JP2010094407A - Slot machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a slot machine capable of providing a player with always hygienic and clean tokens by discharging supplied tokens directly to the outside, and smoothly guiding the tokens with less stagnation and clogging of the tokens. <P>SOLUTION: The slot machine 1 provided with a hopper for storing the tokens supplied from the outside and used as game media includes a discharge port 11a discharging the tokens supplied to the slot machine 1, to the outside, and a token slot 2 through which the tokens are supplied. The tokens supplied from the token slot 2 are directly guided to the discharge port 11a, and the token slot 2 is arranged on a straight line going in a front direction A from the discharge port 11a. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a slot machine, and in particular, a slot machine that can provide a player with a cleaned medal by discharging the inserted medal directly to the outside and supplying the washed medal to the hopper. About.

  Generally, in a slot machine, when a player inserts a medal as a game medium from a medal slot and presses a start lever, the reel starts to rotate, and the reel stops when the player presses a stop button. Then, a deviation or a hit is determined based on a combination of stop symbols when the reels are stopped, and in the case of a predetermined combination, a predetermined number of game medals are paid out. The game progresses by repeating this as one unit of the game.

  In such a slot machine, the movement path of medals in a game is usually led to a medal selector that removes medals that do not conform to a predetermined standard when medals are inserted from a medal insertion slot. Then, if it conforms to a predetermined standard, the medal is guided to a hopper that can be stored inside. Further, when a predetermined child role or the like is won in the game, medals stored in the hopper are paid out to the player. In this way, in a normal slot machine, the inserted medals are paid out, and the paid out medals are again inserted into the slot machine to continue the game.

In the configuration in which the inserted medals are stored in the hopper, the medals are paid out to the medal payout outlet as they are without being polished and washed on the medal movement path and used again in the game. A medal used for a game may have dirt on the player's hand, sebum components, cigarette ash, beverages, and the like. Such a variety of dirt will adhere to the medal, and if this is repeated many times, the medal will gradually get dirty, and the medal surface will be corroded, which is not hygienic for the player. There was a problem.
As a technique for preventing such dirt adhering to medals, for example, a medal moving device that changes the path of inserted medals from a hopper to an overflow portion has been proposed (Patent Document 1). By this medal moving device, the medal passes through a discharge port provided in the overflow portion, and is sent to the medal polishing means via the collecting means. Thereby, since the medal is polished and washed, the player can play the game comfortably.

JP 2007-7370 A

  However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, since the medal moving device is added to the medal path of a normal slot machine, the inserted medal is guided toward the hopper and then guided to the discharge port. It will be. In such a slot machine, the medal slot is arranged on the right side of the slot machine, and the hopper is arranged in the center. Due to such an arrangement relationship, the medal selector that guides the medal inserted from the medal insertion slot to the hopper is formed as a flow path whose transfer direction is curved by about 90 °. For this reason, there has been a problem that stagnation or clogging of medals occurs at a portion where the transfer direction of medals is changed.

The present invention has been proposed in order to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and a medal inserted from a medal slot is directly guided to an outlet that discharges the slot machine to the outside. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a slot machine in which medals are circulated and washed outside and replenished to the hopper so that the washed medals can always be paid out to the player.
It is another object of the present invention to arrange the medal insertion port on a straight line from the discharge port in the front direction and provide a medal selector in a straight line, thereby smoothly guiding the medal from the medal insertion port to the discharge port.

  In order to achieve the above object, the slot machine of the present invention is a slot machine provided with a hopper that stores medals that are replenished from the outside and serve as game media, and discharges medals inserted into the slot machine to the outside. The apparatus has a discharge port and a medal insertion port for inserting medals, and the medal inserted from the medal insertion port is directly guided to the discharge port.

  According to the present invention, the inserted medal is directly guided to the discharge port, and the medal circulates, so that it is possible to always provide the player with the cleaned medal. Further, there is little stagnation or clogging of medals, and the medals can be guided smoothly to the discharge port.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a slot machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a front configuration of the slot machine according to this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal structure of the slot machine according to this embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the slot machine 1 includes a drum unit 4 having a plurality of reels 40 (40a to 40c), a medal payout device 7 having a hopper 7a for storing medals (game media), and a medal slot machine. (1) A discharge guiding section 11 that guides to the outside, a housing 1b that opens in the front direction A that can be accommodated by a control unit 50 configured by a computer, and a front door 1a that covers the front opening of the housing 1b so as to be openable and closable. I have.
The front door 1a is a door body that can be freely opened and closed to a housing 1b of the slot machine 1 via a hinge or the like. The front door 1a is provided with each operation means and a display window 6 so that the front portion of the slot machine 1 is provided. Is configured.

  A medal payout port 8 is provided at the lower part of the front door 1a, and medals are paid out from the medal payout port 8. When a medal that is not of a predetermined standard is selected by a medal selector 30 described later, this medal is passed from the medal payout opening 8 via a chute 9 provided along the back surface of the front door 1a. Return it to the player.

A center portion of the front door 1a is provided with a start lever 3, a stop button 5 (5a to 5c), an insertion button 10 (10a, 10b), a medal insertion slot 2, and the like.
The start lever 3 is a game start means for starting the rotation of each of the three reels 40, and is provided so as to be tiltable. Further, when the start lever 3 is pressed by a player's operation, a start signal is output to the control unit 50, and the reels 40a to 40c inside the main body are rotated simultaneously or sequentially.

The stop button 5 is a stopping means for stopping the rotating reel 40. The left stop button 5a, the middle stop button 5b, and the right stop button 5c provided corresponding to the left reel 40a, the middle reel 40b, and the right reel 40c are provided. It is provided. When each stop button 5 is pressed at any timing of the player, a stop signal is output to the control unit 50, and the rotation of the corresponding reels 40a to 40c is stopped.
Therefore, the player operates the start lever 3 and the stop button 5 to rotate and stop the three reels 40a to 40c, and the symbols attached to the reels 40a to 40c become a predetermined winning arrangement. Slot machine games can be performed in such a way.

  The insertion button 10 is a switch for inserting a credit medal into the game when there is an internally stored credit medal. The MAX insertion button 10a that inserts the maximum number of medals (usually three) that can be inserted into a game by one press from the credit medal, and one insertion that inserts one medal from the credit medal by one press. Button 10b is provided.

The medal slot 2 is a slot for receiving medals used in games, and a game can be played according to the number of medals inserted from the medal slot 2.
In the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment, the medal slot 2 is provided with an opening 20 having a long side and a short side, and the opening long side in the opening 20 is arranged so as to be substantially parallel to the front direction A. Has been.
The medal slot 2 is provided with a wall portion for guiding the medal to the medal slot 2. This wall portion is formed with a cutout portion in which a part of the upper center is cut out. By notching a part of the wall portion in this way, for example, when a player holds a plurality of medals and inserts medals while pressing against the wall portion, the wall portion prevents movement of fingers. This makes it possible to smoothly perform the charging operation.

A discharge port 11a communicating with the outside of the slot machine 1 is provided on the bottom right bottom surface of the housing 1b. The discharge port 11a is a hole through which the medal inserted from the medal insertion port 2 and guided by the medal selector 30 is discharged, and communicates directly with a circulation mechanism 100 described later provided outside the slot machine 1. ing. That is, the medal inserted from the medal slot 2 is directly guided to the circulation mechanism 100.
Thereby, all inserted medals are discharged to the outside and are not stored in the slot machine 1 as they are. In addition, a rectangular tube-shaped discharge guiding portion 11 is provided to surround the four sides of the discharge port 11a so that the medal is reliably guided to the discharge port 11a.
And since the discharge | emission guidance | induction part 11 has been arrange | positioned in the lower right part of the housing | casing 1b, if the medal insertion port 2 is arrange | positioned on the straight line which goes to the front direction A from the discharge port 11a, the discharge port 11a and the medal insertion port 2 will be on a straight line. To position. The specific arrangement relationship between the discharge guiding unit 11 and the medal slot 2 will be described later.

  The medal selector 30 of the present invention is provided inside the main body of the medal slot 2. The medal selector 30 includes a selector section 30a and a selector rail section 30b. The selector section 30a includes a vertical section whose upper end communicates with the medal slot 2, and an inclined section that is inclined obliquely from the lower end of the vertical section. And. Then, the medals inserted from the medal slot 2 are rolled and guided to the discharge port 11a, and medals that do not conform to the predetermined standard are guided to the medal payout slot 8 and returned.

  The standard of medals inserted into the slot machine 1 is determined by the slot machine 1 in terms of diameter, thickness, and the like. For example, a medal whose diameter is smaller than a predetermined standard is guided to the chute 9 by the selector unit 30a.

  A medal passing through the medal selector 30 is detected by the sensor S. Specifically, the selector 30a is provided with a sensor S (FIG. 5) at a downstream position. This sensor S is composed of an optical sensor, and when a medal is inserted in a game standby state or the like, the medal flowing down is detected by detecting the blockage of light, and a medal detection signal is output to the control unit 50.

  Further, the selector 30a is provided with a solenoid SO (FIG. 5). In a game standby state or the like, the solenoid SO is excited, and a medal inserted in this state is detected by the sensor S and then guided to the discharge port 11a. On the other hand, for example, in a predetermined gaming state such as when the reel is rotating or when a re-game is won, the excitation of the solenoid SO is released, so that the medal flow path is switched and returned from the medal payout port 8.

  The selector rail portion 30b communicates with the end portion of the selector portion 30a, and is fixedly attached to the inner right wall of the housing 1b. Then, by connecting the selector unit 30a and the discharge port 11a in a straight line, a medal guided from the selector unit 30a rolls by its own weight and becomes a guide path for guiding to the discharge port 11a.

The hopper 7a is a tank container-shaped medal storage section that is disposed in the center of the housing 1b and opens to the top. The medals circulated outside the slot machine 1 are replenished from the replenishing device 105 to the hopper 7a through the replenishing port 12 provided behind the slot machine 1.
As described above, since the medals inserted from the medal insertion slot 2 are guided to the discharge outlet 11a, the inserted medals are not directly stored in the hopper 7a. Therefore, only circulated medals are replenished and stored in the hopper 7a. When replenishing medals from the replenishing device 105 to the hopper 7a, the medal is replenished by outputting a predetermined signal and instructing medal replenishment by a sensor (not shown) provided in the hopper 7a. Is called.
The hopper 7a pays out medals stored in the hopper 7a, for example, when a winning combination is made in a game or when an operation for canceling a credited medal is performed. When a winning combination is established in the game, a predetermined number of medals corresponding to the winning combination are paid out, and medals are paid out to the player from the medal payout opening 8 of the front door 1a.

  Next, a detailed configuration of the medal flow path of the slot machine according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the flow of medals according to the present embodiment, FIG. 4 is a right side view in which a part of the internal structure of the slot machine according to the present embodiment is cut out, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the slot machine according to the embodiment near the top of the medal slot.

First, the movement path of medals in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
When starting the game, the player inserts medals into the slot machine 1 from the medal slot 2. Then, the medals that have passed through the medal slot 2 are guided to the medal selector 30 and selected to meet a predetermined standard. In a predetermined gaming state such as when the reel is rotating and when a re-game is won, the solenoid SO is de-energized and the medal is guided to the medal payout port 8.
On the other hand, if it is determined to be compatible, the medal is guided to the discharge port 11a by the excited solenoid SO, and the medal is discharged to the outside of the slot machine 1.

Next, the medals discharged to the outside are sent to the circulation mechanism 100.
The circulation mechanism 100 is a circulation device that transports the medals discharged from the discharge port 11a, and replenishes the slot machine 1 again after polishing and cleaning. Specifically, the circulation mechanism 100 includes a transport device 101, a cleaning device 102, a lifting device 103, a distribution device 104, and a replenishment device 105.
The medals sent to the circulation mechanism 100 are collected and transported by the transport device 101 operating in a certain direction. Next, the transported medal is removed from the surface of the medal by the cleaning device 102 provided on the transport path. Then, the lifting device 103 lifts the medal to the upper part of the housing 1b. Next, the distributing device 104 distributes the raised medals to the replenishing device 105 corresponding to each slot machine. The replenishing device 105 arranges and stores the sorted medals, and replenishes the hopper 7a with medals according to the requested medal replenishment amount.
As described above, the circulation mechanism 100 removes the used medals discharged from the discharge port 11a of the slot machine 1 from the surface, and continuously feeds the medals to the upper portion of the slot machine 1, Supply 1 again. In addition, each apparatus in the circulation mechanism 100 is good also as another structure.

By using such a medal movement path, the inserted medal is directly discharged to the outside and circulated. By circulating the medals, the washed medals are supplied to the hopper 7a, and the player can be provided with a hygienic and beautiful medal that is always washed. In addition, the medal can always be kept in a hygienic and beautiful state because the slot machine 1 is repeatedly washed by repeatedly inserting and ejecting the medal.
Furthermore, if a medal that is always in a hygienic and beautiful state can be provided to the player, the evaluation of the game hall may increase, which is desirable for the game hall. Therefore, the present invention can also be applied to a medal circulation system.

Further, when the inserted medals are stored in the hopper 7a as in the prior art, for example, the number of medals that the player inserts into the slot machine 1 is larger than the number of medals paid out to the player from the slot machine 1 during the game. When the state where there is more is continued for a long time, the hopper 7a is saturated with medals, so that the medals overflow from the hopper 7a. For this reason, the store clerk of the amusement hall is forced to remove the medals remaining in the housing 1b. On the other hand, in the present invention, the medal inserted from the medal insertion slot 2 is directly guided to the discharge outlet 11a, thereby preventing the medal from remaining in the housing 1b.
In the present invention, the hopper 7a is replenished and stored only with medals circulated from the outside, and therefore does not require a capacity for storing a large number of medals. For this reason, the structure of the hopper 7a can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced and the space can be saved.

Next, the positional relationship of each part in the medal flow path, which is a feature of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the medal slot 2, the opening 20 of the medal slot 2 is arranged so that the long side of the opening 20 is substantially parallel to the front direction A. That is, the medal slot 2 is arranged in an I shape with the opening 20 facing the slot machine from the player.
Further, since the upper end of the medal selector 30 communicates with the medal slot 2, the medal selector 30 is arranged in a vertical shape substantially parallel to the front direction A along with the shape of the medal slot 2. The
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the medal slot 2 is arranged on a straight line from the outlet 11a toward the front direction A. In addition, the medal selector 30 is provided in a straight line and is disposed to face the discharge port 11a. That is, the medal insertion slot 2, the medal selector 30 (the selector section 30a and the selector rail section 30b), and the discharge slot 11a are connected in a straight line. With such an arrangement, the medals inserted from the medal insertion slot 2 roll in a standing state and flow down linearly to the discharge outlet 11a.
Thereby, in the flow path until the medal inserted from the medal insertion slot 2 is discharged to the discharge outlet 11a, there is little stagnation or clogging of medals, and the medal can be guided easily.

  Thus, according to the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment, it is not necessary to bend the transfer direction of the selector rail portion 30b as in the prior art, and transfer the medals, and the transfer direction can be provided linearly. Therefore, the medal selector 30 (the selector unit 30a and the selector rail unit 30b) can be configured to be shorter than the conventional mechanism, and the cost can be reduced and the space can be saved.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the medal selector 30 is positioned on the right side, which is the position where the medal slot 2 is arranged, and is arranged in a vertical shape substantially parallel to the front direction A as described above. As a result, the medal selector 30 is close to the wall surface erected along the front direction A of the front door 1a. For this reason, when accessing the selector unit 30a, which is the main part of the medal selector 30, the front door 1a must be opened by about 90 °, so the security in the slot machine 1 is improved.

4 and 5, the discharge guiding part 11 includes a buffer absorption part 60. Specifically, the buffer absorption unit 60 guides the medals released from the medal selector 30 so as not to fall directly on the discharge guide unit 11. Further, the buffer absorbing portion 60 is formed by suspending a banner-like belt, and the medal collides with the buffer absorbing portion 60 and shakes in the direction opposite to the colliding side to buffer the collision. The medal is guided to the discharge port 11 a formed at the bottom of the discharge guide portion 11.
This produces a silencing effect that prevents noise generated by the collision sound of medals. The buffer absorption part 60 is comprised, for example with the sound deadening member, such as the cloth made from nylon. In addition, the buffer absorption part 60 should just be a thing which can mute a collision sound, For example, you may use a synthetic resin, a rubber material, etc.
Furthermore, the selector rail portion 30b may be formed as a meandering path. As a result, the medal is guided to the discharge guiding portion 11 while meandering and decelerated, and the impact sound due to the fall is alleviated.
In this way, the player can concentrate and play the game by preventing the collision sound due to the fall of the medal.

As described above, according to the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment, the medals are circulated by directly guiding the medals inserted from the medal insertion slot 2 to the discharge port 11a to be discharged to the outside of the slot machine 1. It is possible to always provide the player with a cleaned medal.
Further, the long side of the opening 20 of the medal slot 2 is arranged so as to be substantially parallel to the front direction A, and the medal selector 30 and the discharge port 11a are arranged in a straight line. As a result, there is little stagnation or clogging of medals, and the medals can be guided smoothly to the discharge port 11a.

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 embodiment described above, the discharge port 11a is provided on the lower right bottom surface of the housing 1b, but the discharge port 11a may be provided at another position. For example, when the discharge port 11a is provided at the center of the housing 1b, the medal is discharged by providing a discharge port 11a at the bottom of the hopper 7a and providing a bypass that directly passes through the discharge port 11a. Also good. This can be realized without changing the arrangement inside the conventional casing.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for devices and apparatuses that play games using medals as game media. In particular, the present invention is a slot machine that has a discharge port for discharging medals to the outside and uses a circulation mechanism in the medal flow path. It can be suitably used.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a front configuration of the slot machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an internal structure of the slot machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the flow of the medal based on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 4 is a right side view in which a part of the internal structure of the slot machine according to the embodiment of the present invention is cut away. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the slot machine according to the embodiment of the present invention near the top of the medal slot.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Slot machine 1a Front door 1b Case 2 Medal insertion slot 7a Hopper 11 Discharge guidance part 11a Discharge opening 20 Opening part 30 Medal selector 30a Selector part 30b Selector rail part 60 Buffer absorption part

Claims (5)

A slot machine provided with a hopper for storing medals that are replenished from the outside and become gaming media,
An outlet for discharging medals inserted into the slot machine to the outside;
With a medal slot to insert medals,
A slot machine, wherein a medal inserted from the medal slot is directly guided to the outlet. The discharge port is formed inside the housing opened in the front direction,
2. The slot machine according to claim 1, wherein the medal insertion slot is provided on a front door that covers the front opening of the housing so as to be openable and closable, and is arranged on a straight line from the discharge opening toward the front. Detecting a medal inserted from the medal slot and guiding means for guiding the medal to the outlet;
3. A slot machine according to claim 2, wherein said guiding means is formed in a straight line.   The slot machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the opening of the medal slot is arranged so that the long side of the opening is substantially parallel to the front direction.   The slot machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a buffer absorbing portion that collides with a medal released from the guiding means, wherein the buffer absorbing portion includes a silencer member that relieves an impact sound of the medal.

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