JP2009061121A - Slot machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To notify only a player of the internal winning of a bonus game or the like without being noticed by surrounding people. <P>SOLUTION: In the slot machine 1, an internal winning notice display part 9 includes an internal winning image 9a indicating the winning of internal drawing and an optical fiber bundle body 9b formed by integrally bundling many optical fibers for outputting images inputted from one end face from the other end face limiting a visual field angle, and the internal winning image 9a is viewed only by the player through the optical fiber bundle body 9b. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention rotates a plurality of reels according to a predetermined start operation, performs a predetermined internal lottery, stops each reel according to a pressing operation of a stop button, and according to a symbol arrangement on the stopped reels The present invention relates to a slot machine that pays out a predetermined game medium, and more particularly, to a slot machine that can notify only a player about the inside of a bonus game or the like without being known to surrounding people.

  In the slot machine, when a player inserts a game medium (medal, game ball, etc.) and presses a start lever, a pattern such as a predetermined pattern, letters, numbers, etc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as “symbol”) is displayed. Multiple (usually 3) reels start to rotate, and by pressing multiple (3) stop buttons corresponding to each reel at any timing, the rotating reels stop and the symbols of the stopped reels This is a gaming machine in which a predetermined number of game media are paid out in accordance with the arrangement of the game machines.

In general, in this type of slot machine, a plurality of reels are automatically controlled with a certain probability in order to increase the fun of the game, etc., and the symbols attached to each reel are stopped so as to have a predetermined arrangement. A so-called “winning” winning control is performed.
In this internal winning control, when the game is started by pressing the start lever, the internal winning lottery (internal lottery) is automatically performed inside the slot machine for each game, and the winning details (various hits and loses are determined). And the reel stop position is controlled according to the winning details. If the player wins the predetermined winning details, the reels are controlled within a certain range regardless of the timing when the player presses the stop button. Stopping control is performed so that the attached symbols are arranged in accordance with the winning contents, and thereby a predetermined amount of game media is paid out.

  Specifically, as a result of the internal lottery, when a predetermined winning content is won, the rotating reels are within a certain range (for example, within the range of 4 symbols from the position of the corresponding symbol), and the player Regardless of the timing at which each stop button is pressed, the symbols on the winning line are “7, 7, 7”, “BAR, BAR, BAR”, “Watermelon, Watermelon, Watermelon”, “Bell, Bell, Bell”, etc. Stop control (winning control) is performed so as to obtain a predetermined arrangement corresponding to the winning content.

By performing the stop control of the reels, the operation timing of the stop button corresponding to each reel is shifted from the timing of stopping the symbols ("7" and "BAR") constituting the array of a certain winning content on the array. However, if the deviation is within a certain range (within the range of four frames from the symbol, etc.), the symbol is stopped by mechanical control so that the symbol is positioned on a predetermined winning line, and a winning arrangement is formed. The
As a result of this stop control, regardless of the skill of the game, if the player presses the stop button within a certain range, the reels stop so that the symbols are in a predetermined winning arrangement. A predetermined amount of game media corresponding to the stopped winning arrangement is paid out.

Here, such reel stop control includes “retraction control” for stopping the reels so that a predetermined symbol arrangement is aligned, and “winning prevention control” for stopping the reels so that a certain symbol arrangement is not aligned. is there. In the winning prevention control, for example, when a certain winning content is won, during the game, the reels are stopped and controlled so that the symbols of other winning details are not aligned.
In general, several kinds of winning contents are set as the winning contents for which such reel stop control is performed, and any winning contents are determined for each game by an internal drawing.

  The contents of the winnings include, for example, bonus games such as “Regular Bonus (RB)” and “Big Bonus (BB)” that allow a large amount of game media to be paid out, “Small” that pays out a small amount of game media, and games. There are several types, such as “re-play” (replay) where the game can be played without inserting the medium, and “losing” where the game medium is not paid out, and a predetermined number of game media are paid out according to each winning content determined by the lottery. In addition, the reels are controlled so as not to be paid out.

For example, in the case of “small role”, the reels are controlled to stop so that a predetermined number of game media are paid out in one game unit (for example, an arrangement in which “bell” symbols are aligned in a horizontal row) (retraction) Control), the reels are stopped and controlled so that the symbol arrangements of other winning contents (for example, “7 · 7 · 7” indicating “big hit”) are not aligned (winning prevention control).
In the case of “Regular Bonus (RB)”, after winning the lottery, the bonus game starts (wins) when a predetermined winning pattern (for example, “BAR, BAR, BAR”) is prepared, and then several games become one set. The reel stop control for the bonus game is performed, and during the bonus game, the reels are continuously controlled so that a “big win” symbol arrangement with “small role” and large amount payout is made, and a large amount of game media is paid out. It comes to be.

Similarly, in the case of “Big Bonus (BB)”, after winning the lottery, the big bonus game starts (wins) when a predetermined winning symbol (for example, “7 / 7.7”) is prepared, and the bonus as described above. The reels are controlled so that the game (RB) continues for several sets (usually 3 sets), and the game is set and controlled so that a larger amount of game media is paid out than the “regular bonus (RB)”.
If the result of the lottery is “losing”, stop control is performed so that the symbols of each reel become an arrangement in which game media are not paid out (an arrangement in which none of the winning symbols are arranged) (winning prevention control).

In the slot machine in which the reels are controlled to stop in this way, a certain amount of game media is provided on the condition that if a specific winning content such as a bonus game is won as a result of the internal drawing, it will be won in a subsequent game. Is surely paid out, making it extremely attractive to players. In other words, for slot machine players, it is of greatest concern to win specific prizes such as bonus games by internal lottery.
Therefore, in the conventional slot machine, when an internal hit of the bonus game occurs, the player can reliably enjoy the bonus game by notifying the player of the internal hit of the bonus game.
Specifically, when an internal hit of a bonus game occurs, a game such as a so-called reach-eye display that controls stop symbols in a predetermined arrangement, a specific sound from a speaker, or a notification lamp is turned on, etc. A slot machine that provides an internal hit of a bonus game in a manner that can be surely recognized by a person is provided (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

By making such a bonus game internal announcement, a player who is skilled in gaming skills can reach the bonus game by reaching the reach eyes, making a specific sound, or turning on the notification lamp. When recognizing the internal hit, press the stop button at the right time while watching the spinning reel design (when appropriate, it is abbreviated as “eye-pushing”), and the winning symbol winning arrangement can be played in one game. It is possible to align.
However, in the case of a player who cannot make such a push, the bonus game cannot be started easily because the winning pattern of the winning symbol cannot be aligned even though the bonus game has been hit internally. Sometimes.

For this reason, the above-mentioned reach notifications, specific sounds and notification lamps for internal hits are not limited to not only the player who is playing the slot machine to be notified, but also the surrounding humans, especially the players of neighboring game machines. The person who stands behind will also be aware of the internal hits.
In such a case, a player who can not push his eyes feels pressure from surrounding people, he feels very embarrassed himself, and in extreme cases, he loses his willingness to play. It had been.

  Therefore, a slot machine provided with a shielding door capable of selectively shielding the notification lamp has also been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 3). According to such a slot machine, a player who is unable to push the door recognizes the internal hit by turning on the notification lamp, and then immediately blocks the lighted notification lamp with the shielding door, thereby generating an internal hit. I was able to avoid being widely known to the people around me.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-80235 JP-A-9-173528 JP 2002-35213 A

  However, in the slot machine described in Patent Document 3, it takes a certain amount of time until the lighting lamp is shielded by the shielding door after the internal lamp is recognized by the lighting of the lighting lamp, or a game for closing the shielding door. Since the person's movement is different from the normal game action, there is a high possibility that the surrounding person is aware of the occurrence of the internal hit.

  The present invention is proposed in order to solve the problems of the conventional techniques as described above, and the internal hit of a bonus game or the like is surely notified only to the player without being known to surrounding people. An object of the present invention is to provide a slot machine that can perform a new effect display that is not available in a conventional slot machine by using a new internal notification display form that is not available in the past.

  In order to achieve the above object, a slot machine according to the present invention, as described in claim 1, rotates a plurality of reels in response to a predetermined start operation, performs a predetermined internal lottery, and performs an operation of pressing a stop button. Each reel is stopped in response, a predetermined game medium is paid out according to the symbol arrangement on the stopped reel, and when the internal lottery is won, an internal hit notification display section is provided to notify the player to that effect In the slot machine, the internal hit notification display unit is formed by integrally bundling a plurality of optical fibers integrally with an internal hit image indicating the winning of the internal lottery, and an image input from one end face is displayed on the other side. An optical fiber converging body that outputs a limited viewing angle from the end face of the optical fiber, and when hitting the internal lottery, via the optical fiber converging body, Skill who is a structure to be displayed so as to be visible and visibility of the internal per image.

In this way, since the internal hit image is displayed through the optical fiber focusing body, the internal hit image can be viewed / viewed only by the player in a state where the view angle is limited, and is out of the viewing angle range. It is possible to notify only the player of the internal winnings of the bonus game or the like without being known to the player of the adjacent slot machine in the place and the surrounding people.
In addition, since the optical fiber focusing body can be visually recognized by incident light from the outside and does not require a light source such as a backlight, it does not light up and emit light unlike conventional notification lamps, and the game is not noticeable in the surroundings. Only insiders can be notified of internal hits.
In addition, since the viewing angle is limited by utilizing the characteristics of the optical fiber focusing body, the inner contact image display surface is placed in a recessed position in the recess, or a viewing angle restriction wall is provided around the inner contact image display surface. It is not necessary to do so, and the internal hit notification display section can be configured on a flat surface.
In addition, the internal hit notification display form in which the player visually recognizes the internal hit image through the optical fiber focusing body is a new internal hit notification display form that has not existed in the past. It is possible to display new effects and the like that do not exist in, and to provide a novel and attractive slot machine.

In the slot machine of the present invention, as described in claim 2, the internal hit notification display unit includes a displacement mechanism for displacing the internal hit image, and allows the player to visually observe the internal hit image. The inner contact image is brought close to one end face of the optical fiber focusing body, and otherwise, the inner contact image is separated from one end face of the optical fiber focusing body.
In this way, display / non-display of the internal hit image can be switched by a simple displacement mechanism that displaces the internal hit image, for example, a rotational displacement mechanism using a solenoid or a linear displacement mechanism.

In the slot machine of the present invention, as described in claim 3, the internal contact notification display section is provided between one end surface of the optical fiber focusing body and the internal contact image disposed in proximity to the end surface. The liquid crystal shutter is provided with a liquid crystal shutter, and the liquid crystal shutter is set in a transmissive state when the player visually recognizes the internal hit image, and in other cases, the liquid crystal shutter is set in a non-transmissive state.
In this way, since the display / non-display of the internal hit image can be switched without providing a movable member, an increase in the failure rate due to the addition of the movable member can be avoided.

In the slot machine of the present invention, the optical fiber converging body is a fiber lens, a fiber lens artificial TV stone, or a fiber scope.
In this case, since a general-purpose fiber lens, fiber lens artificial TV stone, or fiber scope can be used, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.
In this specification, an optical fiber converging body that does not have flexibility and whose input image and output image magnifications are not equal is referred to as a “fiber lens”, does not have flexibility, and the input image. The optical fiber focusing body with the same magnification of the output image is called “fiber lens type artificial TV stone” or simply “artificial TV stone”, and the optical fiber focusing body having flexibility and a relatively long image transmission distance is referred to as “ It is called “fiberscope”.
Here, the so-called “artificial TV stone” made of a resin optical fiber, with optical fibers welded at both end faces and a glossy flat finish on the surface, has a glossy and smooth finish on the end face like a glass surface. It is possible to clean the surface by simply wiping with the lens, and it is possible to always make the image per unit easy to see, which is preferable as the optical fiber focusing body of the present invention.

In the slot machine of the present invention, the orientation of the other end face of the optical fiber focusing body can be changed according to the player's operation.
In this way, the player can optimize the orientation of the other end face of the optical fiber focusing body in accordance with the position of his / her eyes, so that not only can the internal hit image be reliably viewed, but also the adjacent slot machine Visibility by players and people around can be avoided.

In the slot machine of the present invention, the other end face of the optical fiber focusing body is arranged on the push operation surface of the stop button.
In this way, the player can consciously hide part or the whole of the inner contact image (the other end face of the optical fiber focusing body) with the same movement as the normal game operation. The possibility of being known to the player of the adjacent slot machine and the surrounding people can be further reduced.

  According to the slot machine of the present invention, the player can view the internal hit image in a state where the viewing angle is limited, so that the player of the adjacent slot machine that is out of the viewing angle range and the surrounding people know it. Without being played, it is possible to notify only the player of the internal hit of the bonus game or the like.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a slot machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[First embodiment]
First, the slot machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a front view showing the slot machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of the slot machine according to the present embodiment.

  The slot machine 1 shown in these figures rotates a plurality of reels 21a, 21b, and 21c in accordance with a start operation after a game medium is betted, and performs an internal lottery with a predetermined winning probability. When a win is made, the symbols on the reels 21a, 21b, and 21c are allowed to stop in a predetermined winning arrangement, and a revolving type gaming machine that pays out game media according to the winning contents is constituted.

Specifically, the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment is configured in a casing shape that can accommodate a control unit 10 configured by a microcomputer or the like and necessary machines, devices, and the like. The side is covered with the front door 1a so that opening and closing is possible.
The front door 1a is a door body that can be freely opened and closed to a housing of the slot machine 1 via a hinge or the like. The front door 1a is provided with a front panel 2 and other parts to constitute a front portion of the slot machine 1. ing.
A display L and a speaker SP are provided at the top of the front door 1a.
The display device L is a display means including a liquid crystal panel for displaying a moving image and a lamp that is lit and blinking, and effect display according to the game situation is performed.
The speaker SP generates various sounds such as a melody sound and a message sound to the player. For example, when the winning symbols are aligned and a winning prize or a small role is awarded, a predetermined effect sound is generated. Is coming out.

The front panel 2 is provided with a reel display window 3 at a substantially central portion, and the reels 21a to 21c in the housing are visible from the outside.
The reel display window 3 is a visual window portion of three reels (left) 21a, reel (middle) 21b, and reel (right) 21c disposed in the slot machine 1, and is usually a colorless transparent or colored transparent resin. It is made of a panel made of steel, and among a plurality of symbols drawn around each of the three reels 21, a plurality of (usually three) symbols that are adjacent in the vertical direction can be visually recognized and identified. .
The winning symbols of the game are determined by aligning the stop symbols of the reels 21a to 21c viewed from the reel display window 3 in a predetermined winning arrangement along a predetermined winning line.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, an internal winning notification display unit 9 is arranged below the reel display window 3 and on the left side of the front panel 2.
The internal hit notification display unit 9 will be further described later (see FIGS. 3 to 5).
Further, below the reel display window 3 of the front panel 2, various display devices such as a stored number (credit) display unit 2a, a status display unit 2b, and an acquired number (payout) display unit 2c are provided. Each of these display units 2a to 2c is composed of a multi-digit 7-segment LED display panel or the like, and the number of medals stored as credits (stored number display unit 2a) inside the device, gaming state such as a bonus game, etc. (Status display portion 2b), the number of acquired medals paid out in each game (acquired number display portion 2c), and the like are displayed.

Buttons such as a start lever 4, a stop button 5, a medal insertion slot 6, an adjustment button 6 b, an insertion button 7, and the like are provided at the center in the vertical direction of the front door 1 a.
The start lever 4 is a game start means for starting the rotation of each of the three reels 21. When the start lever 4 is pressed by a player's operation, a start signal is output to the control unit 10, and the inside of the main body is The reels 21a to 21c are rotated simultaneously (or sequentially).
Further, when a start signal is input by depressing the start lever 4, an internal lottery is performed in the control unit 10.

The stop button 5 is a stop means for stopping the rotating reel 21 and includes three stop buttons (left) provided corresponding to the three reels (left) 21a, the reel (middle) 21b, and the reel (right) 21c. 5a, a stop button (middle) 5b, and a stop button (right) 5c. When each stop button 5a, 5b, 5c is pressed by the player at an arbitrary timing, a stop signal is output to the control unit 10 so that rotation of the corresponding reels 21a, 21b, 21c is stopped. It has become.
Therefore, when the player operates the start lever 4 and the stop button 5, the three reels 21a to 21c are rotated and stopped, and the symbols attached to the reels 21a to 21c are arranged in a predetermined winning arrangement. You can play slot machine games.

The medal slot 6 is a slot for receiving medals used in the game, and the game can be played according to the number of medals inserted from the medal slot 6. A medal selector 6 a is provided inside the main body of the medal insertion slot 6, and the number of inserted medals is counted, and a medal signal indicating the number of medals is output to the control unit 10.
The number of medals inserted from the medal slot 6 is stored in the control unit 10 as credits. That is, prior to the start of the game, a plurality of medals can be inserted in advance and stored and stored inside the apparatus.
The settlement button 6b is a switch for settlement of credit stored medals at the end of the game, etc. When the settlement button 6b is pressed, medals for the stored medals are discharged from the medal payout device 30, The data on the number of stored medals stored in the control unit 10 is also deleted.

The insertion button 7 is a medal insertion switch for inserting a medal to be used (bet) in a game from among the accumulated medals when there is a credit accumulated medal. There are a MAX insertion button 7a for inserting a number of medals (usually three) from the credit storage medal, and a one-wager insertion button 7b for inserting one medal from the credit storage medal with a single press.
A medal payout opening 8 is provided at the lowermost part of the front door 1a.
The medal payout port 8 pays out the number of winning medals according to the winning arrangement discharged from the medal paying device 30 in the housing when the reels 21 stopped by pressing the stop button 5 are in a predetermined winning arrangement. It is supposed to be.

Inside the housing of the slot machine 1, as shown in FIG. 2, a drum unit 20, a medal payout device 30, other machines and devices, and the like are provided.
The drum unit 20 rotatably holds the three reels 21a, 21b, and 21c and the three reels 21a to 21c, and rotates the stepping motors 23a to 23c corresponding to the reels 21a to 21c. A motor drive circuit 22 that controls the start of rotation of 21c, constant speed rotation and stop, and a rotation position detection unit that detects a stop position of each of the stopped reels 21a to 21c and outputs a position signal to the control unit 10 24 (see FIG. 6).

The medal payout device 30 is a medal payout device disposed below the drum unit 20 in the housing. The medal payout device 30 drives the hopper 31 for storing payout medals and discharges a predetermined number of medals. A hopper driving circuit 32 for detecting the number of medals discharged, and a medal detecting unit 33 for outputting a payout number signal to the control unit 10 (see FIG. 6).
The medals discharged from the medal payout device 30 are paid out from the medal payout opening 8 of the front door 1a to the front surface of the slot machine and provided to the player.

Next, details of the internal winning notification display unit 9 provided in the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 3 is a main part front view showing an internal winning notification display part of the slot machine according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the main part showing the internal winning notification display part of the slot machine according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing the principle of the optical fiber focusing body used in the internal hit notification display section of the slot machine according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the front panel 2 of the slot machine 1 is provided with an internal winning notification display section 9 for notifying the winning of the internal lottery.
When the bonus game (BB, RB) is won by an internal lottery in the internal winning notification display section 9, until a predetermined winning symbol (“7, 7, 7”, “BAR, BAR, BAR”) is prepared, A predetermined notification display for notifying the internal hit is performed at a predetermined timing.

The internal hit notification display unit 9 according to the present embodiment includes an internal hit image 9a and an optical fiber focusing body 9b.
The internal hit image 9a is an image showing an internal lottery win. For example, a still image including characters such as “CHANCE” and “GOGO” can be used.
The optical fiber converging body 9b is an optical image transmission body which is formed by integrally bundling a plurality of optical fibers and outputs an image input from one end face with a viewing angle limited from the other end face. A lens, a fiber lens type artificial television stone, a fiber scope, or the like can be used.
The internal hit notification display unit 9 is configured to allow the player to visually recognize the internal hit image 9a via the optical fiber focusing body 9b when the internal winning is won.

In this way, by allowing the player to visually recognize the internal hit image 9a in a state where the viewing angle is limited, it is not known to the player of the adjacent slot machine and the surrounding people who are out of the viewing angle range. In addition, it is possible to notify only the player of the internal hit of the bonus game or the like.
In addition, since the viewing angle is limited by using the characteristics of the optical fiber converging body 9b, the inner contact image display surface is disposed at a deep position in the recess, or a viewing angle restriction wall is provided around the inner contact image display surface. There is no need to install it. Thereby, the internal hit notification display part 9 can be comprised in a flat surface.
Further, the internal hit notification display form in which the player visually recognizes the internal hit image 9a through the optical fiber focusing body 9b is a new internal hit notification display form that has not been found in the past, so it is different from the conventional slot machine. Can be planned.

The optical fiber constituting the optical fiber converging body 9b has a refractive index of the optical fiber portion higher than that of the surroundings, so that light is incident from one end face of the optical fiber and light is repeatedly totally reflected in the optical fiber, so that light is emitted from the other end face. It has become.
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the optical fiber constituting the optical fiber converging body 9b is formed by covering a core made of transparent fiber with a clad having a refractive index lower than that of the core. Good total reflection can be obtained without an optical fiber. However, the configuration of the optical fiber is not limited to the one having the clad-coated core shown in FIG. 5, and for example, the optical fiber may be provided with a coating member other than the clad or may be an optical fiber without a coating. May be.
According to such an optical fiber, as shown in FIG. 5, the light incident from one end face within a predetermined opening angle θ1 is subjected to total reflection at the boundary between the core and the clad, so that the predetermined distance from the other end face is obtained. Is output at a viewing angle θ2.

For example, since the light rays A and B shown in FIG. 5 are within a predetermined opening angle θ1, they are reflected at the boundary between the core and the clad and are incident on the optical fiber, but the light ray C exceeds the predetermined opening angle θ1. Therefore, the light passes through the cladding and is not incident on the optical fiber. Since the light incident on the optical fiber is repeatedly reflected within the opening angle θ1, the angle of the light emitted from the other end face is also within the opening angle θ1. As a result, the viewing angle θ2 of the light emitted from the other end face of the optical fiber is limited.
Therefore, in the optical fiber converging body 9b formed by bundling a large number of optical fibers, when an image is input from one end face, an image can be output from the other end face with one optical fiber as one pixel and the other end face. The viewing angle of the image output from the end face can be limited based on the viewing angle characteristics of the optical fiber.

As the optical fiber converging body 9b, it is preferable to use a fiber lens, a fiber lens type artificial television stone, or a fiber scope. Since these optical image transmitters have relatively high versatility, manufacturing costs can be reduced by diverting general-purpose products.
Here, the fiber lens is an optical fiber focusing body that does not have flexibility and the magnification of the input image and the output image is not equal, and a fiber lens artificial TV stone (hereinafter simply referred to as an artificial TV stone). The optical fiber focusing body has no flexibility and the input image and the output image have the same magnification. Since these optical fiber converging bodies have a relatively simple shape (for example, a cylindrical shape) and a short length, when applied as the optical fiber converging body 9b of the present embodiment, the internal contact notification display unit 9 can be configured compactly. There is an advantage.
Artificial TV stones have optical fibers welded at both end faces, and the surfaces are glossy flat finished, and the end faces are glossy and smooth like glass surfaces, so the surface can be cleaned simply by wiping with a cloth, etc. It is possible to make it easy to see the image at the inside, and it is preferable as the optical fiber focusing body 9b.
On the other hand, since the fiberscope is an optical fiber focusing body having flexibility and a relatively long image transmission distance, there is an advantage that the degree of freedom in arrangement is high, but the internal contact notification display unit 9 is enlarged. May be invited.

Next, a specific configuration of the internal hit notification display unit 9 of the present embodiment using an artificial TV stone will be described with reference to FIGS.
The internal hit notification display unit 9 shown in these drawings includes an artificial television stone as the optical fiber focusing body 9b. This artificial television stone has the following characteristics.

(1) Only when an image is brought close to one end face, a clear image is output from the other end face. For example, in the case of a commercially available artificial optical stone made of resin optical fiber, if the optical fiber diameter is 0.2 mm, if the image is separated from 5 mm to 10 mm from one end face, the image output from the other end face becomes blurred and difficult to see.
(2) The viewing angle of the image output from the other end face is limited. This is due to the relationship with the opening angle described above. For example, as in the above (1), an artificial television stone made of a commercially available resin optical fiber, optical fibers welded at both end faces, and the surface is glossy flat finished. In this case, when the viewing angle (= aperture angle) is in the range of approximately 0 to 60 °, the image output from the other end face can be viewed well, but when the viewing angle is 60 ° or more, the visually recognized image is gradually blurred. When the viewing angle exceeds approximately 90 °, it is difficult to distinguish a visually recognized image.
(3) An image can be viewed on the other end face side without providing a lighting device on one end face side. This is because light incident from the other end face side reaches one end face side, and this light illuminates the image.

Based on the characteristics of the artificial TV stone as described above, the internal hit notification display unit 9 of the present embodiment includes a displacement mechanism 9c for displacing the internal hit image 9a, and when the player visually observes the internal hit image 9a, The inner contact image 9a is brought close to one end face of the optical fiber focusing body 9b, and otherwise, the inner contact image 9a is separated from one end face of the optical fiber focusing body 9b.
In this way, display / non-display of the internal contact image 9a can be switched by a simple displacement mechanism 9c that displaces the internal contact image 9a, for example, a rotational displacement mechanism or a linear displacement mechanism using a solenoid 9d. .

More specifically, the optical fiber focusing body 9b made of artificial TV stone is attached so as to penetrate the front panel 2 in the front-rear direction, and is in a panel shape so as to be close to the end face of the optical fiber focusing body 9b inside the machine. An image 9a is arranged for the inside. The internal contact image 9a is supported so as to be rotatable in the left-right direction around the support shaft 9e, and is connected to the solenoid 9d via an arm 9f extending from the other end of the support shaft 9e.
Normally, the solenoid 9d is in an OFF state (plunger protruding state), and the inner contact image 9a is held at a position indicated by a phantom line in FIG. 3, that is, a position away from one end face of the optical fiber focusing body 9b. . As a result, the internal hit image 9a is not input to the optical fiber focusing body 9b, and the internal hit notification display unit 9 is not displayed.
On the other hand, when hitting the internal lottery, the solenoid 9d is turned on (plunger is immersed), and the inner contact image 9a is displaced to a position facing one end face of the optical fiber focusing body 9b and held there. Is done. Thereby, the internal contact image 9a is input from one end face of the optical fiber focusing body 9b, and the internal contact notification display unit 9 enters the display state. In the internal hit notification display state, the player can visually recognize the internal hit image 9a in a state where the viewing angle is limited by the characteristics of the optical fiber focusing body 9b.

Next, the control part 10 which controls the slot machine 1 (internal winning notification display part 9) of this embodiment is demonstrated with reference to FIG.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an outline of the control unit and its peripheral configuration of the slot machine according to the present embodiment.
As shown in this figure, the control unit 10 of the present embodiment is a control means for controlling each unit of the slot machine 1 described above, and has a microcomputer having an IC, a memory, various circuit boards, and the like. Has been.
More specifically, the control unit 10 includes a CPU 11, a ROM 11a and a RAM 11b that are built-in and stored in the CPU 11, a main body clock generation circuit 12 that generates a reference clock, a random number counter 13 that generates a random number for internal lottery, Random number clock generation circuit 14 for generating a reference clock for generating a random number, internal hit notification display unit drive circuit 16 for driving and controlling the internal hit notification display unit 9 (solenoid 9d), and a display for driving the respective display units 2a to 2c The unit drive circuit 17, the sound circuit 18 that generates sound through the speaker SP, the display device drive circuit 19 that drives the display device L for production, and the like are provided, and input signals from various input devices (4 to 7). The drum unit 20, the medal payout device 30 and the like are controlled according to the above.

  First, the control unit 10 inputs a medal signal from the medal selector 6a and a medal signal from the insertion button 7 (7a, 7b), and the number of medals inserted from the medal insertion slot 6 and the insertion button 7 are pressed. The number of inserted medals betted is confirmed, and the number of stored medals stored in the RAM 11b is decreased based on the medal signal from the insertion button 7. Thereby, the number of medals used (betting) for each game is determined.

Further, the control unit 10 inputs a start signal from the start lever 4 and a stop signal from the stop buttons 5a to 5c, thereby outputting a pulse (driving) signal serving as a control signal for the reel 21 to the drum unit 20, 21a-21c is rotated and stopped. Thus, in the drum unit 20, the reels 21a to 21c are rotated by the start signal, and the corresponding reels 21a to 21c are stopped by the stop signal input by pressing the stop buttons 5a to 5c.
Further, the control unit 10 recognizes the stop symbols of the reels 21a to 21c based on the marker signal input from the drum unit 20, and determines whether or not the stop symbols are in a predetermined winning arrangement. As a result, when the predetermined winning arrangement is made, the payout process of the number of medals according to the type of winning is performed.

And the control part 10 which performs the above game control performs an internal lottery for every game, and controls the game according to the result of the internal lottery.
The internal lottery is a lottery process performed at the timing of the player's operation of the start lever 4 for each game, and is executed by a random number counter 13 composed of a counter IC and the like and a random number table preset and stored in the ROM 11a.
The random number output from the random number counter 13 is acquired (latched) at the operation timing of the start lever 4, and the random number range to which the random number range belongs belongs to which random number range the acquired random number belongs to The target is determined and won as the winning content of the game this time.
Specifically, in the internal lottery, the random number counter 13 generates a random number within a predetermined random range (for example, 0 to 16383), and the winning content is determined based on the generated random number value. Yes.

The winning contents set in the lottery table include bonuses (BB, RB, etc.), small roles, replays, loses, etc., and the winning contents are assigned to the lottery table corresponding to the range of random numbers. 1 to 55: bonus, 56 to 1055: small role, 1056 to 16384: lost, etc., so that each content has a predetermined winning probability.
Then, at the moment when the start lever 4 is pressed, a random number is generated by the random number counter 13, and the generated random number is checked against the value of the lottery table, so that the winning content to which the random number belongs is determined as the lottery result. Then, the stop position of the reel 21 is controlled according to the winning content, and when a winning content is won, regardless of the timing when the player presses the stop button 5, the symbols attached to each reel 21 within a certain range are displayed. Stop control is performed so that the arrangement according to the winning content is made.

Then, when the bonus internal hit occurs, the control unit 10 notifies the player of the bonus internal hit by a predetermined display mode.
In the present embodiment, as the display mode used for this notification, the notification display by the internal contact notification display unit 9 described above is performed, and only the player can view the internal contact image 9a via the optical fiber focusing body 9b. In order to be able to display, the internal contact image 9a is displayed so as to be visible.

  As described above, according to the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment, a plurality of reels 21 are rotated according to a predetermined start operation, a predetermined internal lottery is performed, and each stop button 5 is pressed according to each press operation. The reel 21 is stopped, and a predetermined game medium is paid out according to the symbol arrangement on the stopped reel 21. Further, when an internal lottery is won, an internal winning notification display section 9 is provided to notify the player to that effect. In the slot machine 1, the internal hit notification display unit 9 is formed by integrally bundling a plurality of optical fibers integrally with an internal hit image 9a indicating the winning of the internal lottery. An optical fiber converging body 9b that outputs a limited viewing angle from the end face of the game, and when hitting the internal lottery, via the optical fiber converging body 9b, Because the player can visually recognize the internal hit image 9a, it is possible to notify only the player of the internal hit of the bonus game or the like without being known to the player of the adjacent slot machine and the surrounding people who are out of the viewing angle range. it can.

In addition, since the viewing angle is limited by using the characteristics of the optical fiber converging body 9b, the inner contact image display surface is disposed at a deep position in the recess, or a viewing angle restriction wall is provided around the inner contact image display surface. There is no need to provide it, and the internal hit notification display unit 9 can be configured on a flat surface.
Further, the internal hit notification display form in which the player visually recognizes the internal hit image through the optical fiber focusing body 9b is a new internal hit notification display form that has not been used so far. It is possible to display new effects that do not exist on the machine.

  Further, the internal hit notification display unit 9 of the present embodiment includes a displacement mechanism 9c for displacing the internal hit image 9a. When the player visually observes the internal hit image 9a, the internal hit notification display unit 9 has an inner face on one end face of the optical fiber focusing body 9b. In other cases, the contact image 9a is brought close to the inner contact image 9a, and the inner contact image 9a is separated from one end face of the optical fiber focusing body 9b. Therefore, a simple displacement mechanism 9c for displacing the inner contact image 9a, for example, a solenoid 9d is used. The display / non-display of the inner contact image 9a can be switched by a turning displacement mechanism or a linear displacement mechanism.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the slot machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In addition, in this embodiment, about the same component as 1st embodiment mentioned above, the same code | symbol as 1st embodiment is attached | subjected and corresponding description is used.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of the main part showing the internal winning notification display part of the slot machine according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 shows the internal winning notification display part of the slot machine according to the second embodiment. It is a principal part rear view.

As shown in these figures, the internal hit notification display unit 9B of the second embodiment has a feature that the direction of the optical fiber focusing body 9b made of artificial TV stone can be changed according to the player's operation, and the linear displacement mechanism. The difference from the above embodiment is that the inner contact image 9a is displaced linearly using 9g.
In this way, the player can optimize the direction of the other end face of the optical fiber focusing body 9b in accordance with the position of his / her eyes, so that not only can the inner contact image 9a be visually recognized, but also the adjacent slot Visibility by machine players and people around can be avoided.
When the direction of the optical fiber focusing body 9b is moved, the vertical and horizontal directions of the image slightly change, but the distance between the focusing body end surface and the image itself does not change, and therefore the visibility of the image does not change. .

  More specifically, the internal hit notification display section 9B of the second embodiment includes a movable cylinder 9h that integrally supports the optical fiber converging body 9b on the inner peripheral side and has a convex spherical surface on the outer peripheral side. A fixed cylinder 9i having an outer peripheral side fixed to the front panel 2 and a concave spherical surface on the inner peripheral side, and sliding between the spherical surfaces of the movable cylinder 9h and the fixed cylinder 9i changes the direction of the optical fiber converging body 9b. It can be changed in any direction. Further, an appropriate sliding resistance is provided between the spherical surfaces of the movable cylinder 9h and the fixed cylinder 9i, and when the player changes the direction of the optical fiber focusing body 9b, the direction is maintained even if the player releases his hand. It has become so.

  The linear displacement mechanism 9g is configured to linearly displace the internal contact image 9a in the front-rear direction by a solenoid 9j disposed behind the optical fiber converging body 9b. In order to prevent the rotation of 9a, a plunger detent key is provided, and the inner contact image 9a is an elastic member / flexible member in order to follow the change in the direction of the optical fiber focusing body 9b. It is preferable to attach to the front-end | tip part of a plunger through the universal joint etc. which consist of etc.

[Third embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the slot machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In addition, in this embodiment, about the component common to the said embodiment mentioned above, the same code | symbol as the said embodiment is attached | subjected and corresponding description is used.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view of an essential part showing the internal winning notification display part of the slot machine according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 shows the internal winning notification display part of the slot machine according to the third embodiment. It is a principal part rear view.

As shown in these drawings, the internal contact notification display unit 9C of the third embodiment places a liquid crystal shutter 9k between one end surface of the optical fiber focusing body 9b and an internal contact image 9a disposed close to the end surface. It is different from the above embodiment in that the liquid crystal shutter 9k is in the transmissive state when the player visually recognizes the image 9a that hits the inside, and the liquid crystal shutter 9k is in the non-transmissive state in other cases.
In this way, the display / non-display of the internal contact image 9a can be switched without displacing the internal contact image 9a, so that the number of movable parts can be reduced and the failure occurrence rate can be reduced.

  The liquid crystal shutter 9k needs to follow the change in the direction of the optical fiber converging body 9b. Therefore, the liquid crystal shutter 9k of the present embodiment is supported so as to be tiltable left and right and up and down and is biased toward the back surface of the optical fiber converging body 9b by a spring 91, but one end face of the optical fiber converging body 9b. The liquid crystal shutter 9k may be fixed integrally.

[Fourth embodiment]
Next, a fourth embodiment of the slot machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In addition, in this embodiment, about the component common to the said embodiment mentioned above, the same code | symbol as the said embodiment is attached | subjected and corresponding description is used.
FIG. 11 is a main part front view showing an internal winning notification display unit of the slot machine according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12 is a main part showing the internal winning notification display unit of the slot machine according to the fourth embodiment. (A) is an explanatory view showing a stop button non-operating state in a normal state, (b) is an explanatory view showing a stop button operating state in a normal state, and (c) is an internal hitting state. FIG. 13 is an explanatory front view showing a stop button operation state, and FIG. 13 is a main part front view showing a modified example of the internal winning notification display part of the slot machine according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in these drawings, the internal hit notification display portion 9D of the fourth embodiment is provided on the stop button 5, and the other end surface of the optical fiber focusing body 9b is disposed on the pressing operation surface of the stop button 5. This is different from the above embodiment.
In this way, the player can consciously hide part or the whole of the inner contact image 9a (the other end face of the optical fiber focusing body 9b) with the same movement as the normal game operation. It is possible to further reduce the possibility that the hit will be known to the player of the adjacent slot machine and the surrounding people.

  More specifically, the stop button 5 of this embodiment is attached to the front door 1a of the slot machine 1 in a state of being incorporated in the stop button unit 50. The stop button unit 50 includes a plurality of stop buttons 5a to 5c, a casing 51 that supports the stop buttons 5a to 5c so as to be able to move in and out, a plurality of springs 52 that urge the stop buttons 5a to 5c in a protruding direction, It comprises a plurality of photo interrupters (not shown) that detect the pressing operation of each of the stop buttons 5a to 5c.

Further, each of the stop buttons 5a to 5c is provided with an optical fiber focusing body 9b for notifying the winning of the internal drawing. The other end face of the optical fiber converging body 9b is disposed on the push operation surface of the stop buttons 5a to 5c, and an inner contact image 9a is disposed at a position opposed to the one end face. The inner contact image 9a can be brought close to one end surface of the optical fiber focusing body 9b by using a displacement mechanism equivalent to the linear displacement mechanism 9g of the second embodiment. An inner contact image 9a is displayed on the other end face (see FIG. 12C).
Note that the left and right dimensions and the vertical dimension of the other end face of the optical fiber focusing body 9b can be arbitrarily set within the dimension range of the push operation surface of the push button 5, but the whole is consciously hidden with the fingertip as shown in FIG. Dimensions that can be preferred. For example, it is preferable to form, for example, a circular shape having a diameter of 10 mm or less so that even a player such as a woman who has a relatively small finger can be surely hidden by the fingertip.

The preferred embodiment of the slot machine of the present invention has been described above. However, the slot machine according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. Needless to say.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the winning contents determined and determined by the internal drawing of the slot machine include a small role, replay (replay), big bonus (BB), regular bonus (RB), challenge time (CT), There are a single challenge time (SCT), a single bonus (SB), a loss, and the like, but the contents of the winning are not particularly limited, and the application target and the operational effects of the present invention are not affected thereby.

  Further, in the slot machine of the above-described embodiment, medals (coins) have been described as examples of game media to be used. However, game media usable in the slot machine according to the present invention are not limited to medals, for example, pachinko balls Similar game balls can also be used as game media.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for a slot machine (rotational game machine) in which a game is played using mainly medals (coins) or game balls (pachinko balls) as game media, and in particular, for bonus games and the like. The internal hit can be suitably used for a slot machine that is required to notify a player without being known to surrounding people.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing the slot machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the inside of the slot machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a principal part front view which shows the internal notification display part of the slot machine which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. It is a principal part side cross section which shows the internal winning notification display part of the slot machine which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the principle of the optical fiber focusing body used for the internal contact notification display part of the slot machine which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an outline of a control unit and its peripheral configuration of the slot machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a principal part sectional side view which shows the internal notification display part of the slot machine which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is a principal part rear view which shows the internal winning notification display part of the slot machine which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is a principal part sectional side view which shows the internal winning notification display part of the slot machine which concerns on 3rd embodiment of this invention. It is a principal part rear view which shows the internal winning notification display part of the slot machine which concerns on 3rd embodiment of this invention. It is a principal part front view which shows the internal notification display part of the slot machine which concerns on 4th embodiment of this invention. It is a principal part side section which shows the internal notification display part of the slot machine which concerns on 4th embodiment of this invention, (a) is explanatory drawing which shows the stop button non-operation state at the time of normal, (b) is normal Explanatory drawing which shows the stop button operation state at the time, (c) is explanatory drawing which shows the stop button operation state at the time of internal hit. It is a principal part front view which shows the example of a change of the internal winning notification display part of the slot machine which concerns on 4th embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Slot machine 2 Front panel 3 Reel display window 4 Start lever 5 Stop button 9 Internal hit notification display part 9a Internal hit image 9b Optical fiber focusing body 9c Displacement mechanism 10 Control part 21 Reel

Claims (6)

A plurality of reels are rotated according to a predetermined start operation, a predetermined internal lottery is performed, each reel is stopped according to a pressing operation of a stop button, and a predetermined game medium is determined according to the symbol arrangement on the stopped reels And a slot machine having an internal hit notification display unit for notifying the player of the winning result of the internal lottery,
The internal hit notification display section,
An internal per image showing the winning of a given internal lottery,
An optical fiber converging body that is formed by integrally bundling a plurality of optical fibers, and that outputs an image input from one end face with a viewing angle limited from the other end face;
A slot machine, wherein when a predetermined winning content is won as a result of the internal lottery, the player can display the internal hit image so as to be visible through the optical fiber focusing body. The internal hit notification display section,
A displacement mechanism for displacing the inner contact image;
When displaying the internal hit image so as to be visible to the player, the internal hit image is brought close to one end face of the optical fiber focusing body,
2. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein when the internal hit image is not displayed to be visible to a player, the internal hit image is separated from one end face of the optical fiber focusing body. The internal hit notification display section,
A liquid crystal shutter is provided between one end face of the optical fiber focusing body and the inner contact image disposed in proximity to the end face,
When displaying the internal hit image so as to be visible to the player, the liquid crystal shutter is in a transmissive state,
The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal shutter is set in a non-transparent state when the internal hit image is not displayed to be visible to the player.   The slot machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the optical fiber focusing body is a fiber lens, a fiber lens type artificial television stone, or a fiber scope.   The slot machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the orientation of the other end face of the optical fiber focusing body can be changed in accordance with a player's operation.   The slot machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the other end face of the optical fiber focusing body is disposed on a pressing operation surface of the stop button.

Images