JP2007260111A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game machine capable of executing a performance of sound with full of realistic sensation by improving the quality and amplifying the volume of sound of a low-frequency zone while preventing a fraud to a game machine inside via a speaker part. <P>SOLUTION: A slot machine 1 puts out game balls from an putout hole 42 via a putout channel 40, is formed with a tubular resonance port also used as the putout channel 40 and emits an output sound of a speaker 44 from the putout hole 42 via the resonance port. This constitution can make a channel from the putout hole 42 to the speaker 44 a labyrinth structure to prevent the fraud to the part of the speaker 44. The sound output from the speaker 44 resonates in the putout channel (a resonance port) 40 to improve the quality and amplify the volume of the sound of the low-frequency zone. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine such as a slot machine or a pachinko machine equipped with a speaker, and in particular, a gaming machine capable of improving sound quality and volume in a low frequency band while preventing illegal acts inside the gaming machine through the speaker portion. About.

A gaming machine such as a slot machine or a pachinko machine is usually provided with a speaker, and various sounds (background music, sound effects, voice, etc.) are output from the speaker according to the gaming situation. Production is performed to increase the excitement and excitement of the player's game.
In particular, in recent years, there is a tendency that the production by sound is regarded as important, and the sound quality of the output sound has been attracting attention as one of the elements that enhance the production effect. For example, the sound quality and volume of the low frequency band are reduced. It has been proposed to enhance and produce sound with a sense of presence.

6A is a partial cross-sectional view showing a speaker portion of a gaming machine according to a conventional example, and FIG. 6B is a partial front view.
As shown in this figure, in the conventional gaming machine, a speaker is provided on the back side of the front panel, and sound output from the speaker is emitted to the outside through a sound transmission hole formed in the front panel. ing.
In addition, in such a gaming machine, if a foreign object such as a piano wire is inserted through the sound transmission hole, the cone paper of the speaker is broken, and there is a possibility that the control board and the dispensing device may be cheated. The back of the speaker is covered with a protective cover to prevent fraud.

However, if the back surface of the speaker is covered with a protective cover, sufficient sound quality and sound volume cannot be obtained, so that there is a problem that the effect of production by sound is reduced.
Therefore, it has been proposed to use the gaming media payout route to prevent fraudulent acts on the speaker portion.
For example, in the gaming machine described in Patent Document 1, a speaker is provided on the wall surface of the payout route, and sound output from the speaker is emitted from the payout port via the payout route. In this way, since it is difficult for the speaker to cheat, the back protective cover can be omitted, and improvement in sound quality and volume can be expected.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-33162

However, the payout route of the gaming machine described in Patent Document 1 has a duct shape with a short route length, and a speaker is disposed in the vicinity of the payout port, so the route from the payout port to the speaker is a maze structure. Therefore, there was a possibility that a sufficient anti-fraud effect could not be obtained.
In addition, when speaker sound is output in the duct-shaped payout route, there is a possibility that sound is confined in the payout route and the sound quality and volume are lowered.

  The present invention is considered in view of the above circumstances, and while preventing illegal acts inside the gaming machine through the speaker portion, the sound quality and sound volume in the low frequency band are enhanced, and the sound is full of presence. An object is to provide a gaming machine capable of performing

  In order to achieve the above object, a gaming machine according to the present invention is a gaming machine that pays out a game medium from a payout outlet via a payout path, wherein the payout path is formed in a tubular shape. In addition, a speaker is provided in communication with the payout route, and an output sound of the speaker is introduced into the payout route and discharged from the payout port through the payout route.

According to the gaming machine of the present invention having such a configuration, a tubular payout path is provided, and a speaker is disposed in the vicinity of the payout path, so that an output sound from the speaker is introduced into the payout path. The output sound of the speaker can be emitted from the payout opening via the. As a result, the sound output from the speaker resonates in the payout path (resonance port), and the sound quality and volume in the low frequency band can be enhanced to produce a sound full of realism.
In addition, since the sound of the game media coming into contact with the inner wall of the payout path also resonates, when a payout is made, particularly in a specific game state such as a bonus game where a large amount of game media is paid out, the player's satisfaction is enhanced. Can do.

Moreover, the route from the payout opening to the speaker has a maze structure, and illegal acts on the speaker portion can be effectively prevented.
Furthermore, when the game medium is in the route, a phenomenon called a bridge that is jammed in a state where the game media are overlapped may occur. In the present invention, the payout route is also used as a resonance port, and the payout route is positively activated by sound. By vibrating, it is possible to effectively prevent such clogging of game media.

More specifically, the gaming machine of the present invention is configured such that the payout path becomes wider toward the downstream side, as described in claim 2.
In this way, the sound volume can be further enhanced by the principle of a trumpet (horn).

Moreover, the gaming machine according to the present invention is configured such that the payout path is bent in a crank shape.
In this way, since the path from the payout port to the speaker has a complicated maze structure, it is possible to further enhance the fraud prevention effect on the speaker portion.

Further, in the gaming machine of the present invention, as described in claim 4, the payout route is configured such that a game medium passing through the payout route is visible from the outside. The front surface of the path is configured to be covered with a transparent cover.
In this way, since the game medium paid out through the payout route can be visually recognized and viewed from the outside, a composite effect having a synergistic effect can be achieved by the sound effect in time with the payout.
In addition, since the foreign matter inserted into the payout path can be visually checked, the fraud prevention effect can be further enhanced.

In addition, the gaming machine of the present invention is configured such that the payout port pays out game media to an upper plate provided at a central portion of the front surface of the gaming machine.
If it does in this way, the output sound of a speaker will be emitted from the center part of the front of a case, and the effect of the production by sound can be heightened more.

Furthermore, the gaming machine according to the present invention is configured such that the payout route is disposed so as to be visible from the front of the gaming machine.
Thus, in the gaming machine of the present invention, the payout path itself is bulged so that the payout path is exposed not on the inside of the gaming machine housing but on the front of the gaming machine so that the payout path itself can be seen from the outside of the gaming machine. can do.
In this way, by forming the payout path outside the housing of the gaming machine, the degree of freedom in design and design of the payout path is increased, and a payout path having an optimal shape suitable for the resonance structure of the speaker sound can be formed. Since the path swells and is exposed on the surface of the gaming machine, the resonating speaker sound can be greatly reverberated outside the gaming machine.
In addition, the payout route exposed on the surface of the gaming machine housing in this way can be used to perform speaker setting / adjustment, ball clogging processing, etc. without opening the gaming machine housing so that maintenance can be easily performed. Become.

As described above, according to the gaming machine of the present invention, the output sound of the speaker is discharged from the payout port via the tubular payout route, so that the sound output from the speaker is within the payout route (resonance port). Since the resonance occurs, it is possible to enhance the sound quality and volume in the low frequency band, and to produce a sound full of realism.
In addition, according to the tubular payout route, the route from the payout port to the speaker can have a maze structure, and illegal acts on the speaker portion can be prevented.
Furthermore, since the sound of the game media coming into contact with the inner wall of the payout path also resonates, the player's satisfaction is enhanced when payout is performed, particularly in a specific game state such as a bonus game where a large amount of game media is paid out. Can do.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a gaming machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[Game machine]
First, the configuration of the gaming machine according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a gaming machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the gaming machine according to this embodiment shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the state in which the front door showing the internal structure of the gaming machine shown in FIG. 1 is opened.

As shown in these drawings, the gaming machine of the present embodiment can rotate and stop the plurality of reels 21a, 21b, 21c, and can acquire a predetermined winning game medium according to the symbol arrangement of the stopped reels 21. It constitutes a slot machine.
In the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment, the payout path 40 through which the game medium paid out by winning is visible from the outside is configured in a long tubular shape, and the speaker 44 is disposed in the vicinity of the payout path 40. The output sound of the speaker 44 is introduced into the payout path 40 so that the payout path 40 functions as a resonance space.

Specifically, the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment is a ball-type slot machine that uses a game ball (pachinko ball) as a game medium, and includes a control unit 10 constituted by a microcomputer or the like, and necessary machines and devices. And is attached to the frame 1a fixed to the gaming machine island so as to be freely opened and closed.
A liquid crystal display window 2 and a reel display window 3 are provided on the front upper portion of the slot machine 1.
The liquid crystal display window 2 is a viewing window portion of a liquid crystal panel (not shown) disposed on the back side of the slot machine 1.

The reel display window 3 is a viewing window for three reels (left) 21a, reel (middle) 21b, and reel (right) 21c disposed on the back side of the slot machine 1, and is usually colorless and transparent. It consists of colored transparent resin panels, etc., and among a plurality of symbols drawn around each of the three reels 21, a plurality of (usually three) symbols that are adjacent in the vertical direction can be visually recognized and identified. It has become.
In this reel display window 3, a winning line display is usually drawn (not shown), and a winning of a game is determined by a combination of symbols of reels 21a to 21c which are stopped and arranged along a predetermined winning line. It has come to be.

Below the reel display window 3, a start lever 4, a stop button 5, an upper plate 6, a loading button 7, a lower plate 8, and the like are provided.
The start lever 4 is a game start means for starting the rotation of each of the three reels 21. When the start lever 4 is pressed by a player's operation, a start signal is output to the control unit 10 and each reel 21a. ˜21c rotate all at once (or sequentially).
Further, when a start signal is input by depressing the start lever 4, an internal lottery is performed in the control unit 10.

The stop button 5 is a stop means for stopping the rotating reel 21 and includes three stop buttons (left) provided corresponding to the three reels (left) 21a, the reel (middle) 21b, and the reel (right) 21c. 5a, a stop button (middle) 5b, and a stop button (right) 5c. By pressing each of the stop buttons 5a, 5b, 5c at any timing of the player, a stop signal is output to the control unit 10 so that the rotation of the corresponding reels 21a, 21b, 21c is stopped. It has become.
Therefore, when the player operates the start lever 4 and the stop button 5, the three reels 21a to 21c are rotated and stopped, and the symbols attached to the reels 21a to 21c are arranged in a predetermined winning arrangement. You can play slot machine games.

The upper plate 6 is a part for storing game balls used in the game, and the game balls stored therein are taken into the slot machine 1 in accordance with the operation of the input button 7. For example, by pressing the insertion button 7 once, the maximum number of game balls (15 balls: equivalent to 3 medals) that can be inserted in one game is taken into the slot machine 1 and start operation by the start lever 4 is possible. become.
The upper plate 6 of the present embodiment is formed so as to protrude forward from the front center portion of the slot machine 1. The upper surface portion of the upper plate 6 is a substantially flat horizontal surface except for the concave portion for storing the game ball, and the insertion button 7 is disposed using the left front end portion. The front surface of the upper plate 6 is a substantially flat vertical surface, and the start lever 4 and the stop button 5 are arranged using this surface.
The lower tray 8 is provided at the lowermost part of the front surface of the slot machine 1 and can store a game ball in the same manner as the upper tray 6. In the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment that pays out the game balls to the upper plate 6, the game balls that have overflowed in the upper plate 6 are paid out to the lower plate 8.

As shown in FIG. 3, a control unit 10, a drum unit 20, and a dispensing device 30 are provided on the back side of the slot machine 1.
The control unit 10 is a control unit that controls each unit of the slot machine 1 and includes a microcomputer including an IC, a memory, various circuit boards, and the like.
The drum unit 20 rotatably holds the three reels 21a, 21b, and 21c and the three reels 21a to 21c, and rotationally drives stepping motors (not shown) corresponding to the reels 21a to 21c. A motor drive circuit (not shown) for controlling the rotation start, constant speed rotation and stop of the rotations 21a to 21c, and detecting the stop positions of the stopped reels 21a to 21c and outputting position signals to the control unit 10 A rotating drum position detector (not shown) is provided.

The payout device 30 pays out a predetermined number of game balls to the upper plate 6 in response to a payout signal from the control unit 10. The payout device 30 of the present embodiment is provided at the lower part on the frame 1a side, and stores a game unit 31 that stores game balls taken from the upper plate 6 and a game ball in the storage unit 31. And a discharge port 33 for discharging the game ball from the upper end of the transfer unit 32.
Then, the game balls discharged from the discharge port 33 are paid out to the upper plate 6 via a payout path 40 described later.

[Discharge path (resonance port)]
FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view showing a payout path (resonance port) of the slot machine according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 4B is a front view of the payout path.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the payout path (resonance port) shown in FIG.
As shown in these drawings, the payout path 40 is a tubular path formed along the front surface of the slot machine 1, and the payout path 40 is disposed so as to be visible from the front of the gaming machine. That is, in the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment, the payout path 40 is formed so as to be exposed not on the inside of the gaming machine housing but on the front of the gaming machine so that the payout path itself can be visually recognized from the outside of the gaming machine. It is.
The payout path 40 is formed in a tubular shape, and a speaker 44 is disposed in a space communicating with the payout path 40, and output sound of the speaker 44 is introduced into the payout path 40. Through the outlet 42.

Specifically, in the payout path 40, an introduction port 41 formed at the upper end communicates with the discharge port 33 of the payout device 30. When the game ball is discharged from the discharge port 33 to the introduction port 41, the game ball is guided to the payout port 42 at the lower end by the payout path 40 and is discharged from here to the upper plate 6. The discharge port 33 and the introduction port 41 are connected and communicated in close contact so as not to leak sound (see FIGS. 4A and 5).
A box-shaped sound input chamber 43 communicating with the payout path 40 is provided above the introduction port 41.
A speaker 44 that outputs various sounds (background music, sound effects, voice, etc.) according to the game situation is provided on the back of the sound input chamber 43, and the output sound of the speaker 44 is input to the sound input chamber 43. Sound is input. Thereby, the output sound of the speaker 44 is discharged to the outside from the payout opening 42 via the tubular payout path 40.

In other words, in the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment, a tubular resonance port (resonance tube having a resonance frequency corresponding to the path length) that is also used as the payout path 40 is formed, and the speaker is connected via the resonance port. 44 output sounds are emitted from the outlet 42.
In this way, since the output sound of the speaker 44 is emitted from the payout opening 42 through the tubular payout path 40, the path from the payout opening 42 to the speaker 44 is a maze structure, and illegal acts on the speaker 44 portion are prevented. Can be prevented.
In addition, since the sound output from the speaker 44 resonates in the payout path (resonance port) 40, the sound quality and volume in the low frequency band can be enhanced, and the sound can be produced with a sense of reality.

In addition, since the sound of the game ball coming into contact with the inner wall of the payout path 40 also resonates, when the payout is performed, particularly in a specific game state such as a bonus game where a large amount of game media is paid out, the player's satisfaction is enhanced. be able to.
Further, in the present embodiment, since the game ball is paid out to the upper plate 6, the output sound of the speaker 44 can be emitted from the front center portion of the slot machine 1, and the effect of the sound effect can be further enhanced.
If the payout path 40 is tubular, it is considered that there is a high possibility that the game balls are clogged in a bridge shape in the path. However, the payout path 40 is also used as a resonance port, and the payout path 40 is vibrated actively with sound. This effectively prevents the game ball from being clogged.

Next, a specific configuration of the payout route 40 will be described.
The payout path 40 may have a constant width, but as shown in FIG. 4, it is preferable to form the payout path 40 so as to become wider toward the downstream side. If it does in this way, according to the principle of a trumpet (horn), a sound volume can be further strengthened and the sound production effect can be heightened.
The payout path 40 may be formed linearly, but is preferably bent into a crank shape as shown in FIG. 4, and is particularly three-dimensional in the front shape and the side shape as in this embodiment. It is preferable to bend it. In this way, since the path from the payout opening 42 to the speaker 44 has a complicated maze structure, it is possible to further enhance the anti-fraud effect on the speaker 44 portion.

In the case where the payout path 40 is bent in a crank shape, it is preferable to install a reflecting surface 45 at the corner of the payout path 40 as shown in FIG. If it does in this way, the output sound of the speaker 44 can be efficiently led to the payout opening 42, and the loss of sound volume can be suppressed.
The payout path 40 is preferably covered with a transparent cover 46. If it does in this way, since the game ball to be paid out can be visually confirmed, a composite effect having a synergistic effect can be achieved by the sound effect that matches the timing of the payout.
In addition, since the foreign matter inserted into the payout path 40 can be visually checked, the fraud prevention effect can be further enhanced.

The gaming machine of the present embodiment configured as described above includes a tubular payout path 40 as a payout path 40 for paying out game balls, and by arranging a speaker 44 in the vicinity of the payout path 40, An output sound from the speaker 44 can be introduced into the payout path 40, and the output sound of the speaker 44 can be discharged from the payout outlet 42 via the payout path 40. As a result, the sound output from the speaker 44 resonates in the payout path (resonance port), so that the sound quality and volume in the low frequency band can be enhanced, and the sound can be produced with a sense of reality.
In addition, since the sound of the game ball coming into contact with the inner wall of the payout path 40 also resonates, when the payout is performed, particularly in a specific game state such as a bonus game where a large amount of game media is paid out, the player's satisfaction is enhanced. be able to.

Moreover, the route from the payout opening 42 to the speaker 44 has a maze structure, and illegal acts on the speaker portion can be effectively prevented.
Further, when the game medium is in the path, a phenomenon called a bridge that is jammed in a state where the game media are overlapped may occur. In this embodiment, the payout path 40 is also used as a resonance port, and the payout path 40 is sounded. In this way, it is possible to effectively prevent such clogging of the game medium.

Further, in the present embodiment, the payout path 40 is formed so as to be visibly bulged not in the gaming machine housing but in the front of the gaming machine so that the payout path 40 is exposed to the outside of the slot machine 1. In this way, by forming the payout path 40 outside the gaming machine housing, the degree of freedom in design and design of the payout path 40 functioning as a resonance port is increased, and an optimal shape preferable for the resonance structure of the speaker sound The payout path 40 swells and is exposed on the surface of the gaming machine, so that the resonating speaker sound can be greatly reverberated outside the gaming machine.
In addition, the payout path 40 exposed on the surface of the gaming machine housing can be used for setting and adjusting the speaker and handling the ball clogging without opening the gaming machine housing so that maintenance and the like can be easily performed. There is also an effect to become.

The preferred embodiment of the gaming machine of the present invention has been described above, but the gaming machine according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. Needless to say.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case of the slot machine as the gaming machine to which the present invention is applied has been described as an example. However, the gaming machine to which the present invention is applied is not limited to the slot machine and is a pachinko machine. In other words, any game machine can be applied as long as it has a payout path through which a game medium corresponding to a predetermined winning content is paid out.
In addition to slot machines and pachinko machines, there are various types of gaming machines that use a gaming medium such as balls and coins, for example, as well as slot machines and pachinko machines. The present invention can be applied.

  Moreover, in the slot machine of the above-described embodiment, the case where the game medium to be used is a game ball (pachinko ball) is shown, but the game medium that can be used in the slot machine to which the present invention is applied is not limited to the pachinko ball, For example, as in the conventional slot machine, it is of course possible to use medals (coins) as game media.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be applied to a gaming machine such as a slot machine or a pachinko machine provided with a speaker, and in particular, improves sound quality and volume in a low frequency band while preventing an illegal act inside the gaming machine through the speaker portion. Therefore, it can be suitably used for gaming machines that are required.

It is a front view showing a gaming machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the perspective view which looked at the gaming machine shown in FIG. It is a perspective view of the state which opened the front door which shows the internal structure of the gaming machine shown in FIG. 1 shows a payout path (resonance port) of a gaming machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein (a) is a cross-sectional view and (b) is a front view. It is sectional drawing which shows the payout path | route (resonance port) of the game machine which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The speaker part of the game machine which concerns on a prior art example is shown, (a) is a fragmentary sectional view, (b) is a partial front view.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Slot machine 6 Top plate 30 Dispensing apparatus 40 Discharge route 41 Inlet port 42 Discharge port 43 Sound chamber 44 Speaker 45 Reflecting surface 46 Transparent cover

Claims (6)

A gaming machine that pays out game media from a payout exit via a payout route,
The payout path is formed in a tubular shape, and a speaker is provided in communication with the payout path. The output sound of the speaker is introduced into the payout path and is discharged from the payout outlet through the payout path. A gaming machine characterized by that.   The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the payout path becomes wider toward the downstream side.   The gaming machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the payout path bends in a crank shape.   The gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the payout route is formed so that a game medium passing through the payout route is visible from the outside.   The gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the payout port pays out a game medium to an upper plate provided at a central portion of a front surface of the gaming machine.   The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the payout path is disposed so as to be visible from the front of the gaming machine.

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