JP2008237823A - Pachinko machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent players' confusion caused when no game ball is shot however shooting operations may be done upon the stoppage of the drive of a shooter. <P>SOLUTION: A shooting path 32 is provided with a stopper 34 and open/close doors 36 and 38. The stopper 34 is moved between the protruding position of being inserted into the shooting path 32 and the retreating position of being treated outside the shooting path 32, wherein the protruding position bounces back the game balls to the open/close doors 36 and 38; and the retreating position allows the passage of the game balls. The open/close doors 36 and 38 are moved between the closing position of closing the inlet 52 of a recovery path 50 for the recovery of the game balls and the opening position of opening the inlet 52. While it is determined that the game can not operate normally, a CPU 66 sets the stopper 34 to the protruding position and the open/close doors 36 and 38 to the opening position. In addition, while it is determined that the game operates normally, the CPU 66 sets the stopper 34 to the retreating position and the open/close doors 36 and 38 to the closing position. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a pachinko machine installed in a game hall such as a pachinko parlor.

  Pachinko machines are provided with a launching device that launches game balls toward the game area, a liquid crystal monitor that displays various effects, and the like. Each part of the pachinko machine is activated when the power of the pachinko machine is turned on. However, each part of the pachinko machine does not complete activation at the same time. For example, the launching apparatus completes activation earlier than the liquid crystal monitor. For this reason, even if a game ball is launched into the game area immediately after the activation of the launching device, there is a problem that the effect display on the liquid crystal monitor is not performed.

By the way, the following Patent Document 1 describes a device that stops the driving of the launching device when the power is turned off, and the following Patent Document 2 describes a device that stops the driving of the launching device when an error occurs. Are listed. By applying these conventional technologies and stopping the driving of the launching device until normal games can be performed, it is possible to prevent the problem that the effect display on the liquid crystal monitor is not performed even if the game ball is launched into the game area. .
JP 2005-92640 A JP 2006-6983 A

  However, if the driving of the launching device is stopped, the game ball is not fired despite the launching operation, and the player is confused.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above background, and an object thereof is to provide a pachinko machine that does not confuse a player.

  In order to achieve the above object, a pachinko machine according to the present invention includes a launching device that launches a game ball in response to a launching operation, and a launching passage that guides the game ball launched by the launching device to a game area. , And moves between a projecting position at which the game ball that has been inserted and collided rebounds toward the side wall of the launch passage and a retreat position that retreats out of the launch passage and allows the game ball to pass. And an entrance that penetrates the side wall is provided at a rebound destination of the game ball that collides with the stopper at the protruding position, and a collection passage for collecting the game ball rebounded by the stopper, and the entrance is opened. An open / close member that moves between an open position and a closed position that closes the entrance, a determination unit that determines whether or not the pachinko machine is in a playable state in which a normal game can be played, and a playable state When the determination is made, the stopper is moved to the retracted position, the opening / closing member is moved to the closed position, and the stopper is protruded when it is determined that the game is not possible. And a control means for moving the opening / closing member to the open position.

  In the vicinity of the entrance, it is preferable to provide a backflow prevention means for preventing the game ball that has passed through the entrance from flowing back to the launch passage.

  In the pachinko machine of the present invention, the stopper is set at the protruding position when normal games cannot be performed, such as when an error has occurred or when the LCD monitor has not started up. The game ball is not launched into the game area. At this time, the game ball is launched from the launch device in accordance with the launch operation, so that the player is not confused.

  Furthermore, when the stopper is moved to the protruding position, the entrance of the collection passage is opened, and the game ball colliding with the stopper is bounced back toward the entrance of the collection passage, so the game ball is bounced back so as to flow backward in the launch passage. Compared to the case, it is possible to prevent clogging of the ball in the launch passage. Further, if a backflow prevention valve for preventing the game ball entering the collection passage from flowing back to the launch passage is provided, it is possible to more reliably prevent clogging of the ball.

  1 and 2, the pachinko machine 10 has a game board 12 disposed behind a transparent glass plate 11. A resin frame 14 made of resin is attached to the front surface of the game board 12 by locking with a lever 16. A game area 18 is formed inside the resin frame 14. The game area 18 is provided with various winning holes 20, a center accessory 22, and game nails that change the falling direction of the game ball. A liquid crystal monitor 24 is incorporated in the center accessory 22. The liquid crystal monitor 24 displays various effects and lottery results indicating whether or not to shift to a hit mode that is advantageous to the player.

  A launch handle 26 is provided at the bottom of the pachinko machine 10. When the player rotates the launch handle 26, the launch device 28 incorporated in the pachinko machine 10 is operated, and the game balls are launched one by one by the swing of the knock arm 30 of the launch device 28. The launched game ball is guided to the upper part of the game area 18 by a launch passage 32 provided so as to pass through the side of the game area 18.

  As shown in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B, a stopper 34 and a pair of opening / closing doors (opening / closing members) 36 and 38 are provided in the vicinity of the outlet of the firing passage 32. As shown in FIG. 4A, the stopper 34 protrudes forward from the opening 12a provided in the game board 12 to block the passage of the game ball, and as shown in FIG. It is movable between a retreat position (position shown in FIG. 3 (B)) that retreats outside the launch passage 32 and allows the game ball to pass so that the end surface on the 11th side becomes the same height as the surface of the game board 12. Is provided. The stopper 34 is inclined with respect to the launch passage 32 at the downstream end face of the launch passage 32 so that the game ball that has collided at the projecting position rebounds toward the open / close doors 36 and 38.

  The stopper 34 is driven by a stopper driving mechanism 40. As the stopper driving mechanism 40, a known mechanism including a solenoid or a motor for moving the plunger by energization is used. Then, the stopper driving mechanism 40 moves the stopper 34 between the protruding position and the retracted position.

  As shown in FIG. 3 (A), the open / close doors 36 and 38 are opened in the openings 12b and 12c (see FIG. 4) provided in the game board 12, and as shown in FIG. 3 (B). Further, it is provided so as to be movable between a closed position that protrudes forward from the openings 12 b and 12 c and constitutes a side wall of the launch passage 32.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the open / close doors 36 and 38 are connected behind the game board 12 and are driven by the door drive mechanism 42 to move together. As the door drive mechanism 42, a well-known mechanism including a solenoid and a motor is used. The door drive mechanism 42 moves the open / close doors 36 and 38 between the open position and the closed position.

  Returning to FIG. 3, a collection passage 50 for collecting game balls is provided on the side of the open / close doors 36, 38. When the open / close doors 36, 38 move to the open position, the entrance is opened. Thereby, the game ball can enter the collection passage 32. Further, when the open / close doors 36 and 38 move to the closed position, the inlet 52 of the recovery passage 50 is closed. As a result, the game ball cannot enter the collection passage 50.

  A leaf spring (backflow prevention means) 54 is arranged between the open / close doors 36 and 38 so as to close the inlet 52. The plate spring 54 has a fixed end 54 a on the upper end side and a free end 54 b on the lower end side, and the fixed end 54 a is fixed to the game board 12. The leaf spring 54 is formed such that the free end 54 b is positioned below the upper end portion 55 a of the side wall 55 of the launch passage 32 provided below the opening / closing door 36. By doing so, the leaf spring 54 is not elastically deformed toward the firing passage 32 but is elastically deformed only toward the collection passage 50. Thereby, the game ball can enter the collection passage 50 from the launch passage 32, but cannot flow backward from the collection passage 50 to the launch passage 32.

  In FIG. 5, a control board 64 is provided inside the pachinko machine 10. The control board 64 is provided with a CPU (control means) 66. The CPU 66 reads out the control program and various setting information stored in the ROM 68 to the RAM 70 which is a working memory, and drives and controls each part of the pachinko machine 10.

  Further, the CPU 66 is provided with a timer 72 and a determination unit (determination means) 74. The timer 72 measures the elapsed time from the power-on of the pachinko machine 10. When the elapsed time measured by the timer 72 exceeds the set time stored in the ROM 68, the determination unit 74 determines that the pachinko machine 10 is in a gameable state in which the game can be normally played, and the elapsed time is set to the set time. When it falls below, it determines with not being in a game possible state. In the present embodiment, “40 seconds”, which is the time from when the power of the pachinko machine 10 is turned on until the activation of the liquid crystal monitor 24 is completed, is stored in the ROM 68 as the set time.

  Then, the CPU 66 controls the stopper driving mechanism 60 and the door driving mechanism 62 to set the stopper 34 to the protruding position and set the open / close doors 36 and 38 to the open position while it is determined that the game is not possible. To do. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, when the power of the pachinko machine 10 is turned on, it is determined that the elapsed time is less than the set time and is not in a playable state. And the open / close doors 36 and 38 are moved to the open position (see FIG. 3A).

  Further, when the elapsed time from the power-on of the pachinko machine 10 exceeds the set time, that is, when the driving of the liquid crystal monitor 24 is completed, it is determined that the game is possible. At this time, the CPU 66 moves the stopper 34 to the retracted position and moves the open / close doors 36 and 38 to the closed position (see FIG. 3B).

  Thus, in the pachinko machine 10, the stopper 34 is set at the protruding position until the liquid crystal monitor 24 is driven, so that no game ball is launched into the game area 18. For this reason, there is no case where the effect display is not performed even though the game ball launched into the game area 18 wins. Even if the game ball is not launched into the game area 18, the game ball is launched in response to the player's launch operation, so that the player is not confused.

  Further, in the pachinko machine 10, the entrance 52 of the collection passage 50 is opened when the stopper 34 is in the projecting position so that the game ball bounced back by the stopper 34 enters the entrance 52. Clogging can be prevented. In addition, since the leaf spring 54 is provided at the entrance 52, the game ball that has entered the collection passage 50 does not flow backward into the launch passage 32.

  In the above embodiment, an example is described in which “40 seconds”, which is the time until the start of the liquid crystal monitor, is set as the set time from when the pachinko machine is powered on until the stopper is moved to the retracted position. However, this set time can be appropriately changed according to the specifications of the liquid crystal monitor.

  In the above embodiment, the stopper is moved to the protruding position when the power of the pachinko machine is turned on, and the stopper is moved to the retracted position when the set time has elapsed since the power is turned on. It is not limited to this. For example, the stopper may be moved to the protruding position when an operation to turn off the power of the pachinko machine is performed, and the stopper may be moved to the retracted position when a set time has elapsed since the power of the pachinko machine is turned on.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the example in which the game ball is not launched into the game area until the liquid crystal monitor is driven has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the game ball may not be launched into the game area until the activation of the control board is completed. In this case, the time from when the pachinko machine is turned on until the activation of the control board is measured in advance, and the measured time may be stored in the ROM as a set time.

  Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the example which switches the position of a stopper by whether it exceeds set time, this invention is not limited to this. For example, when the activation of the liquid crystal monitor is completed, the liquid crystal monitor may output an activation completion signal indicating this to the CPU, and when the CPU receives the activation completion signal, the stopper may be moved to the retracted position. Of course, components other than the liquid crystal monitor may output a start completion signal when the start is completed, and the stopper may be moved to the retracted position when the start completion signal is received. Also, security measures such as encrypting and transmitting the activation completion signal may be taken.

  Some pachinko machines include a sub-control board for controlling the launching device and the liquid crystal monitor separately from the control board (main control board) described above. In such a pachinko machine, the position of the stopper may be controlled by the sub control board.

  In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the stopper is moved to the protruding position when there is a part that has not been activated, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, since the pachinko machine cannot play a normal game even when an illegal act or error is detected, the stopper may be moved to the protruding position in such a case.

  Further, “not in a game-ready state” includes a case where a normal game is not executed or a normal game may not be executed when a game ball is fired into the game area. For this reason, in order to determine that the game is possible, it is necessary to eliminate all of a plurality of error factors (for example, clogged balls in the game area, illegal bending of game nails, malfunction of the control device, etc.). is there. Therefore, it is preferable that the CPU selects the time related to the error factors. Further, even if the time corresponding to the error factor is not stored in the ROM in advance, whether or not the error factor has been eliminated may be monitored by the CPU to determine whether or not the game is possible. Further, the time corresponding to the error factor may be read by the CPU from the ROM and stored in the RAM, and the monitoring may be performed based on the storage.

It is an external appearance perspective view of a pachinko machine. It is a front view of a game board. It is explanatory drawing showing a mode that a stopper and an opening-and-closing door move. It is sectional drawing of an opening-and-closing door. It is a block diagram of the mechanism which controls the position of a stopper and an opening-and-closing door. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure which switches the position of a stopper and an opening-and-closing door.

Explanation of symbols

10 Pachinko machine 12 Game board 18 Game area 24 Liquid crystal monitor 28 Launching device 32 Launching passage 34 Stopper 36, 38 Opening and closing door (opening and closing member)
40 Stopper Drive Mechanism 42 Door Drive Mechanism 50 Recovery Passage 52 Entrance 54 Leaf Spring (Backflow Prevention Means)
66 CPU (control means)
74 determination unit (determination means)

Claims (2)

In a pachinko machine comprising a launching device that launches a game ball in response to a launching operation, and a launching passage that guides the game ball launched by the launching device to the gaming area,
A stopper that is inserted between the launch passage and moves between a projecting position where the colliding game ball rebounds toward the side wall of the launch passage and a retreat position that retreats outside the launch passage and allows the game ball to pass. When,
An entrance penetrating the side wall is provided at the rebound destination of the game ball that has collided with the stopper at the protruding position, and a collection passage for collecting the game ball rebounded to the stopper;
An opening and closing member that moves between an open position for opening the inlet and a closed position for closing the inlet;
Determination means for determining whether or not the pachinko machine is in a playable state in which a normal game can be performed;
When it is determined that the game is possible, the stopper is moved to the retracted position, the opening / closing member is moved to the closed position, and it is determined that the game is not possible. And a control means for moving the stopper to the protruding position and moving the opening / closing member to the open position.   2. The pachinko machine according to claim 1, further comprising a backflow prevention means for preventing a game ball that has passed through the entrance from flowing back into the launch passage in the vicinity of the entrance.

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