JP2009072483A - Slot machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a slot machine capable of executing a performance useful for improving the amusement of a game by producing the feeling of thrills and the exciting feeling of a player. <P>SOLUTION: The slot machine is provided with a notification means for executing a notifying operation of notifying a player of the fact that a bonus role is determined as an internal winning role. A performance device 7 incorporated in the slot machine has a display unit 8 including a display screen 80 for displaying video information, a door unit 9 provided with hatch doors 91 and 92, a display unit forward and backward movement means 71 for moving the display unit 8 forward and backward along the normal direction D of the display screen 80, and a door unit forward and backward movement means 72 for moving the door unit 9 forward and backward along the normal direction D. The notification means executes the notifying operation in linkage with the forward and backward movement operation of the display unit 8 or the turning operation of the hatch doors 91 and 92 in the door unit 9. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a slot machine for performing a game effect by video.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a slot machine is known that includes a rendering device that includes display means such as a liquid crystal display panel, in addition to a reel that variably displays multiple types of symbols as the game starts. According to an effect device including a liquid crystal display panel or the like, for example, it is possible to display a popular character or the like and perform various effects to enhance the interest of the game.

  Further, among slot machines, there is also a slot machine that employs an effect device in which a door such as a shoji is combined on the front side of display means such as a liquid crystal display panel (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this effect device, the display screen such as a liquid crystal display panel can be viewed from the player side when the shoji is opened, and the display screen is not visible when the shoji is closed. In such a slot machine, an effect of rendering is intended to be enhanced by combining an effect of a mechanical movement with an effect of a video by a display means such as a liquid crystal display panel.

  However, the conventional slot machine described above has the following problems. That is, there is a possibility that the production effect cannot be maintained high according to the player's familiarity only by showing and hiding the display screen according to the movement of the door.

JP 2005-40413 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and it is possible to produce an effect useful for improving the interest of the game by producing an excitement and a thrilling feeling of the player. It is an object of the present invention to provide a slot machine that can maintain the production effect high over a long period of time.

The present invention includes a symbol variation display means including a plurality of variation display units that variably display a plurality of types of symbols according to a predetermined arrangement in the symbol display area,
Game start operation means operated by the player to start the game;
An internal lottery means for executing an internal lottery for determining an internal winning combination from among a plurality of types in accordance with an operation of the game start operation means in a state where a game medium is inserted;
A stop operation means operated by the player to stop the display of variation of symbols in the variation display section;
When the stop operation means is operated, display control means for drawing and displaying the symbol corresponding to the internal winning combination within a predetermined pull-in range,
A winning determination means for determining whether or not a combination of symbols stopped and displayed by the plurality of variation display units is a predetermined winning symbol;
Profit granting means for granting a profit corresponding to the winning symbol to the player when the winning determining unit determines that the symbol is a winning symbol;
A game state switching means for selectively performing any one of a plurality of types of game states having different degrees of advantage on the player side;
In a slot machine comprising: notification means for performing notification operation for notifying a player that a bonus combination has been determined as an internal winning combination by the internal lottery means,
A display unit including a display screen for displaying video information;
A door unit including at least one hatch door that rotates between a first position that covers the display screen and a second position that opens the display screen to the player side;
Display unit advance / retreat means for advancing / retreating the display unit along the normal direction of the display screen;
Door unit advance / retreat means for advancing / retreating the door unit along the normal direction;
Advancing / retreating control means for driving the display unit advance / retreat means to advance / retreat the display unit, and driving the door unit advance / retreat means to advance / retreat the door unit;
A rotation control means for rotating the hatch door included in the door unit, and an effect device including:
The notification means is a slot machine configured to perform the notification operation in conjunction with an advance / retreat operation of the display unit or a rotation operation of the hatch door in the door unit. Item 1).

  The effect device incorporated in the slot machine of the present invention includes the display unit advance / retreat means and the door unit advance / retreat means for moving the units forward and backward in addition to the display unit and the door unit. In this effect device, an effect of moving the display unit and the door unit back and forth along the normal direction is possible. Furthermore, in the effect device, an effect of making the display screen of the display unit visible and hidden according to the turning operation of the hatch door included in the door unit is possible.

  In the slot machine, the display unit and the door unit move forward toward the player, move backward to move away from the player, and a variety of effects combining the hatch door rotation operation. By the operation, it is possible to produce the game extremely effectively and to raise the player's mood. In particular, in a slot machine that has less mechanical movement than a pachinko machine or the like, the display unit or the door unit approaches the player or the hatch door rotates. The production effect can be very effective.

  Furthermore, the effect device includes the notification means for performing a notification operation for notifying a player that the bonus combination has been determined as an internal winning combination. The notification means is configured to perform the notification operation in conjunction with an advance / retreat operation of the display unit or a rotation operation of the hatch door in the door unit.

  In the slot machine, the notification operation is performed in conjunction with the advance / retreat operation of the display unit or the rotation operation of the hatch door. Therefore, when an advance / retreat operation of the display unit or a rotation operation of the hatch door occurs, the player's expectation for the bonus combination can be enhanced. As described above, in the slot machine, the notification unit performs the notification operation in conjunction with the mechanical operation of the display unit or the hatch door in the rendering device, so that the mechanical operation of the display unit or the hatch door is performed. The production effect by has been enhanced to the maximum.

  As described above, according to the slot machine of the present invention, it is possible to produce an effect useful for improving the interest of the game by producing the excitement and pounding feeling of the player by adopting the effect device. . Furthermore, according to the production device incorporated in the slot machine, various productions that do not get bored of the player are possible, and the production effect can be maintained high over a long period of time.

In the effect device of the slot machine of the present invention, a space for the hatch door to rotate can be secured by retracting the display unit. Therefore, in the slot machine, it is possible to incorporate the effect device substantially flush with the game surface facing the player.
The slot machine may be a slot machine in a narrow sense using medals and coins as game media, or a parrot (R) using pachinko balls as game media.
The normal direction of the display screen means a direction perpendicular to the display screen.

  The advancing / retreating control means includes a current gaming state in which the gaming state switching means is being executed, an internal lottery result by the internal lottery means, an operation of the game start operating means, and an operation of the stop operating means. Preferably, the display unit advancing / retreating means and the door unit advancing / retreating means are driven so that the display unit or the door unit advances / retreats according to at least one of them (Claim 2).

  In this case, the display unit or the door unit is moved forward or backward depending on the current gaming state or the state of the internal lottery result, the player's operation on the game start operation means or the stop operation means, and the like. become. If the display unit or the door unit is advanced or retracted according to the state of the slot machine such as the current game state, various effects can be realized in relation to the progress of the game in the slot machine. If the display unit or the door unit is advanced or retracted according to the player's operation, the player can be involved in the production operation, and the interest of the game is further enhanced.

  Further, the rotation control means includes a current gaming state in which the gaming state switching means is being executed, an internal lottery result by the internal lottery means, an operation of the game start operating means, and an operation of the stop operating means. It is preferable that the hatch door is configured to rotate in accordance with at least one of them.

  In this case, the hatch door turns according to the current gaming state or the state of the internal lottery result, the player's operation on the game start operation means or the stop operation means, and the like. If the hatch door is rotated according to the state of the slot machine such as the current gaming state, various effects can be realized in relation to the progress of the game in the slot machine. If the hatch door is rotated in accordance with the player's operation, it is possible to produce an effect triggered by the player's operation, thereby further enhancing the interest of the game.

Further, when the hatch door is in the first position, the hatch door is configured to present a part of the video information displayed on the display screen to the player side and to block the remaining information. (Claim 4).
In this case, a state in which nothing is displayed on the display screen, a state in which the display screen for displaying the video information is covered by the hatch door, and the display screen for displaying the video information is opened to a player. The state and the like can be selectively generated, and a variety of effects can be achieved.

The embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the following examples.
Example 1
This example is an example related to the slot machine 1 in which the rendering device 7 including the hatch doors 91 and 92 is incorporated. The contents will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the slot machine 1 of this example includes three variable display units 21 (hereinafter referred to as reels 21) that display a plurality of types of symbols in a predetermined arrangement in a symbol display area 110. The symbol variation display means 2 provided, the game start operation means 62 (hereinafter referred to as the start lever 62) operated by the player to start the game, and the operation of the start lever 62 in a state where the game medium is inserted. Accordingly, an internal lottery means 42 for executing an internal lottery for determining an internal winning combination from a plurality of types of winning combinations, and a stop operation means 61 (to be operated by the player in order to stop the variable display of symbols on the reel 21) Hereinafter, when the stop button 61 is operated, the symbol corresponding to the internal winning combination is drawn in within a predetermined pull-in range. The display control means 45 for stopping and displaying in the pattern display area 110, the winning determination means 49 for determining whether or not the combination of symbols stopped and displayed on the reels 21 is a predetermined winning symbol, and the winning determination means 49 for winning. When it is determined to be a symbol, select one of a profit granting means 43 that grants a profit corresponding to the winning symbol to the player side and a plurality of types of gaming states with different degrees of advantage on the player side The game state switching means 44 and the internal lottery means 42 for performing the notification operation for notifying the player that the bonus combination has been determined as the internal winning combination (in this example, the notification lamp unit 56) Hereinafter, it is referred to as a notification lamp unit 56).

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rendering device 7 incorporated in the slot machine 1 includes a display unit 8 including a display screen 80 for displaying video information, and a first position (shown in FIG. 2) covering the display screen 80. Position) and the door unit 9 including hatch doors 91 and 92 that rotate between a second position (the position shown in FIG. 1) that opens the display screen 80 to the player side, and the normal line of the display screen 80 A display unit advance / retreat means 71 for advancing / retreating the display unit 8 along the direction D, a door unit advance / retreat means 72 for advancing / retreating the door unit 9 along the normal direction D, and the display unit advance / retreat means 71 are driven. The display unit 8 is advanced and retracted, and the door unit advance / retreat means 72 is driven to advance and retract the door unit 9 (see FIG. 10), and the hatch doors 91 and 92 provided in the door unit 9 are rotated. Causing rotation control means 78R has a (see FIG. 10.), The.
The notification lamp unit 56 is configured to perform the notification operation in conjunction with the advance / retreat operation of the display unit 8 or the rotation operation of the hatch doors 91, 92 in the door unit 9.
Hereinafter, this content will be described in detail. In the following description, the configuration of the rendering device 7 will be described in detail after the configuration of the slot machine 1 is described.

  First, the combination of the slot machine 1, the internal winning combination, and the winning combination will be described with reference to FIGS. In the slot machine 1 of this example, nine types of combinations including two types of BIG bonus combinations, small combinations such as 15-sheet combinations, and replay combinations are set. In FIG. 4, the name of each combination is shown in the left column, the winning symbol of each combination is shown in the middle column, and privileges such as the number of medals to be paid out as prizes are shown in the right column. In the slot machine 1, an internal winning combination by the internal lottery means 42 becomes an internal winning combination. A winning combination occurs when a winning symbol is established along any of the winning lines 111 to 115 set in the symbol display window 11.

  In the slot machine 1, a BIG bonus game state (hereinafter referred to as a BIG bonus game as appropriate) is started in response to winning of the BIG bonus combination. The BIG bonus game is a game state that is highly advantageous to the player side in which the internal winning probability of the small role is set high and the payout rate greatly exceeds 100%. In the slot machine 1, when the payout number of medals in the BIG bonus game reaches a prescribed number, the BIG bonus game ends, and a replay time state (hereinafter referred to as “replay time” as appropriate) for 100 games occurs. The replay time is a gaming state that is advantageous to the player who has a high internal winning probability for the replay role. However, if the BIG bonus combination wins during the replay time, the replay time ends immediately and the BIG bonus game is started without waiting for 100 games to be exhausted.

  The slot machine 1 of this example has an external configuration as shown in FIG. In the slot machine 1, a game surface facing the player is formed by a front frame 10 having a substantially rectangular symbol display window 11 provided at a substantially center. The front frame 10 has the effect device 7 on the upper side in the vertical direction of the symbol display window 11, and has the base portion 100 that forms the base of the slot machine 1 on the lower side in the vertical direction. On the right side of the symbol display window 11, a notification lamp unit 56, a payout number display unit 531 and a credit number display unit 532 are arranged in order from the top. Speakers 520 are disposed on the left and right of the rendering device 7, and decorative lamps 551 are disposed on both outer sides. A horizontally long decorative lamp 552 is disposed above the effect device 7.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the notification lamp unit 56 is means for notifying the establishment of the BIG bonus flag indicating the state in which the BIG bonus combination is won internally. The notification lamp unit 56 notifies the player of the establishment of the BIG bonus flag according to the lighting state. The notification lamp unit 56 of this example can perform the notification operation in conjunction with the advance / retreat operation of the display unit 8 or the rotation operation of the hatch doors 91, 92. In addition, the notification lamp part 56 can change lighting brightness continuously.

The number-of-payout display unit 531 is a display unit for digitally displaying the number of medals to be paid out in accordance with winning.
The credit number display unit 532 is a display unit for digitally displaying the number of medals electronically stored in the slot machine 1 among medals acquired by the player.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the base portion 100 is formed so as to protrude relatively toward the player with respect to the symbol display window 11 located behind the player. The base portion 100 has a table-like operation surface 14 at the upper end adjacent to the symbol display window 11, a medal tray 15 at the bottom, and an operation panel 13 between the operation surface 14 and the medal tray 15. is doing.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a bet button 64 for betting medals credited (stored) by a credit function and a medal slot 630 for inserting medals to bet on games are arranged on the operation surface 14. The operation panel 13 is provided with a start lever 62 for starting the symbol variation of the reel 21, a stop button 61 for stopping the symbol variation, and a settlement button 65 for paying out the credited medal. Has been. The stop button 61 includes a left stop button 61L corresponding to the left reel 21L, a middle stop button 61C corresponding to the middle reel 21C, and a right stop button 61R corresponding to the right reel 21R.

  The bet button 64 is a button for betting (betting) a credited medal as shown in FIG. The bet button 64 in this example is a button for setting 3 bets, which is the maximum bet number, as the game bet number. However, when the remaining credit is 2 or 1, 2 bets or 1 bet is set by operating the bet button 64, and when the credit is zero, the number of game bets is not set.

  In the slot machine 1, which is a 3-bet dedicated machine, when a medal is directly inserted or three medals are bet by operating the bet button 64, the game can be started according to the operation of the start lever 62. . In addition, instead of the slot machine 1 of this example, which is a so-called 3-bet machine for betting 3 medals for each game (game), the bet number (game bet number) can be selectively set according to the player's preference. Any type of slot machine may be used. In this case, it is preferable to provide a single bet button for setting one bet, in addition to a max bet button for setting three bets.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the start lever 62 is an operation lever that generates a change start signal, which is a control signal for the reel 21, at a timing when the player operates.
The stop button 61 is an operation button that is generated at a timing when a player operates a variable stop signal that is a control signal of the reel 21. The stop button 61 of this example is a combination of a left stop button 61L corresponding to the left reel 21L, a middle stop button 61C corresponding to the middle reel 21C, and a right stop button 61R corresponding to the right reel 21R.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the symbol display window 11 is a display window including symbol display areas 110L, C, and R. According to the symbol display window 11 in which three symbol display areas 110 each displaying three symbols in the vertical direction are arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction, nine symbols are arranged in a two-dimensional matrix of three rows and three columns. 20 can be displayed. The portion corresponding to each symbol display area 110 in the symbol display window 11 is formed of a transparent resin plate so that the symbol 20 can be seen from the player side. For nine symbols 20 arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, winning lines 111 to 115, which are the arrangement direction of symbols to be awarded, are set. The winning lines include horizontal winning lines 111 to 113 and diagonal winning lines 114 and 115.

  On the back side of each symbol display area 110L, C, R, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, reels 21L, C, R constituting the symbol display means 2 are respectively arranged. The reels 21L, C, and R are rotary reels having a substantially cylindrical shape, and a plurality of 21 types of symbols 20 arranged at a substantially constant interval on the outer peripheral surface thereof. The reel 21 may be an image-type reel that displays the symbols on the liquid crystal display panel in place of the rotary reel in this example.

Next, the slot machine 1 of this example has a mechanical configuration as shown in FIG.
The control board 3 that controls the overall operation of the slot machine 1 and each part that is electrically connected to the control board 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition to the above-described configuration, the control board 3 includes a inserted medal detection unit 63 that detects a medal inserted as a game medium, a reel drive unit 22 that forms the symbol variation display means 2 together with the reel 21, and a reel 21. A reference position detection unit 66 for detecting the rotation position of the player, a medal payout unit 54 for paying out medals, various display units 53 such as a payout number display unit 531 and a credit number display unit 532, and decorations such as decoration lamps 551 and 552. A lamp unit 55, a set value operation unit 68 for setting a set value indicating the player's degree of advantage, an audio output unit 52 for controlling the speaker 520, and an effect device 7 including the display unit 8 and the door unit 9. , Are electrically connected.

  The inserted medal detection unit 63 is means for detecting a medal inserted from the medal insertion slot 630 as shown in FIGS. The inserted medal detector 63 outputs an insert signal every time a medal is inserted. Three insert signals correspond to 3 bets. In the slot machine 1 of this example, which is a 3-bet dedicated machine, the start lever 62 is set to an effective state when three medals are inserted or when three medals are bet by operating the bet button 64. The

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the reel driving unit 22 includes a stepping motor (not shown) that can be controlled in units of steps, and is a means for rotationally driving the reel 21 by the rotational driving force of the stepping motor. The stepping motor rotates by one step for each control pulse fetched from the control board 3.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the reference position detection unit 66 is a detection unit that detects the passage of the reference position piece for each of the reels 21 </ b> L, C, and R. The reference position detector 66 outputs a detection signal every time it detects the passage of the reference position piece.
The medal payout unit 54 is a means for paying out a predetermined number of medals to the medal tray 15 under the control of the control board 3.
The set value operation unit 68 is an operation unit for changing the set value for setting the winning probability of the bonus combination in six stages using the setting key 680.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the control board 3 includes a CPU 31, ROM 33 and RAM 34 as memory means, and an I / O unit 32 as an input / output interface. The CPU 31 executes a software program read from the ROM 33, thereby extracting a random number extraction means 48 for extracting random numbers, a winning determination means 49 for determining a winning combination, a display control means 45 for controlling the reel driving unit 22, and an internal winning combination. An internal lottery means 42 for lottery, a flag control means 41 for controlling an internal winning flag indicating that the winning combination has been won, a profit granting means 43 for giving a profit according to a prize to the player side, and a gaming state (BIG bonus game) , The replay time, the normal state) is configured to realize each function as the gaming state switching means 44 that selectively implements.

  As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6, the ROM 33 as the memory means is a winning random number table used by the internal lottery means 42 for the lottery of the internal winning combination, and the display control means 45 is used for stop control of the reel 21 (not shown). The stop table is stored. The winning random number table is defined for each set value of 1 to 6 set using the set value operation unit 68. FIG. 6 illustrates the winning random number table corresponding to the setting value 1. In FIG. 9A, random numbers corresponding to each combination or loss in the normal state are defined. FIG. 5B shows a winning random number for the replay combination that is additionally set during the replay time. In the replay time, almost 100% of the random numbers for losing in the normal state become the winning random numbers for the replay role. Therefore, in the replay time, the internal winning probability of the replay role can be increased.

  A stop table (not shown) is a data table that defines stop positions at which each reel 21 can stop on the winning line 113 (see FIG. 2). The stop table is prepared for each combination and lose set in the slot machine 1. In the stop table for each combination, the stop position is defined so that the corresponding combination can win. On the other hand, in the stop table for losing applied to a game for which an internal winning flag has not been established, a stop position is defined such that a combination that is not internally won is not won. As the stop table, in addition to the one that defines the stop position as in this example, other types of stop tables such as one that defines the number of drawn symbols for each symbol may be employed.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the random number extraction means 48 is a means for extracting random numbers from a predetermined range of random numbers generated by a random number generation means (not shown). The random number extraction means 48 of this example extracts a random number using the change start signal of the start lever 62 as a trigger signal and inputs it to the internal lottery means 42. Note that the random number generation means of this example generates an integer in the range of 0 to 65535 in decimal numbers as a random number for internal lottery.

  As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6, the internal lottery means 42 refers to the winning random number table based on the random number extracted by the random number extracting means 48, determines an internal winning combination, and corresponds to the internal winning combination. Means for establishing an internal winning flag. The internal winning combination that the internal lottery means 42 of the present example draws is 9 types including 2 types of BIG bonus combination, small combination such as 15-sheet combination, and replay combination. The BIG bonus flag is an internal winning flag corresponding to the BIG bonus combination.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the display control unit 45 is a unit that controls symbol variations caused by the reels 21 </ b> L, C, and R via the reel driving unit 22. The display control means 45 starts symbol variation of the reel 21 in response to the variation start signal and stops symbol variation of the reel 21 in response to the variation stop signal. The display control means 45 inputs a control pulse to the reel drive unit 22 and rotates the stepping motor by one step for each pulse. The display control means 45 counts the number of control pulses input to the reel drive unit 22, that is, the number of steps rotated by the stepping motor. In particular, in this example, for each reel 21, the number of steps with respect to the reference position piece is counted by resetting the number of steps to zero each time the detection signal of the reference position piece is fetched.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the display control means 45 performs so-called pull-in control for stopping symbols within a predetermined pull-in range determined by rules (rules for game machine certification, type verification, etc.) on the winning line. . The display control means 45 calculates the bita symbol that is instantaneously positioned on the winning line 113 at the time of taking in the fluctuation stop signal based on the above-mentioned number of steps, and refers to the stop table and uses the bita symbol as a reference. The stop position is obtained, and the corresponding symbol is drawn and stopped.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the winning determination means 49 is a means for determining whether or not the combination of symbols stopped and displayed on the three reels 21L, 21C, 21R is a predetermined winning symbol. Specifically, the winning determination means 49 determines the winning combination according to the combination of symbols stopped on the winning lines 111 to 115 set so as to cross the three reels 21L, 21C, 21R. The winning determination means 49 takes in the number of steps counted by the display control means 45 for each stepping motor of the reel drive unit 22 after each reel 21L, C, R stops. The winning determination means 49 obtains the type of the symbol 20 stopped on the winning lines 111 to 115 based on the number of steps, and determines whether or not a winning combination is established for the combination of the symbols 20.

  The profit granting means 43 is a means for giving a profit according to the type of winning combination determined by the winning determination means 49 as shown in FIGS. For example, when the small combination is a winning combination, a predetermined number of medals are paid out as a profit (see FIG. 4). For example, when the BIG bonus combination is a winning combination, a benefit of executing the BIG bonus game is given. Furthermore, for example, when the replay combination is a winning combination, a benefit of enjoying the next game free of charge is given.

  The flag control means 41 is means for controlling the internal winning flag as shown in FIGS. As described above, the internal winning flag is a flag that the internal lottery means 42 establishes in accordance with the internal winning combination. Regardless of whether or not the small winning combination flag that is the internal winning flag of the small combination and the replay flag that is the internal winning flag of the replay winning combination are won in the game in which the internal winning flag is set, Erase before starting the next game. On the other hand, the BIG bonus flag, which is an internal winning flag for the BIG bonus combination, is carried over to the next game until winning, and is erased according to the bonus combination winning. Therefore, in the slot machine 1, a small combination including a replay combination that has not won a prize in the internally won game is so-called missing. On the other hand, once the BIG bonus combination is won internally, the bonus confirmed state can be maintained until winning.

  The gaming state switching means 44 is a means for selectively generating any gaming state among a normal state, a BIG bonus game, and a replay time. In the gaming state switching means 44, a state flag that is a control flag for controlling the gaming state of the slot machine 1 is set. The status flag includes a BIG bonus game flag corresponding to the BIG bonus game, an RT flag corresponding to the replay time, and the like.

  The gaming state switching means 44 switches the BIG bonus game flag to the on state in response to the winning of the BIG bonus combination, and sets the BIG bonus game flag to the off state when the payout number of medals in the BIG bonus game reaches the specified number. Reset. Further, the gaming state switching means 44 switches the RT flag to the on state in accordance with the end of the BIG bonus game, and turns off the RT flag when the number of digested games reaches 100 games or in response to winning of the BIG bonus combination. Reset to.

  The gaming state switching means 44 selectively generates any gaming state according to the flag state of each state flag. A BIG bonus game is generated when the BIG bonus game flag is on, and a replay time is generated when the RT flag is on. The game state switching means 44 generates a normal state when both the BIG bonus game flag and the RT flag, which are state flags, are off.

  Next, the rendering device 7 incorporated in the slot machine 1 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7 to 9, the effect device 7 is a device in which the display unit 8, the door unit 9, and the connector substrate 79 are accommodated in an accommodation space 70 formed inside a hollow duct-shaped housing 700. is there. The connector board 79 is a board for connecting the connection cable 798 of the display unit 8 and the connection cable 799 of the door unit 9. An effect control board 78 for controlling each motor of the effect device 7 and the notification lamp unit 56 is fixed to the rear surface of the housing 700.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the display unit 8 is accommodated in the housing 700 so that the display screen 80 can be seen from the opening side of the housing 700. The display unit 8 accommodated in the housing 700 is supported through a display unit advance / retreat means 71 in a state in which the display unit 8 can advance / retreat. The door unit 9 is accommodated in the housing 700 so that the hatch doors 91 and 92 at the first position (the rotation position shown in FIG. 2) are along the surface of the display screen 80 of the display unit 8. The door unit 9 accommodated in the housing 700 is supported in a state in which the door unit 9 can be advanced and retracted via the door unit advancing / retreating means 72. The connector board 79 is fixed inside the housing 700. Hereinafter, each structure of the production | presentation apparatus 7 is demonstrated.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 7, the door unit 9 is a unit in which four hatch doors 91 and 92 are rotatably attached to a frame-like frame body 90 having a substantially rectangular shape. The hatch doors 91 and 92 rotate around each side of the frame 90. The hatch doors 91 and 92 have a second position (rotation position shown in FIGS. 1 and 7) substantially parallel to the normal direction D corresponding to the forward / backward direction, and a first position (see FIG. 1) substantially orthogonal to the normal direction D. 2). The hatch doors 91 and 92 of this example made of a resin material are in a semi-transparent state, and are formed so that the back side can be seen through unclearly.

  As shown in the figure, the hatch door includes a triangle-shaped hatch door 91 that widens toward the rotation axis and a trapezoidal hatch door 92 that widens toward the rotation axis and widens toward the rotation axis. . The triangular hatch door 91 is a hatch door that rotates about the left and right sides of the frame 90, and the trapezoidal hatch door 92 is a hatch door that rotates about the upper and lower sides of the frame 90. is there. As shown in FIG. 2, the hatch doors 91 and 92 positioned at the first position are combined with a small gap like a puzzle piece and formed so as to cover almost the entire surface of the display screen 80.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, the frame 90 has an advance / retreat guide 93 that extends so as to protrude toward the back side of the door unit 9. The advance / retreat guide 93 has a pair of two guide rollers 934 arranged in the up / down direction (normal direction D). Each guide roller 934 is supported in a rotatable state by a rotating shaft 935 protruding outward. A rack gear 94 is disposed on the upper surface of the advance / retreat guide 93 with the gear teeth positioned upward.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, the hatch doors 91 and 92 have a rotating shaft 95 fixed along the bottom of a triangle or trapezoid. The hatch doors 91 and 92 are fixed to the frame body 90 so as to be rotatable via a rotation shaft 95. On one end side of the rotating shaft 95, a worm wheel 951 provided with oblique gear teeth on the outer periphery is fixed by extrapolation. The worm wheel 951 is gear-engaged with a worm gear 952 of an output shaft 954 of a motor 953 fixed to the frame body 90. In the door unit 9, the hatch doors 91 and 92 can rotate according to the rotation of the motor 953 corresponding to the hatch doors 91 and 92. The motor 953 includes four motors 953a to 953d corresponding to the four hatch doors 91 and 92 (see FIG. 10).

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 8, the display unit 8 is a unit that houses therein a liquid crystal display panel 800 that forms a display screen 80. In the display unit 8, the front side corresponding to the display screen 80 is covered with a transparent cover 81, and the back side is formed by a panel support frame 82 that supports the liquid crystal display panel 800. The display unit 8 includes an advancing / retreating guide 83 that is disposed so as to protrude outward in the left-right direction. A liquid crystal control board 88 that is a control board of the liquid crystal display panel 800 is attached to the back surface of the panel support frame 82. The configuration of the liquid crystal control board 88 will be described later.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 8, the advance / retreat guide 83 includes an extended portion 831 that extends from the panel support frame 82 toward the back side of the display unit 8, and a folded portion that is bent outward from the extended portion 831. It comprises a portion 832 and a roller support portion 833 that is turned back again from the turn-back portion 832 so as to face the extended portion 831 via the housing portion 830.

  The roller support portion 833 has a pair of two guide rollers 834 arranged vertically along the forward / backward direction (normal direction D). Each guide roller 834 is pivotally supported in a rotatable state by a rotation shaft 835 projecting outward. A rack gear 84 is disposed in the extended portion 831 with the gear teeth positioned upward.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 7, and 8, the advance / retreat guide 83 of the display unit 8 and the advance / retreat guide 93 of the door unit 9 have different positions in the height direction. Further, in the advance / retreat guide 83 of the display unit 8, the extending portion 831 and the roller support portion 833 facing each other form a housing portion 830 that is a gap that opens forward in the advance / retreat direction (normal direction D). Yes. In the production device 7 of this example, by adopting a structure in which the position in the height direction of the advance / retreat guides 83 and 93 is changed and a structure in which a part of the frame body 90 of the door unit 9 can be accommodated in the accommodating portion 830, The display unit 8 can be displaced closer to the player side than the door unit 9.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 9, the housing 700 has a top plate 703 and a bottom plate 701 facing in the height direction (up and down direction in the assembled state), and a pair of facing in the left and right direction (horizontal direction in the assembled state). It has a hollow duct shape with a substantially rectangular cross section formed by the side plate 702. A back plate 704 is attached to the opening on the back side of the hollow duct-shaped housing 700. In FIG. 9, illustration of the connection cable 798 and the connection cable 799 is omitted.

  An end of the housing 700 on the player side is opened so that the display screen 80 of the display unit 8 can be seen from the player side. The housing 700 has a housing space 70 for advancing and retracting the display unit 8 and the door unit 9 therein, and a display unit at a position corresponding to the back side of the housing space 70 (side away from the player). Advancing / retreating means 71, door unit advancing / retreating means 72 and connector board 79 are accommodated. An effect control board 78 is fixed to the back surface of the back plate 704. The configuration of the effect control board 78 will be described later.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 7 and 9, the door unit advance / retreat means 72 includes rails 720 formed on the inner wall surface of each side plate 702 along the depth direction of the housing 700, that is, along the normal direction D, and rails 720. And a drive mechanism for driving the supported door unit 9 back and forth. The rail 720 is a rail for the guide roller 934 of the door unit 9 to roll. The drive mechanism includes a drive shaft 725 extending in a direction in which the pair of side plates 702 face each other, a motor 728 for rotating the drive shaft 725, and a gear mechanism for transmitting the rotational motion of the drive shaft 725 to the rack gear 94. 721.

  The drive shaft 725 is pivotally supported by a support plate 705 that is erected and fixed so as to face the inner wall surface of each side plate 702 with a gap. The drive shaft 725 passes through each support plate 705 and its end is positioned in front of the side plate 702. The motor 728 is fixed to one support plate 705 in a state where a pinion gear (not shown) fixed to the output shaft is gear-engaged with a gear gear externally fixed to the drive shaft 725.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 9, the gear mechanism 721 is rotated and supported by a gap between the first gear gear 721 </ b> A that is extrapolated and fixed to the end of the drive shaft 725, and the side plate 702 and the support plate 705. Gear gear 721B. The second gear gear 721B engages with the first gear gear 721A and engages with the rack gear 94 of the door unit 9. In the door unit advance / retreat means 72, the rotation of the motor 728 is transmitted to the rack gear 94 via the drive shaft 725 and the gear mechanism 721. Therefore, if the motor 728 is driven to rotate, the door unit 9 can be advanced and retracted.

  The display unit advance / retreat means 71 is configured in substantially the same manner as the door unit advance / retreat means 72. The difference between the door unit advancing / retreating means 72 and the display unit advancing / retreating means 71 is the difference in the position of the rails 710 and 720 in the height direction. In the rendering device 7 of the present example, the interference between the door unit advance / retreat means 72 and the display unit advance / retreat means 71 is avoided in advance by changing the heights of the rails 710 and 720.

  Furthermore, as described above, the advance / retreat guide 83 of the display unit 8 has the accommodating portion 830 formed so as to accommodate a part of the frame 90 of the door unit 9. According to the structure in which the frame 90 can be accommodated in the accommodating portion 830, the hatch doors 91 and 92 pass through the inside of the door unit 9 in the state where the hatch doors 91 and 92 are located at the second position (the rotation position shown in FIG. 1). 8 can be displaced to the player side (the state shown in FIG. 11E).

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 9, and 10, the effect control board 78 includes a CPU 781, ROM 783 and RAM 784 as memory means, and an I / O unit 782 as an input / output interface. Connected to the I / O section 782 are the control board 3, the liquid crystal control board 88, motors 953a to d, 728, 718 (reference numeral 718 is a drive motor for the display unit advancing / retreating means 71) and the notification lamp section 56. . The effect control board 78 fetches a change start signal, a change stop signal, an internal winning flag, a state flag, and the like from the control board 3. In addition, the effect control board 78 outputs control signals to the liquid crystal control board 88, the motors 953a to 953d, 728, 718, and the notification lamp unit 56.

  The CPU 781 has functions as an advance / retreat control means 78T for making the display unit 8 and the door unit 9 advance / retreat along the normal direction D, and a turning control means 78R for turning the hatch doors 91, 92 of the door unit 9. Yes.

  The advance / retreat control means 78T is means for controlling the displacement positions of the display unit 8 and the door unit 9 in the normal direction D by driving the display unit advance / retreat means 71 and the door unit advance / retreat means 72. The advance / retreat control means 78T displaces the display unit 8 and the door unit 9 to a predetermined position according to the current gaming state and the internal lottery result by the internal lottery means 42. The advance / retreat control means 78T can independently drive and control a motor 718 for advancing / retreating the display unit 8 and a motor 728 for advancing / retreating the door unit 9. That is, not only the display unit 8 and the door unit 9 can be advanced and retracted simultaneously, but also only the display unit 8 or only the door unit 9 can be advanced and retracted.

  The rotation control means 78 </ b> R is a means for controlling the rotation positions of the hatch doors 91 and 92 of the door unit 9. This rotation control means 78R displaces the hatch doors 91 and 92 to a predetermined rotation position according to the current gaming state and the internal lottery result. The rotation control means 78R can independently drive and control the four motors 953a to 953d corresponding to the four hatch doors 91 and 92, respectively. That is, all four hatch doors 91 and 92 can be simultaneously rotated, or only one of the other hatch doors can be rotationally displaced without rotating any one to three hatch doors. Furthermore, the timing at which the hatch doors 91 and 92 rotate can be shifted.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 8, and 10, the liquid crystal control board 88 includes a CPU 881, an LCD controller 886, ROM 883 and RAM 884 as memory means, VRAM 885 as memory means for video display, and an input / output interface. I / O section 882. The LCD controller 886 is a control IC for causing the liquid crystal display panel 800 to display the video data stored in the VRAM 885 by the CPU 881. An effect control board 78 is connected to the I / O unit 882. The liquid crystal control board 88 controls the liquid crystal display panel 800 based on the control signal input from the effect control board 78.

In the rendering device 7 configured as described above, various operations are possible as shown in FIGS.
FIG. 11A shows a state in which the display unit 8 and the door unit 9 have advanced toward the player side. Each hatch door 91, 92 of the door unit 9 is in a first position that covers the display screen 80. FIG. 11B shows a state in which only the display unit 8 is retracted along the normal direction D from the state of FIG. In the state of FIGS. 11A and 11B, the display screen 80 is observed through the semi-transparent hatch doors 91 and 92 as seen from the player side as shown in FIG.

FIG. 11C shows a state in which the display unit 8 and the door unit 9 are retracted along the normal direction D. In this state, the hatch doors 91 and 92 are observed at positions deep in a duct-like path formed by the top plate 703, the bottom plate 701, and the side plate 702 constituting the housing 700.
FIG. 11D shows a state in which the hatch doors 91 and 92 are rotated to the second position from the state of FIG. 11C, and the display screen 80 is clearly visible from the player side. FIG. 11E shows a state in which the display unit 8 has advanced through the door units 9 where the hatch doors 91 and 92 are located at the second position.

The BIG bonus flag notification operation in the slot machine of this example configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. In FIGS. 12C and 12D, the notification lamp unit 56 is shown on the right side of the display screen 80 for convenience of explanation.
In the normal state and the BIG bonus flag is not established, as shown in FIG. 12A, the display unit 8 and the door unit 9 are retracted and the hatch doors 91 and 92 are closed (FIG. 11). (See (C).) Is the basic posture. Thereafter, when the BIG bonus flag is established by the internal winning of the BIG bonus combination, a large question mark 808 is displayed on the display screen 80 according to the operation of the start lever 62 as shown in FIG.

  In the state of the basic posture as described above (see FIG. 11C), the question mark 808 on the display screen 80 can be visually seen from the player side through the semi-transparent hatch doors 91 and 92. For a player, a sense of expectation for the BIG bonus combination is enhanced by a question mark 808 visually viewed through the hatch doors 91 and 92.

  Thereafter, when any one of the stop buttons 61 is first operated, the hatch doors 91 and 92 are rotated to the second position as shown in FIG. 12C, and the display screen 80 is exposed to the player side. . At this time, in conjunction with the turning operation of the hatch doors 91 and 92, “777” which is a winning symbol of the BIG bonus combination is displayed on the notification symbol display 809 on the display screen 80, and the BIG bonus flag is established. A notification operation is performed.

  Subsequently, advancement of the display unit 8 is started, and lighting of the notification lamp unit 56 (see FIG. 2) is started in conjunction with the advancement operation. The notification lamp unit 56 starts lighting at the minimum luminance, and then the luminance is gradually increased in proportion to the advance distance of the display unit 8. According to such an effect, the player's expectation for the BIG bonus combination can be gradually increased. When the forward movement of the display unit 8 is completed as shown in FIG. 12D, the characters “Congratulation !!!” are additionally displayed on the upper side of the notification symbol display 809 displaying “777”. At the same time, the lighting brightness of the notification lamp unit 56 reaches the maximum brightness. As a result, the player's expectation for the BIG bonus combination can reach its peak.

  As described above, in the effect device 7 of this example, the BIG bonus flag notification operation is performed in conjunction with the advance / retreat operation of the display unit 8 or the like or the rotation operation of the hatch doors 91, 92. Therefore, in the slot machine 1 of this example, the player's expectation for the bonus combination can be enhanced by the advance / retreat operation of the display unit 8 or the rotation operation of the hatch doors 91, 92. In the slot machine 1, the rendering effect of the rendering device 7 is increased to the maximum by relating the mechanical operation of the rendering device 7 to the BIG bonus flag notification operation.

  In addition, all the hatch doors 91 and 92 in this example are made of a translucent resin material that exhibits an incomplete transparent state. Instead of this, some hatch doors may be formed using a material whose translucency is close to zero so that the back side cannot be seen. Furthermore, it is also possible to form a hatch door with a material having a translucency close to zero, and to pierce a through hole such as a peep hole on the surface thereof. In this case, a part of the display screen can be visually recognized through the through hole.

In addition, the shape of the hatch doors 91 and 92 is not limited to the combination of the triangular shape and the trapezoidal shape in this example. As long as the display screen 80 can be covered, the hatch door may have any shape.
The timing at which the replay time occurs is not limited to this example. For example, it is possible to set various timings such as when a specific symbol is stopped and displayed in a normal state, when a BIG bonus flag is established, after a BIG bonus game is over, and when a predetermined number of games is consumed. It is. Note that the end timing of the replay time may be set differently from this example.

  Further, it may be a slot machine 1 that does not generate a replay time. Instead of the replay time, a slot machine capable of generating a gaming state such as a bonus combination high probability state or a specific small combination high probability state that increases the internal winning probability of the bonus combination or specific small combination may be used. Furthermore, an assist time for notifying the player of the type of the internal winning combination and the stop order of the reels for winning the internal winning combination may be adopted as one of the gaming states.

  In this example, the number of symbols displayed in each symbol display area 110 is three symbols. However, the number of symbols is not limited to this, and may be one symbol or two symbols, or four symbols or more. May be. Further, the symbol display area is not limited to three areas, and may be any number as long as it is two areas or more. Furthermore, although the example where five winning lines are set in the symbol display window 11 is shown, it may be four or less, or may be six or more if it can be set.

  In this example, the establishment of the BIG bonus flag is definitely notified in the state shown in FIG. Instead, while informing that there is a possibility that the BIG bonus flag is established with a probability of less than 100% in the state of FIG. 10C, “Congratulation !!!” as shown in FIG. The establishment of the BIG bonus flag may be definitely notified when the brightness of the notification lamp unit 56 has reached the maximum together with the additional display of the characters. If the BIG bonus flag is not established, “777” in the notification symbol display 809 is deleted and the notification lamp unit 56 is turned off when the display unit 8 completes the forward movement as shown in FIG. Is good. If an effect that discourages the player in this way is performed, the player's throbbing feeling from FIG. 12 (C) to FIG. 12 (D) is given, and the effect of the effect by the effect device 7 of this example is further increased. Can be increased.

  In addition, this example is an example in which the notification means 56 (in this example, the notification lamp unit 56) is configured to always execute the notification operation when the BIG bonus flag is established. Instead of this, the notification means 56 may be configured to determine by lottery whether or not to perform the notification operation. If a BIG bonus combination is won in a state where the BIG bonus flag is not notified, it is preferable to bypass FIGS. 12B and 12C and switch to the state shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an assembly diagram illustrating the assembly structure of the effect device according to the first embodiment. The front view which shows the slot machine incorporating the production | presentation apparatus in Example 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a mechanical configuration of the slot machine in the first embodiment. Explanatory drawing which shows the role of a slot machine, a winning symbol, and a privilege in Example 1. FIG. The front view which shows the arrangement | sequence of the symbol in each reel in Example 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a winning random number table according to the first embodiment. The perspective view which shows the door unit in Example 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a display unit in the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a housing in the first embodiment. The block diagram which shows the mechanical structure of the production | presentation apparatus in Example 1. FIG. Explanatory drawing explaining the production | presentation operation | movement by the production | presentation apparatus in Example 1. FIG. Explanatory drawing explaining operation | movement when the BIG bonus flag is materialized in Example 1. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Slot machine 11 Symbol display window 110 Symbol display area 2 Symbol fluctuation display means 21 Fluctuation display part (reel)
3 Control board 41 Flag control means 42 Internal lottery means 43 Profit giving means 44 Game state switching means 45 Display control means 48 Random number extraction means 49 Winning determination means 56 Notification means (notification lamp section)
61 Stop operation means (stop button)
62 Game start operation means (start lever)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 7 Presentation apparatus 70 Accommodating space 700 Housing 71 Display unit advance / retreat means 72 Door unit advance / retreat means 78 Production control board 78R Rotation control means 78T Advance control means 8 Display unit 80 Display screen 88 Liquid crystal control board 9 Door unit 91, 92 Hatch door

Claims (4)

A symbol variation display means provided with a plurality of variation display units for variably displaying a plurality of types of symbols according to a predetermined arrangement in the symbol display area;
Game start operation means operated by the player to start the game;
An internal lottery means for executing an internal lottery for determining an internal winning combination from among a plurality of types in accordance with an operation of the game start operation means in a state where a game medium is inserted;
A stop operation means operated by the player to stop the display of variation of symbols in the variation display section;
When the stop operation means is operated, display control means for drawing and displaying the symbol corresponding to the internal winning combination within a predetermined pull-in range,
A winning determination means for determining whether or not a combination of symbols stopped and displayed by the plurality of variation display units is a predetermined winning symbol;
Profit granting means for granting a profit corresponding to the winning symbol to the player when the winning determining unit determines that the symbol is a winning symbol;
A game state switching means for selectively performing any one of a plurality of types of game states having different degrees of advantage on the player side;
In a slot machine comprising: notification means for performing notification operation for notifying a player that a bonus combination has been determined as an internal winning combination by the internal lottery means,
A display unit including a display screen for displaying video information;
A door unit including at least one hatch door that rotates between a first position that covers the display screen and a second position that opens the display screen to the player side;
Display unit advance / retreat means for advancing / retreating the display unit along the normal direction of the display screen;
Door unit advance / retreat means for advancing / retreating the door unit along the normal direction;
Advancing / retreating control means for driving the display unit advance / retreat means to advance / retreat the display unit, and driving the door unit advance / retreat means to advance / retreat the door unit;
A rotation control means for rotating the hatch door included in the door unit, and an effect device including:
The slot machine, wherein the notification means is configured to perform the notification operation in conjunction with an advance / retreat operation of the display unit or a rotation operation of the hatch door in the door unit.   The advance / retreat control means includes a current gaming state in which the gaming state switching means is being executed, an internal lottery result by the internal lottery means, an operation of the game start operating means, and an operation of the stop operating means. 2. The slot according to claim 1, wherein the display unit advancing / retreating unit and the door unit advancing / retreating unit are driven so that the display unit or the door unit moves forward / backward according to at least one of them. Machine.   The rotation control means includes a current gaming state in which the gaming state switching means is being executed, an internal lottery result by the internal lottery means, an operation of the game start operating means, and an operation of the stop operating means. The slot machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the hatch door is configured to rotate in accordance with at least one of the following.   When the hatch door is in the first position, the hatch door is configured to present a part of the video information displayed on the display screen to the player and to block the remaining information. The slot machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

Images