JP2007252487A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game machine which is full of the trickiness and attractiveness of games by enhancing the expressibility of figures while blocking an increase in cost. <P>SOLUTION: A slot machine, one example of game machines, is provided with a plurality of reels 41, 42 and 43 which is mounted in a case body to display figures on their surfaces and supported rotatably and selected figures on the respective reels can be stopped on a valid line in a display window. The reels are rotated respectively with built-in stepping motors and furthermore, the reel 43 is turned with a moving mechanism part 45. The position of the center axis B of the rotation of the reel 43 as given when the figures are displayed at the stop positions of the figures is covered by the track of the turning of the center axis B in the rotation of the reel 43 so that the reel 43 works making the rotating operation synchronizing the turning operation. When a special winning combination undergoes lottery, the reel is turned being rotated so that the figures corresponding to the winning combination won reach the stop positions of the respective figures. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine, and more particularly to a gaming machine provided with a reel device such as a pachinko machine, a slot, a sparrow ball machine, and a game machine provided in a game center.

  A slot machine, which is an example of a gaming machine equipped with a reel device, generally rotates a plurality of reels by operating a start lever, and sequentially stops and stops rotation of each reel by operating a stop button. When the combination of symbols on the reels is arranged in a predetermined combination, it is determined that the winning combination is won and the operation is performed according to the winning combination.

  As described in Patent Document 1, the reel is a drum having a uniform outer shape, in which the display of the reel tape provided on the peripheral surface thereof is continuously changed to identify the change state of the design. The structure is generally adopted.

JP 2002-793A

  For this reason, in the conventional gaming machine, all of the plurality of reels operate in the same manner, and the game development is simple for the player, and there are things that lack unexpectedness and interest. Further, since the symbol only rotates as the reel rotates, there is a problem that the symbolic expression is poor.

  In addition, if the reel is displayed by an image display device and the symbol is enlarged or reduced, the expressiveness of the symbol can be increased. However, in order to realize this, a special device is required and the cost increases. Arise.

  In the present invention, it is desired to provide a gaming machine that suppresses an increase in cost, increases the expressiveness of symbols, and is rich in unexpected and interesting games, and provides a gaming machine that meets such demands. For the purpose.

  In order to solve such problems, the present invention provides a reel which is mounted in a housing and provided with a symbol display member (for example, reel tapes 41a, 42a, 43a in the embodiment) and rotatably supported. In a gaming machine (for example, the slot machine 1 in the embodiment) configured to be provided with a plurality and capable of selecting and displaying a symbol at a symbol stop position of each reel, at least one of the plurality of reels is provided in a housing. A reel that can be rotated about the rotation center axis that has been set, and that can display a symbol at a symbol stop position on the rotation locus of the rotation center axis of the reel that moves as the reel rotates. The reel is characterized in that the rotation operation and the rotation operation are synchronized with each other.

  According to the present invention, at least one of the plurality of reels is rotated about the rotation center axis provided in the housing as the rotation center, so that the position of the reel is moved back and forth with respect to the housing and in the vertical direction. Can be moved. For this reason, the symbols provided on the peripheral surface of the reel can be moved away from or close to the player, and moved up and down, so that the representation of the symbols can be increased, and the unexpectedness and interest of the game Can be increased. In addition, the rotation of the rotation center axis of the reel that moves with the rotation of the reel includes the position of the rotation center axis of the reel that makes it possible to display the symbol at the symbol stop position. The reel can be rotated in a state where it can be displayed at the position. Furthermore, when the reels are rotating and rotating when the reel rotation operation and the rotation operation are synchronized so that the player can intentionally select the symbol of the reel, The player can press the symbol of the role that pays attention to the rotating motion of the reel. For this reason, the expectation expectation of a role formation can be given and the interest property of a game can further be increased.

  The reel that can be rotated and rotated according to the present invention is characterized in that it rotates and rotates in accordance with a movement mode set in accordance with a lottery result issued based on a player start command.

  According to the present invention, the rotatable and rotatable reel can be rotated and rotated according to the movement mode set according to the lottery result, so that various movement modes can be set according to the lottery result. , The unexpectedness and interest of the game can be further enhanced.

  Further, in the movement mode of the present invention, when a special combination that is advantageous to the player is selected by the lottery result, the reel rotates so that the symbol corresponding to the winning combination comes to the symbol stop position. Is included.

  According to the present invention, when the special combination is drawn, the reel rotates while the symbol corresponding to the winning combination comes to the symbol stop position, so that the player intentionally displays the symbol on the reel. In the case where the player presses for selection, the player can pay attention to the turning motion of the reels and press the symbol of the specific role, and the expectation of the formation of the role is further enhanced. The sex can be further increased.

  According to the present invention, at least one of the plurality of reels rotates about the rotation center axis provided in the housing as the rotation center, and rotates around the rotation center axis of the reel that moves as the reel rotates. The position of the rotation center axis of the reel that makes it possible to display the symbol at the symbol stop position is included on the movement locus, and the reel operates in synchronization with the rotation operation and the rotation operation, thereby suppressing an increase in cost. It is possible to provide a gaming machine that is rich in unexpectedness and interest of games due to increased expression of symbols.

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a gaming machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, a slot machine which is an example of a gaming machine will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 1 (perspective view) and FIG. 2 (internal structure diagram), the slot machine 1 has a substantially rectangular box body with a front door 3 having a so-called front mask 2 formed on the side facing the player. It is attached to an opening of a certain casing 15 so as to be opened and closed by a hinge mechanism (not shown). The front mask 2 is roughly divided into an upper panel portion 2a, a middle panel portion 2b, and a lower panel portion 2c from the top, and these are integrally formed by a hard plastic designed to enhance the visual effect as a decorative board. A tray unit 4 including a tray 4a for storing medals is provided below the lower panel portion 2c.

  The upper panel 2a is provided with effect lamps such as an upper lamp 5a and a corner lamp 5b incorporating a high-intensity light emitting diode (LED), and lights or blinks in the event of reach, jackpot, etc. We are directing appeal. In addition, sound emitting units 6a and 6b each having a built-in speaker are provided on the left and right positions of the upper panel unit 2a, respectively, to effect the game with sound effects and musical sounds. Further, a liquid crystal display unit 7 is disposed at a central position between the sound emitting units 6a and 6b.

  The liquid crystal display unit 7 displays a moving image that is appropriately selected according to the progress of the game to give the game a story, and when a bonus game or the like is won, a more dynamic image is displayed. It is displayed and effects such as causing a player to expect a high payout.

  A middle panel plate 8 as a panel plate having a substantially rectangular transparent display window 8a formed at the center thereof is attached to the middle middle panel portion 2b. And it is comprised so that a player can visually see three cylindrical reels 41, 42, and 43 provided in the housing | casing 15 through this display window 8a.

  In other words, the display window 8a is a display area that allows the player to see through the symbols drawn along the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surfaces of the reels 41, 42, and 43.

  Although details will be described later, in the reel device 40 including these three reels 41, 42, and 43, when a later-described start lever 13 is turned on, the reels 41, 42, and 43 start rotating substantially simultaneously. In addition, when stop buttons 14a, 14b, and 14c, which will be described later, are turned on (stop operation), predetermined reels 41, 42, and 43 are sequentially stopped according to the order of the stop operations. Is controlled.

  In addition, on the outer peripheral surfaces of the reels 41, 42, and 43, a predetermined number of symbols and a predetermined size are drawn along the circumferential direction, and the reels 41, 42, and 43 are displayed on the reels 41, 42, and 43 via the display window 8a. You can visually recognize the drawn symbols one by one. For convenience of explanation, the symbol can be visually recognized through the display window 8a, and the symbol is stopped at the position along the effective line L1 indicated by the one-dot chain line in FIG. Is referred to as the symbol stop position. For this reason, for example, when each of the reels 41, 42, and 43 stops at the symbol stop position, the player visually observes a total of three symbols arranged in a row along the active line L1 through the display window 8a. can do.

  In addition, although not shown, a display for displaying game information such as a notification display section for notifying an internal winning combination and a numerical display section for displaying the number of credits, etc. is displayed at an appropriate position on the front surface of the middle panel 8. The part is formed.

  Below the middle panel plate 8 is formed a table-like portion called an operation console 9 that slightly protrudes forward, and includes a medal insertion portion 11 having an insertion slot for inserting medals used in the game, A bet button 12, a start lever 13, three stop buttons 14a, 14b, and 14c for instructing the operation of the game are provided.

  The bet button 12 is a push-type button switch for presenting the number of medals bet on the game. The start lever 13 is a lever switch for instructing to rotate the reels 41, 42, and 43 all at once, and is turned on when a lever having a spherical operation knob at the tip is tilted in any of the up, down, left, and right directions. When the hand is released from the lever, the spring is automatically returned to the original position by the urging force of the spring and is turned off.

  The stop buttons 14a, 14b, and 14c are push-type button switches for individually instructing to stop the rotation of the reels 41, 42, and 43, and are arranged in parallel corresponding to the arrangement of the reels.

  On the lower panel portion 2c of the front mask 2, for example, a picture (not shown) of an appearing character is printed and displayed so that the player can recognize the model type of the slot machine 1 and the like.

  The saucer unit 4 provided at the lowermost part of the front door 3 has a medal payout opening 16 for paying out medals by a winning payout and the like, and a sound emitting unit 17a for generating a production effect sound according to the progress of the game. , 17b, respectively.

  The slot machine 1 having such a structure enters a standby state when winning in the previous game and the payout of medals are completed, or when a loss is confirmed in the previous game. In this state, when the player inserts a medal from the medal insertion unit 11, the medal is added to the credit and stored internally.

  When the player presses the bet button 12 in this state, a part of the credited medal is bet on the game and the game starts. When the player tilts the start lever 13, all the reels 41, 42, and 43 rotate at the same time, and at the same time, the winning combination is randomly drawn by internal processing.

  Next, when the player presses the stop buttons 14a, 14b, and 14c in an arbitrary order, the corresponding reels are sequentially stopped, and all the reels 41, 42, and 43 are stopped, and then displayed on each reel. It is determined whether or not the combination of symbols matches the combination of symbols related to the above-mentioned winning prize winning combination. When they match, the winning is confirmed, and the number of medals corresponding to the type of winning combination is added to the credit and awarded. When the upper limit of credit is exceeded due to a payout, the surplus number of medals are paid out from the medal payout opening 16 to the tray unit 4.

  As described above, the player of the slot machine 1 performs a game operation for rotating and stopping the reels 41, 42, and 43, and loses the bet medals if the symbols displayed in the display window 8a are not variably arranged. If the winning combination is achieved with the combination of symbols, the number of medals over the number of bets can be obtained, 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.

  Next, the back side of the front panel 2 will be described. The speakers SR and SL of the sound emitting units 6a and 6b described above are provided at the upper part on the back side of the front panel 2, and an effect display device 19 is provided between the speakers SR and SL. A substrate case 23 that houses the sub-control substrate 24 is attached to the rear side of the effect display device 19.

  The sub-control board 24 includes a microprocessor that controls the effect image displayed by the effect display device 19, a read-only memory (ROM) that stores a computer program and effect data executed by the microprocessor, and effect processing. An electric circuit including a random access memory (RAM) for temporarily storing various data generated during execution is mounted. The sub-control board 24 drives the upper lamp 5a, the corner lamp 5b and the speakers SR, SL, SW in accordance with the control signal from the main control board 35 to produce an effect appealing to the player's vision and hearing, The effect display device 19 is controlled so that the effect display according to the game content by the effect display device 19 is performed.

  Below the effect display device 19, a substantially rectangular frame member 20 having the display window 8a described above is attached. Below the frame member 20, the input material introduced from the medal insertion portion 11 is provided. A selection mechanism G0 that determines whether the game medals are legitimate and distributes them, a guide member G1 that guides the game medals distributed by the selection mechanism G0 to the hopper device HP provided on the housing 15 side, and a selection mechanism G0. A guide member G2 for guiding the sorted foreign matter to the medal payout port 16 and a guide member G3 for guiding the payout medal output from the hopper device HP to the medal payout port 16 are provided. In the vicinity of the medal payout port 16, the speaker SW constituting the sound emitting units 17 a and 17 b described above is attached.

  Between the frame member 20 and the selection mechanism G0, a central display substrate 21 formed of a long electric circuit substrate is attached. The central display board 21 is electrically connected to the bet button 12, the start lever 13, the stop buttons 14 a, 14 b, 14 c and the like provided on the console 9 described above. , 14a, 14b, and 14c are transferred to a main control board 35 provided in the housing 15 via a harness.

  In addition to the main power supply device PWU and the auxiliary storage unit SHP that stores game medals overflowing from the hopper device HP, the reel device 40 described above is also provided in the housing 15. A power supply device board 36 is attached to the side surface of the main power supply device PWU, a spinning device substrate 37 is attached above the reels 41, 42, and 43, and the main control substrate 35 described above is provided above the spinning device substrate 37. Is attached. Although details of the control contents will be described later, the main control board 35 is equipped with a semiconductor memory (ROM), a microprocessor (MPU), and the like, and this microprocessor MPU is stored in advance in the semiconductor memory ROM. By executing a program and a program for the slot machine game and giving predetermined commands to the power supply device board 36, the spinning device board 37, and the sub-control board 24 to perform distributed control respectively, the entire slot machine 1 is controlled. Centralized control.

  The rotating device substrate 37 supplies power subjected to pulse width control according to a control signal supplied from the main control substrate 35 to stepping motors M1, M2, and M3 for rotationally driving the reels 41, 42, and 43. As a result, the rotation of the stepping motors M1, M2, and M3 and the control of braking and stopping are performed to control the rotation operation of the reels 41, 42, and 43. Further, the rotating device substrate 37 controls the operation of a stepping motor M4 provided in the moving mechanism unit 45 to rotate the reel 43 while rotating the reel 43. The operation of the stepping motor M4 of the moving mechanism unit 45 is controlled by the spinning device substrate 37 in accordance with a control signal supplied from the main control substrate 35. The details of the operation control of the stepping motor M4 and the moving mechanism unit 45 will be described later. The operation of the stepping motor M4 may be directly controlled by the main control board 35.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 (perspective view), the reel device 40 equipped in the slot machine 1 configured as described above includes three reels 41, 42, 43 and two reels 41, 42. A reel case main body 50 that houses the reel case main body 50, a reel case cover 52 that covers the reel case main body 50 and the reel 43, and the moving mechanism unit 45 that rotatably supports the reel 43.

  The reels 41 and 42 are attached to the reel case main body 50 by rotatably supporting the reel main bodies 41b and 42b having a cylindrical shape around which reel tapes 41a and 42a having symbols on the outer periphery are wound, and the reel main bodies 41b and 42b. And the aforementioned stepping motors M1 and M2 attached to the support plates 41c and 42c and rotating the reel bodies 41b and 42b. The reel 43 includes a reel body 43b having a cylindrical shape around which a reel tape 43a having a symbol displayed on the outer periphery is wound, and a stepping motor M3 disposed in the reel body 43b to rotate the reel body 43b. On the right side of the reel main body 43b, a side plate portion 51 is disposed that extends in the vertical direction and covers the side portion of the reel main body 43b. The side plate portion 51 is separate from the reel main body 43 b, and the reel main body 43 b is rotated by the rotational drive of the stepping motor M 3, and the side plate portion 51 is rotated as the link member 47 is rotated.

  The stepping motor M3 is disposed so that its drive shaft M3a extends to the inside of the reel body 43b, and is fastened to the reel body 43b. On the other hand, the main body M3b of the stepping motor M3 is fixed and supported at the tip of the support shaft 46 extending from the moving mechanism 45 to the reel 43 side. For this reason, when the stepping motor M3 is rotationally driven, the reel body 43b can be rotated to move the symbol in the circumferential direction.

  The reel case main body 50 is integrally formed of a synthetic resin material and has a substantially cylindrical shape. The substantially rectangular opening that allows the outer peripheral surfaces of the two reels 41 and 42 to be visually recognized through the display window 8a described above. 50a is formed in the front part. The reel case cover 52 is a rectangular box integrally formed of a synthetic resin material. An opening 52a is formed at the front, and the reel case main body 50 and the reel 43 are inserted through the opening 52a. Each reel 41, 42, 43 is configured to be accommodated.

  The moving mechanism 45 includes a side plate 51, a link member 47 that is attached to the outside of the side plate 51 and disposed inside the reel case cover 52, and a stepping motor M 4 that rotates the reel 43 via the link member 47. And a posture maintaining mechanism 48 that keeps the posture of the stepping motor M4 and the reel 43 constant.

  The side plate portion 51 has a disc shape and has a slightly larger diameter than the reel body 43. The link member 47 is a rod-shaped member, and one end side thereof is rotatably supported by the reel case cover 52, and a hole portion (not shown) is formed on the other end side to rotatably support the support shaft 46. ing. The stepping motor M4 is disposed and attached to the outside of the reel case cover 52, and a drive shaft M4a thereof is connected to one end side of the link member 47 through the reel case cover 52. The drive shaft M4a is disposed on the same axis as the rotation center axis A of the link member 47. For this reason, when the stepping motor M4 is driven to rotate, the reel 43 rotates about the rotation center axis A via the link member 47 and the side plate portion 51.

  The posture maintaining mechanism 48 is arranged outside the reel case cover 52 and extends in the vertical direction and moves as the link member 47 rotates, and a movement restriction pin 54 that restricts the movement of the movement member 49. And the above-described support shaft 46 attached to the upper end portion of the moving member 49 and extending toward the reel 43 side.

  The moving member 49 is a rod-like member, and the support shaft 46 described above is rotatably provided at an upper end portion thereof, and a long hole portion 49a extending in the vertical direction is provided at a lower end portion thereof. The long hole portion 49a has a width that is slightly larger than the diameter of the movement restricting pin 54, and has a length that is slightly larger than the moving range in the vertical direction of the moving portion 49 when the link member 47 rotates. For this reason, when the link member 47 rotates once, the moving member 49 tilts in the front-rear direction around the position near the center axis of the movement restricting pin 54 and moves in the vertical direction along the long hole portion 49a. At this time, since the support shaft 46 is rotatably supported by the moving member 49, the support shaft 46 does not rotate even if the posture of the moving member 49 changes. Therefore, even if the link member 47 rotates and the reel 43 rotates, the posture of the stepping motor M3 and the reel body 43b connected to the support shaft 46 does not change, and the symbol displayed on the reel tape 43a. Can always be kept in the same direction.

  The rotation center axis B of the reel 43 is rotated by the moving mechanism unit 45, but when the link member 47 moves from the rotation center axis A of the link member 47 to a position extending substantially horizontally to the front side, the rotation center axis of the reel 43 is rotated. B is configured to be arranged on substantially the same axis as those of the other reels 41 and 42. For convenience of explanation, the position of the rotation center axis B of the reel 43 when the link member 47 moves to a position extending substantially horizontally from the rotation center axis A to the front side is referred to as a movement center position Ps. That is, the movement center position Ps of the reel 43 is included on the movement locus of the rotation center axis B of the reel 43 that is rotated by the movement mechanism unit 45. Therefore, when the reel 43 is moved to the movement center position Ps, the symbol of the reel 43 can be displayed in the same plane as the symbols of the reels 41 and 42 on the display window 8a, and a normal game can be performed.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the main control board 35 of the slot machine 1 configured as described above has a movement mode of the reel 43 according to the lottery result that is output when the start lever 13 is turned on. The reel 43 rotates and rotates in accordance with the movement mode and the turn-on operation (stop operation) of the stop buttons 14a, 14b, 14c by the player.

  For example, when a special combination (for example, a big bonus, a regular bonus, etc.) that is advantageous for the player P is selected by the lottery result by the main control board 35, the main control board 35 is set corresponding to the special combination. A command based on the moving mode is sent to the spinning device substrate 37. As shown in FIG. 4, the rotating device substrate 37 rotates the reel 43 in the direction of arrow D or arrow E while rotating the reel 43 in the direction of arrow C, based on a command from the main control substrate 35. At this time, the rotation operation and the rotation operation of the reel 43 are synchronized, and the reel 43 rotates and rotates so that the symbol (for example, “7”) corresponding to the special role comes to the symbol stop position Pa.

  For this reason, in the case where the player pushes the operation timing of the stop button 14c shown in FIG. 1, the player P pays attention to the rotation operation of the reel 43 and the reel 43 that is symmetrical with the push is moved to the movement center position Ps. When the stop button 14c is pressed when the user moves, the symbol of the specific combination (for example, “7”) can be selected. That is, by paying attention to the rotation operation of the reel 43 having a large movement range, it is possible to easily aim for a winning state.

  As described above, since it is possible to easily select a symbol (for example, “7”) corresponding to the special combination, it is possible to increase the expectation of the formation of the combination and to increase the interest of the game.

  The reel 43 is rotated by the moving mechanism 45, but the moving mechanism 45 has a simple structure including the side plate 51, the link member 47, and the attitude maintaining mechanism 48 as described above. Therefore, an increase in the cost of the slot machine 1 can be suppressed, and the slot machine 1 rich in game surprise and fun can be provided with a slight increase in cost.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which only the reel 43 among the three reels 41, 42, 43 is configured to be rotatable is shown. However, at least one of the three reels 41, 42, 43 is used. You may comprise each so that rotation is possible independently. In this case, the moving mechanism unit has the same configuration as the moving mechanism unit 45 attached to the reel 43, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  In the above-described embodiment, the slot machine 1 is taken as an example of a gaming machine, but a gaming machine used in a pachinko or game center may be targeted.

1 is a perspective view of a slot machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. The internal structure figure of the front door and housing | casing in the state which opened the front door of this slot machine is shown. The perspective view of a reel apparatus is shown. The schematic block diagram of the reel for demonstrating operation | movement of a reel apparatus is shown.

Explanation of symbols

1 slot machine (game machine)
15 Housing 41, 42, 43 Reel 41a, 42a, 43a Reel tape (design display member)
A Rotation center axis B Rotation center axis Pa Symbol stop position

Claims (3)

In a gaming machine configured to be provided with a plurality of reels that are mounted in a housing and provided with a symbol display member on a surface and rotatably supported, and that symbols can be selected and displayed at a symbol stop position of each reel.
At least one of the plurality of reels is rotatable around a rotation center axis provided in the housing,
Including the position of the rotation center axis of the reel that allows the symbol to be displayed at the symbol stop position on the rotation locus of the rotation center axis of the reel that moves with the rotation of the reel;
A gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the reel operates in synchronization with a rotation operation and a rotation operation.   2. The game according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable and rotatable reels rotate and rotate according to a movement mode set according to a lottery result issued based on a player start command. Machine.   In the moving mode, when a special combination that is advantageous to the player is selected according to the lottery result, the reel rotates while the symbol corresponding to the winning combination comes to the symbol stop position. The gaming machine according to claim 2, further comprising:

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