JP2008229145A - Decorative device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a light emitting decorative unit which can be installed even in a place where it is difficult to provide a base and a lead wire in the vicinity. <P>SOLUTION: On the front surface side of a special winning port 6d, a flat decorative base 52 is arranged through a game ball passing space 56. Optical fibers 53a and 53b are housed at both ends of the decorative base 52, and light emitting diode units 54a and 54b are connected to the proximal ends of the respective optical fibers 53a and 53b. By lighting the light emitting diodes of the light emitting diode units 54a and 54b provided on the back surface side of a game board 3, the optical fibers 53a and 53b inside the decorative base 52 are lighted and the decorative base 52 emits light. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a decoration device, and more particularly, to a decoration device having a light source and a light emitting portion separately.

As is well known, in a pachinko game, when a pachinko ball wins in various winning holes provided in the game area of the gaming board surface provided in the gaming machine, a predetermined number of prize balls set in the winning hole. Is to be paid out. Further, in recent gaming machines, light emitting devices and sound devices for the purpose of production and notification are arranged in each part, and production that appeals to sight and hearing is performed at a predetermined timing.
Here, an effect device using a light emitting diode, a liquid crystal display device, or the like is used for an effect appealing to the eye. Since these devices are configured to be electrically driven, the element serving as the light source is provided on a wiring board or the like, and when disposed in a gaming machine, it is integrated with the board or lead wire or the like. Will be placed.
Therefore, the place where the light-emitting element can be provided is limited to the position where the base and the lead wire can be provided in a place where the light-emitting element cannot be visually recognized. As shown in Patent Document 2, the LED is provided inside the special prize opening.
JP 2003-117089 A JP2003-19296

  However, in the above conventional method, there is no place to hide the lead wire or the base on the decorative base material through which the game ball passes on the back side or the side surface of the gate, and it is not possible to directly provide the light emitting element. There is a problem that the part cannot be used as a notification part or a production member.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a decorative unit that emits light that can be installed even in a place where it is difficult to provide a base or a lead wire in the vicinity.

The present invention for solving the above problems has the following configuration.
(1) A decoration device provided in a ball game machine in which a game ball flows down in a game area,
A light-transmitting decorative substrate disposed in the gaming area;
An optical fiber housed in the decorative substrate;
A decoration device comprising a light source for supplying light into the optical fiber.

  (2) The decoration device according to (1), wherein the optical fiber is accommodated in a groove formed on the surface.

  (3) The decoration device according to (1) or (2), wherein the optical fiber is wired along a surface of a portion where the game ball does not contact.

  (4) The decoration device according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the decorative base material is a plate material, and an end surface thereof is an inclined surface.

  (5) The decoration device according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the light source is located outside the game area.

  (6) The decoration device according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the decoration device has a passage space through which a game ball can pass between the decoration base and the game board surface.

(7) Furthermore, an open state in which the opening / closing member supported so as to be swingable projects to the game board surface and opens the winning opening,
The opening / closing member swings between a closed state that closes the winning opening, and has an open / close-type passing port unit that guides a game ball dropped on the opening / closing member to the winning opening in the open state,
The decoration device according to (6), wherein the winning opening is located on the game board surface facing the decoration base material.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the side surface of the optical fiber is caused to emit light by supplying light from the light source to the optical fiber accommodated in the decorative base provided in the game area. Since the decorative base material has light transmittance, the light obtained from the optical fiber diffuses into the decorative base material, and the decorative base material itself changes to the emission color of the optical fiber. By changing the linear optical fiber into an arbitrary shape, it is possible to display a production shape such as a pattern, a character, or a figure having an outline of a desired shape with a single light source.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the optical fiber is accommodated in the groove formed on the surface, the optical fiber can be easily accommodated without the decorative base material, so that assembly is facilitated.
According to the third aspect of the invention, since the optical fiber is accommodated in the groove formed on the surface where the game ball does not contact, the optical fiber is prevented from being damaged by the contact of the game ball. Further, the trajectory of the game ball is not affected by contacting the game ball with which the optical fiber flows down.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the decorative base material is a plate material, the plate material can be light-decorated without providing a lead wire or a circuit of the light emitting element. In particular, it is particularly effective in an area where an arrangement space is decorated, such as a game area.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the light from the light source is guided to the portion accommodated in the decorative base material of the optical fiber, it is not necessary to provide the light source in the game area with a small arrangement area, By accommodating the optical fiber, a high rendering effect can be obtained within a limited area.

According to the invention described in claim 6, since the decorative base material can be formed in a plate shape, a passing space through which a game ball can pass can be provided between the decorative base material and the game board surface.
According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the prize opening provided with the opening / closing member can be illuminated with light from the optical fiber of the decorative base material, and can be raised more clearly, and the decorative base material can be lifted. It is possible to visually check the opening / closing of the winning opening and the falling of the game ball into the winning opening. As a result, the winning base and the game ball are visually recognized through the decorative substrate that emits light, and the effect of the light from the light source can be more effectively exhibited. Furthermore, a decoration effect can also be obtained by the decoration formed by the optical fiber.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a gaming machine according to the present embodiment. Hereinafter, in this specification, the side on which the player of the gaming machine is arranged is expressed as the front, the front, or the front side, and the opposite side to the arrangement position of the player is the back, the rear, or the rear side, and is shown in FIG. In the front view, the left-right direction is defined as the Y-axis direction, the front-rear direction is defined as the X-axis direction, the vertical direction is defined as the Z-axis direction, the right direction is the positive direction of the Y-axis direction, and the direction from the front side to the rear side Is defined as the positive direction of the X axis, and the direction downward in the vertical direction is defined as the positive direction of the Z axis.

In FIG. 1, a ball game machine 100 is for opening and closing mounted on a front surface of an outer frame 1 that is formed in an outer rectangular frame size and constitutes a vertically long fixed holding frame, and is formed in a rectangular frame size in accordance with the outer frame 1. The front frame 2 is provided.
The front frame 2 is attached to the outer frame 1 so as to be openable and closable by hinge fittings 3A and 3B attached to the front left and upper sides of the outer frame 1, and further, by a locking device 12 provided on the front right side of the outer frame 1. It is held in a closed state.
In the upper area of the front frame 2, a game board 3 is arranged. The game board 3 is a base plate made of a decorative board obtained by processing cells (bonding holes) by attaching cells to the back side of a laminated plywood having a predetermined thickness. Although not shown in the figure, a circular game area 6 defined by being surrounded by an annular guide rail is provided on the front side.

  The game area 6 is provided with a display portion 6a formed of a window portion in which a symbol variation display device 6j is installed as a display device in a substantially central portion. Around the display portion 6a, a decorative member 6B, a start winning port 6c, a special winning port 6d, and other winning ports 6k, 6m, 6n are arranged. An out port 6e for collecting the out ball is also provided at the lower part of the game area, and the out ball that has fallen without winning in the start winning port 6c or the special winning port 6d can be discharged from the back side of the game board 3 to the outside of the machine. It is like that.

In addition, a glass frame 70 having a transparent glass plate is provided on the upper front side of the front frame 2 so that the game board 3 can be visually recognized. The glass frame 70 can be opened and closed horizontally and is detachable. It is held in a closed state and covers the front surface of the game board 3.
A dish unit 701 is provided on a lower side of the front surface of the front frame 2 and below the glass frame 70 by being attached to a back plate (not shown) supported to be opened and closed by the front frame 2. The dish unit 701 is normally held in a closed state by a locking device (not shown). The dish unit 701 includes a ball storage unit 701a constituting a ball receiving tray, an ashtray 701b provided at the lower left front portion of the ball storage unit 701a, and a firing handle 701c provided at the lower right front part of the ball storage unit 701a. And a button 701d as an operation device.

Next, the special winning opening 6d and the decoration unit attached to the special winning opening 6d will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view showing the prize opening unit 4 having an opening / closing mechanism for the special prize opening 6d and the decoration unit 5, FIG. 3 is a plan view, and FIG. 4 is a front view.
The special winning opening 6d includes a passage opening 42 formed in the base plate 40 fixed to the board surface of the game board 3, and an opening / closing member 43 supported swingably on the lower end side of the passage opening 42. A housing 41 containing a drive device that opens and closes the member 43 is provided on the back side.

The opening / closing member 43 falls to the front side and protrudes on the game board surface, and swings between an open state in which the passage port 42 is opened and a closed state in which the passage port 42 is closed in a posture parallel to the game board surface. The swinging of the opening / closing member 43 is performed by a solenoid provided in the driving device 41.
In the open state of the opening / closing member 43 (indicated by an imaginary line in FIG. 6), when the game ball falls on the opening / closing member 43, the opening / closing member 43 guides the game ball into the passage opening 42 and provides it in the housing 41. A winning is detected by the special winning opening sensor 6ds.

  At both ends of the base plate 40, a normal symbol variation display device 264d and a special symbol display device 401 are provided. Further, a notch 402 is formed at the lower edge of the base plate 40 so as to overlap the out port 6e.

  A decoration unit 5 is provided on the front side of the special winning opening 6d. The decoration unit 5 is accommodated in a pair of support portions 51a and 51b provided outside both ends of the special prize opening 6d, a decoration base material 52 laid between the support portions 51a and 51b, and the decoration base material 52. Optical fibers 53a and 53b and light emitting diode units 54a and 54b. The pair of support portions 51a and 51b and the decorative base 52 are integrally formed of the same material, and the constituent material is a material that can transmit light, and is preferably a transparent or translucent material. Examples of the constituent material include resins such as polypolycarbonate, acrylic, and polyamide, or tempered glass.

  A groove 522 as an accommodating portion is formed on the front surface of the decorative substrate 52. Optical fibers 53 a and 53 b are accommodated in the groove 522. The optical fibers 53a and 53b have a double structure of a core called a core having a different refractive index and a sheath called a clad covering the core, and the core has a higher refractive index than the clad. The core is made of glass or plastic having a high light transmittance, and the cladding is made of a material that can transmit light. In particular, the optical fiber of the present embodiment uses plastic, for example, elastomer resin. By using an elastomer resin, the bendable range is expanded and a finer pattern can be drawn with an optical fiber. In addition, a light-emitting decorative part (with an optical fiber accommodated in a decorative substrate) is formed in a narrower area. Part) can be arranged. Furthermore, the range in which the light guide route from the light source to the decorative substrate 52 can also be selected is expanded. This is particularly useful for providing a light guide route in a ball game machine where ball guide paths and circuit boards are densely packed.

  The optical fibers 53a and 53b are configured such that the decorative base material emits light by light leaking from the side surface of the optical fiber, and a decorative effect by the light is obtained. Since the optical fibers 53a and 53b are accommodated in the decorative base material 52 instead of the surface of the decorative base material 52, the light leaked from the side surface of the optical fiber is easily incident on the decorative base material 52. The 52 light emitting modes can be represented to the player as if the decorative base material itself is emitting light. Since the decorative substrate 52 has a larger amount of light emission at the end surface than the light emission amount at the front and back surfaces, an inclined surface 521 is formed so that the player can easily see the end surface.

Next, the structure of the support parts 51a and 51b will be described. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional plan view of the support portion 51b. An insertion hole 511 through which the optical fiber 53b is inserted is formed in the support portion 51b in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction). One end of the insertion hole 511 is an opening in the groove 522, and the other end is in the base plate 40. Open to the opposite base end face.
A connecting portion 522h between the insertion hole 511 and the groove 522 is provided with a guide portion 512b on an arc so that the optical fiber 53b is smoothly curved and is not curved beyond an allowable range. The optical fiber 53b is further drawn out to the back side of the game board 3, and the light emitting diode unit 54b is connected to the base end face at an arbitrary position.

The light-emitting diode unit 54b includes a light-emitting diode, a housing member that houses the light-emitting diode, a connection portion that holds the end face of the optical fiber facing the light-emitting diode, a lead wire that supplies driving power to the light-emitting diode, and the like. ing.
Since the optical fiber 53b made of elastomer resin has sufficient flexibility, the optical fiber 53b can be pulled out to an arbitrary position on the back side of the game board 3, and the light emitting diode unit 54b can be fixed at an arbitrary posture in a desired position. it can.
The light emitting diode of the light emitting diode unit 54b may be a color changeable or a single color. The light source is not limited to a light emitting diode, and may be a light bulb, EL (electroluminescence), or the like.

In addition, about the support part 51a, since the same structure is arrange | positioned centering on the median line of the decoration base material 52 and the support part 51b, and the same structure is arrange | positioned at the line symmetrical position, the support part 51a and the light emitting diode unit 54a are arranged. Description of is omitted.
The base ends of the support portions 51a and 51b are fixed to the base plate 40 by screws that pass through the base plate 40 from the back side.
In addition, by including a diffusing agent in the material of the decorative base material 52, the amount of light that escapes from the front surface and the back surface of the decorative base material 52 can be increased.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a passage space 56 through which a game ball can pass is formed between the decoration base 52 and the special winning opening 6d of the decoration unit 5 configured as described above. According to the decoration unit 5 described above, the decoration base material 52 can be disposed in a very narrow space between the glass plate of the glass frame 70 located on the front side of the passage space 56 and the game area 6, and light emission The area where the decorative base material to be placed can be arranged can be expanded.

The decorative substrate may not be transparent. In this case, the configuration is such that the wiring position of the optical fiber is raised as a pattern as it is.
The optical fibers 53a and 53b are accommodated on the front side of the decorative base 52, that is, the surface on the side where the flowing game balls do not contact. For this reason, the trouble that a game ball contacts an optical fiber and an optical fiber is damaged is suppressed.
In addition, the trajectory of the game ball flowing down is designed in advance to take a predetermined trajectory by contacting a nail and an accessory arranged in the game area. By providing, it is possible to prevent the game ball from contacting the optical fiber and greatly affecting the design trajectory.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, as another configuration, the decorative base material 52 may be configured to overlap two sheets, and the accommodation base material 525 and the covering material 526 may be stacked. . The accommodation base material 525 and the covering material 526 may be materials having the same refractive index or materials having different refractive indexes. A groove 522 is formed in the housing substrate 525, and the optical fibers 53 a and 53 b are housed in the groove 522.
In addition, the insertion hole 511 may be formed only in one of the support portions 51a and 51b, and one optical fiber may be accommodated in the entire region of the groove 522 formed in a closed loop.

  Next, game control means for performing game control in this gaming machine will be described.

In FIG. 8, the game control means 200 is a means for comprehensively controlling the entire ball and ball game machine 100 including the progress and effects of the game. The game control means 200 includes a CPU that performs calculations, a ROM that stores programs necessary for the progress of the game, data for production, and the like, and data that is captured when the CPU performs various controls. RAM and the like that are temporarily stored. The game control means 200 is provided on a control board provided on the back side of the game board 3. Here, the game control means 200 is not limited to one control board, and may be provided over a plurality of control boards. In the present embodiment, the game control means 200 includes the following means.

(Winning ball detection means)
The winning ball detection means 21 detects a winning when a game ball wins the start winning port 6c and the special winning port 6d. The start winning opening 6c and the special winning opening 6d are respectively provided with a starting winning opening sensor 6cs and a special winning opening sensor 6ds, and are electrically connected to the winning ball detecting means 21, respectively.
(Lottery means)
The lottery means 22 performs a lottery regarding the stop symbol displayed on the symbol variation display device 6j which is a variable display means, on condition that the winning ball detecting means 21 detects the winning of the game ball to the start winning opening 6c. In this embodiment, (1) presence / absence of winning, (2) stop symbol after symbol variation display of symbol variation display device 6j, and (3) variation pattern during symbol variation display Make a lottery. The lottery means 22 includes a winning lottery means 22a, a stop symbol lottery means 22b, and a variation pattern lottery means 22c in order to perform these lotteries (1) to (3).

(Win lottery means)
In this embodiment, the winning lottery means 22a includes a winning determination random number generating means, a winning determination random number acquiring means, and a winning determination means.
The hit determination random number generating means generates a hit determination random number having a predetermined cycle (for example, a cycle of 0 to 65535 by a 16-bit random number) by a control program or the like. The hit determination random number obtaining means detects one hit determination random number among the hit determination random numbers generated by the hit determination random number generation means, at a predetermined time, in the present embodiment, a detection signal transmitted from the start winning opening sensor 6cs. Is acquired when the winning ball detecting means 21 receives the.
The winning determination means determines whether the winning is determined or not based on the winning determination random number acquired by the winning determination random number acquiring means.

When it is determined that the game is won, a command is sent to effect image control means 27 described later.

(Stop symbol lottery means)
The stop symbol lottery means 22b draws a stop symbol to be stopped and displayed on the symbol variation display device 6j based on the determination result of the hit determination means of the hit lottery means 22a.
(Variation pattern lottery means)
The fluctuation pattern lottery means 22c draws a fluctuation pattern of symbols to be displayed on the symbol fluctuation display device 6j.
Based on the determination result by the determination means of the winning determination means of the winning lottery means 22a, one of the variation patterns is selected with reference to the data table storing the variation patterns of a plurality of types of symbols.

(Design display control means)
The symbol display control means 23 performs symbol variation display and stop display of the symbol variation display device 6j on condition that the winning ball detection means 21 has received a detection signal due to the winning of a game ball in the start winning opening 6c. Is to control.
(Special game control means)
In the special game control means 24, the symbol in which the winning determination random number acquired by the winning determination random number acquiring means of the winning lottery means 22a is stopped and displayed by the winning symbol variation display device 6j becomes the winning symbol (for example, “777”). In the case of the game, the game is shifted to a special game, and the special game is executed until the end condition is satisfied. Here, “special game” means that a state in which a game ball is more likely to win than a normal game is created. Specifically, the special game port 6d is opened and a game ball can be easily received. This is a game that can be expected to win prize balls. When the special winning opening 6d is opened, the decoration pattern of the decoration unit 5 can be changed from the normal game state pattern. For example, the color of the light source is changed or the blinking interval is changed.

(Ball removal control means)
The ball carry-out control means 25 controls the drive of the ball carry-out device 25d for paying out a prize ball. As described above, when the winning ball detecting means 21 receives the detection signals from the start winning port sensor 57 and the special winning port sensor 6ds, the ball unloading device pays out the number of winning balls corresponding to the winning ball. 25d is controlled. When driven, the ball carry-out device 25d pays out the ball to the tray 701a of the ball game machine 1.
(Normal design control means)
The normal symbol control means 26 is for controlling the fluctuation display and stop display of the above-described normal symbol fluctuation display device 264d, and includes the following means.
(Entry detection means)
The incoming ball detecting means 262 detects when a game ball passes through the activated normal symbol starting port 6i.
When the game ball passes through the normal symbol start port 6i, a detection signal at that time is transmitted from the normal symbol start port sensor 6is to the ball detection means 262. When this detection signal is received, the incoming ball detecting means 262 detects that the game ball has passed through the normal symbol starting port 6i.

(Normal symbol lottery means)
The normal symbol lottery means 263 determines a symbol to be stopped and displayed on the normal symbol variation display device 264d by lottery on the condition that the game ball has passed through the valid normal symbol start port 6i.
The normal symbol lottery means 263 includes a hit determination random number generation means, a hit determination random value acquisition means, and a hit determination means, in the same manner as the above-described winning lottery means 22a.
(Normal design fluctuation control means)
When the game ball passes through the normal symbol variation port 6i, the normal symbol variation control means 264 performs the symbol variation display and stop display of the normal symbol variation display device 264d based on the lottery result of the normal symbol variation lottery means 263. Is to control.
The normal symbol fluctuation control means 264 changes the symbol of the normal symbol fluctuation display device 264d for a predetermined time, and finally stops the symbol determined by the normal symbol lottery means 263 on the normal symbol fluctuation display device 264d.

(Sphere guidance device control means)
The ball guidance device control means 265 controls the operation of the ball guidance device 265d based on the lottery result of the normal symbol lottery means 263. Specifically, when winning is made by lottery by the normal symbol lottery means 263, the ball guiding device 265d is controlled to operate. On the contrary, when the normal symbol lottery means 263 is not selected in the lottery, the ball guiding device 265 is not operated.

(Production image control means)
The effect image control means 27 controls the effect image displayed on the symbol variation display device 6j.
When the winning image selection means 22a receives a winning command, the effect image control means 27 selects and displays an effect image displayed on the symbol variation display device 6j.
The light emission pattern of the decoration unit 5 may be changed according to the selected effect image, and a color can be selected according to the effect image. For example, when the effect image is unified with a blue color, the decoration base 52 is colored with the same color, for example, the decoration base 52 is changed to the same color.

It is the whole bullet ball game machine which has a decoration unit of the present invention. It is a whole perspective view of the decoration unit of this invention. It is the whole decoration unit top view of the present invention. It is the whole decoration unit front view of the present invention. It is a cross-sectional top view of a support part. It is a cross-sectional side view of a decoration base material. It is a cross-sectional side view of a decoration base material which shows another structural example. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a game control means.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Ball game machine 1 Outer frame 12 Locking device 2 Front frame 3 Game board 3A, 3B Hinge bracket 5 Decoration unit 51 Support part 52 Decoration base material 53 Optical fiber 54 Light emitting diode unit 56 Passing space 6 Game area 6a Display part 6c Start prize 6d Special prize opening 70 Glass frame

Claims (7)

A decoration device provided in a ball game machine in which a game ball flows down in a game area,
A light-transmitting decorative substrate disposed in the gaming area;
An optical fiber housed in the decorative substrate;
A decoration device comprising a light source for supplying light into the optical fiber.   The decoration device according to claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is accommodated in a groove formed on a surface thereof.   The decoration device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the optical fiber is wired along a surface of a portion where the game ball does not contact.   The decoration device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the decorative base material is a plate material, and an end surface thereof is an inclined surface.   The decoration device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the light source is located outside the game area.   The decoration device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a passage space through which a game ball can pass between the decoration base and the game board surface. Furthermore, the open / close member supported so as to be swingable projects to the game board surface and opens the winning opening,
The opening / closing member swings between a closed state that closes the winning opening, and has an open / close-type passing port unit that guides a game ball dropped on the opening / closing member to the winning opening in the open state,
The decoration device according to claim 6, wherein the winning opening is located on a game board surface facing the decoration base material.

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