JP2007075395A - Control board unit for game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a control board unit for a game machine, flexibly applicable to circuit boards with various arrangement of circuits and capable of securely preventing bending of a circuit board when an electronic part is pressed and mounted. <P>SOLUTION: A plurality of engagement holes 123 are previously formed in a body 121 of a board housing 120 for storing a control board 110 to be fixed inside the game machine, and a support projection 132 biased from the center is formed in a support member 130. The engagement holes and the angle of engagement are appropriately selected according to the mounting position of a socket 111 for ROM, so that the support member is engaged with the body of the housing. With this structure, the part on the opposite side from the socket abuts on and is supported by the support projection, and bending of the control board when the ROM is mounted is prevented. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a board unit for a gaming machine that is provided in a housing of a gaming machine such as a pachinko machine or a slot machine and is configured by housing a circuit board on which a required electronic component is mounted in a board case.

  Conventionally, in a gaming machine such as a slot machine or a pachinko machine, a control system that controls and manages a gaming state by a control board that is mounted with electronic components such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM and is formed based on a microcomputer has been adopted. Yes.

  For example, in the case of a slot machine, a control board called a main control board is provided in the housing, and controls the rotation operation of the reel by monitoring the start and stop operations of the player, or when a winning combination is established. The main operation of the gaming machine is controlled so as to pay out the number of medals. In addition, the main control board, such as lottery of winning combination, change the winning probability for each game according to the jackpot (bonus), assist the player to give the opportunity to win more medals, etc. It also manages motion control.

  In order to prevent unauthorized access such as unauthorized modification such as ROM replacement by unauthorized persons, unauthorized signal assignment or internal control signal stealing (skimming), the control board of such a gaming machine Is mounted in a casing of the gaming machine through a fixing means that is accommodated in a transparent substrate case that can be seen from above and cannot be easily taken.

  In addition, in order to prevent fraud, whether or not the control board of the gaming machine is a proper product for a specific electronic component such as a ROM in which information related to a game progress program, a winning probability setting, etc. is stored. It is necessary to inspect from time to time, and further, via a socket in which a specific electronic component such as a ROM is mounted on a circuit board so that it can flexibly cope with the operation / setting change of the game contents accompanying a model change of the gaming machine. It is installed so that it can be inserted and removed.

  By the way, in the control board having the structure for mounting the socket described above, when the electronic parts such as the ROM are press-fitted to the socket, the board is bent, and the chip parts etc. surface-mounted around the board are detached to cause poor contact. There is a risk that the printed wiring pattern may be peeled off and cause disconnection.

  Especially in the field of gaming machines, ROM and other work associated with inspections or model changes are frequently performed compared to other industrial products, which can potentially cause problems such as wiring pattern peeling and disconnection. It was.

  To cope with this, for example, in Patent Document 1, a substrate (printed circuit board) is supported and fixed to a back plate via a plurality of support and fixing means (locking support), and the substrate is bent by pressing when connecting a connector or the like. In order to avoid this, there is disclosed a substrate mounting structure in which a protrusion for abutting and supporting the back surface of the substrate is formed on the back plate. This mounting structure is considered to be applicable to a general circuit board as one means for solving such a problem.

JP 10-066532 A

  However, the mounting structure of the board described in Patent Document 1 is such that the protruding portion is formed on the back plate and the support position is fixed to the back plate. It was not possible to cope with a substrate in which (the position at which the substrate bends by pressing) was changed, and it was not versatile. In particular, when applied to a circuit board incorporated in a gaming machine whose model change cycle has been shortened in recent years, the conventional mounting structure described above is complicated because it requires design and manufacturing changes depending on the circuit arrangement of the board. Yes, it was not worth the cost. Conversely, if the circuit arrangement of the board is limited in accordance with the position of support by the protrusion formed on the back plate, the degree of freedom in circuit design of the board may be lost.

  The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems, and can flexibly cope with circuit boards having various circuit arrangements, and can reliably prevent the circuit board from being bent when the electronic component is press-fitted. An object of the present invention is to provide a board unit for a gaming machine having a board case such as the above.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 is a circuit in which a socket member such as a ROM socket or a connector is mounted on one side surface so that a predetermined electronic component is detachably mounted and connected to a wiring pattern. A board unit for a gaming machine comprising a board and a board case that accommodates the circuit board and is fixed at a predetermined position in the gaming machine, and a plurality of preset units with respect to engaging portions formed on the board case The board case includes a support member that can be engaged at an engagement angle and is formed with a support protrusion that protrudes at a position deviated from the center so that the support position can be changed according to the engagement angle. By selecting any one of the plurality of engagement angles corresponding to the mounting position of the socket member of the circuit board to be accommodated and engaging the support member with the engagement portion, Tsu the support protrusion sites opposite side of the circuit board bets member is mounted is characterized by being configured to abut the support.

  According to the gaming machine board unit according to claim 1, since the support member is formed with the support protrusion that protrudes at a position deviated from the center of the support member, the circuit board according to the engagement angle thereof. The support position can be changed. That is, by engaging the support member to the board case at an appropriate engagement angle, the support position can be finely adjusted corresponding to the mounting position of the socket member mounted on the circuit board.

  Invention of Claim 2 is a board | substrate unit for gaming machines of Claim 1, Comprising: The said engaging part is previously formed in several places of the said board case, The said socket among several said engaging parts Select the engaging part closest to the mounting position of the member, and attach the support member to the selected engaging part at an appropriate engaging angle to mount the socket member on the opposite side surface of the circuit board. This portion is configured such that the support protrusion can be in contact with and supported.

  According to the gaming machine substrate unit according to claim 2, the engagement portion closest to the position of the socket member mounted on the circuit board is selected from the engagement portions formed in advance in a plurality of locations of the substrate case. To attach the support member. Thereby, since the support position by the engaging member can be adjusted in a wide range, even if there is a change in the circuit arrangement of the circuit board, it can be flexibly dealt with.

  As described above, according to the board unit for gaming machines according to the present invention, the supporting protrusions contact and support the portion on the opposite side surface of the circuit board on which the socket member for mounting the electronic component is mounted. It is possible to prevent the substrate from being bent when the component is mounted on the socket member, thereby reliably preventing contact failure such as peeling of the wiring pattern. In addition, the position and angle of the support member that is engaged with the substrate case can be appropriately selected corresponding to the mounting position of the socket member that is mounted on the circuit board, so that the circuit board with various circuit arrangements can be flexibly selected. It can correspond to. Therefore, the durability of the circuit board is improved, the life is extended, and the board case can be generalized, contributing to the cost reduction of the gaming machine.

  First, an outline of a slot machine installed in a game store such as a pachinko hall as an example of a gaming machine to which the board unit of the present invention is applied will be described with reference to a perspective view of FIG.

  In the slot machine 1, a front door 3 that faces the player side and constitutes a so-called front mask is attached to an opening side of a housing 2 that is a substantially rectangular box body so as to be opened and closed by a hinge mechanism (not shown). The front door 3 is roughly divided into an upper panel portion and a lower panel portion, and these are integrally formed of a hard plastic designed to enhance the visual effect as a decorative board. In addition, a tray unit 4 that forms a tray part for storing medals is provided at the lower part of the front door 3.

  An upper lamp 5 and side lamps 6a and 6b are provided on the upper panel of the front door 3 and incorporate a high-intensity light-emitting diode and turn on or flash when a big hit or the like is performed. In addition, production sound emitting units 7a and 7b that have built-in speakers and generate production effect sounds according to the progress of the game are arranged on the left and right of the upper panel unit, respectively. Furthermore, a liquid crystal display unit 8 is disposed between the sound emission units 7a and 7b for effects. The liquid crystal display unit 8 functions as an effect display device that mainly displays moving images related to game effects.

  At the center of the upper panel portion, an intermediate panel plate 9 in which a substantially rectangular transparent display window 9a is formed is attached from the back side of the front door 3. The three cylindrical reels 10a, 10b, and 10c provided in the housing 2 are configured to be viewed through the display window 9a.

  That is, the reels 10a, 10b, and 10c are arranged in the lateral direction along the respective rotation axes to constitute the reel unit 10, and a plurality of different types are provided on the outer peripheral surfaces of the reels 10a, 10b, and 10c. For example, 21 identification symbols including are arranged at almost equal intervals. And it is configured so that three vertical and three horizontal symbols facing the display window 9a can be seen from the player side through the display window 9a.

  In the middle of the front door 3, a medal insertion part 11 having an insertion slot for inserting medals used in the game, a bet button 12, a start lever 13, and three stop buttons for instructing the operation of the game 14a, 14b, and 14c are disposed, respectively.

  The bet button 12 is a push-type operation switch for presenting the number of medals bet on the game of the slot machine 1. The start lever 13 is a lever switch for instructing to rotate the reels 10a, 10b, and 10c all at once. The start lever 13 is turned on when a lever having a spherical operation knob at the tip is tilted in any of the vertical and horizontal directions. When the hand is released from the lever, the spring is automatically returned to its original position and turned off by the biasing force of the spring.

  The stop buttons 14a, 14b, and 14c are push-type switches for individually instructing to stop the rotation of the reels 10a, 10b, and 10c, and are arranged in parallel corresponding to the arrangement of the reels.

  The lower panel of the front door 3 is provided with a panel 15 for displaying, for example, a picture of an appearing character so that the player can recognize the model type of the slot machine 1 and the like.

  The tray unit 4 is provided with a medal discharge port 16 for discharging medals at the time of winning and the like, and an effect sound emitting unit 17 that incorporates a speaker and generates effect sound according to the progress of the game.

  The slot machine 1 configured as described above enters a standby state when a prize is won in the previous game and the payout of medals is completed, or when a loss is confirmed in the previous game. In this state, when the bet button 12 is pressed, medals are bet on the game from medals (credits) stored therein, and the game starts.

  When the start lever 13 is tilted in the game start state, the main control board provided in the housing 2 starts to rotate the reels 10a, 10b, and 10c all at once. At the same time, the winning combination is randomly drawn by internal processing, and the result is stored in a flag (memory).

  Next, when the player presses the stop buttons 14a, 14b, and 14c in an arbitrary order, the main control board sequentially stops the corresponding reels accordingly. When all the reels 10a, 10b, and 10c are stopped, it is determined whether or not the symbol combination displayed on each reel matches the symbol combination related to the winning combination stored in the flag. When they match, the winning is confirmed, and a medal with the number of payouts corresponding to the type of winning combination is added to the credit. When the credit exceeds the upper limit due to the payout of the winning prize, the surplus medals are paid out to the tray unit 4 from the medal discharge port 16.

  As described above, the player of the slot machine 1 performs a game operation for rotating and stopping the reels 10a, 10b, and 10c, and loses the bet medals if the symbols variably displayed on the display window 9a are not aligned with the active line. If a winning combination is achieved with a predetermined combination of symbols, it is possible to acquire more medals than the betted number, so that it is possible to enjoy a winning / losing game with an interest in increasing the number of medals depending on the skill and luck.

  A board unit 100 according to the present invention, which is configured by housing the above-described main control board in a board case, for example, is mounted in the housing 2 of the slot machine 1. Here, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the board unit 100 that houses the main control board 110 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  According to the figure, the main board unit 100 is a main control board 110 which is an electronic circuit board formed on the basis of a microcomputer by mounting electronic components such as a central processing element as a CPU, a semiconductor memory such as a ROM and a RAM. And a case main body 121 and a case lid 122 which are transparent and rectangular plastic cases opened on one side, and the case main body 121 and the case lid 122 facing each other with the main control board 110 interposed therebetween are closed. The main control board 110 is accommodated.

  As described above, the main control board 110 controls the operation of the apparatus such as the reels 10a, 10b, and 10c in accordance with the start and stop operations by the player, the medal payout control at the time of winning, and the like. The overall operation of the slot machine 1 is comprehensively controlled and managed, such as internal processing control related to the progress of the game, such as lottery for winning combinations and winning determination.

  A ROM 112, which is a read-only semiconductor memory in which information related to a game progress program, winning lottery probability, and the like is stored, is connected to a wiring pattern on the board via a socket 111 mounted on the main control board 110 (contacts). )is doing. That is, specific electronic parts such as the ROM 112 are regularly inspected as necessary to prevent fraud, and are regularly inspected. In order to respond flexibly or the like, the socket 111 is mounted so as to be removable.

  The substrate case 120 including the case main body 121 and the case lid 122 is integrally formed of transparent plastic so that the internal main control substrate 110 can be visually inspected from the outside to see whether the main control substrate 110 has been modified. Yes. Further, the case main body 121 and the case lid 122 are closed via special engagement means called caulking which cannot be opened again once closed using a one-way screw or the like. That is, the substrate case 120 cannot be opened unless the engaging means is broken, and even if it is opened, the trace remains as a broken state of the engaging means, so that the fact of unauthorized opening can be easily found. It is configured.

  In the board unit 100, the main control board 110 is fixed to the case body 121 with screws to close the case lid 122, and the bottomed side of the case body 121 is a predetermined inside of the housing 2 with the board case 120 standing up. It is attached to the position in a non-detachable manner through fixing means (not shown).

  Further, the characteristic structure of the substrate unit 100 according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. Here, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the external structure of the case main body 121 when viewed from the bottomed side, and FIG. 4 is attached to the case main body 121 and abuts and supports the main control board 110 to bend the board. FIG. 5 is a front view and a sectional view showing a state in which the support member 130 is engaged with the case main body 121, and FIG. 6 is a support member 130 at each engagement angle. It is a front view showing each attitude | position.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the bottom plate portion of the case main body 121 has engaging holes 123a, 123b, 123c, and 123d penetrating uniformly arranged in a cross shape on a virtual concentric circle centered on one point. .. Are formed at a plurality of locations.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the support member 130 includes a flat plate portion 131 that is a substantially square plate, a support protrusion portion 132 that protrudes at a position deviated from the center of the flat plate portion 131, and a support protrusion portion 132. The engaging projections 133a, 133b, 133c, and 133d that protrude at the center of each side on the opposite side of the flat plate portion 131 and have outwardly protruding flanges, which are formed by injection molding using plastic or the like It is integrally formed.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the support member 130 has the engagement protrusions 133 a, 133 b, 133 c, and 133 d from the inside of the case main body 121, and the engagement holes 123 a, 123 b, 123 c, and 123 d of the engagement hole portion 123. Each of the engaging protrusions is elastically deformed inward once and returned to its original state by being inserted into and pressed into the engaging hole 123 of the case main body 121.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the support member 130 can be engaged by selecting any one of four engagement angles set around the engagement direction axis. As described above, since the support protrusion 132 of the support member 130 is formed slightly deviated from the center of the flat plate portion 131, the support protrusion 132 can be selected by arbitrarily selecting the engagement angle of the support member 130. Is configured so that the position for supporting the substrate can be finely adjusted.

  The support protrusion 132 is formed to have a length (protrusion amount) that allows the main control board 110 to be in contact with and supported in a state where the support member 130 is engaged with the case main body 121 and the main control board 110 is fixed.

Next, the operation of the substrate unit 100 will be described.
First, the engagement hole portion 123 closest to the mounting position of the socket 111 is selected while the main control board 110 is accommodated in the case main body 121 and opposed to each other, and the support member 130 is engaged with the engagement hole portion 123. When attached, the engagement angle at which the support protrusion 132 is positioned (or closest) to the opposite side of the board on which the socket 111 is mounted is selected, and the support member 130 is selected at the engagement angle. The engagement hole 123 is engaged. In this manner, the support member 130 is engaged with the case body 121 in advance so that the support protrusion 132 is positioned at a portion of the substrate that is bent due to mounting of an electronic component or the like.

  Note that the position of supporting the board by the support member 130 is not limited to one place, and the number of support members 130, the engagement position, and the number of the sockets 111 mounted on the circuit board such as the main control board 110 are determined. The engagement angle is appropriately selected.

  When the main control board 110 is fixed to the case main body 121, as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 7, the tip of the support protrusion 132 of the support member 130 is opposite to the main control board 110 on which the socket 111 is mounted. Abut (or close). As a result, even when an electronic component such as the ROM 112 is mounted on the socket 111, the support protrusion 132 abuts and supports the main control board 110 by the fixed support member 130, thereby preventing the board from being bent. The Therefore, even if the electronic components such as the ROM 112 are repeatedly inserted into and removed from the main control board 110, the board does not bend. As a result, there are cracks in the solder surface of the peripheral electronic parts 113 and the like. Problems such as occurrence or disconnection of the conductive pattern printed on the substrate and peeling off are eliminated.

  Even if the circuit arrangement of the main control board 110 is changed due to the model change of the slot machine 1 or the like, the engagement hole 123 and the engagement angle are appropriately selected according to the portion where the bending is caused by the pressing operation. By attaching the support member 130, it is possible to adjust the support position and respond flexibly.

  In addition, it is easy to give variations to the size and shape of the support member 130, and the support position of the substrate can be set widely and finely adjustable.

  Moreover, in the main control board 110, there is no restriction | limiting in arrangement | positioning of components, such as the socket 111 pressed, and the freedom degree of design is ensured.

  As described above, by adopting, in the slot machine 1, the board unit 100 having such a flexure prevention structure that can flexibly cope with the main control board 110 having various circuit arrangements, the main control board 110 can have a longer life and the board case 120 can be used. Can contribute to cost reduction.

  The circuit board to which the present board unit 100 structure is applied is not limited to the main control board 110 that controls the main operation of the slot machine 1, but is a device such as a sub-control board or reels 10a, 10b, and 10c. It may be a circuit board such as another control board for controlling the apparatus or a relay board for relaying a control signal or the like.

  Further, the target of the mounting component to be supported to prevent the circuit board from being bent is not limited to the socket in which the electronic component described in the present embodiment is mounted. For example, the position of the connector connected to an external device or sensors / switches The above-described support member 130 may be attached to prevent the substrate from bending.

  Further, the structure of the substrate unit 100 that supports the circuit board is such that the support member 130 is attached to the case lid 122 side so that the support protrusion 132 faces the electronic component side that can be inserted and removed through a socket or the like. Thus, it can also be applied as a fraud prevention means for preventing an illegal extraction of electronic components.

  The present invention can be applied to a board support structure for supporting and fixing a circuit board incorporated in a general industrial product in addition to a gaming machine.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external structure of a slot machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the substrate unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the external structure of the bottomed side of the case main body shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of a supporting member that abuts against a circuit board and prevents bending in the board unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a front view and a sectional view of the case main body shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a front view showing the posture of the support member shown in FIG. 4 at each engagement angle. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a substrate unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, for explaining the operation thereof.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Slot machine 2 ... Housing | casing 3 ... Front door 4 ... Receptacle unit 5 ... Upper lamp 6a, 6b ... Side lamp 7a, 7b ... Sound production part 8 ... Liquid crystal display unit 9 ... Middle panel board 9a ... Display window 10 ... reel unit 10a, 10b, 10c ... reel 11 ... medal insertion part 12 ... bet button 13 ... start lever 14a, 14b, 14c ... stop button 16 ... medal discharge port 17 ... sound emission part 100 for production ... board unit 110 ... main Control board 111 ... Socket 112 ... ROM
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 120 ... Substrate case 121 ... Case main body 122 ... Case cover 123 ... Engagement hole part 123a-123d ... Engagement hole 130 ... Support member 131 ... Flat plate part 132 ... Supporting projection part 133a-133d ... Engagement protrusion

Claims (2)

A gaming machine comprising a circuit board on one side of which a socket member that is detachably attached to a predetermined electronic component and is connected to a wiring pattern, and a board case that accommodates the circuit board and is fixed at a predetermined position in the gaming machine Board unit for
At a position that can be engaged with a plurality of engagement angles set in advance with respect to the engagement portion formed on the substrate case, and that is deviated from the center so that the support position can be changed according to the engagement angle. Comprising a support member formed with a projecting support projection,
By selecting any one of the plurality of engagement angles corresponding to the mounting position of the socket member of the circuit board accommodated in the substrate case, and engaging the support member to the engagement portion, A board unit for gaming machines, characterized in that the support protrusion can contact and support a portion of the opposite side surface of the circuit board on which the socket member is mounted.   The engaging portion is formed in advance at a plurality of locations of the substrate case, and the engaging portion closest to the mounting position of the socket member is selected from the plurality of engaging portions, and the selected engaging portion is 2. The support member is configured to be engaged at an appropriate engagement angle so that the support protrusion can contact and support a portion of the opposite side surface of the circuit board on which the socket member is mounted. The board unit for gaming machines according to 1.

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