JP2008125914A - Game machine direction unit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game machine direction unit which is useful for directing a sense of excitement or thrill of a player and enhancing the interest of the game. <P>SOLUTION: The game machine direction unit 1 has three opening/closing means 2 including a door member 21 composed so as to advance and retreat between an opening position and shielding position, and a visual information display means 10 for displaying visual information. In the game machine direction unit 1, the respective opening/closing means 2 and the visual information display means 10 are overlapped in the depth direction and placed, and the visual information display means 10 is placed at the remotest position from the player side in the depth direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to parts of gaming machines such as slot machines and pachinko machines.

  Conventionally, for example, as a slot machine, a display unit such as a liquid crystal display device that produces a game in addition to a reel that starts symbol variation in response to the start of a game and stops symbol variation in response to a stop button operation. There is something to prepare. According to the liquid crystal display device for effects, it is possible to display various popular effects by displaying popular characters or the like on the display screen.

  Further, some slot machines include a door member that makes the production screen displayed by the liquid crystal display device for production invisible or visible to the player (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this slot machine, the enjoyment of the production is enhanced by combining the mechanical movement of the door member with the display by the liquid crystal display device or the like. According to such a slot machine, a change due to the movement of the door member can be given to the effect by the liquid crystal display device or the like, and the entertainment of the game can be further enhanced.

  However, the conventional gaming machine production unit has the following problems. That is, there is a problem that it is not possible to maintain high performance effects according to the player's habituation just by displaying and hiding the display by the liquid crystal display device or the like according to the movement of the door member.

JP-A-2005-540

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and intends to provide an effect unit for a gaming machine that is useful for improving the interest of a game by producing an excitement and a feeling of excitement of the player. Is.

The present invention comprises at least two opening / closing means including a door member configured to advance and retract between an open position and a shield position;
Visual information presenting means for presenting visual information;
The opening / closing means and the visual information presentation means are arranged so as to overlap each other in the depth direction, and the visual information presentation means is arranged at a position farthest from the player side in the depth direction,
When the door members of all the opening / closing means are in the open position, the visual information presented by the visual information presenting means can be viewed from the player side,
The visual information presented by the visual information presenting means is not visible from the player side when any one of the opening / closing means is in the shielding position. (1).

  The effect unit for a gaming machine according to the present invention is such that each of the opening / closing means is placed on the front side of the visual information presentation means as viewed from the player side. In the effect unit for gaming machines, when the door members of all the opening / closing means located on the player side are located at the open position, the visual information presented by the visual information presenting means is presented to the player side. be able to.

  According to the effect unit for a gaming machine, for example, according to the start of movement of any one of the opening / closing means from the shielding position to the opening position for the door member, 1) any of the other opening / closing means The door member is in the shielding position, and therefore the visual information does not become visible when the movement starts. 2) The movement starts because the door members of all other opening / closing means are in the open position. Accordingly, the visual information can be visually recognized, and a plurality of effects can be realized according to the start of movement of the door member.

  That is, according to the gaming machine effect unit, even if the door member of any of the opening / closing means moves, the visual state of the visual information does not necessarily change. In the above-mentioned effect unit for gaming machines, various effects and unexpectedness can be imparted to the effects produced by the movement of the door members according to the combination with the other opening / closing means.

  As described above, the effect unit for gaming machines according to the present invention can realize various effects according to the advancement and retreat of the door member of each opening / closing means, and stimulates the excitement and thrilling feeling of the player by its unexpectedness. It has excellent characteristics that it can improve the fun of games.

Examples of the gaming machine incorporating the effect unit for gaming machine of the present invention include a slot machine that uses medals, coins, and the like as gaming media, and a pachinko machine that uses pachinko balls as gaming media. The slot machine may be a slot machine in a narrow sense using medals or coins as game media as described above, or a parrot (R) using pachinko balls as game media.
Further, as the number of the opening / closing means, various numbers such as two, three,... Can be set.
Further, the visual information when the door member is at an intermediate position between the opening / closing position and the shielding position may be completely visible or invisible. An intermediate state where a part can be seen may be used.

The visual information presenting means includes a liquid crystal display panel that presents image information as the visual information, a means using a cathode ray tube, a display board on which specific characters and figures are drawn, and a three-dimensionally shaped solid. It may be a means for presenting an image, a three-dimensional object, etc. to the player side. If a display board, a three-dimensional image, etc. are arrange | positioned in the position which can be visually recognized from the player side, the said visual information based on the said display board etc. can be shown to the player side.
Furthermore, as a method of arranging the display board etc. at a position visible from the player side, in addition to a method of fixing the display board etc. at the visible position, a driving force such as a motor or an actuator is used. There is also a method of moving the display board or the like to the visually recognizable position. In the case where the display board, the three-dimensional image, or the like is moved mechanically, the fun of the game can be enhanced by the visual enjoyment that can occur due to the mechanical movement.

Further, it is preferable that a protruding display member configured to protrude into a gap between the two opening / closing means adjacent to each other in the depth direction is provided.
In this case, the projecting display member can further enhance the variety and unexpectedness of effects. Furthermore, for example, a character or a character may be drawn on the surface of the protruding display member, and a specific meaning may be formed by a combination with the visual information.

  Furthermore, the protruding direction of the protruding display member may be set to be different from the forward / backward direction of the door member. In this case, the projecting operation of the projecting display member can be made to stand out, and the effect can be further enhanced. For example, if the advancing / retreating direction of the door member is set to the horizontal direction and the protruding direction of the protruding display member is set to the vertical direction, the protruding display member is adapted to the lateral movement (horizontal direction) of the door member. It is possible to combine the movements in the vertical direction (vertical direction), and it is possible to further enhance the joy of visual movement.

(Example 1)
This example is an example related to the effect unit 1 for gaming machines incorporated in the slot machine 5. This content will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the effect unit 1 for the gaming machine of this example includes three opening / closing means 2 including a door member 21 configured to advance and retract between an open position and a shield position, and visual information. Visual information presenting means 10 for presenting.
In this gaming machine effect unit 1, the opening / closing means 2 and the visual information presentation means 10 are arranged so as to overlap each other in the depth direction, and the visual information presentation means 10 is arranged at a position farthest from the player side in the depth direction. It is.
In the gaming machine effect unit 1, when the door members 21 of all the opening / closing means 2 are in the open position, the visual information presented by the visual information presenting means 10 can be visually recognized from the player side. When any one of the door members 21 is in the shielding position, the visual information presented by the visual information presenting means 10 is not visible from the player side.
This content will be described in detail below.

  The gaming machine effect unit 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as the effect unit 1) of this example is incorporated and integrated into the main body of the slot machine 5 as shown in FIGS. Therefore, in the following description, the configuration of the main body of the slot machine 5 is outlined, and then the configuration of the rendering unit 1 incorporated in the slot machine 5 is described in detail.

  The combination of the slot machine 5 in this example, the internal winning combination, and the winning combination will be described with reference to FIGS. The slot machine 5 of this example has nine types of roles including small roles such as a BIG bonus role, a REG bonus role, and a 15-card role. In FIG. 4, the name of each combination is shown in the left column, the combination of the symbols in the middle column, and the number of medals to be paid out as a prize in the right column. In the slot machine 5, a symbol 520 constituting a winning combination is a symbol.

  The slot machine 5 has an external configuration as shown in FIG. In the slot machine 5, the front portion facing the player is formed by a front frame body 50 having a substantially rectangular symbol display window 51 provided at a substantially center. The front frame 50 has the effect unit 1 on the upper side in the vertical direction of the symbol display window 51 and the base portion 500 that forms the base of the slot machine 5 on the lower side in the vertical direction. Furthermore, decorative lamp portions 551 and 552 are arranged on the left and right sides and the upper side of the effect unit 1 so as to surround the effect unit 1.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the base portion 500 is formed so as to protrude relatively toward the player with respect to the symbol display window 51 located behind the player. The base unit 500 has a table-like operation surface 54 at the upper end adjacent to the symbol display window 51, a medal tray 55 for paying out medals at the lower end, and a space between the operation surface 54 and the medal tray 55. An operation panel 53 is provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the operation surface 54 has a bet button 64 for betting medals credited (stored) by a credit function, a settlement button 65 for paying out credited medals, and a game. A medal insertion slot 630 for inserting medals to bet on is arranged. The operation panel 53 is provided with a start lever 62 for starting the symbol variation of the reel 52 and a stop button 61 for stopping the symbol variation.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the bet button 64 is a button for designating 3 bets, which is the maximum bet number, as the number of game bets. The bet button 64 is configured to generate a 3-bet signal representing the number 3 of game bets. However, when the remaining credit is 2 or 1, a 2-bet signal or 1-bet signal is generated, and when the credit is zero, a bet signal is not generated.

  In the slot machine 5 that is a 3-bet dedicated machine, when the medal is directly inserted or when three bets are bet by operating the bet button 64, the start lever 62 is set to the valid state. Instead of the slot machine 5 of this example, which is a so-called 3-bet dedicated machine for betting 3 medals for each game (game), a slot of a type in which the number of game bets can be selectively set according to the player's preference It may be a machine. In this case, as the bet button 64, a single bet button for generating a single bet signal may be provided in addition to a max bet button for generating a 3-bet signal.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the start lever 62 is configured to generate a variation start signal, which is a control signal for the reel 52, at the timing when the player operates.
The stop button 61 is configured to generate a variable stop signal, which is a control signal for the reel 52, at a timing when the player operates. The stop button 61 of this example is a combination of a left stop button 61L corresponding to the left reel 52L, a middle stop button 61C corresponding to the middle reel 52C, and a right stop button 61R corresponding to the right reel 52R.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the symbol display window 51 is configured to display nine symbols 520 arranged in a two-dimensional matrix of three rows and three columns. The portion corresponding to the symbol display window 51 in the front frame 50 is formed of a transparent resin plate so that the symbol 520 can be seen from the player side. For the nine symbols 520 in the above two-dimensional matrix, winning lines 511 to 515 that are the arrangement direction of symbols to be awarded are set. As the winning lines, there are horizontal winning lines 511 to 513 and diagonal winning lines 514 and 515.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the reel 52 includes a left reel 52L, a middle reel 52C, and a right reel 52R. Each of the reels 52L, C, and R is a rotary reel having a substantially cylindrical shape and seven types and 21 symbols 520 arranged on the outer peripheral surface thereof at a substantially constant interval. Each reel 52L, C, R has a reference position piece (not shown) at one reference position in the rotation direction. The reference position piece is a member as a detected piece detected by a reference position detection unit 636 described later. In addition, as the reel 52, an image-type reel that variably displays symbols on the liquid crystal display can be employed instead of the rotary reel of this example.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the left reel 52 </ b> L forms one column at the left end in a 3 × 3 two-dimensional matrix displayed in the symbol display window 51. The right reel 52R forms one row at the right end in the two-dimensional matrix. The middle reel 52C forms a central row in the two-dimensional matrix.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the slot machine 5 has a mechanical configuration. A control board 58 for controlling the overall operation of the slot machine 5 and each part electrically connected to the control board 58 will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition to the above-described configuration, the control board 58 detects a inserted medal detection unit 631 that detects a medal inserted as a game medium, a reel drive unit 521 that rotates the reel 52, and a rotation position of the reel 52. A reference position detecting unit 636 for performing a game, a medal paying unit 634 for paying out medals, various display units 635 for producing a game, a set value operating unit 68 for changing a set value of the slot machine 5, and a speaker 57. The sound output unit 637 for controlling the effect unit 1 and the effect unit 1 are electrically connected.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the inserted medal detection unit 631 is configured to output an insert signal every time a medal is inserted from the medal insertion slot 630. Three insert signals correspond to the 3-bet signal. In the slot machine 5 of this example, which is a 3-bet dedicated machine, the start lever 62 is set to an effective state when three medals are inserted or the bet button 64 is pressed.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the reel drive unit 521 includes a stepping motor (not shown) that can be controlled in units of steps, and is configured to rotationally drive the reel 52 by the rotational driving force of the stepping motor. . The stepping motor rotates by one step for each control pulse fetched from the control board 58. The reel drive unit 521 is configured to capture the variation start signal and start the rotation of the reel 52, and to capture the variation stop signal and stop the reel 52.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the reference position detection unit 636 has a sensor that detects the passage of the reference position piece for each of the reels 52L, 52C, 52R and outputs a detection signal. The reference position detection unit 636 of this example uses the number of control pulses generated by the control board 58 after the generation of the detection signal, that is, the number of steps that the stepping motor rotates after passing the reference position piece. , C and R calculate the symbol currently displayed (the symbol located on the winning line).
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the medal payout unit 634 is configured to pay out a predetermined number of medals to the medal tray 55 under the control of the control board 58.

  The set value operation unit 68 is for changing the set value of the slot machine 5 in six stages 1-6. In the set value operation unit 68, as shown in FIG. 5, the set value can be changed using a set key 680. When the winning random number table is changed, the winning random number table used by the internal lottery means 72 described later is switched, and the internal winning probability of the bonus combination is changed.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the control board 58 includes a CPU 581, ROM 583 and RAM 584 as memory means, and an I / O unit 582 as an input / output interface. The CPU 581 is configured to implement various functions by executing software programs read from the ROM 583.

  The CPU 581 includes a random number extracting unit 78 for extracting random numbers, an internal lottery unit 72 for drawing an internal winning combination and establishing an internal winning flag corresponding to the internal winning combination, a winning combination determining unit 79 for determining a winning combination, and a reel 52. The display control means 75 for controlling, the flag control means 71 for controlling the internal winning flag, the flag notifying means 73 for notifying the internal winning flag, and the effect control means 76 for controlling the effect unit 1 are realized. It is.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the ROM 583 as a memory means stores a winning random number table (not shown) that the internal lottery means 72 uses for internal lottery. The winning random number table defines the relationship between the random number extracted by the random number extracting means and the winning combination. In this example, six types of winning random number tables are set according to the set values of 1-6.

  The random number extraction means 78 is a means for extracting random numbers by an internal calculation of the CPU 581 as shown in FIGS. The random number extraction unit 78 of this example extracts a random number using the fluctuation start signal of the start lever 62 as a trigger signal and inputs the random number to the internal lottery unit 72. Note that the random number extraction means 78 of this example extracts an integer belonging to the range of 0 to 16383 as a random number for the winning random number table.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the internal lottery means 72 determines an internal winning combination by referring to the winning random number table based on the random number extracted by the random number extracting means 78, and turns on an internal winning flag corresponding to the internal winning combination. It is a means to set to. As shown in FIG. 4, the internal winning combination that the internal lottery means 72 of this example draws is as follows: BIG bonus combination, REG bonus combination, 15 combination “sun”, 10 combination “apple”, 3 combination “star”, There are 7 types of roles, “Cherry” and 3 replays. Note that the internal lottery means 72 of this example switches the winning random number table to be referred to during the internal lottery according to the set values of 1-6. When the setting value of the slot machine 5 is 1, the internal winning probability of the bonus combination is the lowest, and the internal winning probability of the bonus combination increases as the setting value increases.

  As described above, the internal lottery means 72 of this example sets the internal winning flag corresponding to the internal winning combination to ON. The internal lottery means 72 sets a state in which the internal winning combination can win by setting 1 in an internal winning flag corresponding to the internal winning combination. A bonus flag, which is one of internal winning flags, corresponds to a bonus combination and is a flag for managing a bonus confirmed state.

  The flag control means 71 is means for controlling the internal winning flag set by the internal lottery means 72 as shown in FIG. The flag control means 71 switches off an internal winning flag such as a small role including a replay combination before starting the next game regardless of whether or not the internal winning flag is won in the game in which the internal winning flag is set for the first time. . On the other hand, the flag control means 71 carries over the bonus flag to the next game until winning, and switches it off according to the bonus winning combination. Under the control of the flag control means 71 as described above, if a small combination including a replay combination is not won in the internally won game, it is so-called missing. On the other hand, once the bonus combination is won internally, the bonus final state is maintained until winning.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the display control means 75 is means for starting the symbol variation of the reel 52 in response to the variation start signal and stopping the symbol variation of the reel 52 in response to the variation stop signal. is there. The display control means 75 inputs a control pulse to the stepping motor forming the reel driving unit 521, and rotates the stepping motor by one step for each pulse. The display control means 75 counts the number of control pulses input to the reel driving unit 521, that is, the number of steps rotated by the stepping motor. In particular, in this example, the number of steps generated after the latest detection signal is counted by resetting the number of steps to zero each time the detection signal of the reference position piece of each reel 52 is captured.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the display control means 75 performs so-called pull-in control for stopping symbols within a predetermined pull-in range determined by rules (rules for game machine certification, type verification, etc.) on the winning line. It is comprised so that it may do. Specifically, the display control means 75 takes in the number of control pulses input to the reel driving unit 521 using the above variation stop signal as a trigger signal, that is, the number of steps of the stepping motor. Then, based on the number of steps, a Vita symbol, which is a symbol 520 that is instantaneously positioned on the winning lines 511 to 515, is calculated, and the following four symbols 520 with the Bita symbol at the head are within the predetermined pull-in range. Set as the symbol.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the winning combination determining means 79 is the step counted by the display control means 75 for each stepping motor (reel drive unit 521) corresponding to each reel 52L, C, R in the stopped state. Capture a number. The winning combination determining means 79 obtains the type of the symbol 520 stopped on the winning lines 511 to 515 based on the number of steps, and determines whether or not a winning combination is established for the combination of the symbols 520. The winning combination determining means 79 outputs winning combination information indicating the type of winning combination according to the occurrence of winning combination.
The flag notification means 73 is means for notifying an established internal winning flag. In this example, it is determined whether or not to notify the flag by lottery, and a flag notification effect is performed according to the lottery result.

  Next, the rendering unit 1 of this example will be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 6 and 7, the effect unit 1 includes three opening / closing means 2 (in this example, a door unit; hereinafter referred to as a door unit 2) and visual information presenting means 10 ( In this example, the unit is a unit in which a liquid crystal display panel (hereinafter referred to as a liquid crystal display panel 10) is arranged in the depth direction. Furthermore, the effect unit 1 of this example includes a protruding display member 31 that protrudes toward the gap between the adjacent door units 2.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the effect unit 1 includes a unit case 11 provided with a through window 110 on the bottom surface, three door units 2 accommodated in a stacked manner in the depth direction of the unit case 11, and The liquid crystal display panel 10 attached to the bottom surface of the unit case 11 from the back side, the cover plate 12 attached so as to cover the opening of the unit case 11, and the protruding display means 3 including the protruding display member 31 are provided. .

  The unit case 11 is a resin molded product as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. As described above, the unit case 11 has an attachment portion (not shown) for attaching the liquid crystal display panel 10 to the back side of the bottom surface. The display area 101 of the liquid crystal display panel 10 attached to the unit case 11 can face the through window 110.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the unit case 11 is formed by punching a slit-like projecting hole 113 from which the projecting display member 31 projects on the side surface forming the lower surface of the effect unit 1. And the attachment part which is not shown in figure which attaches the protrusion display means 3 is formed in the back side of the said side surface. In this example, the projecting holes 113 are formed corresponding to the substantially flat gaps formed by the second and third door units 2 as viewed from the player side. Furthermore, the unit case 11 of this example is provided with a notch 111 for avoiding interference with the drive motor 25 described later on one side surface located at the end in the longitudinal direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cover plate 12 is a substantially flat plate member provided with a substantially rectangular through window 120. The cover plate 12 is configured such that the through window 120 overlaps the display area 101 of the liquid crystal display panel 10 in the depth direction when the cover plate 12 is attached to the opening surface of the unit case 11 with screws. In this example, a translucent cover plate 12 is employed so that the door unit 2 positioned in front of the player can be seen through.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 6, and 7, the door unit 2 has a pair of left and right door members 21 in a state in which the door unit 2 can be advanced and retracted inside a holder 22 provided with a window 20 corresponding to the display area 101 of the liquid crystal display panel 10. Is housed. In the door unit 2, the window 20 can be opened and closed by a pair of left and right door members 21. In the door unit 2, the driving force of the driving motor 25 is transmitted through the spiral shaft 23 provided on the back side of the holder 22, and the door member 21 is advanced and retracted.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the door member 21 is a substantially flat plate member that imitates a shoji by sticking an opaque white film to a lattice-like frame. As the door member 21, there are one arranged on the left side as viewed from the player side and one arranged on the right side. The position where each door member 21 moves forward so as to approach the other and contacts each other to fully close the window 20 is the shielding position. And the position where each door member 21 retreats away from the other and the window 20 is fully opened is the open position.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, each door member 21 is provided with an engagement pin 283 that engages with the spiral shaft 23 and a detected piece 284 that is used to detect the shielding position, at the upper part on the back surface side. The engaging member 28 is provided. The engaging member 28 is erected from the back surface of the door member 21 and protrudes through the through-hole 220 of the back plate 222, and a bridge extending upward from the erected portion 281. Part 282.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the engagement pin 283 is a pin-like member that is disposed through the bridge portion 282. The detected piece 284 is a member that protrudes from the tip of the bridge portion 282 toward the back plate 222 so as to face the back plate 222 with a gap. The detected piece 284 is made of a magnetic member that generates magnetism, and is a member that can be detected by a position sensor 27 described later.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 6, and 7, the holder 22 is obtained by superposing a surface plate 221 having a side wall provided on the outer periphery and a substantially flat plate-shaped back plate 222. The height of the side wall of the surface plate 221 slightly exceeds the thickness of the door member 21. According to this side wall, a gap slightly exceeding the thickness of the door member 21 can be formed inside the holder 22. Further, the width in the height direction of the gap in the holder 22 is formed slightly larger than the height of the door member 21. According to the holder 22, the front and back surfaces of the door member 21 are slidably supported by the inner surfaces of the front plate 221 and the rear plate 222, and the inner peripheral surfaces of the side walls located at the upper and lower ends of the gap are used. By sliding and supporting the upper and lower side surfaces, the door member 21 can be held in a state where it can be advanced and retracted.

  In this example, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the front plate 221 is formed of a translucent resin material, and the back plate 222 is formed of an opaque resin material. Therefore, in the state of the door unit 2 alone, the silhouette of the door member 21 retracted to the open position and accommodated in the holder 22 can be visually recognized from the surface plate 221 side. In the production unit 1 of this example provided with the translucent cover plate 12 as described above, the silhouette of the door member 21 located at the open position can be visually recognized with respect to the door member 21 of the front door unit 2 (FIG. 3).

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 6, and 7, the front plate 221 and the rear plate 222 that form the holder 22 have a substantially rectangular through hole 220 that is perforated so as to overlap in the facing direction. The through hole 220 forms the window 20 in the door unit 2. The back plate 222 has a pair of shaft stays 24 that pivotally support the spiral shaft 23, a mounting stay 26 for fixing the drive motor 25 directly connected to the spiral shaft 23, and a shielding position of the door member 21. And a position sensor 27 for detecting this.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the shaft stays 24 are respectively arranged on the side portions of the through holes 220 so as to face each other in the longitudinal direction of the through holes 220. The mounting stay 26 is provided on the outer edge of the back plate 222 so that the drive motor 25 can be mounted coaxially with the spiral shaft 23 supported by the pair of shaft stays 24. The position sensor 27 is provided on the upper side of the through hole 220 so that the detected piece 284 of the door member 21 at the shielding position can be detected.

Each shaft stay 24 is an angle member having a substantially L-shaped cross section as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The shaft stay 24 includes an attachment portion 242 attached so as to face the back plate 222 and a standing portion 241 in which a shaft hole 240 for penetrating and arranging the spiral shaft 23 in a rotatable state is formed.
The mounting stay 26 is configured to fix the drive motor 25 so as to be coaxial with the spiral shaft 23.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the spiral shaft 23 is a member having an axial shape. The spiral shaft 23 is formed by dividing a joint portion 231 for directly connecting to the drive motor 25, spiral groove forming portions 232 and 234, and a small diameter portion 233 forming a gap between the spiral groove forming portions 232 and 234 in the axial direction. Is. As described above, the spiral shaft 23 is pivotally supported along the advancing / retreating direction of the door member 21 by the pair of shaft stays 24 provided on the back surface of the holder 22.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the spiral groove forming portions 232 and 234 are portions in which spiral grooves 235 that engage with the engaging pins 283 of the door member 21 are formed. The spiral groove forming portion 232 corresponds to the left door member 21 as viewed from the player side, and the spiral groove forming portion 234 corresponds to the right door member 21 as viewed from the player side. In the left and right spiral groove forming portions 232 and 234, the spiral groove forming directions are opposite to each other.

  According to the combination of the left and right spiral groove forming portions 232 and 234, a displacement operation that exhibits a mirror image relationship with respect to the pair of left and right door members 21 can be realized. That is, in the door unit 2, if one door member 21 moves forward toward the shielding position, the other moves forward toward the shielding position, and if one moves backward toward the opening position, the other moves toward the opening position. Displace to move backward.

  The joint part 231 is a part for connecting the output shaft 251 of the drive motor 25 arranged coaxially as shown in FIG. The joint portion 231 of this example is configured so as to be directly coupled to the output shaft 251 of the drive motor 25 via the connecting member 29. The direct connection structure via the connecting member 29 is as described later.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the position sensor 27 is a magnetic sensor having a substantially U-shaped cross section provided with an opening 270 that opens in the normal direction of the back plate 222. The opening 270 has a slit shape along the advancing / retreating direction of the door member 21. The position sensor 27 accommodates the detected piece 284 in the opening 270 when the door member 21 is located at the shielding position, and prevents the detected piece 284 from being located at the opening 270 when the door member 21 is located at a position other than the shielding position. It is arranged in. According to the position sensor 27, it is possible to detect the magnetism generated by the detected piece 284 accommodated in the opening 270, and thereby detect that the door member 21 is located at the shielding position.

  The drive motor 25 is a stepping motor capable of controlling the rotation position in units of steps, as shown in FIGS. The drive motor 25 includes a motor body 252 that houses a rotor (not shown) and the like, and an output shaft 251 that protrudes from the motor body 252. The output shaft 251 has substantially the same outer diameter as the joint portion 231 of the spiral shaft 23. A motor side joint portion 253 for directly connecting to the spiral shaft 23 is formed at the distal end portion of the output shaft 251.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the connecting member 29 includes a substantially disc-shaped intermediate plate 290 having substantially the same outer diameter as the joint portion 231 of the spiral shaft 23 or the motor-side joint portion 253 of the drive motor 25, and the intermediate member 290. It consists of engaging pieces 291 formed on both sides of the plate 290. The engagement piece 291 is a substantially flat portion extending in the diameter direction of the intermediate plate 290 and standing in the axial direction. In this example, the extending directions of the two engagement pieces 291 are shifted by 90 degrees in the circumferential direction so that the engagement pieces 291 on both sides of the intermediate plate 290 intersect in a substantially cross shape.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the joint portion 231 of the spiral shaft 23 or the motor side joint portion 253 of the drive motor 25 constituting the connection structure together with the connection member 29 has a slit groove 230 penetrating in the diameter direction of its circular cross section, 250 is provided. The slit grooves 230 and 250 are gaps having a substantially constant thickness that are opened on the end surfaces in the axial direction of the joint portion 231 or the motor side joint portion 253. The slit grooves 230 and 250 are formed such that the gap is slightly thicker than the engagement piece 291. Further, the slit grooves 230 and 250 are formed deeper in the axial direction with respect to the engagement piece 291.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the connection structure using the connection member 29 includes the spiral shaft 23, with the engagement pieces 291 housed in the slit grooves 230 and 250 of the joint portion 231 and the motor side joint portion 253. In this structure, the connecting member 29 and the drive motor 25 are coaxially arranged. In this connection structure, the rotational torque of the drive motor 25 can be transmitted to the spiral shaft 23 with high reliability by the contact between the outer surface of the engagement piece 291 and the inner surfaces of the slit grooves 230 and 250. Furthermore, the connection structure is a structure capable of transmitting the rotational torque as long as the slit grooves 230 and 250 and the engagement piece 291 overlap in the axial direction. Therefore, according to the connection structure, the part accuracy in the axial direction of each part can be allowed to some extent.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 9, the protruding display means 3 is a unit that protrudes the protruding display member 31 through the slit-shaped protruding hole 113 formed in the unit case 11. The protrusion display means 3 includes the protrusion display member 31 and an air actuator 32 for driving the protrusion display member 31 to protrude.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the air actuator 32 includes a cylinder case 322 in which an air cylinder 321 is formed, and a piston 323 that is accommodated in the air cylinder 321 and advances and retreats according to the internal pressure. The protruding display member 31 includes a display plate 311 printed with characters “CHANCE!” Indicating that the expected value is high, and an engagement rod 312 that engages with the piston 323.

The cylinder case 322 includes an air supply port 324 for connecting an air tube 334 extending from the air pump 331, and an attachment stay 325 for attaching to the unit case 11. In the cylinder case 322, an air supply port 324 communicates with the air cylinder 321 through an air path provided inside. An air chamber 332 maintained at a high pressure by an air pump 331 is connected to the air supply port 324 via an air valve 333 made of an electromagnetic valve. In the protrusion display means 3, the high pressure of the air chamber 332 is introduced into the air cylinder 321 by opening the air valve 333, and the protrusion display member 31 can protrude along with the stroke of the piston 323.
Instead of the projecting display means 3 configured by pneumatic driving, projecting display means configured to project the projecting display member 31 by motor driving may be employed.

  As described above, the rendering unit 1 of this example fixes the liquid crystal display panel 10 to the bottom surface of the unit case 11 and superimposes the three door units 2 on the unit case 11 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The protruding display means 3 is attached to the outside of the unit case 11. In the slot machine 5 of this example, the liquid crystal display panel 10 of the effect unit 1, the drive motors 25 that drive the three door units 2 forward and backward, and the air valve 333 of the protrusion display means 3 are controlled by the effect control means 76. Has been.

  In the effect unit 1, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the display area 101 of the liquid crystal display panel 10, the window 20 of each door unit 2, and the through window 120 of the cover plate 12 overlap in the depth direction. . Therefore, in the production unit 1, if the door members 21 of all the door units 2 are located in the open position, the visual information displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 10 can be viewed from the player side. On the other hand, if the door member 21 of any one of the door units 2 is located at the shielding position, visual information displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 10 cannot be viewed from the player side.

  Next, the rendering operation by the rendering unit 1 of the slot machine 5 of this example will be described. Here, the operation of the rendering unit 1 when the flag notification means 73 determines the flag notification in a state where the BIG bonus combination flag is established by the internal winning of the BIG bonus combination is illustrated.

In the state before the transition to the flag notification operation, as shown in FIG. 10A, the door members 21 of all the door units 2 are in the shielding position.
When the flag notification operation is started, as shown in FIG. 10 (b), first, the door member 21 of the first-stage door unit 2 in front of the player moves backward to the open position, and the second-stage door unit 2 The door member 21 appears. Here, in the production unit 1 of this example, the cover plate 12 and the surface plate 221 of each door unit 2 are formed to be translucent. Therefore, for the first-stage door unit 2, the silhouette of the door member 21 retracted to the open position and accommodated in the holder 22 can be visually recognized.

  Thereafter, the door member 21 of the second-stage door unit 2 is further retracted to the open position, and the door member 21 of the innermost third-stage door unit 2 appears. Here, according to the production by the two-stage operation in which the first door unit 2 in the front is opened and the second door unit 2 is opened, the bonus winning combination etc. It is possible to gradually increase the player's expectation and to raise their feelings effectively.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10C, the protruding display member 31 with the characters “CHANCE!” Protrudes so as to protrude from below. According to the protruding display member 31, if something happens, it is possible to further increase the player's expectation and to raise the excitement to near the climax. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10D, the protruding display member 31 is moved backward. At this time, a flag notification screen 102 for notifying the establishment of the BIG bonus combination flag is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 10.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10E, the door member 21 of the third-stage door unit 2 immediately in front of the liquid crystal display panel 10 is retracted from the shielding position toward the open position. Then, the flag notification screen 102 gradually appears as the gap between the pair of left and right door members 21 increases. The player tries to read the type of the internal winning flag as soon as possible based on the characters and figures that are visible little by little. Then, as shown in FIG. 10 (f), in the case of the flag notification screen 102 of the BIG bonus combination flag, the player's joy can reach close to the climax.

  As described above, the game machine production unit 1 of this example can realize various productions according to the advancement and retreat of the door member 21 of each door unit 2, and the unexpectedness stimulates the excitement and thrilling feeling of the player. Thus, it has an excellent characteristic that it can improve the interest of the game.

  According to the gaming machine production unit 1 of this example, a plurality of productions can be realized according to the start of movement of the door member 21. In the gaming machine effect unit 1, even if the door member 21 of any one of the door units 2 moves, the visual recognition state of the liquid crystal display panel 10 does not necessarily change. Depending on the combination with the door member 21 in the other door unit 2, diversity and unexpectedness can be imparted to the effect by the movement of each door member 21.

  In addition, it can replace with the visual information presentation means which consists of the liquid crystal display panel 10 of this example, and can also employ | adopt the visual information presentation means which displays a specific character, a figure, a solid object, etc. by mechanical operation. In this case, the fun of the game can be enhanced by the visual enjoyment that can occur due to the mechanical movement.

  In this example, the rendering unit 1 is configured such that the protruding display member 31 protrudes in the gap between the second-stage door unit 2 and the third-stage door unit 2. The protruding display member 31 can also be configured to protrude in the gap between the eye door unit 2 and the second door unit 2. Furthermore, in addition to the projecting display member 31 that projects into the gap between the second-stage door unit 2 and the third-stage door unit 2, the gap between the first-stage door unit 2 and the second-stage door unit 2. It is also possible to provide a protruding display member protruding in

Furthermore, in the production unit 1 of this example, the protruding display member 31 protruding upward from the lower side is adopted, but instead of or in addition to this, the protruding display member protruding downward from the upper side or the left side Or it is also possible to employ | adopt the protrusion display member which protrudes in a horizontal direction from the right side.
Furthermore, as a gaming machine incorporating the production unit 1 of this example, in addition to the slot machine 5 of this example, a pachinko machine using a pachinko ball as a gaming medium, Parrot (R), or the like may be used.

FIG. 3 is an assembly diagram illustrating the assembly structure of the production unit in the first embodiment. The perspective view which shows the production | presentation unit in Example 1. FIG. The front view which shows the slot machine incorporating the production unit in Example 1. FIG. Explanatory drawing explaining the combination in a slot machine, a combination symbol, and the number of payout in Example 1. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of a slot machine in Embodiment 1. FIG. The perspective view which shows the internal structure of the production | presentation unit in Example 1 from a back surface. Explanatory drawing explaining the advancing / retreating mechanism of the door member in an effect unit in Example 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a connection structure between a spiral shaft and a drive motor in the first embodiment. The front view and side view which show the protrusion display means in Example 1. FIG. Explanatory drawing explaining the production | presentation operation | movement by the production unit in Example 1. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 Amusement machine production unit (production unit)
10. Visual information presentation means (liquid crystal display panel)
11 Unit case 12 Cover plate 2 Opening / closing means (door unit)
20 Window 21 Door member 22 Holder 23 Spiral shaft 25 Drive motor 3 Projection display means 31 Projection display member 5 Slot machine 52 Reel 520 Design 58 Control board 61 Stop button 62 Start lever

Claims (2)

At least two opening / closing means including a door member configured to move back and forth between the open position and the shield position;
Visual information presenting means for presenting visual information;
The opening / closing means and the visual information presenting means are arranged so as to overlap each other in the depth direction, and the visual information presenting means is arranged at a position farthest from the player side in the depth direction,
When the door members of all the opening and closing means are in the open position, the visual information presented by the visual information presenting means can be viewed from the player side,
The visual information presented by the visual information presenting means is configured to be invisible from the player side when any one of the opening / closing means is in the shielding position. A production unit for gaming machines.   2. The effect unit for gaming machines according to claim 1, further comprising a projecting display member configured to project into a gap between the two opening / closing means adjacent to each other in the depth direction.

Images