JP2008264203A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game machine having a novel mechanism for apportioning received game balls and capable of gradually varying a player's expectation by periodically changing a condition for game balls to be apportioned into a specific area. <P>SOLUTION: A game ball P1 received in a game ball inflow space 70 is supported from below by one of a first guide face 71, a second guide face 72 and a discharge guide face 73 formed as peripheral faces of a rotary body 52 facing a lower position at the time. The first guide face 71 exhibits the assisting action to retain the game ball P1 inside the game ball inflow space 70 while placed on the first guide face and to guide the following game ball P2 to the specific area 57. The second guide face 72 swiftly guides the game ball P1 to the specific area 57 and the discharge guide face 73 guides the game ball P to a non-specific area 58. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine that uses a game ball such as a pachinko machine, and more specifically, a launching unit that launches a game ball, a game area in which a game ball launched by the launching unit flows down, and the game A specific area that is provided in the area and generates a special game state advantageous to the player based on the passage of the game ball, a non-specific area that does not generate the special game state, and the received game ball is a specific area or a non-specific area The present invention relates to a gaming machine provided with a sorting device that sorts any of the above.

  In a game machine such as a pachinko machine that uses a game ball to play a game, for example, after the game ball is received in one of a plurality of ball receiving recesses formed in a rotating body that continuously rotates at a constant period, 2. Description of the Related Art A gaming machine including a sorting device that sorts into a region corresponding to each recess is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

  In addition, for example, a gaming machine including a sorting device that sorts a subsequent game ball into a predetermined area when the game ball is received in the ball receiving recess of the rotating body is also known (for example, Patent Document 3). ).

  There is also known a gaming machine including a sorting device that sorts subsequent game balls into different areas from the preceding game balls (for example, Patent Document 4).

JP-A 63-145687 JP-A-01-300973 JP2001-218902 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-1000024

  By the way, in the gaming machines described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, the game balls are received in the ball receiving recesses formed in the rotating body, and the gaming balls are also substantially circular with the rotation of the rotating body. It moves while drawing a trajectory, and flows into the inflow port corresponding to the distribution destination, but the target of distribution is limited to the game balls received in the ball receiving recess, and it is taken into any ball receiving recess This is only the player's concern, and once the accepted ball receiving recess is determined, the boring period of waiting for the defined result to occur while the game ball moves to the inlet Therefore, new interest cannot be obtained by moving the game ball.

  Furthermore, this rotating body functions as a transport means until the game ball is received and released, but if the game ball as loading or unloading is not reliably performed, Rotating speed of the rotating body to avoid the risk of the game ball not being accepted in the ball receiving recess as a sorting device, leaving the game ball, or leaving the game ball unacceptable Has a relatively slow speed, which not only gives a dull impression of lack of visual speed but also requires a long boring travel time from acceptance to release. Absent.

  In the gaming machine described in Patent Document 3, the subsequent ball after the game ball is taken into the ball receiving recess is distributed to a different area from the game ball taken into the ball receiving recess. However, a weight is placed on the game ball taken into the ball receiving recess, and the subsequent game ball is treated as an excess, and it does not create interest for the occurrence of the subsequent ball.

  Further, in the gaming machine described in Patent Document 4, different distribution destinations are provided depending on the order in which game balls flow in, such as the first, second, third, fourth and subsequent. However, the number assigned to a specific area is always fixed to the third, and there is no change in the number of game balls less than that. there were.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a novel configuration of a distribution mechanism that distributes received game balls to either a specific area or a non-specific area. Providing a gaming machine that can change the sense of expectation for inflowing into a specific area by changing the conditions that can be allocated to the specific area periodically by creating new interests. With the goal.

  To achieve the above object, in the invention of claim 1, a launching device for launching a game ball, and a game board on which a game area (game area 30) in which the game ball launched by the launching apparatus flows down is formed A variable winning device (large winning port B37) that is provided in the gaming area and facilitates winning of a game ball, and is associated with the start of operation of the variable winning device based on the passing of the game ball provided in the gaming region. A specific area (specific area 57) where the special gaming state is generated, a non-specific area (non-specific area 57) where the special gaming state is not generated, and an entrance (a big prize) which is provided in the gaming area and receives a game ball A gaming machine (pachinko) provided with a distribution device (center accessory 50) that includes a mouth B37) and distributes a game ball received from the receiving port to a specific area or a non-specific area In 1), the sorting device is capable of placing a game ball and has a guide surface (first guide surfaces 71, 81, second guide surface 72) that guides the placed game ball in a predetermined direction. 82, third guide surfaces 73, 83), a lower support guide member (rotating body 52) for supporting the game ball at a guide position below the receiving port and at a predetermined height position, A lower support guide member driving means (rotating body drive motor 55) that changes the height position of the guide surface of the lower support guide member with a predetermined periodicity, and a game ball that covers the lower support guide member and is received from the receiving port A cover member (transparent cover 53) that restricts rolling in the near direction of the player and a single game ball that can be dropped are provided, and the game ball is placed when the game ball is placed on the guide surface. Side wall that restricts rolling of game balls in the left-right direction A side wall 56), a left and right position defined by the side wall portion, an upper end position defined by the receiving port, and a lower end position defined by the guide surface. A game ball inflow space (game ball inflow space 70) facing the entrance of the specific region at a position, in which the lower support guide member driving means operates, and the guide surface has a first height. When the support is supported at the first guide position, the game game received from the receiving port into the game ball inflow space is placed on the guide surface without being guided to the specific area. When a subsequent game ball that is held in the game ball inflow space as a ball and is received from the reception port into the game ball inflow space falls on the placement game ball, the subsequent game ball is immediately Guide to a specific area Thus, when the lower support guide member driving means is operated and the guide surface is supported at a second guide position which is a height position higher than the first guide position, the game ball flows from the receiving port. The game ball received in the space is immediately guided to the specific area through the guide surface, the support guide member driving means is activated, and the guide surface is at a height position below the first guide position. When the game guide is supported at the discharge guide position, the game ball received from the receiving port into the game ball inflow space and the above-described placement game ball generated when supported at the first guide position are removed from the game ball inflow space. It discharges and it guides to the said non-specific area | region provided below the said specific area, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the lower support guide member is a rotating body that rotates on a plane parallel to the game board, and the guide surface at the first guide position (hereinafter referred to as the first guide surface). (First guide surfaces 71 and 81) and guide surfaces at the second guide position (hereinafter referred to as second guide surfaces) (second guide surfaces 72 and 82) and guide surfaces at the discharge guide position (hereinafter referred to as Discharge guide surfaces) (third guide surfaces 73 and 83) are configured to be provided on the peripheral surface of the rotating body, and the first guide surface is on the cover member side from the specific region side. The second guide surface is formed in a downward slope from the cover member side toward the specific region side, and the discharge guide surface is formed in the non-inclined direction from the cover member side. It is formed in the downward inclination toward the specific area | region side, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the rotating body includes the second guide surface rear end and the first guide surface front end, and the second guide surface front end and the first guide surface rear. A continuous guide surface that connects the end portions with smooth curved surfaces is formed, and the game balls placed on the second guide surface close to the specific area side are gradually moved toward the cover member by the continuous guide surface. It moves and it reserves on the said 1st guide surface, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the rotating body includes the second guide surface rear end (second guide surface rear end 721, 821) and the first guide surface front end (first guide surface front end). 712, 812), the second guide surface front end (second guide surface front end 722, 822) and the first guide surface rear end (first guide surface rear end 711, 811), respectively. A continuous guide surface connected by a smooth curved surface is formed, and the continuous guide surface moves the game ball placed close to the cover member side on the first guide surface gradually to the specific area side, It guides to the said specific area | region from the 2nd guide surface.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the cover member side front end position on the second guide surface of the rotating body is provided behind the cover member side front end position on the first guide surface. In the rotating body, a recess is formed in a range corresponding to the second guide surface, and the second guide surface range can be easily identified from the player by a decoration applied to the recess. It is characterized by that.

  In the invention according to claim 1, when the height position of the guide surface of the support guide member supports the first guide position, the game ball first received in the game ball inflow space remains placed on the guide surface. If the subsequent game ball falls while it is held and the placement game ball is held, that is, while the height position of the guide surface of the lower support guide member is still at the first guide position, the game When the ball is immediately guided to the specific area and the height of the guide surface of the support guide member is supported at the first guide position, the game ball received in the game ball inflow space is immediately guided to the specific area, and the support guide member When the height of the guide surface is at the discharge position, the game ball is guided only to the non-specific area, so not only whether or not the game ball is guided to the specific area, If the second ball or later Such as when it is 1 ball th sorting process can be diversified. In addition, since the height position of the guide surface of the support guide member changes with a predetermined periodicity, whether or not the number of game balls necessary to flow into the specific area becomes one or two balls is determined in the game ball inflow space. Since it is determined by the timing to be accepted, interest is gathered in the behavior of the game ball, and a different sense of expectation is generated depending on the support position of the support guide member, thereby enhancing the interest of the game.

  In addition, since the game ball is supported at the lower end position of the game ball inflow space, the player can easily look only at the limited space of a substantially vertical rectangular parallelepiped shape that is only slightly larger than the diameter of the game ball. The degree of expectation for the sorting result can be recognized. In addition, since the specific area faces the back of the game ball inflow space, even if the time for supporting the game ball is short, it can be quickly identified by taking advantage of the falling speed when it is accepted into the game ball inflow space. In addition, since the inlet width of the specific area can be maintained at the same width regardless of the height position of the support guide member, there is no fear that the ball engagement at the inlet of the specific area occurs.

  The lateral width of the game ball inflow space is defined by the side wall spacing, but the feeling of expectation differs slightly depending on how much the side wall spacing is made, and the placed game ball and the subsequent game ball become closer to the game ball diameter. The collision position is stabilized and a substantially constant guiding action is produced, but if the side wall interval is widened, the collision position shifts to the left and right, the flow direction may shift and the required time until inflow may slightly vary, These are items that are selected depending on what type of game the game is to be played, and the “interval at which one game ball can drop” is approximately 1.1 to 1.5 times the diameter of the game ball. Is preferred.

  In the invention of claim 2, the lower support guide member is a rotating body, and different types of guide surfaces having different guiding functions are provided on the peripheral surface of the rotating body, and the different types of guide surfaces are used. Thus, the relative size of each guide surface can be easily recognized by the player. For the player, it is a concern whether the accepted game ball flows into the specific area facing the game ball inflow space according to the rotation of the rotating body, but the required number of game balls is one or two. This makes it easy to determine the degree of expectation, since the timing and duration can be easily determined from the outer shape of the rotating body. Further, in order to flow into the specific area, the game ball only needs to move in the thickness direction on the peripheral surface of the rotating body, so that the moving distance is short and guidance can be performed in a short time. As a result, in the sorting using the conventional rotating body, the game ball received in the ball receiving recess is transferred to a predetermined communication hole as it rotates, so that the ball bites when entering and exiting the ball receiving recess. However, in this application, only the game ball placed on the peripheral surface is guided in a predetermined direction by the inclination of the peripheral surface, and the entrance width dimension of the guide destination does not change, so there is no concern about the ball biting and the rotational speed. For example, the rotational speed of a rotating body having a radius of about 40 mm has been conventionally set to about 6 RPM, but in the present application, it can be rotated at a much faster speed, for example, 25 RPM, and visually senses speed. Is completely different, and the guidance state changes periodically, so that there is an effect that a new interest can be created.

  In addition, when in the game ball inflow space, the first guide surface is formed with a downward slope from the specific area side toward the cover member side, so the first ball on the first guide surface is reserved 2 A guiding action for assisting inflow into the specific area after the ball can be more reliably exhibited. On the other hand, in the case of the second guide surface that guides from the first ball to the specific area, the first guide surface is formed so as to be inclined downward from the cover member side inclined to the specific area side. Thus, it is possible to guide to a specific area more reliably and more quickly. Also, the discharge guide surface is formed with a downward slope toward the non-specific region in the same manner as the second guide surface, and there is an effect that it can be promptly guided to the non-specific region.

  In the invention of claim 3, the number of game balls required to flow into the specific area is one ball following the second guide surface, and the required number of two first guide surfaces enter the game ball inflow space. For this reason, the second guide surface is unfortunately unsupported and originally intended to be guided to a specific area, but the first guide surface is supported without any guidance. The game ball that has not been guided remains in the game ball inflow space 70 while gradually shifting the placement position forward in the game ball inflow space 70 while being supported by the smooth continuous guide surface. If the subsequent game ball falls on the guide surface and is held as a game ball, the specific region will be assisted, so the guide surface following the second guide surface guides to the non-specific region. I missed the chance unfortunately compared to the case of the discharge guide. Of the the game balls can be utilized effectively, expectations for a specific area passage of the player also exhibits the effect of can be maintained until the first guide surface is completed.

  In the invention of claim 4, the number of game balls necessary to flow into the specific area is two first guide surfaces following the first guide surface of two balls, and the second guide surface of the required number of balls enters the game ball inflow space. When the first guide surface comes, the game ball, which can only assist the passing of the succeeding ball through the specific area as the placed game ball, is moved by the smooth continuous guide surface that continues from the first guide surface to the second guide surface. Since it is gradually brought closer to the specific area side and guided to the specific area, there is an effect that it is possible to make the passage on the specific area promised to be placed on the first guide surface.

  Since a special game state occurs based on the passage through the specific area, if the subsequent game ball falls during the period when the placed game ball is placed on the first guide surface, the first special game state occurs. Furthermore, since the placed game ball is also promised to pass through the specific area, the specific area passing that occurs later is stored, and after the first special gaming state is completed, the stored specific area passing is stored. Based on this, it can be said that the second special game state is generated, and the interest of the game can be enhanced.

In the invention of claim 5, the first guide surface and the second guide surface have different center positions for placing the game balls, and the second guide surface placed at a position closer to the specific area side is Since the thickness portion on the cover member side from the position in contact with the game ball in the thickness direction does not contribute to the guiding action at all, the portion is recessed to form a recess, and the second guide surface By providing decoration for differentiating the player, it is possible to easily identify from the player, and there is an effect that the portion that does not affect the operation is effectively used.

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

  FIG. 1 is a front view of a pachinko machine 1 as an example of a gaming machine that uses a game ball as viewed from the front. However, in FIG. 1, for the sake of convenience, the configuration in the game area formed on the game board surface shown in FIG.

  The pachinko machine 1 includes an outer frame 2 formed in a vertically long rectangle and an inner frame 3 attached to the outer frame 2 so as to be openable and closable. Furthermore, the inner frame 3 is composed of a plurality of layers, and includes a glass panel 4 and a bowl plate panel 5 on the upper and lower sides as a front side configuration, a game board storage frame (not shown) as a rear side configuration, and a game that is also not shown. A mechanism plate to which mechanism parts related to ball payout are attached is provided.

  The glass panel 4 is formed with a substantially elliptical opening window, and two glasses are detachably attached to the back of the opening window 6. The periphery of the opening window 6 is surrounded by a decorative portion 7 made of synthetic resin, and an effect LED and a speaker 8 are arranged inside the decorative portion 7. A ball tray 9 for storing a game ball to be launched is provided in the center of the ball tray panel 5, and a launch handle 10 for adjusting the launch force of a launcher (not shown) is provided at the lower right position. Yes.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration in the game area 30 formed on the game board surface. The game area 30 includes a normal symbol operating gate 31, a normal symbol display unit 32, a normal electric accessory 33, a special symbol start port 34, a special symbol display unit 35, a big winning port A 36, a big winning port B 37, and a normal symbol holding LED 38. A special symbol hold LED 39, a time reduction notification lamp 40, and a center accessory 50 are provided. The ordinary electric accessory 33 is provided with an operation function of the big prize opening B37 under a predetermined condition, and the variable prize that the big prize opening B37 starts to operate when a special gaming state based on the passage of the game ball is started. It becomes a device.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the center accessory 50 as a sorting device of the present invention includes a center base plate 51, a rotating body 52, a transparent cover 53, a motor mounting plate 54 (see FIG. 5), and a rotating body drive motor 55 ( 5), the above-described normal symbol operation gate 31, large winning opening B37, warp opening 41 and the like are assembled, and the center base plate 51 has a pair of left and right side walls at a position directly below the large winning opening B37. 56 is formed, and a specific area 57 and a non-specific area 58 are provided therein as described in detail in the main part of the present application.

  In addition, the game balls flowing down the game area 30 are taken in from the warp ports 41 provided on the left and right sides of the center object 50, rolled on the stage 60 provided below, and then played again from the stage hole 61 at the lower center. Returning to the region 30 increases the possibility of winning a special symbol starting port 34 provided below the stage hole 61.

  Next, the outline of the game in the first embodiment will be described. The gaming state is roughly divided into a normal gaming state, a short-time gaming state, and a jackpot gaming state. The normal gaming state and the short-time gaming state are named by the difference in operating time length between the special symbol display unit 35 and the normal symbol display unit 32, but the short-time gaming state is a normal symbol display compared to the normal gaming state. Since the operation time of the unit 32 is shortened and the operation time of the ordinary electric accessory 33 is extended, the number of game balls to be awarded to the big winning opening B37 is increased as a result, so that the specific region 57 inside the center accessory 50 is increased. When the game ball passes through the specific area 57, the jackpot 2 which is one of the special game states is started as described later, so that the player is more than the normal game state. A gaming state in which a sense of expectation for the special gaming state is obtained.

  The jackpot gaming state is a state in which the grand prize winning opening A36 or the big winning prize opening B37 is opened, and in each of the big winning prize opening A36 and the big winning prize opening B37, 15 prize balls are paid out for one winning. Therefore, a large amount of prize balls can be obtained in a short period of time, and a special gaming state advantageous to the player is achieved. The jackpot operation in which the big winning opening A36 is opened is assumed to be a jackpot 1, and the jackpot operation in which the big winning opening B37 is opened is set to two.

  The explanation starts from the normal gaming state. When the game ball wins the special symbol start port 34, the special symbol display unit 35 starts to change, and in a variation mode determined according to the jackpot determination result based on the winning to the special symbol start port 34, for example, an average of 10 seconds. After the display of the fluctuation of the degree, the stop symbol determined in accordance with the jackpot determination result is displayed. If a game ball is newly won at the special symbol start opening 34 during the variation display, the variation start is suspended with the upper limit being four, and the number of retained balls is displayed by the number of lighting of the special symbol hold LED 39.

  If the stop symbol of the special symbol display unit 35 is a lost symbol, a new variation is started due to the presence of a special symbol holding ball or the occurrence of a winning game ball at the new special symbol start port 34. The

  If the stop symbol of the special symbol display unit 35 is a non-short-time symbol among the jackpot symbols, the jackpot 1 starts operating and shifts to the jackpot gaming state. When the jackpot 1 starts operating, the big winning opening A36 is opened round. The round opening of the big winning opening A36 is, for example, a predetermined interval time for which the nine winning balls are won or until the opening time of 14 seconds expires, and the big winning opening A36 is once closed. Repeat 16 times. After the operation of jackpot 1 with the non-short-time symbol, the normal game state is restored.

  If the stop symbol of the special symbol display unit 35 is a short-time symbol out of the jackpot symbol, the same jackpot 1 as in the case of the non-short-time symbol starts to operate and shifts to a so-called one-type jackpot gaming state. The winning opening A36 is opened, but when the opening of 16 rounds of the large winning opening A36 is finished, the number of operations in the special symbol display unit 35 is finished 100 times instead of the normal gaming state, or the jackpot 1 or jackpot 2 It will shift to the short-time gaming state until the operation starts. In the short-time gaming state, the short-time notification lamp 40 is turned on to notify the state.

  In the short-time gaming state, the operation time of the special symbol display unit 35 is reduced to, for example, 0.5 seconds on average, and the operation time of the normal symbol display unit 32 is also reduced from, for example, 3.2 seconds to 1.5 seconds. Particularly noteworthy is that since the normal symbol hit probability is set to 210/233, when the normal symbol display unit 32 starts to operate, a hit generally occurs and the normal electric accessory 33 operates. Since the operation time is extended from, for example, 0.2 seconds to 5.5 seconds, it is possible to reliably expect a winning game ball each time the ordinary electric accessory 33 is operated. Since the ordinary electric accessory 33 is provided with a function as an opening opportunity for the special winning opening B37, if the game ball is passed through the normal symbol operating gate 31 as a result in the short-time game state, about 90% in this case. The special winning opening B37 is opened with probability.

  When the game ball that has won the big prize opening B37 passes through the specific area 57, the jackpot 2 starts to operate and shifts to a so-called two-type jackpot gaming state, and the big prize opening A36 is opened. Because the jackpot 2 in the short-time gaming state is almost promised, the expectation that a jackpot 2 will also increase if a jackpot 1 occurs, and the opportunity to open the big prize opening B37 is established frequently as described above Therefore, it is highly possible that jackpot 2 will occur immediately after jackpot 1 ends. Further, when the opening of 10 rounds by jackpot 2 ends, the number of operations in the special symbol display unit 35 ends 20 times, or until the jackpot 1 or jackpot 2 starts operating, the state shifts to the short-time gaming state. In other words, the duration of the short-time gaming state is shorter than after the end of jackpot 1, but fortunately, if the game ball that won the big prize opening B37 passes through the specific area 57, the jackpot 2 repeatedly operates in a short time Thus, a continuous jackpot gaming state will occur, and it will be extremely noticeable to the player whether or not the game balls won in the big prize opening B37 will be distributed to the specific area 57.

  Hereinafter, the distribution process of the game balls won in the big winning opening B37 of the main part of the present application will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5 to FIG. 6, the game balls picked up by the opening / closing blades 65, 65 of the special winning opening B 37 fall straight down between the opening / closing blades 65, 65, After being detected by the switch 66, it is guided onto the peripheral surface of the rotating body 52 that continues to rotate at, for example, 20 rpm while the lateral blur is restricted by the side wall 56 formed on the center base plate 51.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a second guide surface 72, a first guide surface 71, and a discharge guide surface 73 having different distances from the rotation center are provided on the peripheral surface of the rotating body 52 that rotates clockwise. 72-discharge guide surface 73-first guide surface 71-discharge guide surface 73 are provided in the order of rotation angles of about 26 °, about 58 °, about 218 °, and about 58 °. The guide surface 71 is the circular arc surface having the largest diameter, and the discharge guide surface 73 is the circular arc surface having the smallest diameter. In FIG. 4, a step 713 to be described later is omitted for convenience.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the first guide surface 71 of the rotating body 52 is formed such that the diameter of the first guide surface front end 712 is smaller than the first guide surface rear end 711. The inclined surface in the vicinity of the front surface end 712 is formed as an inclined surface opposite to the second guide surface 72. Further, since the first guide surface rear end 711 is dimensioned to be lower than the specific region entrance lower end 572 formed on the motor mounting plate 54, the first winning face B count switch 66 detects the first guide surface rear end 711. When the game ball is guided onto the peripheral surface of the rotator 52 and supported by the first guide surface 71, the specific region entrance lower end 572 is higher, so that the specific region 57 is entered. The first guide surface 71 is placed on the first guide surface 71 in a state where it cannot flow in and abuts on the transparent cover 53 side by the guide action of the reverse inclined surface of the first guide surface 71.

  If the subsequent game ball P2 falls toward the rotary body 52 while the rotary body 52 rotates and supports the preceding game ball P1 by the first guide surface 71, the transparent cover 53 is formed. The fall direction is shifted to the specific area 57 side by the guide 531 and the cores of the game ball P1 and the game ball P2 are shifted when contacting the game ball P1 placed on the first guide surface 71. The subsequent game ball P2 always changes its falling direction toward the specific area 57, and the game ball P2 flows into the specific area 57. If a further succeeding ball P3 falls while the game ball P1 is supported by the first guide surface 71, the game ball P3 is also guided to the specific area 57 like the game ball P2. As described above, the misalignment between the preceding game ball P1 and the succeeding game ball P2 is also a factor for determining the guide direction, so that the distance from the game board surface to the transparent cover 53, that is, the game, is ensured so that the misalignment can be surely obtained. The depth width in the front-rear direction of the ball inflow space 70 is preferably about 1.2 to 1.5 times the diameter of the game ball. The game ball P2 or P3 that has flowed into the specific area 57 is detected by the specific area count switch 67, and then discharged to the outside through a winning ball passage (not shown). At this time, the game ball inflow space 70 and the first guide surface 71 work together as if they were one downflow path that guides the game balls to the specific area 57.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the first guide surface 71 is not a flat inclined surface, and the game ball P <b> 1 is placed on the first guide surface 71 in a state of contacting the transparent cover 53 side. A step 713 is formed to stabilize the position where the game ball P1 is placed. By this step 713, even if the game ball P2 collides with the game ball P1, the game ball P1 is held at the same position without moving from the originally placed position, and the guiding action for the subsequent balls is stably maintained. Therefore, it is more preferable.

  The game ball P <b> 1 held on the first guide surface 71 moves downward, that is, in the direction of the rotation center of the rotator 52 as the lower support circumferential surface is switched to the discharge guide surface 73 (see FIG. 4) by the rotation of the rotator 52. It falls and flows into the non-specific area 58 from the non-specific area inlet 581 formed on the motor mounting plate 54, and after being detected by the non-specific area count switch 68, it is discharged out of the machine through a winning ball passage (not shown). The It is desirable that the discharge guide surface 73 when in the game ball inflow space 70 is formed as a downwardly inclined surface toward the non-specific area entrance 581.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the second guide surface 72 of the rotator 52 is formed on a downwardly inclined surface from the second guide surface front end 721 toward the second guide surface rear end 722, and the second guide surface 72. The surface rear end 722 is dimensioned so as to be higher than the specific region entrance lower end 572 formed on the motor mounting plate 54. For this reason, when the game ball detected by the special winning opening B count switch 66 is guided onto the circumferential surface of the rotator 52, when the game ball is supported by the second guide surface 72, As soon as it falls, it flows into the specific area 57 by the guiding action of the descending inclined surface, is detected by the specific area count switch 67, and is then discharged out of the machine through a winning ball passage (not shown). At this time, the game ball inflow space 70 and the second guide surface 72 work together as if they were one downflow path that guides the game balls to the specific area 57.

  In addition, a guide 531 for shifting the falling direction of the game ball that has passed through the special winning opening B count switch 66 to the specific area 57 side is provided in a portion corresponding to the lower position of the special winning opening B count switch 66 of the transparent cover 53. In combination with the action of the downward inclined surface of the second guide surface 72 of the rotating body 52, the game ball is promptly guided to the specific area 57 without significantly reducing the falling speed.

  In this manner, the game ball that has flowed into the game ball inflow space 70 is supported by any one of a plurality of types of guide surfaces formed on the rotating body 52 that faces the game ball inflow space 70 at that time. The plurality of types of guide surfaces are provided on the peripheral surfaces of different radii from the rotation center of the rotating body 52, and by the game ball guide action for each guide surface due to the inclination formed on each guide surface. The game ball that has flowed into the game ball inflow space 70 is distributed to the specific area 57 or the non-specific area 58 or is temporarily held in the game ball inflow space 70.

  When the pachinko machine 1 is installed on the island of the hall, the pachinko machine 1 is installed with a slight forward tilt of several degrees, so that the second guide surface 72 faces the specific area 57 even during installation. It is desirable to form the off-island inclined surface at an inclination angle equal to or larger than the installation angle of the pachinko machine 1 so as to realize the inclined surface.

  The rotating body 52 is always rotating, and even if the second ball is supported by the second guide surface 72 when the game ball falls, the rotating body 52 is in front of the circumferential surface in order to flow into the specific area. It rolls in the direction from the back to the back, and it is necessary to support the second guide surface 72 until at least the center of gravity of the game ball is located behind the specific region entrance end 572, but it is close to natural fall Since the falling direction of the game ball flowing down at a speed is switched by the guiding action of the inclined surface, it can be quickly guided to the specific area 57 when placed. As a result, it is possible to rotate the rotating body 52 at, for example, 20 to 25 rpm, and periodically generate a period in which the rotating body 52 can be guided to the specific area 57 in a short time, so that the player's expectation is enhanced. Furthermore, in the conventional sorting method using a rotating body that receives and transports the game balls to the ball receiving portion, if the radius exceeds 30 mm as in the present embodiment, there is no choice but to set it to around 6 rpm from the point of ball engagement. In this embodiment, it can be rotated at a much faster speed, the feeling of speed for the game is completely different, and a new interest can be created visually.

  In the present embodiment, the function assigned to the specific area 57 generates a special game state in which the special winning opening B37 is repeatedly operated based on the passing of the game ball. It is configured to be able to enter a ball for the first time by winning the opened big winning opening B37, and the special game state generated corresponds to a so-called two-type jackpot, but the specific contents as the special game state However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the special gaming state may be three types of jackpots, that is, a gaming situation such as generation of a right. In that case, as the specific area corresponds to the special device operation area provided inside the specific winning opening, the right will be generated by the passing of the game ball, and the distribution mechanism corresponds to the specific winning opening, The ball entering the sorting mechanism may be a prize in a prize opening provided on the game board surface that does not spread, or a prize in an ordinary electric accessory that spreads.

  Hereinafter, the game ball distribution process according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. A second guide surface 82, a first guide surface 81, and a discharge guide surface 83 having different distances from the rotation center are provided on the peripheral surface of the rotating body 52a that rotates clockwise. -In the order of the discharge guide surface 83, the rotation angle is about 22 °, about 158 °, and about 180 °.

  Since the rotation of the rotating body 52a causes the support state of the game ball to appear, the first guide surface 81 for guiding the second ball appears next to the second guide surface 82 for guiding the first ball to the specific area 57. As shown in FIG. 7 (b), as shown in FIG. 7 (b), as shown in FIG. 7 (b), as shown in FIG. The game can be utilized as a game ball P1 having an assisting action of guiding the subsequent game ball P2 to the specific area 57 by shifting to a support state on the first guide surface 82. The second guide surface 82 and the first guide surface 81 are connected by a continuous guide surface 84 so that the transfer of the guide surface can be performed smoothly. The continuous guide surfaces connect the large diameter side and the small diameter side of the second guide surface 82 and the first guide surface 81, respectively, the second guide surface rear end portion 821 and the first guide surface front end portion 812, and The second guide surface front end 822 and the first guide surface rear end 811 are connected to form a smooth curved surface.

  In this case, the width of the first guide surface 81 can be freely selected according to the time width allowed as the inflow timing of the game ball P2, and in this embodiment, the waiting for the subsequent game ball P2 to enter the game visually. It is configured so that the state can be fully recognized and the switching timing from the first guide surface 81 to the discharge guide surface 83 can also be confirmed.

  As a modified example of the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8A, if the game ball P1 flows and is placed while being supported by the first guide surface 81, the rotating body 52b rotates. As shown in FIG. 8 (b), the game ball P1 is lifted by the second guide surface 82 following the first guide surface 81 and guided to the specific area 57. In this case, The first guide surface 81 and the second guide surface 82 are smoothly continued on the continuous guide surface 84, and the game ball moves from the transparent cover 53 side to the specific area 57 side on the continuous guide surface 84. Of course, if the game ball P2 flows in after the game ball P1 while supporting the first guide surface 82, the game ball P2 is guided to the specific area 57.

  In addition, only in the case of a modification in which the game ball P1 is guided to the specific area 57 by the second guide surface 82 following the first guide surface 81, the first guide surface 81 and the specific area 57 are the same as the second guide surface 82. By using the first guide surface 81 ′ (not shown) formed in a downward slope toward the side, the placed game ball is lifted up without moving in the front-rear direction and moved to the specific region 57. Since it is guided, it can be guided as softly as a lay-up shoot, and can be guided more safely and reliably, and the expectation can be enhanced.

  As described above, since the rotating body of the present application has a low risk of ball biting, the rotating speed of the rotating body can be increased. For example, if the rotating body is rotated at a speed of 30 RPM, the guiding action is performed on the circumferential surface of a different diameter. Even if different guide surfaces are provided, it may be difficult to discriminate, and it is desirable to increase the discriminating force on one of the guide surfaces. An example of the measure for enhancing the discrimination power with respect to the rotating body 52 shown in FIG. 4 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The rotating body 52 shown in FIG. 9 is provided with a first guide surface 71 and a second guide surface 72 as guide surfaces for guiding the game ball to the specific area 57. The first guide surface 71 When the game ball is placed within the thickness range between the second guide surface 72 and the second guide surface 72, the direction of the inclination is different, so the contact position of the placed game ball is different, and the second guide is inclined toward the specific area 57 side. In the surface 72, the thickness portion of the rotating body 52 that is close to the cover member side does not cause the game ball to roll on it, and does not affect the placement state of the game ball or the guiding action at all. Since it becomes a space, the second guide surface 72 is formed by forming a concave portion 95 by turning back as if it was scraped off, and applying a decorative portion 96 for differentiating from the first guide surface 71. When the player enters the game ball inflow space 70, It will be able to identify the easy.

  In the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the rotating ball is exemplified as a support guide member that can support and place the game ball received by the sorting device, but the behavior of the game ball in the game ball inflow space 70 is as follows. The movement destination in the left-right direction is slightly regulated, and the sorting destination is determined by the movement in the up-down direction, which is close to the movement of the contact in the flat cam mechanism or the lift that moves up and down It is a movement, and the lower support guide member may be configured by a mechanism that exhibits the same action such as a contact in a flat cam mechanism, a lift that moves up and down, and is not limited to a rotating body.

  As a third embodiment, a case where a lift 52c that moves up and down is used as a lower support guide member will be exemplified. As shown in FIG. 10A, a long hole 561 is formed in the side wall 56 attached to the game board, and an elevating drive unit (not shown) and a support arm 521c of the lift 52c are connected via the long hole 561. If the lift 52c has been moved to the uppermost position of the movable range, the game ball is guided to the specific area 57. For this reason, in the third embodiment, the guide guide surface 91 of the lift 52c located at the position for guiding the game ball to the specific region 57 acts as the second guide surface. Further, as shown in FIG. 10B, the lift 52c descends about half of the game ball from the uppermost position of the movable range, and the game ball P1 that has fallen first is held at a position lower than the specific region entrance lower end 572. The subsequent game ball P2 is guided to the specific area 57. For this reason, the guidance guide surface 91 of the lift 52c in the position which guides the subsequent game ball P2 to the specific area 57 acts as the first guide surface. When the lift 52c is further moved to the lowermost position of the movable range, the game ball is guided to the non-specific region 58 as shown in FIG. For this reason, the guidance guide surface 91 of the lift 52c in the position which guides a game ball to the non-specific area | region 58 acts as a discharge guide surface.

Here, the absolute value of stay time and the stay time ratio for each position of the lift 52c shown in FIGS. 10 (a), 10 (b), and 10 (c) can be freely set. Since it is difficult to grasp the remaining time, when using the lift 52c as a supporting guide member with playability on the premise of grasping periodicity, it is desirable to perform time or period notification using a level meter or an indicator. The support arm 521c may be moved up and down by a known technique such as being linked to a rack that moves up and down by a pinion rotated by a stepping motor.

  It can be used for a gaming machine that plays a game using a game ball such as a pachinko machine.

It is a front view which shows the external appearance of the pachinko machine which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the game area | region formed in the game board which concerns on Example 1. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the center accessory 50 which concerns on Example 1. FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an arrangement of a first guide surface 71, a second guide surface 72, and a discharge guide surface 73 in the rotating body 52 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a positional relationship between a game ball P1 and a subsequent game ball P2 on the first guide surface 71 according to the first embodiment and a guide action toward a specific area 57 of the game ball P2. It is explanatory drawing which shows the guidance effect | action toward the specific area | region 57 of the game ball in the 2nd guide surface 72 which concerns on Example 1. FIG. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an arrangement of a first guide surface 81, a second guide surface 82, and a discharge guide surface 83 in a rotating body 52a according to a second embodiment. FIG. 7A is an explanatory view showing a state in which the second guide surface 82 that supports the game ball is about to end in the game ball inflow space 70, and FIG. 7B shows the game ball in the game ball inflow space 70. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state currently supported by the 1st guide surface. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an arrangement of a first guide surface 81, a second guide surface 82, and a discharge guide surface 83 in a rotating body 52b according to a modification of the second embodiment. FIG. 8A is an explanatory view showing a state where the game ball is supported by the first guide surface 81 in the game ball inflow space 70, and FIG. 8B shows a state where the game ball is lifted by the continuous guide surface 84. It is explanatory drawing. It is explanatory drawing which shows that the recessed part 95 and the decoration part 96 for raising the to-be-identified force of the 2nd guide surface 72 of the rotary body 52 were provided. It is explanatory drawing which shows the guidance effect | action of the game ball by the raising / lowering position of the lift 53c which concerns on Example 3. FIG. FIG. 9A is an explanatory view showing a state in which the lift 52c is moved to the uppermost position of the movable range and guides the game ball to the specific region 57, and FIG. FIG. 9C is an explanatory view showing a state where the game ball is lowered by half from the upper position and guides the subsequent game ball P2 to the specific area 57. FIG. 9C is a diagram in which the lift 52c is moved to the lowermost position of the movable range. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which guides a game ball to the specific area | region 58. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 Pachinko machine body 31 Normal symbol operation gate 32 Normal symbol display part 33 Normal electric accessory 34 Special symbol start port 35 Special symbol display part 36 Grand prize opening A
37 Grand Prize B
51 Center base plate 52, 52a, 52b Rotating body 52c Lift 53 Transparent cover 531 Guide 54 Motor mounting plate 55 Rotating body drive motor 56 Side wall 57 Specific area 572 Specific area entrance lower end 58 Non-specific area 66 Big prize opening B count switch 67
Specific area count switch 68 Non-specific area count switch 70 Game ball inflow space 71, 81 First guide surface 711, 811 First guide surface rear end 712, 812 First guide surface front end 72, 82 Second guide surface 721, 821 Second guide surface rear end 722, 822 Second guide surface front end 73, 83 Discharge guide surface 74, 84 Continuous guide surface 91 Guide guide surface

Claims (5)

A launcher that launches a game ball;
A game board formed with a game area in which game balls launched by the launching device flow down;
A variable winning device that is provided in the gaming area and facilitates winning of gaming balls;
A non-specific area that is provided in the gaming area and generates a special gaming state associated with the start of operation of the variable prize apparatus based on the passing of the game ball, and a non-specific area that does not generate the special gaming state;
A gaming machine provided with a receiving port for receiving a game ball provided in the gaming area, and a sorting device that distributes the gaming ball received from the receiving port to either a specific area or a non-specific area,
The sorting device is
A guide surface on which a game ball can be placed and has a guide action for guiding the placed game ball in a predetermined direction is formed at a guide position at a predetermined height position below the receiving port. A support guide member that supports the game ball;
Lower support guide member driving means for changing the height position of the guide surface of the lower support guide member with a predetermined periodicity;
A cover member that covers the lower support guide member and restricts rolling of the game ball received from the receiving port in the forward direction;
A side wall portion that is provided at an interval at which one game ball can be dropped, and restricts rolling of the placed game ball in the left-right direction when the game ball is placed on the guide surface;
A left and right position is defined by the side wall portion, an upper end position is defined by the receiving port, and a lower end position is a substantially vertically long space defined by the guide surface. Game ball inflow space facing the entrance of
In the game ball inflow space,
When the lower support guide member driving means is actuated to support the guide surface at the first guide position at the first height position, the game ball received from the receiving port to the game ball inflow space is stored in the specific area. A subsequent game ball that is placed in the game ball inflow space as a game ball that is still placed on the guide surface without being guided to the game ball and that is received from the reception port into the game ball inflow space. If it falls on the placed game ball, it immediately guides the subsequent game ball to the specific area,
When the lower support guide member driving means is operated and the guide surface supports the second guide position at a height higher than the first guide position, the support surface is received from the receiving port into the game ball inflow space. The game ball is immediately guided to the specific area through the guide surface,
The game ball received from the receiving port into the game ball inflow space when the lower support guide member driving means is actuated to support the guide surface at a discharge guide position at a height position lower than the first guide position. In addition, the above-described game ball generated when supported at the first guide position is discharged from the game ball inflow space and guided to the non-specific area provided below the specific area. A featured gaming machine. The lower support guide member is
It consists of a rotating body that rotates on a plane parallel to the game board,
A guide surface at the first guide position (hereinafter referred to as the first guide surface), a guide surface at the second guide position (hereinafter referred to as the second guide surface), and a guide surface at the discharge guide position (hereinafter referred to as the guide surface). , The discharge guide surface) are provided on the peripheral surface of the rotating body,
The first guide surface is formed with a downward slope from the specific region side toward the cover member side, and the second guide surface is a downward slope from the cover member side toward the specific region side. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the discharge guide surface is formed in a downward slope from the cover member side toward the non-specific region side. The rotating body is
The second guide surface rear end portion and the first guide surface front end portion, and the second guide surface front end portion and the first guide surface rear end portion are each formed by a smooth curved surface. The game ball placed close to the specific area on the second guide surface by the continuous guide surface is gradually moved to the cover member side and is retained on the first guide surface. The gaming machine according to claim 2, wherein: The rotating body is
The second guide surface rear end portion and the first guide surface front end portion, and the second guide surface front end portion and the first guide surface rear end portion are each formed by a smooth curved surface. The game ball placed on the first guide surface toward the cover member side is gradually moved toward the specific area by the continuous guide surface, and the second guide surface is moved to the specific area. The gaming machine according to claim 2, wherein guidance is provided. The cover member side front end position in the second guide surface of the rotating body is provided behind the cover member side front end position in the first guide surface so as to be provided behind the second guide surface. 3. The concave portion is formed in a range corresponding to the guide surface, and the second guide surface range can be easily identified from a player by a decoration applied to the concave portion. Game machines.