JP2006026292A - Circuit board cooling structure for game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a circuit board cooling structure for a game machine which can solve the problem that the function of a circuit is stopped due to high temperature by efficiently cooling the circuit board which is attached onto the rear surface of the game machine and is covered by a cover even when the circuit board is arranged in a small space at the rear surface of the game machine. <P>SOLUTION: This structure is provided with: upper and lower communication chambers 65, 62 for permitting the communication between spaces 63, 64 above and below the parts mounting surface side and soldering surface side of the circuit board 32; an upper ventilation passage 66 for permitting the communication between an upper opening 14 formed in upper front of the game machine and the upper communication chamber 65; and a lower ventilation passage 61 for permitting the communication between a lower opening 16 formed in lower front of the game machine and the lower communication chamber 62. The thermal exchange destination of air at the part mounting surface side and soldering surface side of the circuit board 32 where the temperature is raised is defined not as a space in a game machine island but as a space at the side of a player passage, so that the circuit board 32 is efficiently cooled. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a circuit board cooling structure for a gaming machine in which a control circuit board is attached to the back surface and the periphery thereof is covered with a cover.

In recent years, game machines such as pachinko machines have been made electronic circuits using a microcomputer or the like as a control circuit. A control circuit board in which this control circuit is incorporated is attached to the back surface of the gaming machine, and its periphery is covered with a cover.
This cover has the advantage of physically protecting the control circuit board and preventing the control circuit board from being manually applied from the outside. It also acts to trap heat generated from electrical components (hereinafter abbreviated as components).

  For this reason, the cover was provided with a large number of ventilation holes. However, even though this allows ventilation and heat dissipation (cooling) on the component mounting surface side of the control circuit board facing the inside of the cover, this component mounting Ventilation and heat dissipation are not performed on the surface opposite to the surface side, that is, the soldering surface side. Therefore, the space on the soldering surface side in the cover is heated to melt the solder, making the electrical connection of the mounted components unstable, and in the worst case, the function of the control circuit is stopped.

Therefore, conventionally, not only the space on the component mounting surface side of the control circuit board, but also the space on the soldering surface side opposite to this is vented to the outside by the vents to suppress the temperature rise of both spaces A gaming machine designed to do this has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent No. 2541156

However, the above-described prior art has the following problems because it only ventilates the space in the cover of the control circuit board.
A plurality of gaming machines, particularly pachinko machines, are usually mounted side by side in the left-right direction at an installation location called an island (game machine island). In this case, the front (game board surface) side faces the outside of the gaming machine island, that is, the player passage side because the player plays the game.
Accordingly, the back side of the gaming machine faces the inside of the gaming machine island, and the back side of many gaming machines is exposed in the gaming machine island. On the other hand, a game ball returning machine for circulating game balls is also installed in the game machine island. In other words, the gaming machine island has a heat source such as a lamp and power supply for each gaming machine, a communication circuit with a hall computer, a game ball reducing machine and a dew condensation prevention heater, etc. There are a lot of parts and devices.

  For this reason, in the prior art, even if the space on the component mounting surface side and the soldering surface side of the control circuit board of the gaming machine is vented to the outside by the vent holes, in the end, only heat exchange is performed in the gaming machine island. Only. Therefore, if heat accumulates in the game island with the passage of time since the island power is turned on, the temperature in the cover of the control circuit board also becomes high. As a result, it was not possible to solve the problem of stopping the function of the control circuit in the worst case by melting the solder on the soldering surface of the control circuit board and making the electrical connection of the mounted components unstable. .

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is attached to the back side of the gaming machine even when the space on the back side of the gaming machine is narrow like the gaming machine island or the heat exchange efficiency is low. To provide a circuit board cooling structure for a gaming machine that can solve the problem of efficiently radiating (cooling) a circuit board for controlling a gaming machine and the like that is covered with a cover and stopping the function of the circuit due to a high temperature. Objective.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that the circuit board is attached to the back surface and the periphery thereof is covered with a cover, and the component mounting surface side and the soldering surface of the circuit board. In the circuit board cooling structure of the gaming machine in which both spaces on the side are formed so as to be able to vent in the surface direction, the cover is formed so as to cover the entire periphery of the exposed surface on the back side of the gaming machine of the circuit board so as not to allow ventilation. In this cover, the upper and lower communication chambers for communicating both the spaces above and below, and the upper opening formed on the front side above the gaming machine and the upper communication chamber are communicated with each other. An upper ventilation path, a lower opening formed on the front side below the gaming machine, and a lower ventilation path communicating between the lower communication chambers are provided.

  The invention according to claim 2 of the claims is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the outside air that is disposed in the ventilation path between the upper opening and the lower opening is sucked from the lower opening. A fan for generating a forced cooling air flow for exhausting air from the upper opening through a ventilation path is provided.

In the first aspect of the present invention, the upper and lower communication chambers for communicating the space on both the component mounting surface side and the soldering surface side of the circuit board in the upper and lower directions are provided. An upper vent formed on the front side above the gaming machine and the upper communication chamber communicates with each other, and a lower opening formed on the front side below the gaming machine and the lower communication chamber communicates with each other. And a lower air passage to be provided.
According to this, the heat exchange destination of the air on the component mounting surface side and the soldering surface side of the heated circuit board is not the space in the low-efficiency pachinko island, but the space on the high-efficiency player passage side. The problem of efficiently cooling the substrate and stopping the function of the circuit at a high temperature can be solved.

  According to the invention described in claim 2 of the claims, in the invention described in claim 1, since the fan for generating the forced cooling air flow is provided, the circuit board can be cooled with high efficiency. The problem of stopping the function of the circuit due to the high temperature can be sufficiently solved.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same code | symbol shows the same or an equivalent part between each figure.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a pachinko machine to which a circuit board cooling structure according to the present invention is applied, here an image-type pachinko machine, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the same from the back side.

First, the video pachinko machine will be described.
The video pachinko machine is equipped with the same launch control unit as the conventional mechanical pachinko machine (actual pachinko machine), and the board components such as the prize opening, the out port, and the game nails are the same as the game board surface form of the actual pachinko machine. This is a pachinko machine that virtually plays a game by displaying an imitatively arranged game board surface and a game ball or the like that is driven into the game area on the game board surface and flows down.

  In such a video pachinko machine, a player reads a card in which the amount that can be rented out of a game ball is read by a card reader / writer, and converts it into a game medium, here a score, to play a game. At the end of the game, the obtained score is stored in the card by the card reader / writer and exchanged for prizes using the score as a medium. A control panel set, which will be described later, is a device unit that is operated by a player using the card at the start and end of a game in such a video pachinko machine.

1 and 2, a front decorative frame 12 is attached to the front surface of a frame 11 formed in a frame shape so as to be freely opened and closed by a hinge (not shown).
The front decorative frame 12 is mounted with lamps, speakers, and the like (not shown), and the back side of the front decorative frame 12 is for protecting an image display (to be described later) from external force from the front side. A front glass 13 is attached and fixed.
Exhaust openings (upper openings) 14 are respectively formed on the upper left and right sides of the front decorative frame 12. Further, below the front decorative frame 12, a control panel set (hereinafter abbreviated as a panel set) 15 that is operated by the player at the start and end of the game is attached and fixed.

On the upper surface of the panel set 15, there are a card balance display portion 15 a and an acquired score display portion 15 b that display the usable amount of game media used for games (game ball lending available amount).
Further, on the front surface of the panel set 15, there are a lending ball button 15c, a card return button 15d, an acquired score adjustment button 15e, and a symbol stop button 15f operated by the player.

There is a card insertion slot 15g at the lower center of the panel set 15, and an ashtray 15h is attached to the lower left of the panel set 15. In addition, a handle set 15i for launching a game ball while adjusting its launch intensity is attached to the lower right of the panel set 15.
Further, on the lower left and right sides of the panel set 15 (below the ashtray 15h and the handle set 15i), intake openings (lower openings) 16 are opened, respectively.
In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, reference numeral 17 denotes a back set cover.

3 is an exploded perspective view shown from the front side of the pachinko machine shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view similarly shown from the back side.
As can be seen from these drawings, the image display device, here the liquid crystal image display device 31, is located between the housing 11 and the front decorative frame 12, and is fixed to the housing 11 by a fixing device (not shown).
A circuit board group 36 such as a main control circuit board 32, an image display control circuit board 33, an audio control circuit board 34, and a power supply circuit board 35 is attached and fixed to the rear surface of the housing 11. Each of the circuit boards 32 to 35 is configured such that circuit components are mounted on the circuit board main body, the component mounting surface side is directed outward, and the soldering surface side opposite thereto is directed inward. It is fixedly mounted on the board mounting bases 32a to 35a. A vent hole group (not shown) is formed at least on the outer periphery of the board mounting bases 32a and 33a.

Further, a vent 38 is opened at each of the upper and lower portions of the display device storage chamber 37 for housing the image display device 31 of the housing 11, the upper vent 38a is an exhaust port, and the lower vent 38b is an intake port. It has become. Hereinafter, these are referred to as a case exhaust port 38a and a case intake port 38b.
Further, exhaust openings (hereinafter referred to as “case exhaust openings”) 39 are opened at locations corresponding to the exhaust openings 14 formed in the front decorative frame 12 on the upper left and right sides of the casing 11. . An intake opening (hereinafter, referred to as a case intake opening) 40 is opened at a position corresponding to the intake opening 16 formed in the panel set 15 on the lower left and right sides of the case 11.

The main control circuit provided in the main control circuit board 32 is a circuit that controls the overall pachinko machine, and in particular, controls a gaming state in a game board surface image displayed on an image display described later.
The image display control circuit provided in the image display control circuit board 33 is a circuit for performing display control on the game board surface image based on the control of the main control circuit, and the sound control circuit provided in the sound control circuit board 34 is described above. This is a circuit for controlling the production by sound using a speaker (not shown) based on the control of the main control circuit.
The power supply circuit provided on the power supply circuit board 35 is a circuit that supplies power to each part of the pachinko machine, such as the above-described circuits and a fan described later.

Each of the circuit boards 32 to 34 is covered with a cover (reference number omitted) for protection from external force, and heat generated from electronic / electrical circuit components inside the cover is released to the outside of the cover. A vent hole group (not shown) is formed for this purpose.
A back set cover 17 for protecting the circuit board group 36 from an external force or an illegal act is attached and fixed to the circuit boards 32 to 34, that is, behind the circuit board group 36. The housing 11 is attached and fixed so as to cover the entire rear part. That is, the entire circumference of the exposed surface on the back side of the circuit board group 36 is protected by the back set cover 17 from the back side of the pachinko machine in a substantially sealed state.

Inside the center of the back set cover 17 is located in the middle of the ventilation path between the exhaust opening 14 and the intake opening 16, and outside air sucked from the intake opening 16 passes through the ventilation path and passes through the exhaust opening 14. A fan 41 for generating a forced cooling air flow to be exhausted is attached.
In addition, wiring of each circuit board 32-35 and the fan 41 is abbreviate | omitting illustration. In each of the circuit boards 32 to 35, the surface side shown in FIG. 4 is the component mounting surface side, and the opposite surface side is the soldering surface side.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view shown from the front side of the image display device 31 in FIG. 3, and FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view similarly shown from the back side.
As can be seen from these drawings, the image display device 31 includes an image display, here a liquid crystal image display 31a, and a front cover 31b and a rear cover 31c that individually cover the front and rear surfaces thereof. A cooling air hole group 31d is formed on the back surface of 31a.

  Ribs 31e are formed on the left and right side portions of the inner surface of the rear cover 31c to divide this portion into two spaces in the vertical direction. In addition, a vent 51 is opened at each of the upper and lower portions of the rear cover 31c corresponding to the casing exhaust port 38a and the intake port 38b. The upper vent is an exhaust port and the lower vent is an intake port. . Hereinafter, these are referred to as a rear cover exhaust port 51a and a rear cover intake port 51b.

This embodiment is constituted by the structure of the pachinko machine as described above, and this will be described below.
In the present embodiment, a structure in which the main control circuit board 32 and the image display control circuit board 33 are targets to be radiated (cooled) on the soldering side in addition to the component mounting side is illustrated. However, since the image display 31a is also almost sealed by the same back set cover 17 as those of the control circuit boards 32 and 33, the image display 31a is also cooled, and the audio control circuit board 34 and the power supply The circuit board 35 is also structured to receive a cooling action on the component mounting surface side.

7 is a schematic front view of the pachinko machine shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a right-side cross section taken along the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 7. FIG. 8 shows the circuit board cooling structure of this embodiment. Show the whole.
As can be seen from FIG. 8 (FIGS. 1 and 7), an intake opening 16 is opened below the panel set 15, and an exhaust opening 14 is opened above the front decorative frame 12. Between the intake and exhaust openings 16 and 14, the following ventilation is performed so that the first and second cooling airflows 81 and 82 are generated from the intake opening 16 toward the exhaust opening 14. A path is formed.

That is, the intake opening 16 → the housing intake opening 40 → the lower air passage 61 → the fan 41 → the lower communication chamber 62 → the component mounting surface side space 63 and the soldering surface side space 64 of the main control circuit board 32 → the upper communication chamber 65. A ventilation path is formed so that the first cooling air flow 81 is generated along the path of the upper ventilation path 66 → the casing exhaust opening 39 → the exhaust opening 14.
Also, the intake opening 16 → the case intake opening 40 → the lower air passage 61 → the fan 41 → the lower communication chamber 62 → the case intake port 38b → the rear cover intake port 51b → the component storage space 67 of the image display device 31 → the rear The ventilation path is formed so that the second cooling air flow 82 is generated in the path of the cover exhaust port 51a → the case exhaust port 38a → the upper communication chamber 65 → the upper air passage 66 → the case exhaust opening 39 → the exhaust opening 14. .

Here, the communication chambers 62 and 65 are ventilation spaces that allow both the component mounting surface side space 63 and the soldering surface side space 64 of the main control circuit board 32 to communicate with each other. The communication chamber 65 located at is the upper communication chamber.
Further, the upper ventilation path 66 indicates an opening formed on the front side above the pachinko machine, in this embodiment, the ventilation path communicating between the exhaust opening 14 and the upper communication chamber 65, and the lower ventilation path 61 is the same. The opening formed in the front side above the machine, in this embodiment, refers to an air passage that communicates between the intake opening 16 and the lower communication chamber 62.

  The component mounting surface side space 63 of the main control circuit board 32 is a space formed on the component mounting surface side of the main control circuit board 32, specifically, the main control circuit board 32 and the image display control circuit board 33 (see FIG. 4) is a space formed between the case 11 to which the cover 11 is attached and the back set cover 17.

  Further, the soldering surface side space 64 of the main control circuit board 32 indicates a space formed on the soldering surface side of the main control circuit board 32. In the present embodiment, in the drawing of the outer periphery of the substrate mounting base 32a facing the lower communication chamber 62, it passes through the lower side vent hole group (not shown), passes through the inner side of the substrate mounting base 32a, and the outer periphery of the substrate mounting base 32a. In the figure, it refers to the space (ventilation path) that reaches the upper communication chamber 65 through the upper vent hole group (not shown).

  The component storage space 67 of the image display device 31 is a space for cooling the components (including the image display 31 a) of the image display device 31 through the second cooling airflow 82. In the present embodiment, the lower portion partitioned by the rib 31e in the vent hole group 31d opened on the back surface of the image display 31a through the housing inlet 38b and the rear cover inlet 51b facing the lower communication chamber 62. From here, it enters the image display 31a. A space (air vent) is formed through the upper portion of the vent hole group 31d partitioned by the rib 31e through the inside of the image display 31a and reaching the rear cover exhaust port 51a and the case exhaust port 38a facing the upper communication chamber 65. Route).

  In the present embodiment, the lower air passage 61 is formed between the panel set 15 and the back set cover 17, and is a room for accommodating the audio control circuit board 34 (see FIG. 4) and the power circuit board 35 (hereinafter referred to as the lower part). It is also called a storage room.) Since this lower storage chamber is also in the ventilation path from the intake opening 16 to the exhaust opening 14, these circuit boards 34 and 35 are also cooled in this lower storage chamber, that is, in the lower ventilation path 61.

  The fan 41 is located in the middle of the ventilation path between the intake opening 16 and the exhaust opening 14 from one side of the openings 16 and 14 to the other side, in this embodiment, from the intake opening 16 side to the exhaust opening 14 side. This is a fan for forced air cooling that generates a forced cooling air flow toward. In the illustrated example, the fan 41 is provided between the lower ventilation path 61 and the lower communication chamber 62. However, the fan 41 may be provided at any other position in the middle of the ventilation path between the intake opening 16 and the exhaust opening 14. Good.

  In FIG. 8, the image display control circuit board 33 shown in FIG. 4 is also cooled by the main control circuit board 32 in the same manner as in the case of the main control circuit board 32 described above. Further, although hidden by the power circuit board 35 and cannot be seen, the sound control circuit board 34 shown in FIG. 4 also receives the same cooling action as that of the power circuit board 35 described above.

In the above configuration, it is assumed that the pachinko machine shown in FIG. 8 is operating, that is, the power is turned on, and the circuit board group 36 (see FIG. 4) on the back surface of the housing 11 starts to generate heat. Hereinafter, the description will be made focusing on the heat generation of the main control circuit board 32 in the circuit board group 36.
When the main control circuit board 32 generates heat, the heated air in the component mounting surface side space 63 and the soldering surface side space 64 of the main control circuit board 32 becomes lighter and moves upward (also upward in FIG. 8). .
At this time, both the spaces 63 and 64 are communicated with each other in the upper communication chamber 65, and the upper communication chamber 65 communicates with the exhaust opening 14 via the upper air passage 66. The heated air is merged in the upper communication chamber 65 and then exhausted from the exhaust opening 14 through the upper air passage 66.

  On the other hand, a relatively low temperature outside air is drawn from the intake opening 16 and moves to the lower communication chamber 62 through the lower ventilation path 61, where it is diverted in the two directions of the spaces 63 and 64. The shunted outside air exchanges heat with the component mounting surface and the soldering surface of the main control circuit board 32 that is generating heat to cool both surfaces, and is heated at the same time, lightens and moves upward.

  That is, the intake opening 16 → the lower air passage 61 → the fan 41 → the lower communication chamber 62 → the component mounting surface side space 63 and the soldering surface side space 64 of the main control circuit board 32 → the upper communication chamber 65 → the upper air passage 66 → Cooling is performed by an air flow (first cooling air flow 81 indicated by a dotted arrow in the drawing) along the ventilation path of the exhaust opening 14, and not only the component mounting surface of the main control circuit board 32 but also the soldering surface is cooled. Done effectively.

  Here, the intake opening 16 and the exhaust opening 14 are each directed to the front side of the pachinko machine, that is, the player passage side opposite to the pachinko island, and the heat of the air heated by the heat generated by the main control circuit board 32. The exchange destination is a space on the player passage side. Therefore, the soldering surface of the main control circuit board 32 is cooled more efficiently than in the conventional technology in which the inside of the pachinko island is the heat exchange destination, and the solder on the soldering surface is melted, so that the electrical connection of the mounted components is not achieved. It is possible to prevent stabilization.

  In particular, the air on the player passage side is air that is usually air-conditioned and circulated, and is extremely effective for heat exchange (cooling of the main control circuit board 32). Therefore, according to the circulation of the air flow, such air is taken into the back set cover 17 from the intake opening 16 and is exhausted from the exhaust opening 14 to the player passage side through the ventilation path. Cooling of the soldering surface of the control circuit board 32 is performed with high efficiency, and melting of the solder on the soldering surface of the main control circuit board 32 can be prevented.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fan 41 is provided in the middle of the ventilation path between the intake opening 16 and the exhaust opening 14, in the illustrated example, between the lower ventilation path 61 and the lower communication chamber 62. A forced cooling air flow toward the exhaust opening 14 can be generated, and it is possible to sufficiently prevent the solder on the soldering surface of the main control circuit board 32 from being melted.
In this embodiment, the intake opening 16 → the housing intake opening 40 → the lower ventilation path 61 → the fan 41 → the lower communication chamber 62 → the component storage space 67 of the image display device 31 → the upper communication chamber 65 → the upper ventilation path 66 → Cooling is also performed by an air flow along the ventilation path of the exhaust opening 14 (second cooling air flow 82 indicated by a solid line arrow after the lower communication chamber 62 in the figure), and the components of the image display device 31 are also effectively cooled. Is called.

If the main control circuit board 32 generates heat, an air flow from the intake opening 16 side to the exhaust opening 14 side is generated as described above, and heat exchange is performed with the air on the player passage side so that the main control circuit board 32 is heated. Since the soldering surface is cooled (natural air cooling), the fan 41 is not necessarily provided.
Further, the fan 41 may be rotated / stopped when the power of the pachinko machine is turned on / off, that is, the fan 41 may be always rotated during operation of the pachinko machine, but a temperature detection device such as a thermostat is provided, You may make it rotate only at the preset temperature or more. In this case, when the fan 41 is stopped, the natural ventilation cooling is performed to save power.

  In the above-described embodiment, the proportion of the air flow from the lower communication chamber 62 to the spaces 63 and 64 is, for example, an appropriate height (dimension in the horizontal direction in the drawing) at a position 83 indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. Adjustment is possible by providing the plate with a predetermined width (dimension in the direction perpendicular to the surface shown in the drawing).

  In the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the circuit board cooling structure of the video pachinko machine has been described. However, the present invention may be applied to the circuit board cooling structure of an actual pachinko machine, and further, a game other than the pachinko machine. You may apply to the circuit board cooling structure of a machine.

1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a video pachinko machine to which a circuit board cooling structure according to the present invention is applied from the front side. It is a perspective view similarly shown from the back side. It is a disassembled perspective view shown from the front side of the pachinko machine shown in FIG. It is an exploded perspective view similarly shown from the back side. It is a disassembled perspective view shown from the front side of the image display apparatus in FIG. It is an exploded perspective view similarly shown from the back side. It is a front schematic diagram of the pachinko machine shown in FIG. It is a figure which expands and shows the cut surface in alignment with the dashed-dotted line in FIG. 7 from right side about embodiment of the circuit board cooling structure which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

11: Housing, 12: Front decorative frame, 14: Exhaust opening (upper opening), 16: Inlet opening (lower opening), 17: Back set cover (cover), 31: Image display device, 31a: Image display 31d: vent hole group, 32: main control circuit board, 38a: housing exhaust port, 38b: housing exhaust port, 39: housing exhaust port, 40: housing air intake port, 51a: rear cover exhaust port, 51b: rear cover intake port, 61: lower air passage, 62: lower communication chamber, 63: space on the component mounting surface side of the main control circuit board, 64: space on the soldering surface side of the main control circuit board, 65: upper communication chamber , 66: upper air passage, 81: first cooling airflow, 82: second cooling airflow.

Claims (2)

Circuit board cooling of a gaming machine in which the circuit board is attached to the back surface, the periphery thereof is covered with a cover, and the space on both the component mounting surface side and the soldering surface side of the circuit board is formed so as to be able to vent in the surface direction. In structure
The cover is formed so as to cover the entire exposed surface of the circuit board on the back side of the gaming machine so as not to allow ventilation.
In this cover,
An upper communication chamber and a lower communication chamber communicating the both spaces above and below, respectively,
An upper opening formed on the front side above the gaming machine and an upper ventilation path communicating between the upper communication chambers;
A circuit board cooling structure for a gaming machine, comprising: a lower opening formed on a front side below the gaming machine; and a lower air passage for communicating between the lower communication chambers. In the circuit board cooling structure of the gaming machine according to claim 1,
And a fan that is arranged in the middle of a ventilation path between the upper opening and the lower opening, and generates a forced cooling air flow that exhausts outside air sucked from the lower opening through the ventilation path from the upper opening. Circuit board cooling structure for gaming machines.

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