JP2008161327A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game machine capable of cooling the interior of a casing without increasing the cost of manufacture. <P>SOLUTION: The game machine comprises a cabinet 2, a rotary disk 111 of a hopper 40 for storing and putting out tokens, and a fan 120 for generating airflow inside the cabinet 2. The game machine also comprises a motor 130 for driving both the rotary disk 111 of the hopper 40 and the fan 120, bevel gears 128, 132 and 147, and one-way clutches 160 and 170. The rotation of the motor 130 is transmitted to the rotary disk 111 of the hopper 40 when the motor 130 rotates in the rotation direction A, and the rotation of the motor 130 is transmitted to the fan 120 when the motor 130 rotates in the rotation direction B. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine such as a pachislot machine.

  Generally, a gaming machine such as a pachislot machine has a variable display device configured by arranging a plurality of mechanical rotating reels that display a plurality of symbols in a front display window, or an electric variation that displays a symbol on a reel on a screen. A display device is provided. Then, according to the player's start operation, the control means drives the variable display device to rotate the reels to display the symbols in a variable manner, and automatically displays the symbols after a certain time or by the player's stop operation. The rotation is stopped sequentially. The gaming machine gives a profit to the player by paying out a game medium such as a medal when the symbols of each reel appearing in the display window are in a specific combination and a winning of a predetermined combination is established.

  Such a conventional gaming machine includes a hopper having a bucket for storing medals, a rotating disk provided at the bottom of the bucket, and a driving device for rotating the rotating disk, and a winning of a predetermined role is established. In some cases, the rotating disk is driven by a driving device, the medals on the rotating disk are moved outward by centrifugal force, and are passed through the slits one by one (see, for example, Patent Document 1). ).

On the other hand, recent gaming machines are equipped with a large-scale circuit board with a high processing capacity in order to meet the demand for advanced production etc., and the heat capacity generated from the circuit board is also increasing, Some fans are designed to prevent overheating of the circuit board by generating an air flow inside the housing by a fan to cool the inside of the housing.
JP 2006-201831 A

  However, in the conventional gaming machine, two motors are required for driving the hopper and the cooling fan, and there is a problem that an increase in the number of parts causes an increase in manufacturing cost. It was.

  The present invention has been made to solve the conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine capable of cooling the inside of the housing without increasing the manufacturing cost.

  The gaming machine of the present invention includes a housing (for example, cabinet 2), a game medium payout means (for example, hopper 40) for storing and paying out game media (for example, medals), and air inside the housing. A gaming machine including a blowing means (for example, a fan 120) that generates a flow, and driving means (for example, a motor 130, bevel gears 128, 132, and 147) that drives both the gaming medium payout means and the blowing means. And one-way clutches 160, 170).

  With this configuration, since both the game medium paying means and the air blowing means can be driven by one driving means, the inside of the housing can be cooled without increasing the manufacturing cost.

  In the gaming machine of the present invention, the driving means includes a motor (for example, motor 130) and a transmission means (for example, bevel gears 128, 132, 147 and one-way clutches 160, 170) for transmitting the rotation of the motor. The transmission means transmits the rotation of the motor to the game medium payout means when the motor rotates in a first rotation direction (for example, the rotation direction A), and the motor is opposite to the first rotation direction. The rotation of the motor is transmitted to the blower when rotating in the second rotation direction (for example, the rotation direction B).

  With this configuration, it is possible to drive the game medium payout means or the blower only by changing the rotation direction of one motor, so that the inside of the housing can be cooled without increasing the manufacturing cost.

  Further, the gaming machine of the present invention is configured such that the air blowing means is disposed at the bottom of the game medium paying means.

  With this configuration, the air blowing means is arranged at the bottom of the game medium payout means without newly creating a place for installing the air blowing means, so that the space in the housing can be used effectively.

  The present invention can cool the inside of the housing without increasing the manufacturing cost.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  1 to 11 are diagrams showing a first embodiment of a gaming machine according to the present invention, and show an embodiment in which the gaming machine according to the present invention is applied to a so-called “pachislot machine”. . The “pachi-slot machine” is a gaming machine that uses a game medium such as a coin, a medal, a game ball, a token, etc., or a game medium such as a card that stores information on a game value assigned to a player. However, the case where medals are used is shown here.

  The cabinet 2 as a casing forming the entire pachislot machine 1 is attached to the casing 28a and the casing 28a by a hinge (not shown) or the like so as to be openable and closable. It is comprised including.

  The casing 28a has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and an opening is formed on one surface thereof. The opening can be opened or closed by opening and closing the front door 28b. Similarly to the casing 28a, the front door 28b is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped and has an opening on one surface.

  The front door 2b is formed with a panel display portion 2a having a substantially vertical surface, and vertically long display windows 4L, 4C, 4R are provided at the center thereof. The display windows 4L, 4C and 4R are provided with a top line 8b, a center line 8c and a bottom line 8d in the horizontal direction as winning lines, and a cross down line 8a and a cross up line 8e in the diagonal direction.

  These winning lines are operated by operating a 1-BET switch 11, a 2-BET switch 12, and a maximum BET switch 13, which will be described later, or by inserting medals into the medal insertion slot 22, respectively. Five are activated. Which winning line is activated is displayed by lighting of BET lamps 9a, 9b, 9c, which will be described later.

  Inside the cabinet 2, three reels 3L, 3C, and 3R each having a symbol row constituted by a plurality of types of symbols on each outer peripheral surface are rotatably provided in a horizontal row. The design of each reel can be observed through the display windows 4L, 4C, 4R. Each reel rotates at a constant speed (for example, 80 rpm).

  On the left side of the display windows 4L, 4C, 4R, a 1-BET lamp 9a, a 2-BET lamp 9b, a maximum BET lamp 9c, and a credit display unit 19 are provided. The 1-BET lamp 9a, the 2-BET lamp 9b, and the maximum BET lamp 9c are turned on according to the number of medals provided for playing one game (hereinafter referred to as “BET number”).

  Here, one game ends when all reels stop. The 1-BET lamp 9a is turned on when the BET number is “1” and one winning line is activated.

  The 2-BET lamp 9b is lit when the BET number is “2” and three pay lines are activated. The maximum BET lamp 9c is lit when the number of BETs is “3” and all (5) winning lines are activated. The credit display unit 19 includes a 7-segment LED, and displays the number of stored medals.

  On the right side of the display windows 4L, 4C, 4R, a WIN lamp (so-called hit display lamp) 17 and a payout display section 18 are provided. The WIN lamp 17 allows a BB or RB to be awarded after a winning combination such as “Big Bonus (hereinafter referred to as BB)” or “Regular Bonus (hereinafter referred to as RB)” can be realized. Lights until established.

  Here, BB and RB are collectively referred to as “bonus” hereinafter. The payout display unit 18 is composed of a 7-segment LED, and displays the payout number of medals at the time of winning.

  A bonus game information display unit 20 is provided on the upper right side of the panel display unit 2a. The bonus game information display unit 20 is composed of 7-segment LEDs, and displays the number of games in the BB general game state, which will be described later.

  Further, a liquid crystal display device 5 is provided on the front surface of the panel display section 2a, and this liquid crystal display device 5 is provided with a rectangular liquid crystal display screen (hereinafter also referred to as a display screen) 5a covering the front surface of the panel display section 2a. Thus, liquid crystal display can be performed on the entire surface of the display screen 5a, and the reels 3L, 3C, and 3R disposed on the back side of the liquid crystal can be displayed in a transparent manner.

  In addition, information related to the game is displayed on the display screen 5 a of the liquid crystal display device 5. A medal slot 22 is provided on the right side of the liquid crystal display device 5, and a 1-BET switch 11, a 2-BET switch 12, and a maximum BET switch 13 are provided on the left side of the liquid crystal display device 5.

  The 1-BET switch 11 bets one of the credited medals on the game by a single pressing operation, and the 2-BET switch 12 displays the credited medals by a single pressing operation. Two of them are bet on the game, and the maximum BET switch 13 bets the maximum number of medals that can be bet on one game. By operating these BET switches, a predetermined pay line is activated.

  A C / P switch 14 is provided on the left side of the front portion of the pedestal 10 to switch the credit / payout of medals acquired by the player in the game by a push button operation. By switching the C / P switch 14, medals are paid out from the medal payout opening 15 at the lower front, and the paid-out medals are stored in a medal tray 16 as a game medium tray.

  On the other hand, on the right side of the C / P switch 14, there is a start lever 6 for rotating the reels 3L, 3C, 3R by the player's operation to start displaying the symbols in the display windows 4L, 4C, 4R. It is rotatably attached within a predetermined angle range.

  Speakers 21L and 21R are provided on the left and right above the cabinet 2, and a payout table panel 23 is provided between the two speakers 21L and 21R to display a combination of display symbols and a payout number of medals. ing.

  Three stop buttons 7L, 7C, and 7R for stopping the rotation of the three reels 3L, 3C, and 3R are provided at the center of the front surface portion of the pedestal portion 10 and below the liquid crystal display device 5, respectively. Yes.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the stop operation performed when all the reels are rotating is “first stop operation”, and the stop operation performed after “first stop operation” is “second stop operation”. The stop operation performed after the “second stop operation” is referred to as a “third stop operation”.

Further, operating the left stop button 7L as the “first stop operation” is referred to as “forward pressing”. Operating the center stop button 7C as the “first stop operation” is referred to as “middle press”. Operating the right stop button 7R as “first stop operation” is referred to as “reverse pressing”.
In addition, since the pachislot machine 1 of the present embodiment is provided with three stop buttons 7L, 7C, and 7R, there are “six types” of operation sequences. Therefore, the order of these operations is distinguished as follows. The left stop button 7L is abbreviated as “left”, the center stop button 7C as “middle”, and the right stop button 7R as “right”.

  Then, when indicating the stop order, the abbreviations of the stop buttons 7L, 7C, and 7R are arranged from the left in the order of the stop operation. For example, when the left stop button 7L is operated as the “first stop operation”, the center stop button 7C is operated as the “second stop operation”, and the right stop button 7R is operated as the “third stop operation”, the stop order is changed to “ Left middle right ". The stop order of the embodiment includes “six types” of “left middle right”, “left / right middle”, “middle left / right”, “middle right left”, “right left middle”, and “right middle left”.

  FIG. 2 shows a symbol row in which a plurality of types of symbols represented on the reels 3L, 3C, and 3R are arranged. Each symbol is assigned a code number “0” to “20”, and is stored in a ROM 32 (see FIG. 6), which will be described later, as a data table.

  On each of the reels 3L, 3C, and 3R, a symbol row including symbols of “blue 7”, “red 7”, “bell”, “Replay”, and “cherry” is represented. Each reel 3L, 3C, 3R is rotationally driven such that the symbol row moves downward in FIG.

Here, as the gaming state of the present embodiment, the general gaming state (this state is also expressed as “general gaming”), the BB general gaming state (this state is “in BB operation”) RB gaming state (representing this state as “RB in operation”). In general, the state of being in a general gaming state is expressed as “in general gaming”, the state of being in a general gaming state in BB is expressed as “BB in operation”, and the state of being in an RB gaming state is expressed as “RB in operation”.
The types of winning combinations that may be won internally are determined by a so-called probability lottery table. Generally, a probability lottery table is provided for each gaming state.

  That is, in a game with the same gaming state, the types of combinations that may be won internally are the same. However, the “BB gaming state” includes “BB general gaming state” and “RB gaming state”, and includes states in which the types of roles that may be won internally are different.

  For example, in the general gaming state, when “red 7-red 7-red 7” are arranged along the active line, BB winning is established and no medal is paid out, but the gaming state of the next game is “BB”. "Game state".

  Also, in the “general gaming state” and the “BB general gaming state”, when the combination of symbols arranged along the active line is “blue 7-blue 7-blue 7”, an RB winning is established and a medal is established. Is not paid out, but the game state of the next game becomes the “RB game state”.

  The “RB gaming state” is a gaming state in which a predetermined symbol combination “Bell-Bell-Bell” is aligned by betting one medal, and it is easy to hit an object that can acquire eight medals.

  The maximum number of games possible in one “RB gaming state” (this is referred to as “RB game possible number of times”) is 12. Also, in this RB gaming state, the number of times that a prize can be won (this is referred to as the “number of times an RB game can be awarded”) is up to eight. In other words, the “RB gaming state” ends when the number of games reaches 12 times or the number of winnings reaches 8.

  The BB gaming state is ended when the third stop operation is performed in a predetermined game. For example, when the third stop operation is performed in the last game in the third RB gaming state, the BB gaming state ends.

  FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating the configuration of various devices provided in the interior of the pachislot machine 1. A main control circuit 71 and a sub control circuit 72 for electrically controlling the pachislot machine 1 are provided above the interior of the pachislot machine 1. Below the main control circuit 71 and the sub control circuit 72, three reels 3L, 3C, 3R having a symbol row drawn on the outer peripheral surface are provided in a horizontal row so as to be freely rotatable. Further, below the three reels 3L, 3C, 3R, a hopper 40 is provided as a game medium payout means for storing and paying out medals.

  A first discharge port 60 is provided in front of the hopper 40. The medals accommodated in the hopper 40 are discharged from the first discharge port 60. Further, a second discharge port 62 for receiving medals discharged from the first discharge port 60 is provided on the back side of the front door 28b. When the medal discharged from the first discharge port 60 is received by the second discharge port 62, it passes through the chute 64 and is paid out from the medal payout port 15 provided on the front side of the front door 28b. Can be stored.

  A power supply box 66 is placed on the left side of the hopper 40. The power supply box 66 is provided with various switches including an error reset switch 68. The error reset switch 68 is a switch that is operated when the cause of the malfunction related to the payout of medals by the hopper 40 is removed.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG.3 (b), the fan 120 which ventilates air from the front to the back is provided in the bottom part of the hopper 40 as a ventilation means. Further, an exhaust port 150 for discharging the air inside the cabinet 2 blown by the fan 120 to the outside is provided at a position on the back surface of the fan 120 in the lower part of the casing 28a, and air from the outside is provided on the upper surface of the casing 28a. An intake port 160 for intake is provided. When the fan 120 rotates, an air flow as indicated by a streamline C is generated inside the cabinet 2. That is, as the fan 120 rotates, the air that has entered the interior of the cabinet 2 through the intake port 160 is lowered, sent from the front of the fan 120 to the rear, and discharged from the exhaust port 150 to the outside of the cabinet 2. Such an air flow releases heat generated from the main control circuit 71 and the sub control circuit 72 to the outside of the cabinet 2 and cools the inside of the cabinet 2. Note that meshes 150a and 160a are provided at the exhaust port 150 and the intake port 160, respectively, in order to prevent intrusion of foreign matter. In the present embodiment, the fan 120 and the hopper 40 are driven using a motor 130 (see FIG. 5) described later as a common drive source.

  Next, the configuration of the hopper 40 and the fan 120 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the hopper 40. The hopper 40 includes a main body 113 including a base 110, a rotating disk 111, and a cover 112, and a box-like bucket 115 that is attached to the cover 112 and accommodates a large amount of medals. The bucket 115 is detachably attached to the main body 113 via an attachment screw 116. A circular opening is formed at the bottom of the bucket 115, and the rotating disk 111 is disposed in this opening. A plurality of circular openings having a diameter slightly larger than the medal are formed in the rotating disk 111 at the same interval in the rotating direction of the rotating disk 111. The base 110 is composed of a frame whose upper part is inclined at an angle of 25 degrees from a horizontal plane, for example. A rotating disk 111 is provided on the upper part of the base 110, and a fan 120 is provided inside the frame of the base 110 so as to blow air from the front to the rear. Specifically, the fan 120 is arranged such that the direction of the rotation axis thereof coincides with the front-rear direction of the pachislot machine 1, and when rotating, the fan 120 sucks air from the front and exhausts it rearward.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a driving mechanism of the rotating disk 111 of the hopper 40 and the fan 120. This drive mechanism is disposed at the bottom of the hopper 40, the fan 120 is disposed on the front side (left side in the figure) of the pachi-slot machine 1, and the rotational surface of the rotating disk 111 is 25 degrees closer to the front side of the figure than the horizontal plane. Is inclined at an angle of For this reason, the rotating surface of the rotating disk 111 is parallel to the inclined upper surface of the base 110. In addition, a rotation shaft 140, which will be described later, is joined to the rotation center of the rotation disk 111 at an angle perpendicular to the rotation surface of the rotation disk 111, and the inclination of the rotation surface of the rotation disk 111 with respect to the horizontal plane is an umbrella described later. This is realized by meshing with the bevel gear 132 in a state where the rotation shaft of the gear 147 is inclined at an angle of 25 degrees toward the front side of the figure.

  An output shaft 131 of the motor 130 is provided with a bevel gear 132, and the bevel gear 132 meshes with the bevel gear 147 at an angle of 90 degrees. The bevel gear 147 is provided with one connector 145 of the one-way clutch 160 via a rotating shaft 146. In addition, the rotating disk 111 is provided with the other connector 144 of the one-way clutch 160 via a rotating shaft 140. A compression spring 143 is provided between a shaft support plate 141 that supports the rotation shaft 140 and the connector 144, and the shaft support plate 141 supports the rotation shaft 140 so as to be movable in the thrust direction. The connector 144 always abuts against the connector 145 by the urging force of the compression spring 143. 5 shows a state in which the compression spring 143 is compressed and the connector 144 is separated from the connector 145 for the sake of simplicity. Further, the shaft support plate 141 is fixed to the base 110.

  A one-way clutch 160 comprising a connector 144 and a connector 145 transmits rotation to the connector 144 when the connector 145 rotates in the rotation direction A, and transmits rotation to the connector 144 when the connector 145 rotates in the rotation direction B. 144 is not transmitted to 144. For this reason, when the motor 130 rotates in the rotation direction A, the connector 145 rotates in the rotation direction A and the rotating disk 111 is driven. When the motor 130 rotates in the rotation direction B, the connector 145 rotates in the rotation direction B and the rotating disk 111 is not driven.

  On the other hand, a bevel gear 128 meshes with the bevel gear 147 at an angle of 90 degrees, and the bevel gear 128 is provided with one connector 126 of the one-way clutch 170 via a rotation shaft 127. In addition, the fan 120 is provided with the other connector 125 of the one-way clutch 170 via a rotating shaft 121. A compression spring 124 is provided between a shaft support plate 122 that supports the rotation shaft 121 and the connector 125, and the shaft support plate 122 supports the rotation shaft 121 so as to be movable in the thrust direction. The connector 125 always abuts against the connector 126 by the urging force of the compression spring 124. For the sake of simplicity, FIG. 5 shows a state in which the compression spring 124 is compressed and the connector 125 is separated from the connector 126. Further, the shaft support plate 141 is fixed to the base 110.

  The one-way clutch 170 including the connector 125 and the connector 126 transmits rotation to the connector 125 when the connector 126 rotates in the rotation direction B, and transmits rotation to the connector 125 when the connector 126 rotates in the rotation direction A. It is intended not to transmit to 125. For this reason, when the motor 130 rotates in the rotation direction B, the connector 126 rotates in the rotation direction B and the fan 120 is driven. At this time, an air flow is generated on the back surface of the fan 120 in the direction indicated by the arrow D. When the motor 130 rotates in the rotation direction A, the connector 126 rotates in the rotation direction A and the fan 120 is not driven.

  Therefore, when the motor 130 rotates in the rotation direction A, the rotating disk 111 is driven, and when the motor 130 rotates in the rotation direction B, the fan 120 is driven. The motor 130, the bevel gears 128, 132, 147 and the one-way clutches 160, 170 constitute drive means, and among these, the bevel gears 128, 132, 147 and the one-way clutches 160, 170 further constitute transmission means.

  6 is based on a main control circuit 71 for controlling game processing operations in the pachislot machine 1, peripheral devices (actuators) electrically connected to the main control circuit 71, and control signals transmitted from the main control circuit 71. A circuit configuration including a liquid crystal display device 5 and a sub-control circuit 72 for controlling the speakers 21L, 21R and the like is shown.

  The main control circuit 71 includes a microcomputer 30 disposed on a circuit board as a main component, and is added to a circuit for random number sampling. The microcomputer 30 includes a CPU 31 that performs a control operation according to a preset program, and a ROM 32 and a RAM 33 that are storage means.

  Connected to the CPU 31 are a clock pulse generation circuit 34 and a frequency divider 35 for generating a reference clock pulse, and a random number generator 36 and a sampling circuit 37 for generating a random number to be sampled.

  In addition, as a means for random number sampling, you may comprise so that random number sampling may be performed within the microcomputer 30, ie, on the operation program of CPU31. In that case, the random number generator 36 and the sampling circuit 37 can be omitted, or can be left as a backup for the random number sampling operation.

  In the ROM 32 of the microcomputer 30, a “probability lottery table”, which will be described later, used for determination of random number sampling performed each time the start lever 6 is operated (start operation), the reel stop mode is determined according to the stop button operation. For example, a “stop control table” (not shown) and various control signals (commands, signals) to be transmitted to the sub control circuit 72 are stored.

  The RAM 33 stores various information. For example, the extracted random number value, various flags (for example, BB operating flag, RB operating flag), medal credit number, gaming state information, and the like are stored.

  The main actuators whose operation is controlled by a control signal from the microcomputer 30 include a hopper 40 for storing medals and paying out a predetermined number of medals according to a command from the hopper drive circuit 41, a fan 120 for cooling the inside of the cabinet 2, In addition, there are stepping motors 49L, 49C, and 49R that rotationally drive the reels 3L, 3C, and 3R. Among these, the hopper 40 and the fan 120 are driven by the motor 130 controlled by the hopper drive circuit 41, and either the hopper 40 or the fan 120 is driven by switching the rotation direction of the motor 130. Is done.

  Further, a motor drive circuit 39 for driving and controlling the stepping motors 49L, 49C and 49R and a hopper drive circuit 41 for driving and controlling the hopper 40 are connected to the CPU 31. Each of these drive circuits receives a control signal such as a drive command output from the CPU 31, and controls the operation of each actuator.

  The main input signal generating means for generating an input signal necessary for the microcomputer 30 to generate a control signal includes a start switch 6S, a 1-BET switch 11, a 2-BET switch 12, a maximum BET switch 13, There are a C / P switch 14, a inserted medal sensor 22S, a reel stop signal circuit 46, a reel position detection circuit 50, and a payout completion signal circuit 51, which are also connected to the CPU 31.

  The start switch 6S detects the operation of the start lever 6, generates a start switch signal, and transmits the start switch signal to the CPU 31, and constitutes a game start command means. The inserted medal sensor 22 </ b> S detects a medal inserted into the medal slot 22.

  When the inserted medal sensor 22S detects a medal inserted into the medal slot 22, the CPU 31 counts this medal and credits up to 50 medals to the RAM 33. The CPU 31 is credited to the RAM 33. The medals are subtracted by the number corresponding to the operation of the 1-BET switch 11, the 2-BET switch 12, and the maximum BET switch 13, and the winning lines 8a to 8e to be activated are displayed by the BET lamps 9a, 9b, and 9c. It has become.

  The reel stop signal circuit 46 constitutes stop command means for generating a stop signal in response to the operation of each stop button 7L, 7C, 7R. The stop signal generated from the reel stop signal circuit 46 is transmitted to the CPU 31. It has become so.

  The reel position detection circuit 50 receives the pulse signal from the reel rotation sensor and supplies a signal for detecting the position of each reel 3L, 3C, 3R to the CPU 31. The payout completion signal circuit 51 generates a signal for detecting completion of the medal payout when the count value of the medal detection unit 40S (the number of medals paid out from the hopper 40) reaches the designated number data.

  The random number generator 36 generates random numbers belonging to a certain numerical range, and the sampling circuit 37 samples one random number at an appropriate timing after the start lever 6 is operated.

  The CPU 31 determines an internal winning combination based on a random number sampled based on a start signal output by the start switch 6S and a probability lottery table stored in the ROM 32 in a state where a medal is inserted. Thus, an internal winning combination determining means is configured.

  After the rotation of the reels 3L, 3C, 3R is started, the number of drive pulses supplied to each of the stepping motors 49L, 49C, 49R is counted, and the counted value is written in a predetermined area of the RAM 33. From the reels 3L, 3C, 3R, reset pulses are obtained every rotation, and these pulses are input to the CPU 31 via the reel position detection circuit 50.

  The count value of the drive pulse counted in the RAM 33 is cleared to “0” by the reset pulse thus obtained. As a result, the RAM 33 stores a count value corresponding to the rotation position within the range of one rotation for each of the reels 3L, 3C, and 3R.

  In order to associate the rotational positions of the reels 3L, 3C, and 3R with the symbols drawn on the outer peripheral surface of the reels, they are stored in the ROM 32 shown in FIG. In this symbol table, the code numbers sequentially given for each fixed rotation pitch of each of the reels 3L, 3C, and 3R with reference to the rotation position where the reset pulse is generated are provided corresponding to each code number. A symbol code indicating the displayed symbol is associated with the symbol.

  Furthermore, a winning symbol combination table (not shown) is stored in the ROM 32. In the winning symbol combination table, a winning symbol combination, a winning medal payout number, and a winning determination code representing the winning are associated with each other. The winning symbol combination table is referred to when the left reel 3L, the center reel 3C, and the right reel 3R are controlled to stop, and when the winning confirmation is made after all the reels 3L, 3C, and 3R are stopped.

  Based on the lottery process (probability lottery process) based on the random number sampling, the CPU 31 selects the reel stop signal sent from the reel stop signal circuit 46 at the timing when the player operates the stop buttons 7L, 7C, and 7R, and the selected one. Based on the “stop table”, a signal for controlling the reels 3L, 3C, 3R to stop is sent to the motor drive circuit 39.

  Further, when the winning mode is a winning mode indicating a winning combination, the CPU 31 supplies a payout control signal to the hopper driving circuit 41 and pays out a predetermined number of medals from the hopper 40. At this time, the medal detection unit 40S counts the number of medals to be paid out from the hopper 40, and when the count value reaches a designated number, a medal payout completion signal is input to the CPU 31. As a result, the CPU 31 stops driving the hopper 40 via the hopper drive circuit 41 and ends the “medal payout process”.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the sub control circuit 72. The sub control circuit 72 performs display control of the liquid crystal display device 5, lighting control of lamps and LEDs, and sound output control from the speakers 21 </ b> L and 21 </ b> R based on a control signal from the main control circuit 71.

  The sub control circuit 72 is configured on a circuit board different from the circuit board constituting the main control circuit 71, and includes a sound / lamp control circuit 73 and an image control circuit 80.

  The sound / lamp control circuit 73 has a serial port 77 connected to the serial port 81 of the image control circuit 80 and a sound / lamp control circuit that performs a control operation in accordance with a control signal transmitted from the main control circuit 71 via the serial ports 81 and 77. A lamp control CPU 74; a program ROM 75 storing a program for controlling the sound / lamp control CPU 74; a work RAM 76 as temporary storage means when the control program described above is executed by the sound / lamp control circuit 73; A power amplifier 79 and a sound source ROM 91 are provided.

  The sound / lamp control CPU 74 controls the lighting of the lamps such as the BET lamps 9a, 9b, 9c and the WIN lamp 17 based on the control signal from the main control circuit 71, the payout display unit 18, the credit display unit 19, and the bonus. Lighting control of LEDs such as the game information display unit 20 is performed.

  Further, the sound / lamp control CPU 74 is adapted to adjust the volume output from the speakers 21L and 21R by being operated by a volume adjustment unit 92 constituted by operation switches.

  On the other hand, the image control circuit 80 includes a serial port 81 for exchanging signals between the main control circuit 71 and the serial port 77, an image control CPU 82, an image control work RAM 83, an image control program ROM 84, a calendar IC 85, An image ROM 86, a video RAM 87, an image control IC 88, and a control RAM 89 are provided.

  The image control CPU 82 includes a computer that controls the entire image control circuit 80, and determines display contents on the liquid crystal display device 5 in accordance with an image control program stored in the image control program ROM 84 based on predetermined parameters.

  The image control program ROM 84 stores an image control program related to display on the liquid crystal display device 5 and various selection tables. The image control work RAM 83 stores temporary storage means when the image control CPU 82 executes the image control program. Configured as

  The image control IC 88 forms an image corresponding to the display contents determined by the image control CPU 82 and outputs the image to the liquid crystal display device 5. The control RAM 89 performs various controls when the image control IC 88 forms an image. Parameters are stored.

  The image ROM 86 stores dot data for forming an image, and the video RAM 87 is configured as a temporary storage unit when the image control IC 88 forms an image.

  The calendar IC 85 stores time information, and the calendar IC 85 and the image control work RAM 83 are targets for data backup even when the power is turned off.

  Next, control processing by the main control circuit 71 of the pachislot machine 1 will be described based on the flowcharts of FIGS. This flowchart shows a processing procedure executed by the control program stored in the ROM 32 and is executed by the CPU 31.

  First, the CPU 31 performs an initialization process at the start of the game (step S1). Specifically, initialization of the storage contents of the RAM 33, initialization of communication data, and the like are performed.

  Next, initialization processing for one game end, that is, information in a predetermined storage area of the RAM 33 at the end of the game is erased (step S2). Specifically, the data in the writable area of the RAM 33 used for the previous game is erased, the parameters necessary for the next game are written in the write area of the RAM 33, the start address of the sequence program of the next game is specified, etc. I do. Next, the CPU 31 performs a bonus operation monitoring process (step S3). Here, when the BB is in operation, the RB is also in operation.

  Next, a medal acceptance / start check process is performed (step S4). Specifically, information for determining whether or not a replay has been established in the previous game based on the replay operating flag, an input from the inserted medal sensor 22S based on the medal insertion into the medal insertion slot 22, and the BET switch 11, In response to inputs from 12 and 13, the insertion number counter set in the RAM 33 is updated. Here, the replay operating flag is information for identifying whether or not replay is established, and the inserted number counter is information for specifying the inserted number in the next game.

  In addition, the effective line is set according to the value of the insertion number counter. For example, if the inserted number counter is “3”, a display combination to be described later is determined based on a combination of symbols displayed on all active lines. Further, based on the operation of the start lever 6 on condition that a medal is inserted (for example, the inserted number counter is “1” or more, or the inserted number counter is the maximum value “3”). The presence of input from the start switch 6S is checked.

  Next, the CPU 31 performs a random value extraction process for internal lottery (step S5). In this random number extraction process, one random number value is extracted from the random number value in the range of “0 to 65535” generated by the random number generator 36 via the sampling circuit 37, and the extracted random number value is stored in the random number value in the RAM 33. Store in the storage area.

  Next, the CPU 31 performs a gaming state monitoring process (step S6). In this gaming state monitoring process, information for identifying the gaming state in the current game is set in the RAM 33 based on the BB operating flag, RB operating flag, or carryover combination information. Next, the CPU 31 performs an internal lottery process (step S7).

  In the internal lottery process, the internal lottery table determination table is referred to, and the number of lotteries and the type of the internal lottery table are determined based on the gaming state acquired in the gaming state monitoring process. For example, when the gaming state is the general gaming state, “5” is determined as the number of lotteries, and the internal lottery table for the general gaming state is determined as the internal lottery table.

  Next, with reference to the internal lottery table for the general gaming state, the current internal winning combination is determined based on the random value acquired by the random value extraction process (the random value stored in the random value storage area of the RAM 33). . Next, if the determined internal winning combination is a bonus, this bonus is set as a carryover combination in the carryover combination storage area of the RAM 33. Further, the logical sum of the current internal winning combination and the carryover combination determined above is determined as the winning combination.

  For example, if “Bell's small combination” is determined as the internal winning combination and “BB” is set as the carryover combination, “Bell's small combination” and “BB” are determined as the winning combinations. In other words, the internal winning combination and the carryover combination are information related to the determination of the display mode of the symbols when the reels are stopped, and are referred to as “winning combination”.

  Next, the CPU 31 transmits a “start command” to the sub control circuit 72 (step S8). The “start command” includes an internal winning combination, gaming state information, and the like.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time (for example, “4.1 seconds”) has elapsed since the start of the previous game (step S9). If the determination result is “YES”, a timer setting process ( The process proceeds to step S11). If “NO”, the process proceeds to a waiting time digestion process (step S10).

  In the waiting time digestion process (step S10), the game start waiting time is digested (wait) without performing the subsequent processes until the predetermined time has elapsed since the previous game started. Specifically, a process of invalidating an input based on an operation for starting the game of the player is performed until “4.1 seconds” have elapsed since the start of the previous game.

  Next, in the game monitoring timer setting process (step S11), the game monitoring timer is set. Specifically, an intergame monitoring timer and an automatic stop timer are set. The inter-game monitoring timer is a timer for measuring the time from the start of the game in order to secure the time between the games. The automatic stop timer is used for the player's stop buttons 7L, 7C, 7R. This is a timer for automatically stopping the reels 3L, 3C, 3R without depending on the stop operation.

  Subsequently, the CPU 31 requests the motor drive circuit 39 to start rotation of all reels (reels 3L, 3C, 3R) (step S12), and the motor drive circuit 39 sets all the reels (reels 3L, 3C, 3R). ).

  Next, a reel stop control process is performed (step S13). Specifically, when any one of the stop buttons 7L, 7C, and 7R is operated, the reels 3L, 3C, and 3R corresponding to the stop buttons 7L, 7C, and 7R that are stopped are stopped based on the stop table. . At this time, a “reel stop command” is transmitted to the sub-control circuit 72. The “reel stop command” includes stop reel, stop position information, and the like. Details of the reel stop control process will also be described later.

  When all the stop buttons 7L, 7C, and 7R are operated and all the reels 3L, 3C, and 3R are stopped, the display combination and the number of payouts are determined based on the symbol combination table (step S14). In this process, the display combination (the combination in which the winning combination is established) is identified on the basis of the pattern stop mode of the display windows 4L, 4C, 4R, and the display combination flag is set. Specifically, the display combination and the payout number are identified based on the code number of the symbols arranged along the active line, the symbol combination table, and the number of inserted symbols.

  Next, a display combination command is transmitted to the sub control circuit 72 (step S15). The “display combination command” includes information on a display combination flag for specifying a display combination, information on the number of payouts, and the like.

  Next, a medal payout process is performed (step S16). In this medal payout process, in the credit mode, the credit counter set in the RAM 33 is updated based on the payout number information. The value of the credit counter in the credit display unit 19 is displayed based on the update of the credit counter.

  In the payout mode, the hopper 40 is driven and controlled by the hopper drive circuit 41 to pay out medals based on the payout number information. If the display combination is replay, the CPU 31 sets the replay operating flag to “on”. Further, the CPU 31 updates the number of acquired medals. Thereafter, the CPU 31 transmits a payout end command to the sub control circuit 72. This payout end command includes information indicating that the payout of medals has been completed. In this medal payout process, as will be described later, a process of switching between driving of the hopper 40 and driving of the fan 120 is performed.

  Next, the CPU 31 updates the value of the bonus end number counter based on the payout number (step S17). Here, if the value of the bonus end number counter is “1” or more, the value of the counter is subtracted according to the number of medals paid out.

  Next, the CPU 31 refers to a predetermined storage area of the RAM 33 to check the BB operating flag and the RB operating flag (step S18), and if the BB operating flag or the RB operating flag is “ON”. Then, a bonus end check process is performed (step S19).

  If both the BB operating flag and the RB operating flag are “off” (determined in step S18), the bonus operation check process is performed (step S20) when the bonus end check process (step S19) ends.

  When the bonus operation check process (step S20) ends, the process returns to the one-game end initialization process (step S2 in FIG. 8).

  Next, details of the medal payout process performed in step S16 will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the CPU 31 stops driving the fan 120 (step S31). In this process, the CPU 31 sends a command to the hopper drive circuit 41 and stops the driving of the fan 120 by stopping the motor 130 that has been rotated in the rotation direction B.

  Next, the CPU 31 sets the payout waiting time timer to 1500.53 ms (step S32), and proceeds to step S33. The time set by the payout waiting time timer is a time used for determining an empty error. In step S33, the motor 130 is rotated in the rotation direction A to drive the rotating disk 111 of the hopper 40, and the process proceeds to step S34. In step S34, it is determined whether or not the medal has passed through the first discharge port 60 of the hopper 40. Specifically, it is determined whether or not a medal passage is detected by the medal detection unit 40S. When this determination is “YES”, the process proceeds to step S39, and when “NO”, the process proceeds to step S35.

  In step S35, the payout waiting time timer is subtracted and the process proceeds to step S36. Specifically, the subtraction is performed every 1.12 ms after setting the payout waiting time timer. In step S36, it is determined whether or not the payout waiting time timer is zero. When this determination is “YES”, the process proceeds to step S37, and when “NO”, the process returns to step S34. In step S37, the driving of the hopper 40 is stopped and the process proceeds to step S38. In step S38, error processing is performed, and the process returns to step S32.

  In step S39, a medal payout number check process is performed, and the process proceeds to step S40. Specifically, the payout number of medals is updated, and this payout number is displayed on the 7-segment LED of the payout display unit 18. In step S40, it is determined whether or not the payout of the number of medals to be paid out has been completed. When this determination is “YES”, the process proceeds to step S41, and when “NO”, the process returns to step S32. In step S41, the motor 130 rotating in the rotation direction A is stopped, the driving of the hopper 40 is stopped, and the process proceeds to step S42. In step S42, the motor 130 is rotated in the rotation direction B to start driving the fan 120 again, and the medal payout process is ended. As described above, in this embodiment, the motor 130 is normally rotated in the rotation direction B to drive the fan 120, and when the medal is paid out, the motor 130 is rotated in the rotation direction A opposite to the normal direction, thereby the hopper 40 is rotated. The rotating disk 111 is driven.

  Next, processing performed in the sub control circuit 72 will be described. In the sub control circuit 72, processing is performed by the image control CPU 82 in accordance with a control program stored in the image control program ROM 84. When the power is turned on, the image control CPU 82 generates a reset interrupt, and sequentially performs reset interrupt processing stored in the image control program ROM 84 based on the generation of the interrupt.

  FIG. 11 shows a flowchart of the reset interrupt process performed in the sub-control circuit 72 and will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 11, in the reset interrupt process performed in the sub-control circuit 72, first, the image control work RAM 83, the control RAM 89, the video RAM 87, etc. are initialized (step S51).

  Next, the image control CPU 82 performs input monitoring processing (step S52). In this input monitoring processing, processing for monitoring whether or not a signal is input to the image control circuit 80 is performed. For example, the image control CPU 82 determines presentation data (such as a menu screen) corresponding to the input of the operation unit if there is an input of the operation unit (not shown) except during the game (except during the rotation of the reel 3). To do.

  Next, the image control CPU 82 performs a command input process described later (step S53). In the command input process, the liquid crystal display device 5, LED (payout display unit 18, credit display unit 19, bonus game information display unit 20), lamp (BET lamps 9 a to 9 c, WIN lamp 17) according to each input command. The contents of the effect (that is, effect data) to be executed by the speakers 21L, 21R, etc. are determined.

  Next, the image control CPU 82 performs image drawing processing (step S54). In this image drawing process, a rendering image to be displayed is rendered based on the determined rendering data. Thereby, the image according to the determined effect data can be displayed on the liquid crystal display device 5.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the value of the VDP counter is “2” (step S55). The VDP counter is updated by a periodic signal reception process from the image control IC 88. This interrupt process is performed due to reception of a signal output from the image control IC 88 at a 1/60 sec cycle.

  That is, the value of the VDP counter is updated to “2” at a period of 1/30 sec. When determining that the value of the VDP counter is not “2”, the image control CPU 82 waits for the VDP counter to be updated to “2”.

  When determining that the value of the VDP counter is “2” in step S55, the image control CPU 82 sets “0” to the value of the VDP counter (step S56).

  Next, the image control CPU 82 transmits a bank switching command to the image control IC 88, performs a bank switching process, and exchanges the display image data area and the writing image data area (step S57). By this processing, it is possible to display the data that has been drawn, and to draw in the data area that has been displayed so far during the data display.

  If the data areas can be replaced, the process returns to the input monitoring process and the above processes (steps S52 to S57) are repeated.

  Thus, in this embodiment, since both the fan 120 and the rotating disk 111 of the hopper 40 are driven by one motor 130, the inside of the cabinet 2 can be cooled without increasing the manufacturing cost. .

  Further, in the present embodiment, by switching the rotation direction of the motor 130, the rotation of the motor 130 is rotated by the bevel gears 128, 132, 147 and the one-way clutches 160, 170 by either the fan 120 or the rotating disk 111 of the hopper 40. Therefore, both the fan 120 and the rotating disk 111 of the hopper 40 can be driven by one motor 130, and the inside of the cabinet 2 can be cooled without increasing the manufacturing cost.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the fan 120 is arranged at the bottom of the hopper 40 without newly creating a place for installing the fan 120, so that the space in the housing can be used effectively.

  In addition, you may comprise the output shaft 131 of the motor 130, and each rotating shaft 121, 127, 140, 146 from elastic bodies, such as a flexible cable. In that case, since the transmission direction of the driving force can be set flexibly, the degree of freedom in the arrangement and posture of the motor 130, the rotating disk 111, and the fan 120 can be increased.

  Further, in this embodiment, the gaming machine is applied to the pachislot machine 1, but can also be applied to a pachinko gaming machine. When the present invention is applied to a pachinko gaming machine, for example, a motor that rotates only when winning a prize may be used for driving a fan when there is no winning.

The perspective view which shows the external appearance of the pachislot machine of one embodiment of this invention The figure which shows the arrangement | sequence of the pattern of the pachislot machine of one embodiment of this invention (A), (b) is a figure which shows the internal structure of the cabinet of the pachislot machine of one embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the structure of the hopper of the pachislot of one embodiment of this invention The figure which shows the drive mechanism of the hopper and fan of the pachi-slot machine of one embodiment of this invention The block diagram which shows the structure of the main control circuit of the pachislot machine of one embodiment of this invention The block diagram which shows the structure of the sub control circuit of the pachi-slot machine of one embodiment of this invention The main flowchart showing the process by the main control circuit of the pachislot machine of one embodiment of this invention Main flowchart following FIG. The flowchart showing the medal payout process by the main control circuit of the pachi-slot machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart of the reset interruption process showing the process by the sub control circuit of the pachislot machine of one embodiment of this invention

Explanation of symbols

1 Pachislot machine (game machine)
2 Cabinet (housing)
40 Hopper (game media payout means)
111 rotating disc (game media payout means)
120 fans (air blowing means)
128, 132, 147 bevel gear (drive means, transmission means)
130 Motor (drive means)
160, 170 One-way clutch (drive means, transmission means)

Claims (3)

A housing,
Game medium payout means for storing and paying out game media;
A gaming machine comprising air blowing means for generating an air flow inside the housing,
A gaming machine comprising driving means for driving both the game medium payout means and the air blowing means. The drive means includes a motor and a transmission means for transmitting the rotation of the motor,
The transmission means transmits the rotation of the motor to the game medium payout means when the motor rotates in a first rotation direction, and the motor rotates in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction. 2. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the rotation of the motor is transmitted to the blower.   The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the blower unit is disposed at a bottom portion of the game medium payout unit.

Images