake device 50 and the intake ball discharge disposed at the lower position of the storage tray portion 8. The structure such as the passage 49 is concealed from the front lower side. As shown in FIG. 1, an operation portion 39 that bulges forward is formed in the lower front portion of the cover member 37. The operation unit 39 is provided with a start lamp 40, a start lever 41, three BET buttons 42a to 42c, stop buttons 44 to 46, and a ball removal button 65 side by side from the left side when viewed from the front. A game is executed by the operation of. The start lamp 40 is for notifying the player that the rotation drums 12a to 12c can start rotating. When the start lever 41 is depressed when the start lamp 40 is lit, the rotation drums 12a to 12c Start rotating. The BET buttons 42a to 42c constitute an insertion switch for inserting game balls in units of bets. As described later, the game balls in the storage tray 8 are automatically played by these button operations. It is taken into the aircraft. The stop buttons 44 to 46 are used to stop the rotary drums 12a to 12c. When these buttons are pressed while the rotary drums 12a to 12c are rotating, the control device controls each button based on the operation timing. The rotating drums 12a to 12c corresponding to are stopped. The ball removal button 65 is for discharging the game ball stored in the storage tray portion 8 to the auxiliary tray portion 19. When the player presses the ball removal button 65, the ball removal button 65 is stored in the storage tray portion 8. The played game ball flows down to the lower ball discharge port 18 and is discharged to the auxiliary tray 19. Each of the buttons 42a to 42c and 44 to 46 includes a switch and a lamp. The button operation is transmitted to the main control board 100 described later by the ON operation of each switch, and the button operation is performed by lighting each lamp. The player is informed that it is valid.

  As described above, the back mechanism plate 5 is attached to the back surface of the front frame 4 so as to be openable and closable, and a plurality of substrates 100 to 106 incorporating electronic circuits are provided on the back surface (see FIG. 3). . These boards are electrically connected to each other and are connected to various sensors, switches, motors, lamps and the like provided in the gaming machine main body 3 to constitute a control device that controls the game. As shown in FIG. 2, a ball tank 30 that receives supply of the game ball x from the ball supply device of the game island facility is provided on the upper part of the back mechanism plate 5. The ball tank 30 is formed at a position facing the ball discharge port 18 formed in the lower front portion of the gaming machine body 3 and the storage tray portion 8 through a ball guide passage (not shown) formed inside the back mechanism plate 5. When the payout unit 31 provided in the middle of the ball guide passage is activated, a predetermined number of game balls x located on the ball tank 30 side are stored in the storage tray 8 or It is sent out toward the auxiliary tray part 19. The game ball x delivered from the payout unit 31 is normally discharged from the ball supply port 35 to the storage tray unit 8, but when the storage tray unit 8 is full, the game ball x is supplemented from the ball discharge port 18. It is discharged to the dish part 19. Such a game ball supply mechanism to the storage tray portion 8 can suitably use the configuration of an existing pachinko machine.

  Next, a control circuit for controlling the game operation of the slot machine 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The main control board 100 constituting the microcomputer is provided with a board circuit for controlling the game of the slot machine 1 and controlling the taking-in operation of the game ball x based on the operation of the input switch. The board circuit of the main control board 100 is provided with an input port and an output port (not shown) for performing data communication with peripheral devices, and a control signal from the main control board 100 is issued through the output port. The control board 101, the display control board 102, the lamp control board 103, and the information terminal board 105 are connected so as to be output toward the input ports. The input port of the main control board 100 is connected to the start lever 41, the BET buttons 42a to 42c, the stop buttons 44 to 46, and the ball release button 65 switches described above, and the main control board 100 is connected every 2 ms. These operation states are checked, and the game state is controlled according to the operation. Further, the main control board 100 detects a stored ball detection switch 95a to 95c provided in a rectifying passage 54 described later, a take-in motor 72 of the ball take-in device 50, and a game ball taken in by the ball take-in device 50. A take-in ball detection switch 77 is also connected.

  The payout control board 101 is provided with a board circuit for controlling the payout operation of the game ball x. The circuit board is connected to the payout unit 31 and operates the payout unit 31 in accordance with a command input from the main control board 100 to execute the payout of the rented or winning balls. Further, the payout control board 101 is connected to a card unit 11 which is an accessory device for reading and writing a prepaid card storing the number of rented balls via a CR connection board 104 that relays data processing of the prepaid card, The remaining ball data of the game ball x is exchanged. Furthermore, the payout control board 101 is provided with a ball break switch for detecting the ball break in the ball tank 30 or at the back of the ball discharge port 18, and the auxiliary tray 19 is filled with the game ball x. It is also connected to a full switch for detecting this.

  The display control board 102 is provided with a board circuit for performing stop control of the rotary drums 12a to 12c. The substrate circuit is connected to a drum motor that rotates each of the rotating drums 12 a to 12 c and a reference position sensor that detects the rotation angle of the rotating drums 12 a to 12 c, and the drum motor according to a command input from the main control substrate 100. Is operated to rotate each of the rotary drums 12a to 12c and stop at a predetermined rotation angle. The display control board 102 is connected to various displays 14 to 16 provided below the rotary drums 12a to 12c, and is also connected to a speaker via a sound control board 106 that controls output of sound effects and sounds. Has been.

  The lamp control board 103 is connected to the winning line lamp 24, the start lamp 40 of the operation unit 39, and the lamps built in the various buttons 42 a to 42 c and 44 to 46, and is input from the main control board 100. Various lamps are controlled to be turned on according to the command to notify the player that the winning line or button operation has become effective.

  The information terminal board 105 is for connection to the central management device 107 of the game island equipment, and information such as the number of winning balls and the number of jackpots sent from the main control board 100 and the payout control board 101 The data can be transmitted to the central management apparatus 107 via this board.

Below, the structure which concerns on the principal part of this invention is demonstrated.
As shown in FIG. 2, the open / close panel 7 is attached to a position below the display window 23 so as to be openable and closable, and a storage tray portion 8 is attached to the front side of the open / close panel 7. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, a ball supply port 35 for discharging the game ball x to the storage tray portion 8 is formed at the upper left position of the open / close panel 7, and the back side of the ball supply port 35. A hook member 51 is provided on the rear surface 34 of the opening / closing panel, and the game ball x flowing down from the payout unit 31 when the panel is closed is discharged to the ball supply port 35 through the hook member 51. As shown in FIG. 6, a hook member 84 that penetrates the panel is disposed at the left position of the open / close panel 7, and a ball extraction passage 52 for returning the game ball x of the storage tray portion 8 to the player. Is formed. Further, a saddle member 68 is also provided at the lower left position of the saddle member 84, and a take-in ball discharge path 49 through which the taken game ball x flows down is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the storage tray portion 8 is made of a molded resin material, and is disposed on the cover member 37. The storage tray portion 8 is used as a storage region 36 for storing the game ball x. The left end of the storage area 36 is communicated with the sphere supply port 35. In addition, on the bottom surface of the storage area 36, the storage area 36 is divided into an upstream area 53 and a downstream area (rectifying passage) 54 in the front-rear direction, and the ball supply port 35 disposed on the left side of the upstream area 53. A left-right partition wall 56 is provided so as to communicate with both regions through a communication opening 57 on the right side spaced apart from the right side. The upstream region 53 is gently inclined downward toward the communication opening 57 of the rectifying passage 54 so that all the game balls x stored in the upstream region 53 are caused to flow down sequentially to the rectifying passage 54.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 8 to 12, the rectifying passage 54 is configured by a narrow stepped groove with respect to the upstream region 53, and is inclined downward toward the left. The front wall portion is partitioned. Further, as will be described later, the gradient is made steeper than the gradient of the upstream region 53 in order to make the game ball x in the upstream region 53 move slowly. Further, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, a metal alignment bottom plate 59 is mounted on the bottom surface of the rectifying passage 54 on the resin material constituting the storage tray portion 8. x flows down on the aligned bottom plate 59. Further, a plurality of groove holes 60 are formed in the bottom portion of the rectifying passage 54 made of the resin material and the alignment bottom plate 59 so as not to be engaged with the game balls, and the alignment bottom plate 59 passes through the groove hole 60. By discharging the dust that has fallen upward, the dust is prevented from accumulating in the passage. Here, the step groove (rectifying passage) 54 has a width dimension through which one game ball can pass, and has a length at which 15 game balls x, that is, three bets, can be aligned in a row starting from the right end thereof. The A take-in port 66 through which one game ball x can pass is formed at the bottom end of the rectifying passage 54, and a ball take-in channel 48 is formed immediately below the take-in port 66. In addition, stored ball detection switches 95a to 95c are disposed at positions facing the fifth, tenth and fifteenth game balls x aligned with the rectifying passage 54, respectively. These switches 95a to 95c are turned on when a game ball x is present at the respective facing positions. Depending on the operating state of the switches 95a to 95c, the main control board 100 is arranged in the rectifying passage 54 with 5 (one bet number) or more, 10 or 15 (3 bet number) gaming balls x aligned. It is determined whether or not. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the slope of the rectifying passage 54 is steeper than the slope of the upstream region 53. That is, the slope of the upstream region 53 is made relatively gentle so that the flow of the ball in the upstream region 53 is relaxed, and in the rectifying passage 54, the feeding speed with respect to the game ball taking-in speed is increased. Can be surely followed.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the ball intake path 48 formed immediately below the intake port 66 of the rectifying passage 54 allows the game ball x flowing from the intake port 66 to flow downward to the left. The ball take-in path 48 is provided with a ball take-in device 50 that takes in the game balls x on the rectifying passage 54 side in units of bets. Further, at the lower left end of the ball take-in path 48, a take-in ball detection switch 77 constituting a game ball detecting means for detecting the game ball x taken in by the ball take-in device 50 is disposed. On the left side of the incoming ball detection switch 77, there is provided an incoming ball discharge path 49 through which the detected game ball x flows down.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the ball take-in device 50 connects the take-in motor 72 constituting the electric drive device, the sprocket 71 constituting the take-in member, and the rotation shafts of the take-in motor 72 and the sprocket 71. Gear members 74a and 74b for transmitting the driving force to the sprocket 71. The take-in motor 72 is a stepping motor, is connected to the main control board 100 provided on the back mechanism plate 5, and rotates the sprocket 71 at a rotation angle corresponding to a control signal from the main control board 100. . On the other hand, the sprocket 71 has a substantially Y-shaped front surface having a thickness dimension substantially equal to the width dimension of the rectifying passage 54 and having three recesses 70 that can accommodate one game ball at equal intervals on the periphery thereof. It is made, and between each recessed part 70 is made into the latching | locking part 73 which latches a game ball. Here, the sprocket 71 provided in the ball take-in passage 48 is connected to the take-in motor 72 with the rotation axis facing forward and backward, and is located immediately below the intake port 66 of the rectifying passage 54. In a state where any one of the concave portions 70 of 71 is directed to the upper intake port 66, one game ball x can be taken into the concave portion 70 from the rectifying passage 54. On the other hand, in a state where the sprocket 71 has one of the locking portions 73 facing the intake port 66, the intake port 66 is closed by the locking portion 73 as shown in FIG. 54 is locked at the leading position, and one of the recesses 70 communicates with the take-in ball discharge path 49. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the peripheral surface of each locking portion 73 is reduced in diameter toward the opening / closing panel 7 side, and as described later, the game ball x locked at the head of the rectifying passage 54 is Guide is made in the direction of the passage opening 80 of the ball passage 52. As described above, in the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment, the ball take-in device 50 that is conventionally mounted on the back surface 34 of the open / close panel 7 is in a position in front of the back surface 34 of the open / close panel 7. Since it is disposed in the path 48, the back surface structure of the open / close panel 7 is simplified. In the present embodiment, the front portion of the sprocket 71 of the storage tray portion 8 and the cover member 37 is configured by the transparent member 43 so that the player can visually recognize the movement of the sprocket 71.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the take-in ball detection switch 77 constituting the game ball detecting means is fixed to the tip of the eaves member 68 forming the take-in ball discharge path 49 and faces the left side surface of the sprocket 71. It is arranged. This take-in ball detection switch 77 is connected to the main control board 100 as described above, and every time the game ball x taken in by the ball take-in device 50 flows into the take-in ball discharge path 49, The ball-in-ball detection switch 77 is turned on, whereby it is determined that the main control board 100 has taken in the game ball x. Here, since the take-in ball detection switch 77 of the present embodiment is provided immediately after the ball take-in device 50, the game ball x discharged from the ball take-in device 50 is immediately taken in by the take-in ball detection switch. 77. Therefore, in the present slot machine 1, the game ball x taken in by the ball take-in device 50 is confirmed without delay at the control level, and the game can be performed at a good tempo. Further, in the present embodiment, similarly to the ball take-in device 50, since the game ball detecting means provided on the back side of the open / close panel 7 is provided in the front part of the open / close panel 7 in the conventional configuration, the open / close panel The back structure of 7 is further simplified.

  Further, the eaves member 68 forming the take-in ball discharge path 49 is bent rearward at a right angle, passes through the open / close panel 7, flows into the passage, and is detected by the take-in ball detection switch 77. The game ball x is caused to flow down to the back side of the open / close panel 7. Further, a passage port 80 of the ball extraction passage 52 opens on the rear side surface of the downstream end position of the rectifying passage 38. As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, on the back surface of the passage port 80, a plate-like shape that is converted into an upper open position that opens the passage port 80 and a lower closed position that blocks the passage port 80 is provided. An opening / closing member 81 is provided. The opening / closing member 81 is electrically or mechanically connected to a ball removal button 65 provided on the operation unit 39. When the ball removal button 65 is pressed, the opening / closing member 81 rises to an open position and the passage port 80 is opened. It has come to be.

Before explaining the operation of taking in the game ball, the game operation of the slot machine 1 of this embodiment will be briefly explained.
In the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment, five game balls constitute one unit of bet number, and the game balls stored in the storage tray portion 8 for each game are inserted in units of bet numbers. I do. In the game form of the present embodiment, up to three bets can be set for one game, and the bet number is set by operating the three BET buttons 42a to 42c. That is, when the MAXBET button 42a is operated, a total of 15 game balls are taken into the game machine by the ball take-in device 50, and when the 2BET button 42b is operated, 10 game balls are operated when the 1BET button 42c is operated. Game balls are taken into the ball take-in device 50. It should be noted that the BET buttons 42a to 42c are rotated when the rotary drums 12a to 12c are rotating, when 15 game balls are already taken in, or when the number of game balls in the rectifying passage 54 is insufficient. Even if is operated, it becomes invalid and the ball take-in device 50 does not operate.

  The start lamp 40 is turned on when a game ball corresponding to at least one bet is inserted by operating the BET buttons 42a to 42c. When the start lever 41 is pushed down when the start lamp 40 is lit, the rotating drums 12a to 12c start to rotate. When the stop buttons 44 to 46 are pressed during this rotation, the main control board 100 determines the stop mode of the pattern P based on the operation timing, and the drum motors are set so as to be in the stop mode. Stop. When the rotary drums 12a to 12c are stopped and the symbols P on the winning line are arranged in a predetermined combination, the winning combination is “winning”, and a predetermined number of game balls are paid out from the payout unit 31 or a game is played. A bonus game or the like advantageous to the user is executed. Note that the stop control mechanism of the rotary drums 12a to 12c executed by the main control board 100 and the game contents such as the bonus game can be the same as those of a known slot machine.

Next, a game ball taking-in operation by the ball taking-in device 50 will be described.
When the BET buttons 42 a to 42 c are valid and the buttons 42 a to 42 c are operated, a pulse signal is sent from the main control board 100 to the take-in motor 72. The take-in motor 72 has a step angle of 7.5 ° and rotates the sprocket 71 counterclockwise as viewed from the front according to the number of received pulse signals. As shown in FIG. 13 (a), the ball take-in device 50 is a device in which one of the locking portions 73 of the sprocket 71 is opposed to the take-in port 66 in a steady state. It is controlled to always stop in a steady state. For this reason, when the take-in motor 72 is stopped, the game ball x in the rectifying passage 54 is locked by the locking portion 73 at the head position and cannot flow down to the ball take-in path 48. When the take-in motor 72 is stopped and a pulse signal is sent from the main control board 100, and the take-in motor 72 rotates the sprocket 71 60 ° counterclockwise from the steady state, FIG. As shown in (c) to (c), the recess 70 faces the intake port 66, and one game ball x in the rectifying passage 54 is accommodated in the recess 70. When the sprocket is further rotated by 60 °, as shown in FIGS. 13C to 13E, another locking portion 73 is opposed to the outlet of the rectifying passage 54 and becomes a steady state again, and the game ball x The concave portion 70 that accommodates the right-hand side faces the entrance of the right-hand intake ball discharge path 49, and the game ball x that is accommodated in the concave portion 70 is detected by the intake ball detection switch 77, and is taken as a main game ball x. After being counted by the control board 100, it is guided to the back side of the openable / closable panel 7 along the take-in ball discharge path 49 and discharged to the ball collecting device on the game island.

  As described above, the ball take-in device 50 according to this embodiment rotates the sprocket 71 from the steady state by 120 ° counterclockwise when viewed from the front, so that one gaming ball x positioned at the head of the rectifying passage 54 is recessed 70. The game ball x is discharged to the intake ball discharge path 49 while the locking part 73 prevents the subsequent flow of the game ball x. Therefore, in the slot machine 1 of this embodiment, when the player operates the 1BET button to request the insertion of one unit of bet (5 game balls), the main control board 100 looks at the sprocket from the front. A pulse signal is transmitted to the take-in motor 72 so as to rotate counterclockwise by 600 ° (120 ° × 5), and five (one unit) game balls are taken in from the take-in port 66. Similarly, the main control board 100 is 1200 ° (120 ° × 10) counterclockwise when the 2BET button 42b is operated, and 1800 ° (120 ° when the MAXBET button 42a is operated. X15) A control signal is transmitted to the take-in motor 72 so as to rotate, and 10 (two units) and 15 (three units) game balls are taken in from the rectifying passage 54. In the present embodiment, even if the take-in ball detection switch 77 detects the game ball x other than during the operation of the take-in motor 72 (during the take-in operation), the main control board 100 takes in the game ball x. It is not counted as a game ball and is invalid.

  Next, an example of a game ball take-in control mode executed in accordance with the operation of the 1BET button 42c will be specifically described with reference to a timing chart of FIG. First, when the player presses the 1BET button, the 1BET button switch (1BET button SW) inside the button is turned ON. When the main control board 100 detects the ON operation of the 1BET button switch, the main control board 100 determines that the acquisition of one unit of bet number is requested, and determines whether or not the button operation is valid. Here, when the buttons are operated, the rotary drums 12a to 12c are not rotating, and five or more game balls are aligned in the rectifying passage 54, and the number of bets is 0. After making the operation valid and setting the number of bets as one unit, a pulse signal is transmitted to the take-in motor 72 so that the sprocket 71 is rotated by 600 ° in the above direction, and the sprocket 71 is rotated. As the sprocket 71 rotates, each time the game balls are discharged from the intake port 66 of the rectifying passage 54 to the intake ball discharge path 49 one by one, the intake ball detection switch 77 (ball detection SW) is immediately activated. The main control board 100 adds 1 to the ball take-in counter provided on the board. Then, when the sprocket 71 rotates 600 ° and the ball take-in counter counts 5 game balls, the main control board 100 determines that one unit of bet has been taken in, turns on the start lamp 40 and turns on the start lever. The operation of 41 is made valid. Thereafter, when the start lever 41 is pushed down and the built-in start lever switch (start lever SW) is turned ON, the rotating drums 12a to 12c start to rotate and the game is started, and the number of bets on the main control board 100 is increased. Or the ball counter is reset. In the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment, if the 1 BET button 42 c is operated again before operating the start lever 41, it is possible to acquire 5 more game balls into the ball capturing device 50. .

  Thus, in the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment, the sprocket 71 and the take-in motor 72 constituting the ball take-in device 50 are provided in front of the back surface 34 of the open / close panel 7 and the back structure of the open / close panel 7 is provided. While simplifying, the ball take-in device 50 provided in the front can reliably take in the game ball x in the storage tray portion 8 as in the conventional configuration. In particular, in the present embodiment, since the take-in ball detection switch 77 is provided immediately after the sprocket 71, the take-in detection of the game ball x is released from the recess 70 of the sprocket 71. The game balls x are immediately counted on the main control board 100, so that the game balls x can be taken in quickly.

Next, the ball extraction operation of the game ball x in the storage tray portion 8 will be described.
In the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment, as described above, in the normal state, the passage port 80 of the ball removal passage 52 is closed by the opening / closing member 81, and the intake port 66 of the rectifying passage 54 is the locking portion of the sprocket 71. The game ball x before being stored in the storage tray portion 8 is locked at the leading position of the rectifying passage 54. Here, as shown in FIG. 9, the locking surface for locking the game ball x of the locking portion 73 of the sprocket 71 is formed with an inclined surface that guides the game ball x to be locked to the passage port 80 side. The game ball x locked at the head of the rectifying passage 54 is biased toward the passage port 80 and is held in a state of being pressed against the opening / closing member 81 by the subsequent game ball x. Accordingly, when the player operates the ball removal button 65 to open the passage port 80 of the ball removal passage 52, the leading game ball x pressed toward the opening / closing member 81 flows into the ball removal passage 52, All the game balls x in the storage tray portion 8 starting from the game balls x flow into the ball extraction passage 52 and are discharged from the ball discharge port 18 to the auxiliary tray portion 19.

  Thus, in the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment, the passage port 80 of the ball removal passage 52 is formed at a position facing the game ball that is locked to the locking portion 73 of the ball take-in device 50. By opening the passage opening 80, it is possible to return the game balls before being taken in without leaving. Further, in this embodiment, the game ball that is locked to the locking portion 73 of the sprocket 71 is biased toward the passage port 80, so that the game ball is blocked at the head of the rectifying passage 54 when the passage port 80 is opened. It can be made to flow smoothly into the passage port 80 without any trouble.

  In the above embodiment, the ball take-in device 50 is configured by the sprocket 71 and the take-in motor 72, but the configuration of the ball take-in device 50 is not limited to the configuration of the present embodiment. It is possible to suitably use a configuration of a known ball capturing device such as using a solenoid instead of the capturing motor 72. Moreover, in the said Example, although the auxiliary tray part 19 is provided below the storage tray part 8 like the conventional pachinko machine, the slot machine of this invention is equipped with this auxiliary tray part 19. There is no need, and the game ball x may be discharged into a ball box or the like. The opening / closing panel 7 according to the present invention can be integrated with a front door 6 provided at an upper position of the opening / closing panel 7 so as to be opened and closed. Further, the ball take-in path 48 in which the ball take-in device 50 is disposed is not limited to a short one as in the present embodiment, but is a long length formed using a gutter member, such as a take-in ball discharge path 49. It doesn't matter.

  Here, in the above-described embodiment, the storage area 36 is divided into the upstream area 53 and the downstream area (rectifying passage) 54 by the partition wall 56 in the front-rear direction, and the sphere supply port 35 is formed on the left side of the upstream area 53. In addition, a communication opening 57 that communicates both regions is provided at the right end of the partition wall 56, and an intake port 66 that communicates with the ball intake path 48 is formed at the left end of the rectifying passage 54. The sprocket (take-in member) 71 of the apparatus is disposed in the ball take-in path 48 at a position in front of the back surface 34 of the open / close panel 7. For this reason, in such a configuration, the sprocket (take-in member) 71 that is conventionally provided on the back side of the open / close panel 7 is provided on the front side of the open / close panel 7. The structure on the back side of 7 becomes simple, and the degree of freedom in designing the slot machine can be improved.

  Furthermore, since the sprocket (take-in member) 71 is arranged in front of the back surface 34 of the open / close panel 7, the take-in port 66 can also be arranged in the front part of the storage dish portion 8. Therefore, the partition wall 56 is formed on the left and right at the bottom of the storage dish portion 8, and the storage region 36 is divided into an upstream region 53 and a downstream region (rectifying passage) 54 in the front and rear direction. As a result, the path of the game ball x from the ball supply port 35 to the intake port 66 is folded, and the path length is increased. For this reason, the inclination gradient becomes small, the flow-down speed of the game ball x becomes low, the game ball x jumps out from the storage tray portion, and the game ball x can be supplied smoothly.

  Here, since the partition 56 is formed as the turn-up section means, a substantially U-shaped flow path is realized, and the partition wall 56 allows the game balls x between the upstream region 53 and the downstream region (rectifying passage) 54 to be mutually connected. There is no interference, the ball pressure applied from the game ball group in the upstream region 53 to the game ball group in the downstream region 54 is suppressed, and the flow of the game ball x can be made smoother. Further, as the folding section means, various means can be provided in addition to forming the partition wall 56, such as the storage dish portion 8 itself having a U-shaped structure. Further, the downstream area may accommodate a large number of game balls, and a rectifying passage may be formed by forming a rectifying groove in the downstream area. Therefore, in this case, the rectifying passage is only a part of the downstream region.

  When the upstream region 53 and the downstream region 54 are inclined in the downstream direction and the inclination angle of the downstream region 54 is larger than the inclination angle of the upstream region 53 as shown in FIG. In 53, the game ball x slowly flows down, and the game ball x flows down faster in the downstream region 54 from the communication opening 57 serving as the folded portion to the intake port 66. Thereby, in the upstream area 53, it becomes easy to confirm the game ball x flowing down from the ball supply port 35.

2 is a front view of the slot machine 1. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the slot machine 1. FIG. It is a block circuit diagram which shows the control circuit which controls a game. It is a top view of the opening / closing panel 7 and the storage tray part 8. FIG. It is a front view of the opening / closing panel 7 and the storage tray part 8. FIG. FIG. 6 is a rear view of the open / close panel 7. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is BB sectional drawing of FIG. It is an expanded sectional view between CC of FIG. It is an enlarged view of D part of FIG. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the arrangement | positioning relationship of the intake port 66, the ball intake path 48, the intake ball discharge path 49, the sprocket 71, etc. It is a top view which shows the arrangement | positioning relationship of the intake port 66, the ball intake path 48, the intake ball discharge path 49, the sprocket 71 grade | etc.,. It is explanatory drawing (i)-(e) which shows the action | operation of the ball | bowl ingestion apparatus 50. FIG. It is a timing chart which shows an example of ball taking-in operation.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Slot machine 2 Outer frame 3 Game machine main body 4 Front frame 6 Front door 7 Opening and closing panel 8 Reservoir part 12a-12c Rotating drum 19 Auxiliary dish part 34 Back surface 35 Sphere supply port 36 Reservation area 48 Sphere intake path 49 Intake sphere Discharge path 50 Sphere take-in device 52 Sphere removal path 53 Upstream area 54 Rectification path (downstream area)
56 Bulkhead 57 Communication opening 65 Ball removal button 66 Intake port 71 Sprocket 72 Intake motor 77 Intake ball detection switch 80 Passage port 81 Opening / closing member 95a to 95c Storage ball detection switch

Claims (4)

An open / close panel that can be opened and closed on the front surface of the gaming machine body equipped with a rotating drum,
A storage tray portion disposed on the front side of the open / close panel and having a storage area for storing game balls;
A ball take-in device provided with a take-in member that is provided in a ball take-in path that communicates with a take-in port formed in the storage dish part and takes in a predetermined number of game balls stored in the storage dish part as a unit When,
Game ball detecting means for detecting a game ball taken in by the ball take-in device;
In a slot machine using a game ball as a game medium, including a take-in ball discharge path for flowing down the game ball detected by the game ball detection means,
The storage area is divided into an upstream area and a downstream area in the front and rear, and a sphere supply port is provided near the left and right sides of the upstream area, and a communication opening formed near the left and right other sides separated from the sphere supply port side. In the left and right direction folding section means to communicate with both areas, and further, the intake opening communicating with the ball intake path is formed at a position near the end opposite to the communication opening in the downstream area. A slot machine characterized in that the take-in member of the apparatus is arranged in the ball take-in path at a position in front of the back surface of the open / close panel.   The folding section is a left and right partition wall that divides the storage area into an upstream area and a downstream area on the bottom surface of the storage dish portion, and communicates the two areas with an end separated from the ball supply port side. 2. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein a communication opening is formed.   3. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein the upstream area and the downstream area are inclined in the downstream direction, and the inclination angle of the downstream area is made larger than the inclination angle of the upstream area. . 4. The left and right rectifying passages in which the game balls are aligned in a line in the downstream region, the downstream region having a narrow width extending from the communication opening to the intake port. 5. The slot machine described in.

Images