JP2007144117A - Reel display device and game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simultaneously achieve high performance and low cost in rotational stop position of a reel by providing a meshing structure for stopping the reel with good accuracy without an expensive stepping motor having high performance and high torque. <P>SOLUTION: This reel display device for a game machine for rotating/stopping the reel where patterns are drawn on the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical body according to the drive of the stepping motor, the teeth of two parallel driven gears energized in the rotating directions opposite to each other mesh with the teeth of a driving gear rotated according to the drive of the stepping motor, thereby reducing the speed of the reel according to the drive of the stepping motor. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a reel display device that can be incorporated into a gaming machine such as a slot machine, and more specifically, to improve the stopping accuracy of the reels constituting the reel unit incorporated in the device and to reduce the cost of the reel unit. The present invention relates to a reel display device and a gaming machine.

  In general, a reel display device provided in a slot machine or the like has a plurality of reel units for rotationally driving a reel, and a reel tape having various patterns at a certain interval in the rotation direction of the reel is cylindrical with a reel drum. The reel drum is rotated and stopped based on the rotation control of the motor, and the reel tape pattern integrated with the reel drum is stopped at a certain rotation stop position.

  In this case, in a reel drive device (reel unit) comprising a drive gear connected to a motor and a driven gear meshed with the drive gear and connected to a reel drum on which a picture is drawn, the outer diameter of the driven gear is set to the reel. This ensures a stable power transmission by making the diameter smaller than the outer diameter (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  However, in order to ensure an accurate stop when the reel is stopped at a certain rotation stop position, it is necessary to accurately manage the clearance between teeth where the drive gear and the driven gear mesh (so-called backlash). For example, if the clearance between the teeth meshing with each other is too large, rattling occurs between the teeth, and the reel stop accuracy deteriorates. Conversely, if the clearance becomes too small, the contact resistance between the teeth increases and the smooth movement of the gear is impaired. As a result, an excessive load is applied to the motor, making it impossible to maintain the set rotation speed. The problem of shortening the life of the gear occurs.

  By the way, it is known that if a special stepping motor such as a hybrid stepping motor is used, the reel can be rotated and stopped with high torque and high accuracy.

  However, since the stepping motor having such a high torque is expensive, when used in a reel driving device, the cost becomes high. In particular, in a slot machine, since a plurality of reels that rotate independently per unit are used in parallel, the number of stepping motors corresponding to the number of reels is required, and the reel driving device is expensive. Had the problem of becoming.

JP 2004-275606 A

  Therefore, according to the present invention, two teeth of the driven gear arranged in parallel are interposed between one tooth of the drive gear, and the meshing surfaces are always in press contact with each other by being urged in opposite directions of rotation. In this state, the teeth between the drive gear and the driven gear can be engaged as if there is no clearance. For this reason, the rattling caused by the clearance between the meshing surfaces can be completely eliminated, and further, the high-torque stop position of the reel can be accurately stopped without using an expensive motor with high torque. It is an object of the present invention to provide a reel display device and a gaming machine that can realize cost reduction at the same time.

  In this invention, a plurality of reel units each having a reel having a sheet on which an image is drawn on the outer peripheral surface are arranged, and each reel is independently rotated and stopped to display a combination of a plurality of patterns. The reel unit includes a stepping motor attached to the unit body, a drive gear fixed to the drive shaft of the stepping motor, and a toothed shape, which are mutually opposite. It is composed of two parallel gears urged in the rotating direction, and is supported by a fixed shaft fixed to the reel so that one gear is connected to the reel and the other gear is rotatable. The driven gear unit is supported, the teeth of the two gears of the driven gear unit are meshed between the teeth of the driving gear, and based on the driving of the stepping motor. Characterized in that it is a reel display device for a game machine comprising decelerating driving the reel Te.

  A gaming machine such as a slot machine can be configured by including the reel display device configured as described above.

  According to the present invention, the stepping mechanism has a meshing structure that completely absorbs rattling at the time of starting and stopping of rotation, regardless of the presence of clearance provided between teeth where the driving gear and the driven gear mesh. The driving force from the motor can be stably transmitted to the reel. Therefore, the reel can be smoothly rotated and stopped, and the reel can be accurately stopped without using an expensive stepping motor with high torque.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
The drawing shows a slot machine installed in a game hall as an example of a gaming machine. In FIG. 1, this slot machine 11 has a panel 12 and a reel portion 13 at the upper front portion as a gaming surface, and in the width direction of the front center. It has three stop buttons 14 arranged in parallel, a start lever 15, a multiplier setting (BET) button 16a, a maximum multiplier setting (MAXBET) button 16b and a settlement button 17 on the left side, and a medal m on the right side. It has a slot 18 for feeding one by one, and has a lower plate 19 at the lower part of the front face.

  When the player uses the slot machine 11 for a game, medals m are inserted into the insertion slot 18 one by one. The inserted medals m are guided to a sorting device (not shown) inside, and the regular medals m selected as valid here are taken into the slot machine 11 and medals of a nonconforming size selected as invalid are selected. It is returned to the lower plate 19 through the medal return passage (see FIG. 2) 26. The medal m is also returned to the lower plate 19 when the player depresses the clearing button 17 to stop the game.

  FIG. 2 shows the internal structure of the door in which the front door 11a of the slot machine 11 is opened in a single-opening manner. On the side of the opened slot machine main body 11b, three reels 13 assembled as a set are arranged on the upper side. The medal payout device 21 for taking in and paying out medals is installed at the lower center, the power supply device 22 is installed on the left side, and the overflow tank 23 is installed on the right side. Then, the game 13 is used by rotating and stopping the pattern 13a provided on the outer peripheral surface of the reel unit 13.

  On the other hand, on the front door 11a side, the reel display window 24, the inserted medal sorting device (medal selector) 25 for selecting the suitability of medals, the medal return passage 26, and the return port 27 are arranged in this order from the upper part to the lower part of the inner surface. Have.

  The reel unit 13 is attached to the slot machine main body 11b through a reel case 28 from the front side of the slot machine 11 where the front door 11a is opened. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the reel unit 13 includes a first reel unit U 1, a second reel unit U 2, a third reel unit U 3, and these which are assembled in a reel case 28 in parallel. It is crowded.

  Since the first to third reel units U1 to U3 have the same structure and are installed in parallel, the first reel unit U1 will be described below as an example. Here, a perspective view of the assembled first reel unit U1 is shown in FIG. 5, and an exploded perspective view thereof is shown in FIG.

  The first reel unit U1 is roughly divided into a cylindrical reel component (left side in FIG. 6) 29 and a drive unit (right side in FIG. 6) 30. First, the reel component 29 includes a sheet (hereinafter referred to as a reel tape) 31, a first annular holding frame 32, a second annular holding frame 33, and a set of four presser stop pieces 34 to 37 on the left and right sides. 38-41.

  The reel tape 31 is formed of a thin strip-shaped resin tape having a length that can be formed into a cylindrical body by abutting the start end side and the end end side, and a plurality of patterns (for example, in the figure in the longitudinal direction of the surface center of the tape). 13a are printed and arranged at regular intervals, and a plurality of rectangular tape fixing holes 31a and 31b and a substantially square positioning are formed on the left and right edges along the longitudinal direction of the reel tape 31. The holes 31c and 31d are opened at regular intervals. These holes 31a to 31d are locked to a first annular holding frame 32, a second annular holding frame 33 and presser stopper pieces 34 to 41 which will be described later.

  In addition, the reel tape 31 has a pair of left and right fixing holes 31e and 31f at one location on the peripheral surface of the left and right edges. The mounting position in the circumferential direction of the reel tape 31 is determined by locking the pair of left and right fixing holes 31e and 31f to locking pins P of the left and right annular holding frames 32 and 33 described later at the time of assembly. Can do.

  The first annular holding frame 32 has an annular frame body having an L-shaped cross section, and a central portion has a shaft support portion 43 which will be described later, and the annular frame body and the shaft support portion 43 are integrated via an arm 42. (See FIG. 7). The first annular holding frame 32 is configured to hold the left edge of the reel tape 31 in a cylindrical shape.

  For this reason, a plurality of locking protrusions 32b are provided on the inner peripheral surface 32a of the first annular holding frame 32 at regular intervals in the circumferential direction at positions corresponding to the tape retaining holes 31a. These locking projections 32b function as locking means that are inserted into the tape stopper holes 31a that open to the left edge of the reel tape 31 and lock the left edge of the reel tape 31, respectively. .

  The locking projections 32b have an inverted L shape and project on the inner circumferential surface 32a of the first annular holding frame 32 at regular intervals in the circumferential direction (see FIG. 7). Among these, the L-shaped horizontal piece L1 protruding in an inverted L shape is provided in a rectangular shape having a size that can be inserted into the tape retaining hole 31a. On the other hand, the L-shaped vertical piece L2 rises vertically to form a U-shaped locking space 32c between the opposed surfaces of the L-shaped horizontal piece L1 and the inner peripheral surface 32a of the first annular holding frame 32. ing. By providing this locking space 32c, not only the tape retaining hole 31a of the reel tape 31 and the retaining hole 34a of the retainer retaining piece 34 described later are inserted into the retaining protrusion 32b and retained, but the retainer after being inserted is retained. The stopper piece 34 is slightly slid in the circumferential direction and moved in the locking space 32c, and is slid until it comes into contact with the L-shaped vertical piece L2 and is regulated. As a result, the presser stop piece 34 has a function of locking the reel tape 31 in a state where the reel tape 31 is firmly pressed in the locking space 32c.

  Further, a locking recess 32d for positioning is formed on the inner peripheral surface 32a of the first annular holding frame 32, and a locking protrusion (see FIG. 10) 34b for positioning a presser stopper piece 34 to be described later. And the positioning hole 31c of the reel tape 31 described above in correspondence with each other, the presser stopper piece 34 is positioned and locked.

  Further, a locking pin P projects from one place in the circumferential direction of the inner peripheral surface 32a of the first annular holding frame 32, and the fixing hole 31e of the reel tape 31 is locked to the locking pin P. Thus, the reel tape 31 can be easily assembled and set as a reference position during assembly.

  Further, the first annular holding frame 32 holds a shaft support portion 43 at the center via an arm 42 extending in four directions, up, down, left and right. The shaft support 43 is inserted into a shaft support hole 44 opened in the axial direction of the shaft center through one end of a fixed shaft 45 projecting horizontally from the drive unit 30 described later. The shaft 47 is integrally attached to the shaft support 43 through a bush 46 provided on the mold.

  On the inner peripheral surface 32a of the first annular holding frame 32, the presser stop pieces 34 to 37, which are divided into four equal parts in the circumferential direction in order to fix and attach the reel tape 31, are uniform. Attached to. Since these four presser holding pieces 34 to 37 have the same shape in common, one of the presser holding pieces 34 will be described below as an example.

  FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing a correspondence relationship in which the first annular holding frame 32 and the presser retaining piece 34 are integrally connected by the locking projection 32b. This presser stop piece 34 has an arc shape corresponding to the inner peripheral surface 32 a of the first annular holding frame 32 and is attached in close contact with the inner peripheral surface 32 a of the first annular holding frame 32. It is formed with the resin material which has. Further, the presser retaining piece 34 may be a straight plate that is attached by being bent into a circular arc shape from the straight plate state at the time of attachment.

  Then, the holding protrusion 32b protruding from the inner peripheral surface 32a of the first annular holding frame 32 is inserted into the holding hole 34a of the holding piece 34 and is slid to be integrally locked. . Also in this case, the presser stop hole 34a of the presser stop piece 34 opens in the same rectangular shape as the tape stop hole 31a and is inserted into the locking protrusion 32b, and the presser stop piece 34 is covered from above the reel tape 31. Install as above. Further, the locking projection 34b of the presser stop piece 34 has a small square shape that is inserted into the locking recess 32d and the positioning hole 31c, and the locking projection 34b passes through the positioning hole 31c of the reel tape 31. The presser retaining piece 34 is accurately positioned and attached to the first annular holding frame 32 by being engaged with the engaging recess 32d.

  FIG. 8 is a side view of the first reel unit U1, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the main part in a locked state in which the reel tape 31 is held down. The presser stop piece 34 is a presser of the presser stop piece 34 with respect to the engaging protrusion 32b in a state where the tape stopping hole 31a of the reel tape 31 is inserted into the engaging protrusion 32b of the first annular holding frame 32. The retaining hole 34a is inserted into the retaining tape 34 so as to cover the retaining member 34. After that, the retaining member 34 is slid so that the left edge of the reel tape 31 has the first annular holding frame 32 and the retaining member. 34.

  Further, the main part of the first reel unit U1 of FIG. 10 is enlarged at the position of the presser stopper piece 34 corresponding to the positioning recess 32d formed on the inner peripheral surface 32a of the first annular holding frame 32. As shown in the longitudinal sectional view, it has a locking projection 34b for positioning the presser stop piece 34. When the presser stop piece 34 is slightly slid in the circumferential direction, the engaging projection 34b corresponds to the engagement recess 32d of the first annular holding frame 32 so that the presser stop piece 34 is held in the first annular form. The frame 32 can be positioned and locked. As a result, the presser stop piece 34 is positioned and fixed at a fixed position of the first annular holding frame 32, and the locking projection 34 b of the presser stop piece 34 is inserted into the positioning hole 31 c of the reel tape 31 for positioning. The attachment which prevented the position shift of the tape 31 can be performed.

  Further, in order to improve the detachability of the presser stop piece 34, a part of the periphery of the presser stop piece 34 is separated from the lock convex part 34 b of the presser stop piece 34 so that the lock convex part 34 b can be moved in the direction corresponding to the unevenness. Provided. Further, on the upper surface side of the locking convex portion 34b, there is provided a stand-up protruding piece 34c for detaching which is pinched with a fingertip and pulls up the holding piece 34 upward.

  Incidentally, since the holding structure of the reel tape 31 is bilaterally symmetrical, the first annular holding frame 32 and the four presser holding pieces 34 to 37 that hold the left end edge of the reel tape 31 and the same corresponding to these. By providing the second annular holding frame 33 that has a holding structure and holds the right edge of the reel tape 31 and the four presser stop pieces 38 to 41, the reel tape 31 can be held uniformly from both the left and right sides. it can. Among these, the asymmetric part is different in that a shaft support part 43 for transmitting the rotational force on the drive part 30 side to the first annular holding frame 32 is constructed in the first annular holding frame 32. Therefore, the second annular holding frame 33 may be a simple annular frame having no shaft support.

  Next, the case where the reel structure part 29 is assembled is demonstrated. First, as a holding structure of the left edge of the reel tape 31, as shown in a developed perspective view on the left side of the reel component 29 in FIG. The pieces 34 to 37 are prepared, and the tape stopper holes 31a that open to the left edge of the reel tape 31 are inserted into the locking protrusions 32b that protrude from the inner peripheral surface 32a of the first annular holding frame 32 in order. .

  At this time, as shown in the perspective view of the reel tape 31 in the initial assembly state in FIG. 12, the circumferential direction so that the locking pin P of the first annular holding frame 32 and the fixing hole 31e of the reel tape 31 correspond in advance. The reel tape 31 is attached with the reference position aligned. Then, if the fixing hole 31e is inserted through the locking pin P, the circumferential mounting position of the reel tape 31 is fixed at a predetermined position.

  Thus, the reel tape 31 is attached in a cylindrical shape along the inner peripheral surface 32 a of the first annular holding frame 32. The butt joint line 31g that is abutted in a cylindrical shape between the start end side and the end end side of the reel tape 31 is integrated by connecting a butt portion with an adhesive tape from the inner peripheral surface side.

  When the left end edge of the reel tape 31 is locked to the first annular holding frame 32, as shown in the perspective view in which the left side assembly of the reel component portion 29 in FIG. Further, each presser stop hole 34a of the presser stop piece 34 is inserted through each of the locking protrusions 32b in order, and the presser stop hole 34a of the presser stop piece 34 is inserted into the L-shaped vertical piece L2 of the lock protrusion 32b after the insertion. The presser stopper piece 34 is slightly slid in the circumferential direction until it comes into contact, and at the time when the locking convex portion 34b is positioned and locked corresponding to the concave and convex portions 32d, the mounting of the presser stopper piece 34 is completed.

  The presser stop piece 34 is attached not only by sandwiching the reel tape 31 between the outer peripheral surface of the presser stop piece 34 and the inner peripheral surface 32a of the first annular holding frame 32, but also in the circumferential direction. The presser stopper piece 34 presses the reel tape 31 in the locking space 32c, so that the reel tape 31 and the presser stop piece 34 can be fixed to the first annular holding frame 32 integrally.

  Further, when the presser foot retaining piece 34 is attached to the first annular holding frame 32, the retaining convex portion 34b of the retainer retaining piece 34 is unevenly adapted to the retaining recessed portion 32d with the positioning hole 31c of the reel tape 31 inserted. Therefore, the reel tape 31 and the presser stop piece 34 can be accurately positioned and attached to the first annular holding frame 32. For this reason, the attachment which prevented the position shift of the reel tape 31 can be performed.

  In this case, a substantially ¼ region in the circumferential direction of the reel tape 31 is pressed and held on the first annular holding frame 32 by one press holding piece 34. Similarly, the remaining 3/4 region in the circumferential direction is pressed against the first annular holding frame 32 by pressing pieces 35 to 37 in order with respect to the left edge of the reel tape 31. As a result, the left edge of the reel tape 31 is attached to the first annular holding frame 32 as shown in the developed perspective view of FIG. 14, and the assembly of the left side of the reel component 29 is completed.

  Further, in this case, by dividing into four presser holding pieces 34 to 37 that are divided into four equal parts in the circumferential direction, it becomes easier for the operator to handle the presser holding pieces 34 to 37 and to correspond to the arc surface. The attachment property to the first annular holding frame 32 to be attached is improved.

  Subsequently, as a holding structure for the right edge of the reel tape 31, a second annular holding frame 33 and a set of four holding pieces 38 to 41 are prepared, and the right side as with the holding structure on the left side of the reel tape 31 is prepared. Similarly, the holding protrusions 33b of the second annular holding frame 33 and the tape stopper holes 31b at the right edge of the reel tape 31 are inserted in order in correspondence with each other.

  At this time, the reel tape 31 is attached with the reference position in the circumferential direction aligned so that the locking pin P of the second annular holding frame 33 and the fixing hole 31f of the reel tape 31 correspond in advance. Then, if the fixing hole 31f is inserted through the locking pin P, the circumferential mounting position of the reel tape 31 is fixed at a predetermined position. Thereby, the reel tape 31 is attached in a cylindrical shape along the inner peripheral surface 33 a of the second annular holding frame 33.

  When the right edge of the reel tape 31 is locked to the second annular holding frame 33 in this manner, the presser stop holes of the presser stop piece 38 are further inserted into the respective locking projections 33b in the locked state. 38a is inserted in order. After this insertion, the presser stop piece 38 is slightly slid in the circumferential direction until the presser stop hole 38d of the presser stop piece 38 comes into contact with the L-shaped vertical piece L2 of the engaging projection 32b. The attachment of the presser stopper piece 38 is completed when 38b is positioned and locked in correspondence with the concave and convex portions 33d (not shown).

  As a result, one presser-holding piece 38 presses and holds a substantially quarter region of the reel tape 31 in the circumferential direction on the second annular holding frame 33. Similarly, the remaining 3/4 region in the circumferential direction on the right edge of the reel tape 31 is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the second annular holding frame 33 by pressing pieces 39 to 41 in order. Thereby, the right edge of the reel tape 31 is held by the second annular holding frame 33. In this way, the reel constituting portion 29 can be constructed by holding the left and right sides of the reel tape 31.

  Further, when the both side edges of the reel tape 31 are locked from both sides by the first annular holding frame 32 and the second annular holding frame 33, the reel tape 31 is reeled by the presser holding pieces 34 to 37, 38 to 41. Since the holding structure sandwiches both side edges of the tape 31 in a planar manner, when holding the reel tape 31, it is possible to simply attach the reel tape 31 by omitting an adhesive structure and an insertion structure with respect to the reel tape edge. .

  Next, when the reel tape 31 is replaced, the old reel tape 31 is removed in the order described later, and the new reel tape 31 may be attached according to the assembly order described above after the reel component 29 is disassembled.

  The procedure for removing the old reel tape 31 may be disassembled from the right side of the reel tape 31. First, the upright protruding piece 34c provided for removing the right holding piece 38 is pulled up to cope with unevenness. After lifting the locking projection (not shown) from the locking recess to release the circumferential positioning, the presser stopper piece 38 is slid in the circumferential direction opposite to the mounting direction. As a result, the presser stop hole 38a of the presser stop piece 38 abuts on the L-shaped vertical piece L2 of each locking projection 33b of the second annular holding frame 33 to be slid, and the presser stop piece 38 can be removed. Move to. For this reason, if the upright projection 34c protruding from the upper surface of the presser stop piece 38 is pulled up in the removal direction, the presser stop piece 38 can be easily removed. In the same manner, the remaining presser stopper pieces 39 to 41 on the right side are removed.

  After detaching each of the presser holding pieces 39 to 41, the presser holding pieces 39 to 41 are subsequently removed. For this reason, if the reel tape 31 is pushed inside, it can be easily removed.

  After the reel tape 31 is disassembled into a single sheet, the components other than the reel tape can be left as they are by assembling them in the order described in the description of assembling the reel component 29 (see FIGS. 11 to 14). It can be recycled and replaced with a new reel tape.

  In this way, the reel tape 31 can be replaced simply by attaching and detaching the four right and left presser holding pieces 34 to 37 and 38 to 41 to the annular holding frames 32 and 33 on both sides. Further, each of the presser holding pieces 34 to 41 has a common presser holding structure that can be attached to both the first annular holding frame 32 and the second annular holding frame 33, and therefore one type of presser stop. It suffices to prepare a piece, and it is possible to improve the management of the holding piece and the assembling workability.

The drive unit 30 includes a motor M and a power transmission mechanism 50, as shown in a perspective view of a main drive unit in FIG. 15 and an exploded perspective view of the power transmission mechanism in FIG.
The motor M uses a stepping motor with high rotation / stop accuracy. A driving gear G1 that is attached to the driving shaft of the motor M is connected to a first driven gear G2 and a second driven gear G3 that are parallel to each other as a power transmission mechanism 50. Is engaged with a driven gear unit GU.

  In the driven gear unit GU, the shaft center portion 51 is pivotally supported by the base end portion of the fixed shaft (see FIG. 6) 45. Of these, the first driven gear G2 only meshes with the drive gear G1 and rotates together. The reel component 29 is pivotally supported in a non-coupled rotationally free state. Accordingly, the first driven gear G2 may be rotatably supported on the fixed shaft 45, and can be freely rotated on the shaft of a boss portion (not shown) protruding from the end face of the shaft center portion 51 of the second driven gear G3. You may pivot.

  On the other hand, the second driven gear G3 has a pair of left and right positioning recesses 50a formed on one end surface, and a pair of left and right formed on the end surface of the shaft support portion 43 of the first annular holding frame 32 provided on the reel constituting portion 29 side. The positioning protrusion 43a (see FIG. 7) is made to correspond to the unevenness. Then, in a state corresponding to this positioning, the second driven gear G3 is screwed to the end surface of the shaft support portion 43 of the first annular holding frame 32 and integrally connected. In this case, the screw 50b stopper is equally provided on the left and right pair of the second driven gear G3, and is screwed into a screw stopper hole 43b formed in the end surface of the shaft support 43 through the screw insertion hole 50c of the first driven gear G2. Wear and connect together.

  Then, the rotational force of the motor M is transmitted from the drive gear G1 to the shaft support portion 43 of the first annular holding frame 32 via the second driven gear G3, and with the rotation of the shaft support portion 43, the first annular holding frame 32 is transmitted. Then, the reel constituting portion 29 including the reel tape 31 attached thereto, the second annular holding frame 33, and the presser retaining pieces 34 to 41 rotates integrally.

  Between the parallel driven gears G2 and G3, a pair of coil springs 52 and 53, in which a coiled spring is supported in a compressed state so that both driven gears G2 and G3 always have a biasing force in the rotational direction, They are interposed in a balanced manner at different symmetrical positions with a 180 degree orientation about the axis of the driven gear G2, G3.

  The support structure for the two coil springs 52 and 53 is a fan-shaped opening window in which one end opening of the upper coil spring 52 shown on the upper side in FIG. 16 opens in a fan shape on the upper end side of the second driven gear G3. 59 is a fan-shaped opening window that is fitted into a first support pin P1 that protrudes small in the circumferential direction within 59, and that the other end opening of the upper coil spring 52 opens in a fan shape at the upper end side of the adjacent first driven gear G2. The second support pin P <b> 2 that protrudes small in the circumferential direction within 60 is fitted. The fan-shaped opening windows 59 and 60 are opened in the circumferential direction centering on the axial center, and the upper coil spring 52 is interposed along the fan-shaped opening windows 59 and 60 that are overlapped and opened. As a result, the coil spring 52 is supported so as to be stretchable between the two support pins P1 and P2, and the biasing force biases the driven gears G2 and G3 of the driven gear unit GU to one and the other in the opposite rotational directions. Thus, the compression spring state is set so that the coil spring 52 always works in the direction in which the coil spring 52 tends to extend from the compression state.

  Similarly, in FIG. 16, one end opening of the lower coil spring 53 illustrated on the lower side protrudes small in the circumferential direction within a fan-shaped opening window 61 that opens in a fan shape on the lower end side of the second driven gear G3. The other end opening of the lower coil spring 53 is inserted into the third support pin P3 and protrudes small in the circumferential direction within the fan-shaped opening window 62 that opens in a fan shape on the lower side of the end face of the adjacent first driven gear G2. It is made to insert in the 4th support pin P4. The fan-shaped opening windows 61 and 62 open in the circumferential direction centering on the axis, and a coil spring 53 on the lower side is interposed along the fan-shaped opening windows 61 and 62 that are overlapped and opened. As a result, the coil spring 53 is supported so as to be stretchable between the two support pins P3 and P4, and the biasing force biases the driven gears G2 and G3 of the driven gear unit GU in one and the other in the opposite rotational directions. Therefore, the coil spring 53 is set in a compression support state in which the coil spring 53 always operates in a direction in which the coil spring 53 tends to extend from the compression state.

  A detection piece (see FIG. 15) 63 protruding through the first driven gear G2 is provided on the outer end face side of the second driven gear G3, and the detection piece 63 is rotated with the rotation of the second driven gear G3. The amount of rotation by which the reel component 29 integrated with the second driven gear G3 rotates is obtained by detection by a rotation detection sensor S described later.

Next, the meshing structure of the drive gear G1 and the driven gear unit GU that can realize smooth power transmission from the motor M to the reel component 29 will be described.
FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of a main part in a meshed state in which three gears G1 to G3 are meshed. Between the teeth 171 of the drive gear G1, two driven gears G2 having the same module teeth of the driven gear unit GU are shown. , G3 teeth 172, 173 mesh with each other, and these both teeth 172, 173 are urged in the opposite directions of the forward rotation direction and the reverse rotation direction of the drive gear G1 by the urging force of the coil springs 52, 53. Yes.

  Accordingly, two teeth 172 and 173 of the driven gears G2 and G3 arranged in parallel are interposed between one tooth 171 of the drive gear G1, and both teeth 172 and 173 are urged in opposite directions in the tooth gap 171. Thus, one and the other teeth 172 and 173 are always in pressure contact with both surfaces of the interdental 171. Therefore, one tooth of the drive gear G1 is sandwiched between the two teeth 172 and 173 of the driven gear unit GU, and there is no space between the teeth 171 of the drive gear G1. A smooth and stable contact-corresponding structure that does not cause backlash at all times can be maintained.

  As a result, the inter-tooth 171 where a total of three gears G1 to G3 of one drive gear G1 and two driven gears G2 and G3 are engaged can be engaged as if there is no clearance (so-called backlash). . For this reason, it becomes a meshing structure that completely avoids the occurrence of rattling at the start of rotation and at the time of stopping rotation, in which rattling is likely to occur, and the driving force from the motor M is smoothly transmitted to the reel component 29 side. Can do. Accordingly, since the reel component 29 can be smoothly rotated and stopped, the picture drawn at regular intervals of the reel tape 31 without using a high torque expensive motor such as a hybrid stepping motor. The rotation stop position 13a can be accurately stopped.

  In particular, in the reel constituting portion 29, when the rotation is stopped, the deviation is likely to be particularly large in the outer peripheral portion as compared with the center, but since it can be stopped with high accuracy, there is no shift in the pattern. By using such a power transmission mechanism 50, it is possible to realize a slot machine 11 having high performance and low cost with high rotation stop accuracy.

  A disk-shaped reel bracket 54 having substantially the same diameter is provided at a position corresponding to the side surface of the reel component 29 in the coaxial direction. The motor M is attached to the outer surface of the reel bracket 54, and the rotation amount of the two driven gears G2 and G3 and the second driven gear G3 arranged in parallel are detected on the inner surface of the reel bracket 54 to detect the position of the pattern 13a. In order to transmit an electrical signal between the rotation detection sensor S for detecting the light, the LED holder 56 having a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) 55 for clearly displaying the pattern 13a, and the slot machine main body side. The relay board 57 is attached. Further, a reel frame 58 is attached to the reel bracket 54 for protecting the reel component 29 from the outside. Thereby, the reel component 29 can be rotated and stopped via the power transmission mechanism 50 based on the drive of the motor M.

  As described above, two teeth of the driven gear arranged in parallel are interposed between the teeth of the drive gear, and these teeth are always in contact with each other by energizing these teeth in opposite directions of rotation. Correspondingly, it is a contact-compatible structure that meshes with no space and does not cause rattling. For this reason, it is possible to completely eliminate rattling at the time of starting and stopping the rotation, and it is possible to smoothly transmit the driving force from the motor to the reel component part side. As a result, it is possible to manufacture a slot machine that can realize cost reduction while having an accurate stopping performance.

Next, a configuration example of another driving unit that improves the driving unit will be described.
FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a main part of the drive unit 180 for stable driving of the reel. Here, the drive unit 180 of the second embodiment is different from the drive unit 30 of the first embodiment only in part and the others are the same, and therefore, the same reference numerals are used to describe the same parts. Description is omitted, and only different parts are described.

  The drive unit 180 has a helical drive gear G11 using a helical gear as a drive shaft of a motor M that is a drive source, and the helical drive gear G11 is connected to the reel side. By engaging the helical driven gear G12 connected to the shaft, it is possible to obtain a vibration suppressing action and a silent action based on a smooth power transmission action that is a characteristic of the helical gear.

  By the way, in Example 1, in order to provide the function of absorbing the backlash of the gear, the backlash in the rotational direction is prevented by a pair of driven gear structures in which the same gears of the first driven gear G2 and the second driven gear G3 are arranged side by side. In this example, the same structure can be obtained in the second embodiment, and the helical driven gear G12 is arranged in parallel due to the characteristics of the helical gear. However, sufficiently stable power transmission can be achieved even with a driven gear structure using only one helical driven gear G12. Therefore, in the second embodiment, an example using one helical driven gear G12 will be described.

  19 is an exploded perspective view of the drive unit 180, and FIG. 20 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a shaft support structure of the drive unit 180 (reel tape omitted). The drive unit 180 has a support structure in which a motor M is fixedly installed on a wall surface of a reel bracket 181 that is erected as a support member of the drive unit 180, and a fixed shaft 182 for supporting a reel shaft is further installed on the wall surface of the reel bracket 181. The cantilever is supported horizontally and fixedly installed. The shaft center portion 51 of the helical driven gear G12 is inserted through the fixed shaft 182 so that the helical driven gear G12 is rotatably supported.

  The helical driven gear G12 has a boss portion 183 that protrudes with a D-shaped cut surface around an axial center portion of one end surface. The end surface of the shaft support portion 43 of the first annular holding frame 32 corresponding to the boss portion 183 also has a positioning recess 184 that has a D-shaped cut surface and is formed as a recess. Then, with these boss portion 183 and positioning recess 184 corresponding to irregularities in the end surface direction, the helical driven gear G12 is screwed to the end surface of the shaft support portion 43 of the first annular holding frame 32 with a screw 185, The helical driven gear G12 and the first annular holding frame 32 are integrally connected.

  A shaft support hole 44 penetrating through the shaft support portion 43 of the first annular holding frame 32 is inserted into the free end side of the fixed shaft 182 to support the first annular holding frame 32. The shaft support portion 43 on the free end side of the first annular holding frame 32 is fixed by screws 47 via bushes 46 and washers 186, and the first annular holding frame 32 is rotatably supported.

  On the other hand, the base end side of the fixed shaft 182 is fitted with a coil spring 188 in addition to being fixed to the reel bracket 181 with a screw 187. The coil spring 188 is fitted on the fixed shaft 182, one end of the coil spring 188 is fitted into an annular spring seat 189 formed in a concave shape on the end surface on the reel bracket 181 side, and the other end of the coil spring 188 is placed on the fixed shaft 182. The coil spring 188 is interposed on the fixed shaft 182 in an axially compressed state in contact with the end face of the fitted spring seat cylinder 190. Accordingly, the coil spring 188 is interposed between the first annular holding frame 32 and the reel bracket 181 in a compressed state, and the first annular holding frame 32 is moved to the reel bracket 181 side by the biasing action acting in the axial direction of the coil spring 188. Since the reel component 29 rotates in a state in which it is always urged from the beginning and receives the urging pressure in the axial direction from beginning to end, the axial vibration of the reel component 29 is suppressed and stabilized by the axial vibration absorption action by the coil spring 188. Rotation is ensured.

  As in the first embodiment, the reel bracket 181 detects the rotation amount of the helical driven gear G12 and detects the position of the pattern on the reel, and displays the pattern clearly. An LED holder 56 on which a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) 55 are mounted, and a relay board 57 for transmitting an electrical signal between the slot machine main body side are attached. Furthermore, a reel frame 58 for protecting the reel component 29 from the outside is attached to the reel bracket 181.

  When driving the drive unit 180 configured in this way, when the motor M is driven in accordance with a control signal from the control unit, the rotational force of the motor M is changed from the helical drive gear G11 to the helical driven gear G12. Power is transmitted. At this time, the rotation transmission force is smoothly transmitted due to the characteristics of the helical gears, and the vibration of the motor M is suppressed at the helical gear portion and becomes silent. Furthermore, since the coil spring 188 absorbs vibrations in the axial direction, vibration and sound are hardly transmitted to the reel side, and a great effect can be obtained in which both vibration and sound can be significantly suppressed.

  In particular, with respect to the rotation direction of the reel, a vibration absorption action in the rotation direction by the helical gears of the helical drive gear G11 and the helical driven gear G12 can be obtained and a smooth power transmission action can be obtained. With respect to the axial direction of the reel, a force for pressing the entire reel in the axial direction can be exerted by the biasing action of the coil spring 188 to obtain a vibration absorbing action in the reel axial direction.

  In this way, by providing a vibration absorption structure in which vibration generated in the drive unit 180 is separately absorbed at two locations, vibrations in different directions can be solved at the same time, and further by a synergistic effect with both vibration absorption functions Thus, a stable drive capable of suppressing the surface shake of the reel at the time of starting and stopping of the reel can be obtained. In particular, it is possible to provide a slot machine provided with the drive unit 180 which is excellent in noise reduction in the drive unit 180 and is suitable for an application destination where the noise reduction and vibration suppression are desired.

  Accordingly, the output from the motor M is suppressed in vibration, and a stable rotational force is transmitted to the shaft support portion 43 of the first annular holding frame 32, and this rotational force is transmitted to the first annular holding frame 32 and the reel. The tape is transmitted to a reel constituting portion 29 including a tape (not shown), a second annular holding frame 33, and a pressing piece (not shown), and is stably rotated and stopped.

  As described above, by using a helical gear and a coil spring between the power transmission parts from the motor, the characteristics of the helical gear that suppresses the vibration in the reel rotating direction and the vibration in the reel axial direction are used. Both characteristics of the coil spring that suppresses the vibration can be further utilized, and vibrations in different directions can be accurately suppressed by the synergistic effect of these different members. In particular, the noise generated by the meshing part when the reel rotates is reduced, and there is an advantage that it can be driven silently. In addition, both the characteristics of the helical gear and the coil spring provide stable driving of the reel. It is done.

In correspondence between the configuration of the present invention and the configuration of the above-described embodiment,
The reel display device for gaming machines of the present invention corresponds to the reel portion 13 of the embodiment,
Similarly,
The reel units correspond to the first reel unit U1, the second reel unit U2, and the third reel unit U3.
Although the gaming machine corresponds to the slot machine 11, the present invention can be applied based on the technical idea described in the claims, and is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the slot machine 11 is applied to the gaming machine, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be used for other gaming machines.

FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing the slot machine according to the first embodiment. The perspective view which shows the inner surface state which opened the front door of the slot machine of Example 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view illustrating a reel unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the reel unit of the first embodiment as first to third reel units. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view illustrating a first reel unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a first reel unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a developed perspective view illustrating a correspondence relationship between a first annular holding frame and a presser stopper piece according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating a first reel unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 8. FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a main part of the reel unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a developed perspective view of the left side of the reel component according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an initial assembly state of the reel tape according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view in which the left side assembly of the reel component according to the first embodiment is completed. FIG. 3 is a developed perspective view of the right side of the reel configuration unit according to the first embodiment after assembly on the left side is completed. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view illustrating a drive unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the driven gear unit according to the first embodiment. The principal part enlarged view which shows the meshing state of the drive gear of Example 1, and a driven gear unit. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a main part of a drive unit according to a second embodiment. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a drive unit according to a second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a shaft support structure of a drive unit according to a second embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Slot machine 13 ... Reel part 29 ... Reel component part 30, 180 ... Drive part 50 ... Power transmission mechanism 52, 53, 188 ... Coil spring 171 ... Between teeth 172, 173 ... Teeth U1-U3 ... Reel unit M ... Motor G1 , G11: Drive gear G2, G3, G12 ... Driven gear GU ... Driven gear unit

Claims (2)

For gaming machines in which a plurality of reel units each having a reel having a sheet with a pattern drawn on the outer peripheral surface are arranged, and each reel is independently rotated and stopped to display a combination of a plurality of patterns. Reel display device,
The reel unit is
A stepping motor attached to the unit body;
A drive gear fixed to the drive shaft of the stepping motor;
It consists of two parallel gears formed in the same tooth shape and urged in opposite directions of rotation, and is supported by a fixed shaft fixed to the reel, and one gear is connected to the reel. The other gear comprises a driven gear unit that is rotatably supported.
A reel display device for a gaming machine in which the teeth of the two gears of the driven gear unit are engaged between the teeth of the drive gear, and the reel is driven to decelerate based on the driving of the stepping motor. A gaming machine comprising the reel display device according to claim 1.

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