JP2005334359A - Switch unit for game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a switch unit for a game machine which can maintain its capacity and used for a long time even if the frequency of use is high. <P>SOLUTION: A pressure member 110c to be pressed for operation is movably stored in a casing member 130, a through hole 142c for passing a shading piece 114c of the pressure member pressed for operation is formed in an electronic circuit board 140 disposed at the rear end of the casing member, and a photo sensor 141c to detect the shading piece is disposed on the rear face of the electronic circuit board. Thereby, the photo sensor is not influenced by dust generated in the casing member by rubbing movement of a mobile member and deterioration in quality, capacity or the like is prevented. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a switch unit used in a gaming machine such as a slot machine.

  For example, a slot machine is provided with a stop button for performing an operation of stopping the rotation of a reel having a symbol drawn on the outer peripheral surface and displaying the winning result of the game in a stop symbol. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a switch unit conventionally used as a stop button.

  According to FIG. 1, a conventional stop button 900 includes a substantially cylindrical pressing member 910 having an operation surface pressed by a player, and is movably accommodated in a sliding hole 921 of a casing member 920. The coil spring 930 in the casing member 920 is always biased forward. A substrate 940 on which a switch circuit is formed is attached so as to close the sliding hole 921 at the rear end of the casing member 920. A photo sensor 950 that detects a light shielding piece 911 at the rear end of the pressing member 910 is mounted on the inner surface of the substrate 940. The stop button 900 outputs a signal based on a game operation such as stopping the rotation of the reel by the photosensor 950 detecting the light shielding piece 911 and performing a switch operation when the pressing member 910 is pressed. Is formed.

  By the way, in the conventional stop button 900 provided in a gaming machine such as the above-described slot machine, since it is repeatedly pressed to perform a gaming operation, the photo sensor is caused by dust generated by rubbing of a movable part inside the switch unit. There is a risk that a switch element such as 950 may malfunction or break down.

  The present invention has been made in view of these conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine switch unit that can be used and maintained for a long period of time even when the operation frequency is high.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that the pressing member to be pressed is movably accommodated in the case member and urged forward, and the rear end of the case member A switch unit for a gaming machine in which a sensor for detecting a light shielding piece interlocking with the pressing member is mounted on a circuit board provided in the circuit board, wherein the light shielding piece of the pressing member that has been pressed is inserted into the circuit board. In addition, an insertion portion that protrudes outward is formed, and the sensor is mounted on the outer surface of the circuit board.

  A second aspect of the present invention is the gaming machine switch unit according to the first aspect, wherein the insertion portion is a through hole formed in the circuit board.

  A third aspect of the present invention is the gaming machine switch unit according to the first aspect, wherein the insertion portion is a notch formed in the circuit board.

  According to the gaming machine switch unit of the first aspect, when the pressing member that is movably accommodated in the case member is pressed, the light shielding piece that is interlocked with the pressing member is inserted into the insertion portion of the circuit board. . At this time, the sensor mounted on the outer surface of the circuit board performs a switching operation by detecting the light shielding piece protruding from the insertion portion. By mounting a circuit element such as a sensor forming a switch circuit on the outer surface of the circuit board, the circuit element is not affected by dust generated in the case member due to rubbing of the movable member, quality or performance, etc. Deterioration is prevented. As a result, long-term use is possible even in a high-frequency use environment.

  According to the gaming machine switch unit according to claim 2, when the pressing member is pressed, the light shielding piece is inserted into the through hole formed in the circuit board in conjunction with the pressing member, and the outer surface of the circuit board The sensor mounted on the switch operates by detecting a light shielding piece protruding from the through hole.

  According to the gaming machine switch unit according to claim 3, when the pressing member is pressed, the light shielding piece is inserted into the notch formed in the circuit board in conjunction with the pressing member, and the outer surface of the circuit board is inserted. The sensor mounted on the switch operates by detecting a light shielding piece protruding from the through hole.

  According to the present invention, by mounting a circuit element such as a sensor forming a switch circuit on the outer surface of the circuit board, the circuit element is affected by dust generated in the case member due to friction of the movable member. The deterioration of quality or performance is prevented. As a result, even in an environment where it is used in a gaming machine and operated at a high frequency, the performance is maintained and it can withstand long-term use.

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Here, a slot machine 1 will be described as a gaming machine to which the switch unit according to the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an external structure of the slot machine 1.

  The slot machine 1 includes a box-shaped casing 2 and a front door 3 attached to the casing 2 and a hinge mechanism so as to be opened and closed. On the side of the front door 3 facing the player, there are provided an upper panel portion 31 corresponding to a so-called decorative plate and a lower panel portion 32 which are designed and integrally formed with hard plastic. . Below the lower panel portion 32 is provided a tray unit 33 in which a tray portion 72 for storing medals (game media) to be paid out at the time of winning is integrally formed.

  Further, an operation console 34 is integrally formed and disposed between the upper panel portion 31 and the lower panel portion 32 so as to protrude toward the player side and on which switches described later for performing the game operation are disposed. . The upper panel unit 31, the console 34, the lower panel unit 32, and the tray unit 33 face the player side, and constitute a “front panel unit”.

  On the upper part of the upper panel 31, an effect lighting unit (upper lamp) 41 incorporating lamps such as high-intensity light emitting diodes, and an effect sound emitting unit 42a incorporating a speaker for generating sound effects related to the game, 42b is arranged.

  Further, a liquid crystal display unit 43 is disposed between the production sound emitting units 42a and 42b so as to face a display window formed by fitting a transparent hard plastic plate or the like. The liquid crystal display unit 43 mainly displays images related to game effects.

  A panel surface 44 made of a hard plastic plate or the like is provided at the center of the upper panel portion 31. A substantially rectangular transparent display window 45 is formed substantially at the center of the panel surface 44, and the three reels 51a, 51b, 51c of the reel unit 50 provided in the housing 2 are viewed through the display window 45. .

  Here, in the reel unit 50 installed in the housing 2, cylindrical reels 51a, 51b, and 51c are arranged in the rotation axis direction, respectively, and the outer circumferential surfaces of the reels 51a, 51b, and 51c are arranged in the circumferential direction. A plurality of types of symbols are drawn along. The player can see three symbols in the vertical direction drawn on the three rows of reels through the display window 45.

  In addition, on the panel surface 44, an unillustrated lamp provided on the back side is turned on, for example, an effect display unit 47 that displays information related to a gaming state such as internal winning for a winning combination, and a plurality of light emitting diodes. A dot matrix display section 48 that lights up and displays a dot image, numerical display of information such as the number of medals credited (stored) in the slot machine 1, the number of medals earned by winning, or the number of winning winning combinations A gaming state display section 49 is provided around the display window 45.

  On the side of the upper panel 31, there are provided lighting units (side lamps) 46a, 46b made of fluorescent lamps or high-intensity light emitting diodes. The plurality of effect lighting units 41, 46a, 46b and the like described above are turned on or blinking as the game progresses, so that the visual effect in the game is enhanced.

  On the lower side of the upper panel portion 31, an operation console 34 having a plane inclined slightly downward while facing the player side is formed. On the right side of the plane of the console 34, a medal insertion part 61 having an insertion slot for inserting medals is provided. Further, on the left side of the plane, three bet buttons 62, 63 and 64 which are push button switches are provided.

  The bet buttons 62, 63, and 64 are button switches for presenting the number of medals to bet on one game of the slot machine. When the game is started, the bet button 62 is pressed, so that one medal is bet on the game from the stored medals. Similarly, two or three medals are bet by pressing the bet button 63 or 64, respectively. The bet button 64 is particularly called a “max bet button” because it is provided to present the maximum number of medals that can be bet on one game.

  A start lever 65 for instructing the start of rotation of the reels 51a, 51b, 51c is provided on the left side of the front surface of the console 34, and the switch unit according to the present invention is applied to the front center of the console 34 approximately. A stop button unit 100 is provided. The start lever 65 is provided with a swingable operation rod having a spherical operation knob at the tip, and is turned on when the operation rod is tilted, and automatically when the hand is released from the operation rod by the biasing force of the spring. It is formed of a switch unit that returns to a position and is turned off. Further, the stop button unit 100 is provided with stop buttons including pressing members 110a, 110b, and 110c that respectively instruct rotation stop of the reels 51a, 51b, and 51c in an order corresponding to the arrangement of the reels. .

  A key hole 66 into which a key for unlocking the front door 3 is inserted is provided on the right front side of the console 34. When an administrator or the like of the slot machine 1 inserts a predetermined key into the key hole 66 and performs an unlocking operation, the front door 3 attached to the housing 2 can be opened forward by a hinge mechanism, and the front door 3 can be opened. These are automatically locked when closed to the housing 2 side.

  The lower panel portion 32 is provided with a panel 71 for introducing game contents of the slot machine 1 or appearance characters. The saucer unit 33 disposed below the lower panel portion 32 includes a medal payout port 73 for discharging medals at the time of winning a prize, a saucer portion 72 for storing the paid-out medals, and a speaker for generating effect sound. Built-in production sound emitting parts 74a and 74b are respectively arranged.

  The slot machine 1 configured as described above enters a standby state when a medal payout is completed or a loss is confirmed in the previous game. In this state, the game starts when the player inserts a new medal or presents the number of medals bet on the game by pressing one of the bet buttons 62, 63, and 64, for example. When the start lever 65 is tilted, the reels 51a, 51b, 51c rotate at the same time, and at the same time, an internal lottery relating to the winning combination of the game is performed. At this time, when any winning combination is won, the slot machine 1 stores a flag relating to the winning combination.

  When all the reels 51 a, 51 b, 51 c that have started rotating with the tilting operation of the start lever 65 reach a predetermined number of rotations, the stop operation by the stop button unit 100 becomes possible. At this time, when the player presses the pressing members 110a, 110b, and 110c in an arbitrary order, the corresponding reels stop. When the symbols displayed on the three stopped reels 51a, 51b, 51c are aligned on a valid line in the combination corresponding to the winning combination in the above-described internal lottery, the winning is determined, and the type corresponding to the winning combination is determined. A number of medals are distributed to the player.

  Next, the stop button unit 100 to which the switch unit according to the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 is a perspective view showing the external structure of the stop button unit 100, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the stop button unit 100. As shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the stop button unit 100 cut along line XX shown in FIG. 3 and shows a cross-sectional structure of the stop button in a state where the pressing member is not pressed, and FIG. It is sectional drawing of the button unit 100, Comprising: The cross-section of the stop button of the state by which the press member was pressed is represented.

  3 and 4, the stop button unit 100 includes a plate-like panel member 120 that is attached to the console 34 of the slot machine 1 in an exposed state, and pressing members 110 a and 110 b that are pressed by the player. 110c, a casing member 130 that accommodates each pressing member and coil springs 150a, 150b, 150c and the like and attaches the panel member 120 to the front surface side, and an electronic circuit board 140 attached to the rear end of the casing member 130. The In addition, the panel member 120 is formed with openings 121a, 121b, and 121c that are freely fitted into the operation portions 111a, 111b, and 111c of the pressing members 110a, 110b, and 110c, respectively, arranged in the longitudinal direction. The pressing members 110a, 110b, and 110c, the panel member 120, and the casing member 130 are each integrally formed of hard plastic.

  As described above, the stop button unit 100 is formed with three stop buttons for instructing to stop the rotation of the reels 51a, 51b, 51c, and each stop button has the same structure. The structure of one stop button mainly constituted by the pressing member 110c will be described as a representative with reference to FIGS.

  The pressing member 110c includes an operation portion 111c having a dome-shaped operation surface so as to close the front side of the cylindrical portion 112, and an annular shape having a slight thickness near the operation portion 111c on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 112. The flange portion 113 is integrally formed. Further, at the rear end of the cylindrical portion 112, a strip-shaped light shielding piece 114 extending rearward, a notch portion 116 on both sides of the light shielding piece 114, and a notch portion 115 at a position facing the light shielding piece 114, respectively. Is formed.

  The casing member 130 is formed with three cylinder portions 131 extending in the longitudinal direction and accommodating the pressing members 110a, 110b, 110c so as to be slidably movable in the longitudinal direction. On the inner wall of the front portion where the cylinder portion 131 is opened, the diameter is increased so that the flange portion 113 of the operation portion 111c is loosely fitted, whereby a step portion 132 is formed. From the inner wall of the rear part of the cylinder part 131, vertical plate-like spring seat parts 133, 134, and 135 projecting toward the center are formed. In a state where the pressing member 110c is inserted into the cylinder part 131, the spring seat parts 134 and 135 of the cylinder part 131 have entered the two notch parts 116 sandwiching the light shielding piece 114c of the pressing member 110c. At the same time, the spring seat part 133 of the cylinder part 131 is loosely fitted into the notch part 115 of the pressing member 110c, thereby preventing the pressing member 110c from rotating.

  At the rear end of the casing member 130, an electronic circuit board 140 for mounting a photosensor 141a, 141b, 141c or the like that detects the pressing operation of each pressing member 110a, 110b, 110c by detecting the light shielding piece 114 is screwed. It is fixed. In the electronic circuit board 140, a conductive pattern forming an electric circuit is formed on one side which is the back side when attached to the casing member 130, and the photosensors 141a, 141b, 141c and the photosensor are mounted on the electronic circuit board 140. A drive circuit component (circuit element) for switching operation and electronic components such as a connector are mounted.

  Further, the electronic circuit board 140 has through holes 142a, 142b, 142c through which the light shielding pieces 114a, 114b, 114c are inserted when the pressing members 110a, 110b, 110c are pressed, and the light shielding pieces 114a, 114b, 114c, respectively. The photosensors 141a, 141b, and 141c are mounted so as to be aligned with each other and so as to straddle the through holes 142a, 142b, and 142c between the light receiving element and the light emitting element.

  Note that the above-described through holes 142a, 142b, and 142c through which the light shielding pieces 114a, 114b, and 114c are inserted when the pressing members 110a, 110b, and 110c are pressed are notches formed in the electronic circuit board 140. Good.

  When the stop button unit 100 is assembled, one end side of each of the coil springs 150a, 150b, and 150c is inserted into the cylindrical portion 112 of each pressing member 110a, 110b, and 110c, and the other end side of the coil spring is connected to each cylinder of the casing member 130. Each cylindrical portion 112 is inserted into each cylinder portion 131 while abutting against spring seat portions 133, 134, 135 formed on the portion 131. In this state, the panel member 120 is fitted to the front side of the casing member 130 while the operation portions 111a, 111b, and 111c of the pressing members 110a, 110b, and 110c are loosely fitted in the openings 121a, 121b, and 121c of the panel member 120. Combine closely. Then, the screw 161 is inserted into the screw hole of the electronic circuit board 140 and the boss 136 of the casing member 130 from the back side of the casing member 130 and screwed into the screw hole 122 of the panel member 120, so that the panel is attached to the casing member 130. The member 120 and the electronic circuit board 140 are fastened.

  Next, the switch operation of the stop button mainly formed from the pressing member 110c will be described. The pressing member 110c is accommodated in the cylinder part 131 of the casing member 130 so as to be slidable and is always urged forward by a coil spring 150c installed on the spring seat parts 133, 134, and 135. As shown in FIG. 5, in a state where the pressing operation is not performed, the front wall surface of the flange portion 113 of the pressing member 110 c is held in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral edge of the opening 121 c of the panel member 120. At this time, since the light shielding piece 114c formed at the rear end of the pressing member 110c is retracted from the photosensor 141c, the photosensor 141c detects the light from the light emitting element by the light receiving element, and the non-stop button Outputs a low voltage level off signal indicating the operation state.

  When the pressing member 110c is pressed by a player or the like, the rear wall of the flange portion 113 of the pressing member 110c comes into contact with the stepped portion 132 formed on the inner periphery of the cylinder portion 131 as shown in FIG. Therefore, the pushing amount is limited. In this pressed state, the light shielding piece 114c of the pressing member 110c is inserted into the through-hole 142c of the electronic circuit board 140, and the sensing region (light emitting element and light receiving element) of the photosensor 141c mounted on the back surface of the electronic circuit board 140. Projecting in a region facing each other, the photosensor 141c is shielded from light. That is, in a state where the pressing member 110c is pressed, the photosensor 141c is not detected by the light receiving element because the light from the light emitting element is blocked by the light shielding piece 114c, and a high voltage as a signal indicating the operation state of the stop button. A level ON signal is output and the switch operates.

  According to the stop button unit 100 having such a configuration, the through-holes 142a, 142b, and 142c through which the light shielding pieces 114a, 114b, and 114c are inserted when the pressing members 110a, 110b, and 110c are pressed are provided on the electronic circuit board 140. The photosensors 141a, 141b, and 141c are formed on the back surface of the electronic circuit board 140 so as to cross the through holes. As a result, the photosensor 141a affects the influence of dust or the like generated by rubbing the movable parts such as the pressing members 110a, 110b, and 110c and the coil springs 150a, 150b, and 150c that are slidably moved with respect to the cylinder part 131 of the casing member 130. , 141b, 141c are not received, so that deterioration of the quality or performance of these photosensors is prevented. Thereby, even if it is the use environment where rotation stop operation of the reels 51a, 51b, and 51c is performed frequently, long-term use is attained.

  In addition to the photosensors 141a, 141b, and 141c, electronic components (circuit elements) such as other drive circuit components and connectors that perform a switching operation are mounted on one surface, which is the back surface of the electronic circuit substrate 140, so that the electronic circuit substrate The mounting operation of each electronic component in the manufacturing process can be facilitated, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  Further, by mounting electronic components including a conductive pattern for forming a switch circuit on one side of the electronic circuit board 140 and photosensors 141a, 141b, and 141c, the electronic circuit board 140 is visually observed after completion of manufacture (or by image processing). ) Inspection can be made easier. In addition, it becomes easier for a gaming machine administrator or the like to visually detect a photosensor modified by an illegal act, and the illegal act can be suppressed.

  Note that the photosensors 141a, 141b, and 141c may be detachably mounted on the back surface of the electronic circuit board 140. That is, a connector socket 143 for connecting each photosensor 141a, 141b, 141c is provided at a position adjacent to the through holes 142a, 142b, 142c of the electronic circuit board 140, and the photosensor is inserted into the connector socket 143. The electronic circuit board 140 may be detachably mounted. According to this, for example, a failed photosensor can be easily replaced in a short time without disassembling the unit.

  The gaming machine on which the switch unit according to the present invention is mounted is not limited to a slot machine, and can be used for, for example, a pachinko machine or other gaming machines. Specifically, as a switch for performing a selection operation in a player-participating type gaming machine in which a player performs a lottery for winning a game or selects a type of production symbol that the player likes. It can be used.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the structure of a switch unit conventionally used as a stop button of a slot machine. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an external structure of the slot machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the external structure of a stop button unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the stop button unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the stop button unit 100 cut along line XX shown in FIG. 3, and is a view showing a cross-sectional structure in a state where the pressing member is not pressed. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the stop button unit 100 cut along line XX shown in FIG. 3 and is a view showing a cross-sectional structure in a state where the pressing member is pressed.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... slot machine, 2 ... casing, 3 ... front door,
31 ... Upper panel part, 32 ... Lower panel part, 33 ... Receptacle unit,
34 ... console,
41 ... Illumination unit for production, 42a, 42b ... Sound emission unit for production,
43 ... Liquid crystal display unit, 44 ... Panel surface, 45 ... Display window,
46a, 46b ... Illumination unit for production, 47 ... Production display unit,
48 ... dot matrix display section, 49 ... game state display section,
50 ... reel unit 51a, 51b, 51c ... reel,
61 ... medal insertion part, 62, 63, 64 ... bet button,
65 ... Start lever, 66 ... Keyhole, 71 ... Panel,
72 ... Receptacle part, 73 ... Medal payout opening, 74a, 74b ... Sound emission part for production,
100: Stop button unit,
110a, 110b, 110c ... pressing member,
111a, 111b, 111c ... operation unit,
112 ... cylindrical part, 113 ... flange part,
114a, 114b, 114c ... light shielding pieces,
115 ... notch, 116 ... notch,
120 ... Panel member, 121a, 121b, 121c ... Opening,
122 ... Screw hole, 130 ... Casing member, 131 ... Cylinder part,
132: Stepped portion, 133, 134, 135 ... Spring seat portion,
136 ... boss part, 140 ... electronic circuit board,
141a, 141b, 141c ... photo sensor,
142a, 142b, 142c ... through holes,
150a, 150b, 150c ... coil spring, 161 screw

Claims (3)

A sensor for detecting a light-shielding piece interlocking with the pressing member on a circuit board provided at a rear end of the case member, wherein the pressing member to be pressed is movably accommodated in the case member and is urged forward. Is a gaming machine switch unit,
The circuit board is formed with an insertion portion through which the light shielding piece of the pressed member that has been pressed is inserted to protrude outward, and the sensor is mounted on an outer surface of the circuit board. A switch unit for gaming machines.   The gaming machine switch unit according to claim 1, wherein the insertion portion is a through hole formed in the circuit board.   2. The gaming machine switch unit according to claim 1, wherein the insertion portion is a notch formed in the circuit board.

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