JP2008212459A - Generator of game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a generator of a game machine, which is capable of sustaining and uplifting a player's interest in the play while the player is playing by making it difficult for the player to anticipate whether a game ball will enter a V-winning hole or not. <P>SOLUTION: The generator of the game machine has inner and outer rings which form an annular pathway surrounding a V-winning body with the V-winning hole at the apex. The generator guides a game ball entering the annular pathway, and moves the inner ring upward/downward to shoot up the winning game ball to be fitted into the V-winning hole. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an accessory provided in a gaming machine.

  As a gaming machine, a pachinko machine equipped with a so-called accessory is known and has the following configuration.

  A game board having a game area where a game by a game ball is developed is provided in the front, and a handle for adjusting the launch strength of the game ball into the game area and a tray for receiving the game ball are provided below the game board. It has been. The game area is surrounded by a guide rail, and has a center accessory at a substantially central portion thereof. A game nail, a windmill, a winning opening and the like are provided around the center character. Further, the gaming machine has a launch device at a predetermined position for launching a game ball into the game area by hitting. The launching device is generally installed in the vicinity of the saucer so as to sequentially receive the game balls delivered from the saucer via a simple rail structure. The game ball introduced into the launching device is launched at a speed corresponding to the launch strength adjusted by the handle, and flows down while dancing in the game area via a guide rail extending along the guide rail.

  When a game ball launched into the game area wins a specific winning opening, the entrance of the center bonus opens. When a game ball enters the center combination from the opened entrance, the game ball is distributed to the V winning opening or the exit by a distribution mechanism provided in the center combination. The V winning opening is a jackpot winning opening. When a game ball enters the V winning opening, a large number of winning balls are paid out to the player. Therefore, in order to attract the player's interest, various proposals have been made regarding the center character.

As a prior art document, for example, there is Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 includes a rotating body that has a plurality of holding portions for holding game balls and is movable up and down, and a winning portion that has a V winning opening and a normal winning opening, and is arranged so as to surround the rotating body. And an accessory comprising: The accessory disclosed in Patent Document 1 enables the game balls to be distributed by the rotating body by providing the rotating body, and can also be distributed by the winning portion. Therefore, it is possible to present the player with a more rich aspect of the progress until the big hit than the conventional gaming machine, and to make the player interested.
JP 2004-236838 A

  In the role described in Patent Document 1, the game ball guided to the rotating body is distributed to one of the holding portions, and when the rotating body descends to the height of the winning portion, the gaming ball is a V winning opening of the winning portion or the normal You will win one of the winning entries. As a result, a player who operates a pachinko machine equipped with such an accessory predicts a final allocation destination according to the position of the game ball on the rotating body when the game ball is introduced into the rotating body. Is possible.

  Therefore, if the player predicts that the position of the game ball on the rotating body provides a disadvantageous result for the player, the player's interest in the game ball distribution at an early stage before the final result of the distribution is obtained. It will be lost. As a result, the attractiveness to pachinko machines has been reduced.

  In the role described in Patent Document 1, the game ball is guided to the V winning port or the normal winning port of the winning part by the action of the rotating body while touching the bottom surface of the rotating body and the winning part. ing. In such a configuration, since the game ball is always in contact with the bottom surface of the rotating body or the like, the installation place of the V prize winning opening or the like is limited. Therefore, there is a limit to the variation of the overall structure of the accessory, and there is a problem that the conventional accessory is simply complicated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances as described above, and it is difficult to predict the result until the game ball wins a V, so that the player's interest in the game can be maintained and enhanced. The purpose is to provide a game machine.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, according to the present invention, there are provided an introduction unit for introducing a winning game ball, and an outer guide surface for guiding the game ball via the introduction unit. An outer peripheral ring on the top surface, an inner peripheral ring having an inner guide surface that can move up and down inside the outer peripheral ring and can guide the game ball on the top surface, and the inner ring is moved. And a positioning mechanism for flipping up the game ball when the game ball falls on the inner guide surface, and a gap larger than the diameter of the game ball inside the inner peripheral ring. And a V winning body having a V winning opening on the top for receiving a ball.

  The V prize body has, for example, at least one guide groove around the V prize opening. Further, the V winning body is rotatable, for example.

  For example, the inner ring has a gap larger than the diameter of the game ball between the outer ring and the outer ring. The accessory has elasticity, for example, on the inner guide surface of the inner ring.

  According to the game machine according to the present invention, the game ball guided from the introduction portion to the outer ring is dropped on the inner guide surface of the inner ring, and the dropped game ball collides with the inner guide surface, thereby winning the V prize. Since it is made to jump up toward the body, it becomes difficult to predict the result of whether or not the game ball wins V, and the player's interest during the game is maintained and raised.

  Hereinafter, a pachinko machine including an accessory as an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  As can be seen from FIG. 1, the pachinko machine 10 is provided with a main body frame 11 serving as a main body base, a game board 12 disposed inside the main body frame 11, and provided in front of the game board 12 with respect to the main body frame 11. And a front frame 13 that can be freely opened and closed. The game board 12 includes a game area 12a surrounded by guide rails 14 on the board surface, and a game ball is launched toward the game area 12a.

  A lower door frame 15 is provided below the front frame 13. The lower door frame 15 is provided with a receiving tray 15a for storing a game ball held by the player, and a handle 16 for controlling the launch of the game ball and the firing strength. The handle 16 is disposed on the right side of the pachinko machine 10 and protrudes from the surface height of the lower door frame 15 so that the player can easily grasp it. The handle 16 is provided with a contact detection sensor (not shown) that generates a contact signal in response to a human body touching the handle 16. The contact signal output from the contact detection sensor is input to a control device (not shown) provided on the back side of the pachinko machine 10.

  In addition, the handle 16 is provided with a launch adjustment unit 17 that is rotatable within a predetermined angle range. The launch adjusting unit 17 is an operation switch for driving a game ball launching device (not shown) provided on the back side of the pachinko machine 10, and the launch adjusting unit 17 is rotated clockwise from the reference position. The launching device is activated by damaging. The launch adjusting unit 17 is applied with an urging force in the counterclockwise direction by an elastic body such as a spring, and is positioned at the reference position in the standby state. The reference position refers to a position where the amount of rotation of the launch adjusting unit 17 is zero. When the launch adjusting unit 17 is located at such a position, the game ball is not launched into the game area 12 a of the game board 12. It has become.

  The game board 12 is provided with a large number of game nails (not shown) that change the flow direction of the game ball, and further, an accessory (not shown) such as a windmill is provided. In addition, an out port (not shown) for collecting game balls that have not won a prize is provided at the bottom of the game board 12.

  In addition, a center combination is provided in the approximate center of the game board 12, and for example, the center combination is a winning device 18 having a winning area such as a so-called special electric accessory. The winning device 18 includes a pair of blades 19a and 19b that distributes whether or not the game ball is allowed to pass into the mechanism, a distribution device 20 that distributes whether the game ball is V or not, and the main surface of the distribution device 20. Has an introduction path 21 for introducing game balls.

  The blades 19a and 19b may be opened and closed when triggered by passing through a starting port provided in the game board 12, that is, the chuckers 22a, 22b and 22c. For example, each chucker is provided with a passage detection sensor (not shown), and can transmit a ball detection signal of a game ball to a control device which will be described later. The control device receives a ball detection signal of the main chucker 22a. The blades 19a and 19b may be opened twice when received, and the blades 19a and 19b may be opened once when the ball detection signals of the sub chuckers 22b and 22c are received. When the blades 19a and 19b are in the open state, the game ball can be guided into the winning device 18.

  The game balls guided from the blades 19 a and 19 b to the winning device 18 are guided to the sorting device 20 through the introduction path 21. For example, the introduction path 21 extends from each of the blades 19 a and 19 b to the outer periphery of the upper main surface of the sorting device 20. In addition, the introduction path 21 is not limited to an independent path from each blade to the distribution device 20, and may have a structure in which game balls introduced from each blade are introduced to the distribution device 20 from the middle through the same route. .

  Further, a path (not shown) for discharging game balls that have passed through a gap and a V prize opening, which will be described later, to the outside of the pachinko machine 10 may be provided below the sorting device 20.

  Next, an example of the sorting device 20 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the sorting device 20 includes an outer ring 31 connected to the introduction path 21, an inner ring 32 movable up and down, and a V winning port 33 for V winning of a game ball. And a V winning body 35 having a guide groove 34, and a bottom plate 36 for fixing the outer ring 31 and the V winning body 35. The inner ring 32 is provided in an inner region of the outer ring 31 with a first gap 37 larger than the diameter of the game ball. The V winning body 35 is also provided in the inner region of the inner ring 32 with a second gap 38 similar to the first gap 37. For example, the first gap 37 and the second gap 38 may be about 1.1 times the diameter of the game ball because the game balls need not be sandwiched between the gaps. Further, in order to increase the probability that the game ball V wins, the outer ring 31 and the inner ring 32 are adjacent to each other (that is, the first gap 37 is eliminated), and any of the game balls guided to the winning device 18 has an inner circumference. You may make it reach to the ring 32. FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the outer peripheral ring 31 has a ring shape with a predetermined width and thickness. For example, in order to arrange the outer ring 31 in the winning device 18, the ring width of the outer ring 31 may be about ３ of the vertical width of the winning device 18.

  Further, the thickness of the outer ring 31 may be, for example, about twice that of the game ball because the game ball rotates on the top surface of the outer ring 31. The bottom surface of the outer peripheral ring 31 is fixed to the bottom plate 36. On the top surface of the outer peripheral ring 31, an outer guide surface 39 that is inclined downward toward the inner peripheral ring 32 side for guiding the game ball guided from the introduction path 21 to the inner peripheral ring 32 is provided. Rather than immediately guiding the game ball introduced into the outer ring 31 to the inner ring 32, the introduction path 21 introduces the game ball from the tangential direction of the outer ring 31 so as to rotate on the outer guide surface 39 for a certain period of time. It is good also as connecting with the outer periphery ring 31 so that it may. Further, a groove (not shown) may be provided on the outer guide surface 39 in order to rotate the game ball on the outer guide surface 39. Therefore, with the configuration of the outer guide surface 39 as described above, the game ball guided to the outer ring 31 is gradually guided to the inner ring 32 while rotating on the outer guide surface 39 of the outer ring 31. Become.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the inner peripheral ring 32 has a ring shape with a predetermined width and thickness, like the outer peripheral ring 31. As will be described later, the inner peripheral ring 31 jumps up the game ball falling from the outer peripheral ring 31, so that the width of the inner peripheral ring 32 is basically shorter than the width of the outer peripheral ring 31. Moreover, the thickness of the inner peripheral ring 32 is thinner than the thickness of the outer peripheral ring 31, and may be the same as the diameter of the game ball, for example. On the top surface of the inner ring 32, there is an inner guide surface 40 inclined downward toward the V winning body 35 side for guiding the game ball guided from the outer ring 31 to the V winning body 35 or the second gap 38. Is provided.

  The winning device 18 is provided with a positioning drive unit 41 as a mechanism for positioning the inner peripheral ring 32 in order to jump the game ball dropped from the outer peripheral ring 31 onto the V winning body 35. For example, the positioning drive unit 41 has a rack 41 a fixed to the inner peripheral ring 32. The rack 41a is moved up and down by the rotation of the pinion 41b engaged with itself. A positioning drive mechanism 41d is connected to the pinion 41b via a positioning drive rod 41c. For example, the positioning drive mechanism 41d may be a motor or the like. Accordingly, when the pinion 41b is rotated by the rotation of the positioning drive mechanism 41d, the rack 41a and the inner peripheral ring 32 are movable up and down. The vertical movement of the rack 41a and the inner peripheral ring 32 at this time is determined by the rotation direction of the positioning drive mechanism 41d. For example, when the rotation of the positioning drive mechanism 41d is a right rotation, the rack 41a and the inner ring 32 may be moved upward, and when the rotation is a left rotation, the rack 41a and the inner ring 32 may be moved downward. The rotation control of the positioning drive mechanism 41d may be performed by a drive signal sent from a control device described later, or a drive signal may be transmitted when the game ball is guided to the winning device 18. Further, the drive signal may be transmitted so that the inner ring 32 is always moved up and down at a constant cycle. In addition, the positioning drive part 41 is not restricted to two as FIG. 4, You may provide one or three or more.

  Moreover, the positioning drive part 41 is not restricted to the said structure, For example, it is good also as a structure which moves the inner peripheral ring 32 up and down by magnetic force using an electromagnet.

  By driving the positioning drive 41, the inner peripheral ring 32 can move up and down, and the game ball guided by the inner peripheral ring 32 is flipped up or jumped up toward the V winning body by the collision with the inner guide surface 40. Without being guided, it is guided to the second gap 38. Specifically, for example, when the inner peripheral ring 32 is moving upward, the game ball that has dropped from the outer peripheral ring 31 is likely to be splashed toward the V winning body 35. On the other hand, when the inner ring 32 is moving downward, the game ball dropped from the outer ring 31 can be guided to the second gap 38 without being spun up toward the V winning body 35. Increases nature.

  Further, the inner ring 32 may be moved to a position higher than the outer ring 31 by the driving of the positioning drive 41. When the inner ring 32 is positioned higher than the outer ring 31, the game ball falling from the outer ring 31 collides with the outer side surface of the inner ring 32. It will never reach.

  Further, the guide of the game ball to the V winning body 35 may be adjusted by providing an elastic body 42 on the inner guide surface 40 of the inner ring 32. For example, the elastic body 42 may use elastic rubber or the like.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, two protrusions 43 are provided on the inner side surface of the outer peripheral ring 31. The protrusion 43 is provided to protect the positioning drive 41 from a game ball that cannot reach the inner guide surface 40 and falls through the first gap 37. Therefore, it is desirable that the protrusion 43 is provided in the vicinity of the positioning drive 41 and has a size that does not contact the inner peripheral ring 32. Further, the number of protrusions 43 is not limited to two, and may be provided according to the number of positioning driving units 41.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the V winning body 35 has a columnar shape, and the main surface to which the game ball is guided has a shape in which the center portion is expanded. In the center of the main surface of the V winning body 35, a V winning opening 33 is provided. In addition, a V winning path 44 is provided inside the V winning body 35 for discharging a game ball that has won V from the V winning opening 33 to the outside of the V winning body 35. Further, the other end surface of the V winning body 35 is connected to a rotation drive mechanism 46 via a rotation drive rod 45. The rotation drive mechanism 46 is fixed to the bottom plate 36. Accordingly, the V winning body 35 rotates at the rotation cycle (for example, 1/10 second) of the rotation drive mechanism 46. Note that the V winning body 35 is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and may be other three-dimensional shapes (for example, a truncated cone shape or a rectangular parallelepiped shape). Further, the V winning body 35 may be directly fixed to the bottom plate 36 without rotating.

  Four guide grooves 34 extending from the outer periphery of the V winning body 35 to the V winning opening 33 are provided around the V winning opening 33. Accordingly, if the game ball moves on the guide groove 34 toward the V winning opening 33, the probability of reaching the V winning opening 33 increases. On the contrary, when moving on the route crossing the guide groove 34, the probability of reaching the V winning award 33 is lowered. As described above, since the V winning body 35 rotates at a predetermined rotation cycle, the position of the guide groove 34 with respect to the inner ring 32 always changes, and the guide groove that easily reaches the V winning opening 33. The route of 34 will always change. Therefore, whether or not to win a V is determined by the direction, height, and timing of jumping up by the inner ring 32 of the game ball. The guide groove 34 is not limited to the shape and quantity described above, and the shape and quantity of the guide groove 34 may be changed according to the winning probability to be set.

  When the game ball passes through the V winning opening 33, the V winning detection sensor 47 provided inside the V winning body 35 supplies a ball detection signal to a control device described later, and the control device specifies the advantageous for the player. The pachinko machine 10 is driven so that a gaming state (also referred to as a jackpot gaming state) is provided. Here, the specific game state refers to a state in which the pachinko machine 10 gives the player a chance to pay out a large amount of prize balls in a short time. For example, the game ball is opened and closed multiple times. Is in a state where it is easily guided into the winning device 18. When opening and closing the blades 19a and 19b, the control device supplies an opening and closing drive signal to a blade opening and closing mechanism (not shown).

  In addition, the bottom plate 36 is provided with a discharge port 48 for discharging the game ball to the outside of the sorting device 20, and the discharge port 48 is provided with a discharge detection sensor 49 for detecting the passage of the game ball. When the game balls that have fallen from the first gap 37 and the second gap 38 and the game balls that have won V pass through the discharge port 48, the discharge detection sensor 49 supplies a ball discharge detection signal to a control device described later, and the control device A payout signal is supplied to a payout device (not shown). The prize ball payout device pays out a predetermined number of prize balls to the player in response to the payout signal. Note that the number of the discharge ports 48 is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more.

  Next, the control device 50 of the pachinko machine 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 50 comprises a microcomputer or the like and controls the gaming operation of the gaming machine.

  The control device 50 receives a contact detection signal from a contact detection sensor 51 provided on the handle 16 and a signal indicating the operation status of the handle 16. The control device 50 drives the firing device 52 based on signals from the contact detection sensor 51 and the handle 16.

  When receiving the passage detection signal from the passage detection sensors 53a to 53c provided in each chucker, the control device 50 controls the blade opening / closing mechanism 54 to open and close the blades 19a and 19b a plurality of times.

  In addition, the control device 50 receives a V winning detection signal from the V winning detection sensor 47 that detects a jackpot. The control device 50 receives the V winning detection signal to detect that it is a big hit state, and in order to open and close the blades 19a and 19b a plurality of times in the same manner as when the game balls have passed through each chucker. The opening / closing mechanism 54 is controlled. Furthermore, when the game ball is discharged from the sorting device 20, the control device 50 receives a ball discharge detection signal from the discharge detection sensor 49. When receiving the discharge ball detection signal, the control device 50 performs control for paying out a prize ball from the prize ball payout device 55.

  The control device 50 performs drive control to control the vertical movement of the inner ring 32 and the rotation of the V winning body 35 by the positioning drive mechanism 41 d and the rotation drive mechanism 46. Further, the control device 50 controls the electric decoration device 56 such as a lamp in accordance with a change in the gaming state.

  As described above, the gaming machine accessory according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the outer ring, the inner ring that can be moved up and down, and the V winning body. By making it difficult to predict the result of whether or not to win the ball V, it is possible to maintain and enhance the player's interest.

1 is an external front view of a gaming machine including an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of a sorting device which is a part of the example of the present invention. It is a top view of the distribution apparatus which is 1 part of the Example of this invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the dashed line IV-IV in FIG. 3. It is a block diagram of a control device of a gaming machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

10 Pachinko machines (game machines)
12 gaming board 18 winning device 20 distribution device 21 introduction path 31 outer ring 32 inner ring 34 guide groove 35 V winning body 41 positioning drive unit

Claims (5)

A game machine,
An introductory part that introduces winning game balls;
An outer ring having an outer guide surface on the top surface for guiding the game ball via the introduction portion; and
An inner ring having an inner guide surface that is movable up and down inside the outer ring and that can guide the game ball on the top surface;
A positioning mechanism that moves the inner ring and flips the game ball when the game ball falls on the inner guide surface;
And a V winning body having a V winning opening at the top for receiving the game ball provided at a gap larger than the diameter of the game ball inside the inner ring.   2. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein the V winning body has at least one guide groove around the V winning opening.   The accessory according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inner ring has a gap larger than the diameter of the game ball between the outer ring and the outer ring.   The accessory according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an inner guide surface of the inner ring has elasticity.   3. The accessory according to claim 2, wherein the V winning body is rotatable.

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