JP2012125327A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game machine that is capable of preventing the occurrence of ball clogging around the guide of a ball storage part and at the entrance of an alignment passage.SOLUTION: The game machine 1 includes, in a laterally arrayed state, a ball storage part 60 in which game balls can be stored and an alignment passage 70 which can make the game balls entering from the ball storage part 60 flow down in a manner aligned in one line, wherein the alignment passage 70 is arranged on one side in the front and rear of the ball storage part 60. The ball storage part 60 is a box like body with an open upper surface that can store game balls, and includes: a storage part 61 in which a bottom 61a is inclined downward laterally on one side to be the alignment passage 70 side as well as inclined downward on one side longitudinally; and the guide 64 which is installed in a manner gradually narrowing the front/rear width of the downstream side of the storage part 61 toward one side longitudinally and which guides to the alignment passage 70 the game balls stored in the storage part 61. The game machine 1 is characterized in that the inclined angle of the bottom 61a of the storage part 61 is set larger in the longitudinal direction than in the lateral direction.

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine using a game ball.

  A conventional gaming machine, for example, a pachinko gaming machine, arranges a storage tank for storing game balls supplied from an island facility, and a game ball flowing from the storage tank in communication with the storage tank at the upper back of the front frame. It has an alignment channel that flows down in a state.

  In the gaming machine described in Patent Document 1, the bottom surface of the storage tank is set to incline to the left and right sides of the gaming machine, and the stored game balls are arranged at the downstream end of the storage tank as an alignment channel. A guiding portion for guiding is formed.

JP 2007-130264 A

  In the gaming machine described in Patent Document 1, the game balls in the storage tank are squeezed by the guiding portion and guided to the alignment flow path. However, since the alignment flow path is a passage that causes the game balls to flow down in a row, Compared with the case of the passage that flows down by the ball, there is a possibility that the ball clogging (ball ball) of the game ball may occur in the guiding portion. In particular, when a large amount of game balls are stored in the storage tank, the ball pressure of the game balls acting on the guide portion becomes high, so that the ball is likely to be generated in the guide portion.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and a sphere is seen around the guiding portion that guides the game balls to the alignment flow path in the downstream portion of the ball storage section and at the entrance of the alignment flow path. An object of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine that can suppress the occurrence of the above.

  1st invention is equipped with the ball storage part which can store a game ball, and the aligned flow path which can flow down in the state which arranged the game ball which flows in from the said ball storage part in a line in the state arranged in the left-right direction In the gaming machine in which the alignment channel is disposed on one side in the front-rear direction of the ball storage portion, the ball storage portion is a box-like body having an open top surface capable of storing game balls, and a bottom portion is the alignment A storage part that inclines down to one side in the left-right direction that is the flow path side and that inclines down to one side in the front-rear direction, and a front-rear width on the downstream side of the storage part gradually narrows toward the one side in the front-rear direction And a guide part for guiding the game balls stored in the storage part to the alignment flow path, and the bottom part of the storage part has a larger inclination angle in the front-rear direction than in the left-right direction. It is characterized by being set.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the ball storage portion is recessed in the left-right direction at an end on the one side in the front-rear direction of the bottom portion of the storage portion, and is guided by the bottom portion of the storage portion and the guide portion. A groove portion that communicates with the alignment channel so that a ball can flow in; the groove width of the groove portion is set to a width that allows one game ball to pass; It is inclined downward to one side in the left-right direction so as to roll toward the side, and the inclination angle of the bottom portion is set larger than the inclination angle in the front-rear direction of the bottom portion of the storage portion.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, a game board having a game area on the front surface is detachably attached, and a frame body having an opening is provided at the rear of the game board. The storage unit disposed in the upper part of the back surface of the body constitutes the one side in the front-rear direction in which the bottom of the storage part is inclined, and is characterized in that it is the game machine rear side.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the ball storage unit includes a stepped portion projecting into the storage unit so as to form a separation space between a front lower portion of the storage unit and the game board, And an upper surface portion that extends horizontally in the direction and inclines downward toward the bottom portion of the storage portion.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the alignment channel is connected to the downstream end of the groove, and extends linearly toward the side, and the downstream end of the first channel. And a second flow path that is curved in the front-rear direction and has a curved front end disposed behind the stepped portion.

  In a sixth aspect of the present invention, the second flow path is connected to the downstream end of the first flow path, and is bent to curve forward and connected to the downstream end of the curved flow path. A downstream flow path extending in parallel with the first flow path, an outflow port formed in the downstream flow path for allowing the game ball to flow downward, and provided corresponding to the outflow port. A ball leveling member that guides the flow rate toward the outlet one by one, and the ball leveling member is a circle formed so as to cover the outlet from the downstream end side of the downstream flow path. A guide portion having an arcuate guide surface; a support portion that swingably supports the guide portion according to a ball pressure of the game ball received by the guide surface; and an upper surface of the guide portion. Inclination that inclines downward toward the downstream flow path even when the ball is rocked by the ball pressure of the game ball Characterized in that it comprises a and.

  According to the first invention, since the inclination angle in the front-rear direction of the bottom part of the storage part is set larger than the inclination angle in the left-right direction, the ball pressure of the game ball stored in the storage part is determined in the front-rear direction of the storage part. It becomes easy to act on the wall portion on one side. Therefore, even when the ball pressure of the game ball acting on the guide portion is reduced and a large amount of game balls are stored in the storage portion, the ball around the guide portion and the inlet portion of the alignment channel is seen. Can be suppressed.

  According to the second invention, the groove is recessed at the bottom of the storage portion, and the inclination angle in the left-right direction of the bottom of the groove portion is set larger than the inclination angle in the front-rear direction of the bottom of the storage portion. The moving game balls are more likely to flow into the alignment flow path preferentially, and it is possible to more effectively suppress the occurrence of stagnation at the entrance portion of the alignment flow path.

  According to the third invention, the ball storage portion and the alignment flow path constitute a storage unit disposed at the upper part of the back surface of the frame body, and one side in the front-rear direction in which the bottom portion of the storage portion is inclined is the rear side of the gaming machine. Therefore, the front part of the bottom part of the storage part can be arranged as much as possible in the upper part of the frame body, and it becomes possible to secure an accessory arrangement space behind the game board.

  According to the fourth invention, since the separation space is formed between the game board disposed on the front surface of the frame body and the lower front portion of the storage section, it is possible to enlarge the space for arranging the actors at the upper rear of the game board. Can do. Further, by providing a stepped portion only at the lower front portion of the storage portion, the upper opening of the ball storage container can be made as wide as possible, and the acceptability of game balls supplied from a replenishing device or the like is not lowered.

  According to the fifth invention, since the second flow path is curved in the front-rear direction and the curved front end is disposed behind the stepped portion, the accessory placement space secured by the stepped portion is obstructed. There is nothing. In addition, the game balls that have flowed down while overlapping the first flow path are screened when passing through the curved portion of the second flow path, and are easily aligned in a vertical line. It will be smooth. In addition, the second flow path can be set longer than when the second flow path is not bent, and the amount of game balls stored in the storage unit can be increased.

  According to the sixth aspect of the invention, since the game balls that have flowed down are guided while the guide surfaces of the guide portions of the ball leveling member overlap each other, the game balls are guided to the outlet one by one. Ball clogging does not occur. In addition, since the guide portion is supported by the support portion so as to be swingable, the game ball can be smoothly guided to the outflow port even if the ball pressure of the game ball changes. Furthermore, since the upper surface of the guide portion is always inclined downward toward the downstream flow path, even if a game ball that has flowed down the downstream flow path rides on the upper surface of the guide section, the loaded game ball falls to the downstream flow path. To do. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the game ball from staying behind the ball leveling member.

1 is a perspective view of a gaming machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the game board of a gaming machine. It is a back view of a gaming machine. It is a front perspective view of a front frame. It is a back perspective view of a storage unit and a discharge unit. It is a disassembled perspective view of a storage unit. (A) is a top view of a storage unit, (B) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view in the left-right direction of a storage unit. (A) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view in the front-rear direction of the storage unit, and (B) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the downstream end portion of the aligned flow path of the storage unit. (A) is a figure explaining the relationship between a game board and a storage unit, (B) is an enlarged view of the broken-line area | region of (A). (A) is a perspective view of an alignment flow path, (B) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the alignment flow path before installation of the dispensing unit. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the alignment flow path after the dispensing unit is installed. It is a back perspective view of the external information unit installed in a storage unit. (A) And (B) is the cross-sectional view and longitudinal cross-sectional view of an external information unit. (A) And (B) is the back perspective view and longitudinal cross-sectional view of a game machine in an external information unit installation position. (A) And (B) is the back perspective view and front perspective view of a payout unit. It is a disassembled perspective view of a payout unit. It is a top front view of the 1st case member of a discharge unit. (A) is a lower front view of the first case member of the payout unit, and (B) is a longitudinal sectional view of the lower portion of the payout unit. It is a side view of the dispensing unit in the vicinity of the passage switching mechanism. (A) is an exploded perspective view of the dispensing device, and (B) is a rear perspective view of the dispensing device installed in the second case member. (A) is a perspective view of a longitudinal section along the standby path of the dispensing unit, and (B) is a longitudinal sectional view along the standby path of the dispensing unit. (A) And (B) is the back perspective view and cross-sectional view of a dispensing device when a dispensing unit is installed on the front frame. (A) And (B) is the back perspective view and front perspective view of the upper part of a payout unit. (A) is a figure which shows the state in which the engaging piece of a fixing member exists in a 1st position, (B) is a figure which shows the state in which the engaging piece of a fixing member exists in a 2nd position. (A) And (B) is the front perspective view and longitudinal cross-sectional view of the upper part of the payout unit when the 1st case member is installed in the 2nd case member. (A) And (B) is the back perspective view and front perspective view of the upper part of a front frame. It is a back perspective view of a discharge unit and a front frame. (A) And (B) is the longitudinal cross-sectional view and horizontal cross-sectional view of a payout unit when a payout unit is installed in the front frame. It is a back perspective view of a game board. It is the back perspective view of the game board which expanded one side part of a protection cover. It is the back perspective view of the game board which expanded the other side portion of a protection cover. (A) And (B) is the back perspective view and cross-sectional view of the protective cover of the engagement part vicinity. It is a cross-sectional view of a game board. (A) is a rear view of the front frame on which the game board and the payout unit are installed, and (B) is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the engaging portion of the protective cover and the standby path of the payout unit. It is a front perspective view of an upper plate unit. It is a back perspective view of an upper plate unit.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the description of the embodiment of the present invention, the front, rear, left, and right refer to the direction viewed from the game board (the direction viewed from the player).

  A gaming machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the gaming machine 1.

  The gaming machine 1 includes an opening / closing frame 4 that is attached to a main body frame 2 fixed to an island facility via a hinge 3 so that a right side portion can be freely opened and closed. The open / close frame 4 includes a front frame 5 and a glass frame 6.

  A game board 20 (see FIG. 2) having a game area 21 is disposed on the front frame 5. Further, a glass frame 6 provided with a cover glass 6 a that covers the front surface of the game board 20 is attached to the front frame 5. The front frame 5 and the glass frame 6 can be opened individually. For example, only the glass frame 6 can be opened to access the game area 21 of the game board 20. Further, by opening the front frame 5 in a state where the glass frame 6 is not opened, it is possible to access a game control device 35 (see FIG. 3) or the like disposed on the back side of the game board 20.

  A decorative member 7 is disposed around the cover glass 6 a of the glass frame 6. The decoration member 7 accommodates a frame decoration device constituted by a lamp, an LED, or the like, and the light emission state of the decoration member 7 can be adjusted by controlling the frame decoration device.

  An illumination unit 8 is disposed above the glass frame 6, and a movable illumination 9 is disposed on the left and right sides of the illumination unit 8. The lighting unit 8 accommodates lighting members such as lamps and LEDs inside, and performs a light emission effect according to the gaming state. The movable illumination 9 includes an illumination member such as a lamp and an LED, and a frame effect device composed of an illumination drive motor that drives the illumination member. The frame effect device for the movable illumination 9 drives (for example, rotationally drives) the illumination member according to the gaming state.

  The gaming machine 1 includes an upper speaker 10a and a lower speaker 10b that emit sound effects, alarm sounds, notification sounds, and the like. The upper speaker 10 a is disposed on both upper side portions of the glass frame 6, and the lower speaker 10 b is disposed below the upper plate 11 a constituting the upper plate unit 11. The upper plate 11a supplies a game ball to a ball launcher 42 (see FIG. 3) provided on the front frame 5.

  The fixed panel 12 positioned below the glass frame 6 and fixed to the front frame 5 is provided with an operation unit 14 for driving the lower pan 13 and the ball launching device 42 (see FIG. 3). When the player turns the operation unit 14, the ball launching device 42 launches the game ball supplied from the upper plate 11 a to the game area 21 (see FIG. 2) of the game board 20. The lower plate 13 is provided with a ball removal lever 15 for discharging the game balls stored in the lower plate 13.

  On the upper surface of the upper plate unit 11, an effect button 16 for receiving an operation input from the player is disposed on the front side of the upper plate 11a. By operating the effect button 16 by the player, in the decoration special figure variable display game on the variable display device 25 (see FIG. 2), it is possible to perform an effect in which the player's operation is intervened. Can change the production pattern.

  A ball lending button 17 that is operated when a player rents a game ball and a discharge button 18 that is operated to discharge a prepaid card from a card unit (not shown) are arranged at the lower center of the glass frame 6. Is done.

  With reference to FIG. 2, the gaming board 20 disposed in the gaming machine 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the game board 20 of the gaming machine 1.

  The game board 20 is provided with a guide rail 23 as a partition member on the surface of a rectangular game board body 22 made of plywood, plastic, or the like, thereby forming a substantially circular game area 21.

  A center case (front surface component) 24 having an opening 24 a is disposed in the game area 21. An opening having a shape along the outer periphery of the center case 24 is formed in the game board 20, and the center case 24 is fitted into the opening from the front of the game board 20.

  On the back surface of the game board 20, a variable display device 25 having a display unit 25 a capable of displaying a decorative special figure variable display game that displays a plurality of identification information in a variable manner is disposed via a control base (back surface component member) 33. The The control base 33 is provided with a movable effect unit 34 for performing an operation effect and a light emission effect.

  The variable display device 25 is arranged so that the display portion 25a faces the opening 24a of the center case 24. The display unit 25a of the variable display device 25 is a liquid crystal display capable of displaying an arbitrary image. On the display screen, a plurality of identification information (special symbols), a character that produces a decorative special symbol variable display game, etc. An image based on the progress is displayed. For example, the variable display device 25 sets a plurality of variable display areas (for example, three variable display areas on the left side, the center, and the right side) on the display unit 25a and displays an independent image in each display area.

  In the lower center of the game area 21, a start winning opening 26 is provided which can give a start condition for a special symbol (special figure) variable display game based on winning of a game ball. The start winning opening 26 includes a first start winning opening 26a in which a first special figure variation display game is performed when a game ball is won, and a second special figure fluctuation display game in which a second special figure variation display game is performed when a game ball is won. And a start winning opening 26b.

  The second start winning opening 26b is disposed immediately below the first starting winning opening 26a, and includes a pair of left and right opening / closing members 26c. In a normal state, the opening / closing member 26c holds a closed state (a disadvantageous state for the player) with an interval of about the diameter of the game ball. When the result of the general map change display game is in a predetermined stop display mode (when the general map change display game is hit), the opening / closing member 26c is opened so that the tip is opened by the general electric solenoid as the driving device. It is rotated, and a state where the game ball easily flows into the second start winning opening 26b (a state advantageous to the player) is established.

  Below the second start winning opening 26b in the gaming area 21, a large winning opening 27 that can be converted into a state in which a game ball is not received and a state in which it can be easily received according to the gaming state is disposed. Also, on the left side of the center case 24 in the game area 21, there is provided a normal start gate 28 for playing a normal symbol (normal) variable display game when a game ball passes. Further, on both sides of the start winning opening 26 in the game area 21, a plurality of general winning openings 29 are provided which satisfy only the conditions for paying out a winning ball when a winning game ball is won. In addition to these, the game area 21 includes a direction changing member such as a windmill (not shown) or a nail (not shown) for changing the falling direction of the game ball, and an out port 30 for collecting the game ball that has flowed down without winning. Arranged.

  In the lower right part of the game board 20, a special figure fluctuation display of the special figure fluctuation display game, a special figure winning memory number (starting memory number), a normal figure fluctuation display of the general figure fluctuation display game, a common figure winning memory number, And the status indicator 31 which displays the number of determination rounds of jackpot is arrange | positioned.

  In the gaming machine 1 configured as described above, the game balls launched by the ball launcher 42 (see FIG. 3) are launched along the inner peripheral wall of the guide rail 23 and the outer peripheral wall of the inner rail 19. It is fired into the game area 21 through the ball guide passage 32 and flows down in the game area 21 while changing the falling direction by a direction changing member (not shown). The game ball that has flowed down in the game area 21 wins the start winning opening 26, the general winning opening 29, and the big winning opening 27 or is discharged from the out opening 30.

  With reference to FIG.3 and FIG.4, the structure of the back side of the gaming machine 1 will be described. FIG. 3 is a back view of the gaming machine 1. FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the front frame 5.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the front frame 5 installed to be openable and closable with respect to the main body frame 2 is disposed on the back surface of the game board 20 and the storage portion 5 a for detachably storing the game board 20 from the front. And a rectangular opening 5b for exposing various members to be provided rearward.

  On the back side of the game board 20, a game control device 35 that controls the game in an integrated manner is disposed via the switch base 38, and the variable display device 25 is based on an effect control command transmitted from the game control device 35. An effect control device 36 that controls (see FIG. 2) and the like is disposed via a control base 33 above the switch base 38. A protective cover 37 that covers the entire back surface of the effect control device 36 and the upper back surface of the game control device 35 is provided behind the effect control device 36. In a state where the game board 20 is stored in the storage part 5a of the front frame 5, the protective cover 37 and the game control device 35 disposed on the back surface of the game board 20 are located behind the front frame 5 through the opening 5b. Protrusively.

  A storage unit 50 that stores game balls replenished from a replenishing device (not shown) installed in the island facility and arranges and flows down the stored game balls is disposed on the upper rear surface of the front frame 5. . The storage unit 50 is fixed to the front frame 5 via attachment portions 51 formed on both sides.

  A mounting wall 5c is formed on one inner portion (the left inner portion in FIG. 4) of the front frame 5 in the vertical direction, and the game ball flowing down from the storage unit 50 is placed on the rear surface of the mounting wall 5c. A payout unit 90 for paying out the dishes 11a (see FIG. 1) is disposed.

  At the bottom of the back surface of the front frame 5, a payout control device 41 that controls the operation of the payout unit 90 based on data transmitted from the game control device 35 and a turning operation of the operation unit 14 (see FIG. 1). A ball launching device 42 that launches a game ball, a connection terminal 43 connected to a card unit (not shown), and a power supply device 44 that supplies power to various devices are arranged.

<Storage unit>
Next, with reference to FIGS. 5 to 9, the storage unit 50 disposed on the upper rear surface of the front frame 5 will be described.

  FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the storage unit 50 and the dispensing unit 90. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the storage unit 50. 7A is a plan view of the storage unit 50, and FIG. 7B is a longitudinal sectional view of the storage unit 50 in the left-right direction. FIG. 8A is a longitudinal sectional view of the storage unit 50 in the front-rear direction, and FIG. 8B is a longitudinal sectional view of the downstream end portion of the alignment channel 70 of the storage unit 50. FIG. 9A is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the game board 20 and the storage unit 50, and FIG. 9B is an enlarged view of a broken line region of FIG. 9A.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the storage unit 50 is stored in a storage tank (ball storage unit) 60 that stores game balls supplied from a supply device (not shown) of the island facility, and the storage tank 60. Alignment flow paths 70 are provided in a state where the game balls are aligned in a line and flowed down in the left-right direction. The alignment channel 70 is disposed on the rear side (backward) of the storage unit 50. The game balls that have passed through the alignment channel 70 are guided into a payout unit 90 that extends downward from the downstream end of the alignment channel 70. Further, an external information unit 80 for outputting game information generated based on the progress of the game to an external device is disposed behind the alignment channel 70.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, FIG. 7B, and FIG. 8A, the storage tank (sphere storage unit) 60 is a bottomed box-like member that is open at the top. The storage tank 60 extends in the left-right direction at a storage portion 61 that can store game balls, a stepped portion 62 that protrudes into the storage portion 61 at the lower front of the storage portion 61, and a rear end portion of the storage portion 61. And a guiding portion 64 that guides the game balls of the storage portion 61 to the alignment flow path 70.

  The storage unit 61 is formed as a box-like body that can store game balls. The bottom surface (bottom portion) 61a of the storage portion 61 is inclined downward at an inclination angle of 2 ° on one side in the left-right direction (rightward in FIG. 7), and at an inclination angle of 3 ° on one side in the front-rear direction (backward in FIG. 7). Inclined down. As described above, the inclination angle in the front-rear direction of the bottom surface (bottom part) 61a of the storage unit 61 is set to be larger than the inclination angle in the left-right direction.

  A groove portion 63 is formed in the rear end portion of the bottom surface (bottom portion) 61 a of the storage portion 61 in the left-right direction, and the right end portion of the groove portion 63 is connected to the upstream end portion of the upstream flow path 71 of the alignment flow path 70. . The groove part 63 is disposed so as to pass behind the guiding part 64. The groove 63 is a groove recessed in the bottom surface (bottom portion) 61 a of the storage portion 61, and the bottom surface (bottom portion) 63 a of the groove portion 63 is provided at a position lower than the bottom surface (bottom portion) 61 a of the storage portion 61. The bottom surface (bottom portion) 63a of the groove portion 63 is inclined downward at an inclination angle of 3.5 ° on one side in the left-right direction (right direction in FIG. 7) so that the game balls roll toward the alignment channel 70. Thus, the inclination angle of the bottom surface (bottom part) 63a of the groove part 63 is set larger than the inclination angle of the storage part 61 in the front-rear direction. Further, the groove width of the groove portion 63 is set to a width through which one game ball can pass, similarly to the passage width of the alignment channel 70 described later.

  A guiding portion 64 that guides the game balls stored in the storage portion 61 toward the upstream end portion (downstream end portion of the groove portion 63) of the alignment channel 70 is formed at the right end portion of the storage portion 61. In order to guide the game balls smoothly, the guide portion 64 gradually narrows the front-rear width on the downstream side (right rear side) of the storage portion 61 toward the upstream end portion of the alignment channel 70 as it approaches the alignment channel 70. It is formed so as to be curved. Note that the side wall 65 of the reservoir 61 on the upstream side (left front) than the guide 64 is formed so as to be inclined from the front side wall of the reservoir 61 toward the rear guide 64. The game balls stored in 61 are guided to the guide unit 64.

  A stepped portion 62 that protrudes into the storage portion 61 is provided at the lower front portion of the storage portion 61. The step portion 62 is formed by recessing the lower portion of the front side wall portion of the storage portion 61 into the storage portion 61. The upper surface 62a of the stepped portion 62 extends in the horizontal direction (see FIG. 7B) and is inclined downward toward the bottom surface 61a of the storage portion 61 (see FIG. 8A).

  In the storage tank (ball storage unit) 60 configured as described above, the game balls stored in the storage unit 61 flow down toward the alignment channel 70 by their own weight. That is, the game ball stored in the storage unit 61 rolls on the bottom surface 61a of the storage unit 61 toward the right rear and is guided to the groove portion 63, or rolls on the bottom surface 61a of the storage unit 61 and moves to the side wall. It is guided to the groove part 63 through the part 65 and the guide part 64. The game ball guided to the groove portion 63 rolls rightward on the bottom surface 63 a of the groove portion 63 and flows into the upstream flow channel 71 of the alignment flow channel 70.

  By the way, in a storage tank of a conventional gaming machine, when a large amount of game balls are stored in the storage portion, the ball pressure of the game balls acting on the guide portion becomes high, and at the entrance portion of the alignment channel near the guide portion. Ball clogging (ball spot) was likely to occur.

  However, in the storage tank 60 of the gaming machine 1 of the present embodiment, the front-rear direction inclination angle of the bottom surface 61a of the storage part 61 is set to be larger than the left-right direction inclination angle, so that the game stored in the storage part 61 The spherical pressure of the sphere tends to act on the rear side wall portion of the storage portion 61. Therefore, even when the ball pressure of the game ball acting on the guide portion 64 is reduced and a large amount of game balls are stored in the storage portion 61, the periphery (near the vicinity) of the guide portion 64 and the alignment channel 70. The occurrence of spherical spots at the entrance is suppressed. In addition, since the bottom surface 61a of the storage portion 61 is inclined downward to the rear of the gaming machine 1, the front portion of the bottom surface 61a can be disposed as high as possible on the front frame 5 and can be used in the rear of the gaming board 20. It is possible to secure an object arrangement space.

  In the storage tank 60 of the gaming machine 1, a groove portion 63 is recessed at the rear end portion of the bottom surface 61 a of the storage portion 61, and this groove portion 63 is an aligned flow path so that game balls guided by the guide portion 64 can flow in. 70. The bottom surface 63a of the groove portion 63 is inclined downward so that the game balls roll toward the alignment flow path 70, and the inclination angle of the bottom surface 63a is set larger than the inclination angle of the bottom surface 61a of the storage portion 61 in the front-rear direction. Has been. In this way, the groove 63 is recessed in the bottom surface 61a of the storage portion 61, and the inclination angle of the bottom surface 63a is set to be larger than the inclination angle in the front-rear direction of the bottom surface 61a of the storage portion 61. It becomes easy for the spheres to flow into the alignment channel 70 with priority, and the occurrence of stagnation at the entrance of the alignment channel 70 can be more effectively suppressed.

  As shown in FIG. 9A, the storage tank 60 is disposed on the back surface of the front frame 5. Since the storage tank 60 includes a stepped portion 62 that protrudes into the storage unit 61 at the lower front portion of the storage unit 61, the game board 20 and the storage unit disposed on the front surface of the front frame 5 as shown in FIG. 9B. A separation space S <b> 1 is formed between the lower portion of the front surface of 61. Thereby, the accessory arrangement space in the upper rear of the game board 20 can be expanded. Further, in the storage tank 60, since the upper opening of the storage tank 60 is made as wide as possible by providing the step portion 62 only at the lower front portion of the storage portion 61, the acceptability of the game ball supplied from the replenishing device (not shown) is increased. Thus, the amount of game balls stored can be secured.

  Next, the alignment flow path 70 of the storage unit 50 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIGS. 6, 7 </ b> A, and 7 </ b> B, the alignment channel 70 is linearly extended in the left-right direction from the right side portion of the storage portion 61 (downstream end portion of the groove portion 63). An upstream flow channel 71, a curved flow channel 72 connected to the downstream end of the upstream flow channel 71 and curved so as to be turned forward, and an upstream flow channel 71 connected to the downstream end of the curved flow channel 72. And a downstream flow path 73 extending in parallel with the.

  The upstream flow path 71, the curved flow path 72, and the downstream flow path 73 are each set to a flow path (groove) width through which one game ball can flow down.

  The bottom surface 71 a of the upstream flow path 71 is formed so as to be continuous with the bottom surface 63 a of the groove 63. A plurality of slit holes 66 penetrating in the vertical direction are formed in the bottom surface 71a of the upstream flow path 71 and the bottom surface 63a of the groove 63 along the rolling direction of the game ball. Since dust, dust and the like adhering to the game ball are discharged to the outside through the slit hole 66, it is possible to suppress foreign matter from accumulating on the game machine 1 or the island facility.

  The downstream flow path 73 is provided so as to be located behind the stepped portion 62 of the storage tank 60. Therefore, when the storage unit 50 is disposed in the front frame 5, a separation space S2 is formed between the game board 20 installed in the front frame 5 and the downstream flow path 73 (see FIG. 4). Therefore, even if the alignment flow path 70 is provided on the right side of the storage tank 60, it is possible to expand the accessory placement space behind the upper part of the game board 20.

  An outflow port 74 (see FIG. 8B) through which the game ball flows down to the payout unit 90 is formed on the bottom surface 73a at the downstream end of the downstream flow path 73. In addition, a ball leveling member 75 for guiding the game ball that has flowed down to the outlet 74 is installed at the downstream end of the downstream flow path 73.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8B, the ball leveling member 75 supports the guide portion 75a for guiding the game ball toward the outlet 74 and the guide portion 75a so as to be movable (swingable). And a support portion 75b.

  The guide portion 75 a is a member having an arcuate guide surface 75 c that covers the upper side of the outlet 74 from the bottom surface 73 a at the most downstream position of the downstream flow path 73.

  The support portion 75b is a leaf spring member including an arcuate curved portion between the upper end portion and the lower end portion. A lower end portion of the guide portion 75a is integrally formed at the lower end portion of the support portion 75b, and a gap S5 is formed at a predetermined interval between the upper end portion and the curved portion of the support portion 75b and the upper end portion of the guide portion 75a. . Thereby, the guide part 75a can rock | fluctuate based on the ball pressure received from a game ball. That is, when the ball pressure of the game ball increases, the upper end of the guide portion 75a approaches the upper end of the support portion 75b so that the guide portion 75a moves in the downward direction of the game ball from the initial position. When the pressure decreases, the upper end portion of the guide portion 75a is separated from the upper end portion of the support portion 75b so that the guide portion 75a returns to the initial position. The upper end surface 75d of the guide portion 75a is formed so as to always incline downward toward the downstream flow path 73 even when the guide portion 75a moves (swings) via the support portion 75b.

  An opening 73b is formed in the side wall portion at the most downstream position of the downstream flow path 73, and the support portion 75b is configured to be engageable with the opening 73b. The support portion 75b is operated by an operator or the like at the time of attachment and removal, and a lower end surface 75e that can contact the lower edge portion of the opening portion 73b, an engagement protrusion 75f that can be engaged with the upper edge portion of the opening portion 73b. And an operation unit 75g. The engagement protrusion 75f is formed below the upper end portion of the support portion 75b, and the operation portion 75g is formed above the upper end portion of the support portion 75b. The lower end surface 75e of the support portion 75b is brought into contact with the lower edge portion of the opening portion 73b, the operation portion 75g is pushed down to bend the curved portion of the support portion 75b, and then the engagement protrusion 75f is moved to the upper edge portion of the opening portion 73b. , The spherical smoothing member 75 is attached to the downstream end of the downstream flow path 73.

  The game balls in the storage tank 60 flow down the upstream flow path 71, the curved flow path 72, and the downstream flow path 73, and flow into the payout unit 90 via the outflow port 74. Each of the channels 71 to 73 of the alignment channel 70 is set to a channel (groove) width that allows one game ball to flow down, but the game balls flow down while overlapping in the alignment channel 70. There is. However, since the game balls that have flowed down while overlapping the upper flow path 71 are passed through the curved flow path 72, they are easily screened and aligned in a vertical line, so that the flow of game balls in the alignment flow path 70 is smooth. Become. Even if the game ball may flow down while overlapping the downstream flow path 73 vertically, the game ball flowing down while the guide surface 75c of the guide portion 75a of the ball leveling member 75 overlaps vertically is played. The spheres are guided to the outlet 74 one by one. Therefore, the game ball that has flowed down the downstream flow path 73 passes through the outflow port 74 and flows into the payout unit 90 without being blocked.

  The guide part 75a of the ball leveling member 75 is supported so as to be movable (swingable) with respect to the support part 75b. When the ball pressure of the game ball increases, the guide part 75a flows down from the initial position to the game ball. Therefore, even if the number of game balls flowing down the downstream flow path 73 increases, the game balls can be smoothly guided to the outlet 74.

  Even when the guide part 75 a of the spherical smoothing member 75 moves, the upper end surface 75 d of the guide part 75 a is always inclined downward toward the downstream flow path 73. Therefore, even if the game ball that has flowed down the downstream flow path 73 rides on the upper end surface 75d of the guide portion 75a, the rided game ball falls into the downstream flow path 73, so that the game ball on the rear side of the ball leveling member 75 Can be prevented.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the alignment channel 70 described above further includes a flow-down regulating member 76 that can regulate the flow of the game balls. The flow restriction member 76 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11.

  10A is a perspective view of the alignment channel 70, and FIG. 10B is a longitudinal sectional view of the alignment channel 70 before the dispensing unit 90 is installed. FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the alignment flow path 70 after the dispensing unit 90 is installed.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 (A) and 10 (B), the flow-down restricting member 76 is attached to an attachment portion 77 formed to project from the front side wall portion in front of the downstream flow path 73. The flow restricting member 76 is a substantially L-shaped base portion 76a attached to the lower surface of the attaching portion 77, a restricting portion 76b extending horizontally from the lower end of the base portion 76a, and extending downward from the restricting portion 76b. A press receiving portion 76c.

  The base portion 76a is a leaf spring member, and a positioning hole 76d that engages with a positioning projection 79 formed on the attachment portion 77 is formed at the upper end portion of the base portion 76a. The base portion 76a is fixed to the attachment portion 77 by a screw 78 in a state where the base portion 76a is positioned by the positioning hole 76d.

  The base portion 76 a is disposed along the lower surface of the mounting portion 77 and the front side wall portion of the storage unit 50, and the lower end of the base portion 76 a is positioned slightly below the outlet 74 of the downstream flow path 73. Therefore, the restricting portion 76b provided at the lower end of the base portion 76a protrudes toward the outflow port 74 so as to close a part of the outflow port 74 as shown in FIG.

  When the storage unit 50 is not disposed on the front frame 5, a part of the outflow port 74 is blocked by the restricting portion 76 b of the flow-down restricting member 76, so that the game ball discharged from the outflow port 74 flows down. Be regulated. Therefore, even if a game ball remains in the storage unit 50 when the storage unit 50 is removed from the front frame 5, the game ball does not spill from the outlet 74.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11, when the dispensing unit 90 is attached to the front frame 5 after the storage unit 50 is installed on the front frame 5, the upper end portion of the dispensing unit 90 is connected to the pressure receiving portion 76 c of the flow-down regulating member 76. Press forward. Since the upper end portion of the payout unit 90 is configured to form a gap smaller than the diameter of the game ball between the lower end portion of the outlet 74 of the downstream flow path 73, the payout unit 90 has the press receiving portion 76 c. When pressed forward, the restricting portion 76 b of the flow restricting member 76 is retracted into the gap between the upper end portion of the dispensing unit 90 and the lower end portion of the outlet port 74. Therefore, when the payout unit 90 is attached below the storage unit 50, the flow restriction of the game ball by the restriction portion 76 b of the flow restriction member 76 is released, and the game ball in the storage unit 50 is placed in the downstream flow path 73. It is possible to flow down into the dispensing unit 90 via the outflow port 74.

<External information unit>
Next, the external information unit 80 disposed on the rear side wall of the storage unit 50 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 12 is a rear perspective view of the external information unit 80 installed in the storage unit 50. 13A and 13B are a cross-sectional view and a vertical cross-sectional view of the external information unit 80, respectively. 14A and 14B are a rear perspective view and a longitudinal sectional view of the gaming machine 1 at the position where the external information unit 80 is installed.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 12, the external information unit 80 is a device that outputs game information to an external device (information collecting terminal device) or the like, and includes a lower cover 81 and a substrate disposed on the lower cover 81. 82 and an upper cover 83 attached to the lower cover 81 so as to cover the substrate 82.

  The lower cover 81 is a rectangular frame, and an engagement receiving portion 81 a that can engage with the upper cover 83 is formed on the upper and lower portions of the lower cover 81. A substrate 82 is fixed to the lower cover 81. The board 82 is an output board that outputs game information to an external device, and a plurality of connection terminals 82a (see FIG. 6) that can be connected to the external device are provided on the surface of the board.

  The upper cover 83 is a rectangular frame, and includes an opening 83 a that exposes a part of the substrate 82, and an engagement protrusion 83 b that can be engaged with the engagement receiving portion 81 a of the lower cover 81.

  The engagement protrusion 83b of the upper cover 83 is provided at a position corresponding to the engagement receiving portion 81a of the lower cover 81. The engagement of the engagement protrusion 83b and the engagement receiving portion 81a causes the upper cover 83 to move downward. It is fixed to the cover 81.

  Through the opening 83 a of the upper cover 83, the connection terminal 82 a of the substrate 82 can be connected to an external device installed in the game hall. A bulging portion 83 c that bulges rearward is formed at the lower portion of the upper cover 83. The lower surface of the bulging portion 83c of the upper cover 83 is formed as a substantially horizontal flat surface (see FIG. 13B).

  The external information unit 80 constituted by the lower cover 81, the substrate 82, and the upper cover 83 is attached to the rear side wall portion of the storage unit 50 as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13.

  With reference to FIG. 12, FIG. 13 (A), and FIG. 13 (B), the attachment mechanism of the external information unit 80 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 12, engaging projections 83 d are formed on both sides of the upper cover 83 of the external information unit 80 so as to protrude in the vertical direction. A boss portion 83e having a through hole penetrating in the vertical direction is formed in the upper cover 83 below the engaging projection 83d.

  Ribs 52a and 52b (see FIG. 6) for reinforcing the rigidity of the storage unit 50 are formed on the rear side wall portion of the storage unit 50 so as to protrude horizontally. A pair of engaging grooves 53 that extend downward from the end of the rib 52b and engage with the engaging protrusion 83d of the upper cover 83 in a state in which the storing protrusion 50 can slide in the vertical direction. Is provided. A screw receiving portion 54 having a screw hole is formed at the lower end portion of the engagement grooves 53. The screw receiving portion 54 is integrally formed with the storage unit 50 and the engaging groove 53.

  As shown in FIGS. 12, 13A, and 13B, the engaging protrusion 83d of the upper cover 83 is inserted into the engaging groove 53 from below, and the upper surface of the lower cover 81 is placed on the lower surface of the rib 52b. The external information unit 80 is attached to the storage unit 50 in a contact state. The rib 52b not only reinforces the rigidity of the storage unit 50, but also functions as a regulating member that regulates the upward sliding movement of the external information unit 80. Thus, in a state where the upper surface of the lower cover 81 is in contact with the lower surface of the rib 52b, the boss portion 83e of the upper cover 83 contacts the screw receiving portion 54 from the lower side (see FIG. 10B). The external information unit 80 is fixed to the storage unit 50 by screwing the screw 55 into the screw receiving portion 54 through the through hole of the boss portion 83e.

  As shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the storage unit 50 in which the external information unit 80 is installed is attached to the upper back surface of the front frame 5. In a state where the storage unit 50 is installed on the front frame 5, a protective cover 37 that covers the rear surface constituent member (the control base 33 and the like) of the game board 20 is positioned below the storage unit 50. The upper end portion of the protective cover 37 is formed along the lower surface of the storage unit 50 (see FIG. 3), but the upper end portion of the protective cover 37 at a position facing the bulging portion 83c of the external information unit 80 is bulged. It is formed apart from the bulging portion 83c so as to form a manual feed space S3 between the protruding portion 83c. That is, the protective cover 37 has a concave portion that is recessed downward at a portion facing the external information unit 80.

  As shown in FIG. 14B, a standing wall 37a is formed on the upper edge of the protective cover 37 to prevent foreign substances and the like from entering from the rear of the gaming machine 1 to the gaming board 20 side.

  When the gaming machine 1 is transported, it may be transported by placing a finger on the lower surface of the external information unit 80 disposed on the back surface of the storage unit 50. In the gaming machine 1 of the present embodiment, since the external information unit 80 and the storage unit 50 are fixed in a state where the external information unit 80 is in contact with the rib 52b from below, a finger is placed on the lower surface of the external information unit 80. Even if the gaming machine 1 is transported while being hung, damage such as the external information unit 80 being detached from the storage unit 50 is less likely to occur.

  Further, the boss portion 83e of the upper cover 83 is brought into contact with the screw receiving portion 54 below the engagement groove 53 from the lower side, and the screw 55 is screwed to the screw receiving portion 54 via the boss portion 83e. Since the information unit 80 is fixed to the storage unit 50, the external information unit 80 becomes more robust with respect to the input of external force from the lower side.

  Furthermore, a bulging portion 83c is formed at the lower portion of the upper cover 83 of the external information unit 80, and a manual feed space S3 is formed between the bulging portion 83c and the protective cover 37. It becomes easy to put a finger on the lower surface, and it is possible to avoid damage by holding a portion other than the external information unit 80 when the gaming machine 1 is transported.

<Discharge unit>
Next, the payout unit 90 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 15 to 19.

  15A and 15B are a rear perspective view and a front perspective view of the dispensing unit 90, respectively. FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of the dispensing unit 90. FIG. 17 is a top front view of the first case member 100 of the dispensing unit 90. FIG. 18A is a lower front view of the first case member 100 of the payout unit 90, and FIG. 18B is a longitudinal sectional view of the lower portion of the payout unit 90. FIG. 19 is a side view of the dispensing unit 90 in the vicinity of the passage switching mechanism 160.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the payout unit 90 stores the game balls flowing down from the alignment flow path 70 of the storage unit 50, and the stored game balls are placed on the upper plate 11 a based on the establishment of the payout condition (see FIG. 1). It is a device that pays out. The payout unit 90 is fixed to the back surface of the mounting wall 5 c of the front frame 5 via the fixing member 300.

  As shown in FIG. 15A, FIG. 15B, and FIG. 16, the payout unit 90 includes a first case member 100 and a second case member 200 provided so as to face the first case member 100. A standby passage 120 formed between the first case member 100 and the second case member 200, and a payout device 140 for paying out game balls in the standby passage 120 are provided.

  The first case member 100 and the second case member 200 are formed of a resin material. In particular, the first case member 100 is formed of a transparent resin material so that the inside of the dispensing unit 90 can be visually recognized. The second case member 200 is disposed on the back surface of the mounting wall 5 c (see FIG. 4) of the front frame 5, and the first case member 100 is attached to the back surface of the second case member 200. The first case member 100 and the second case member 200 include case walls 110 and 210 extending in the vertical direction. A pair of partition walls 111 are formed on the front surface of the case wall 110 of the first case member 100, and the partition wall 111, the case wall 110, and the case are between the first case member 100 and the second case member 200. A standby passage 120 is formed by the wall 210.

  As shown in FIGS. 17, 18 </ b> A, and 18 </ b> B, the standby passage 120 extends vertically between the first case member 100 and the second case member 200, and the storage unit 50. This is a passage through which the game balls supplied from the alignment flow path 70 flow down while meandering. The standby passage 120 is connected to the upper passage 121 that guides the game balls flowing down from the downstream passage 73 of the alignment passage 70 to the rear of the gaming machine 1 and the downstream end of the upper passage 121 and meanders the game balls in the left-right direction. And a lower passage 123 that is connected to the downstream end of the middle passage 122 and guides the game ball to the front of the gaming machine 1. The game ball that has passed through the lower passage 123 flows into a guide passage (not shown) that guides the game ball to the upper plate 11a (see FIG. 1).

  As shown in FIGS. 18 (A) and 18 (B), a payout device 140 for paying out game balls based on the establishment of payout conditions is disposed in the lower passage 123 of the standby passage 120. The payout device 140 is a device for paying out the game balls stored in the standby passage 120 above the rotating body 141 one by one by rotating the rotating body (sprocket) 141 by the drive motor 142. Details of the payout device 140 will be described later with reference to FIGS.

  In the lower passage 123 below the payout device 140, a ball detection sensor 126 for detecting the payout of the game ball is installed.

  As shown in FIG. 17, the case wall 110 on the side of the upper passage 121 is rotatable to the back surface of the case wall 110 to detect whether or not sufficient game balls are waiting in the standby passage 120. A substantially fan-shaped light shielding plate 112 supported by the light shielding plate 112 and a photosensor 113 having a recess through which a part of the light shielding plate 112 can pass are provided.

  The light shielding plate 112 is inserted into the concave portion of the photosensor 113 so as to block the emitted light emitted from the light emitting portion of the photosensor 113 from reaching the light receiving portion of the photosensor 113, and a part of the light shielding portion 112a. The light passing part 112b which allows emission light to pass through by notching, and the pressure receiving part 112c standingly arranged by the edge part of the light-shielding part 112a are provided.

  The pressure receiving portion 112c of the light shielding plate 112 is disposed in the upper passage 121 through the first notch 114 formed in one partition wall 111 of the upper passage 121 when the number of game balls stored in the standby passage 120 is insufficient. It is formed so that it may be located in.

  When the game ball is not waiting in the upper passage 121, the light shielding plate 112 rotates so that the pressure receiving portion 112c protrudes into the upper passage 121 through the first notch 114, and the light shielding portion 112a Light emitted from the sensor 113 is blocked.

  In contrast, when game balls are stored up to the upper passage 121 of the standby passage 120, the pressure receiving portion 112c is pushed by the game balls in the upper passage 121, and the pressure receiving portion 113c is moved from the upper passage 121 to the outside. The light shielding plate 112 rotates so as to be retracted, and the light emitted from the photosensor 113 enters a light-transmitting state by the light-transmitting portion 112b. In the emitted light passing state, the end of the light shielding portion 112a of the light shielding plate 112 abuts against the stopper 115 formed on the case wall 110 from below so that the rotation of the light shielding plate 112 is restricted. The pressure receiving portion 112 c of 112 is flush with the partition wall 111 and closes the first notch 114.

  By detecting the state of the light emitted from the photosensor 113 as described above, it can be determined whether or not sufficient game balls are waiting in the standby passage 120. When a sufficient number of game balls are waiting in the waiting passage 120 (when the emitted light is transmitted), the drive motor 142 of the payout device 140 is allowed to be driven, and in other cases (when the emitted light is blocked), it is driven. Driving of the motor 142 is prohibited.

  As shown in FIG. 17, the middle passage 122 is a passage that meanders in the left-right direction so as to reduce the flow velocity of the game ball flowing down. By meandering in this way, the weight of the game ball waiting in the middle passage 122 can be dispersed by the partition wall 111, and the load acting on the drive motor 142 of the payout device 140 can be reduced. Therefore, the drive motor 142 can be downsized.

  A ball passage 124 (see FIG. 15A) is formed on the side of the middle passage 122 between the first case member 100 and the second case member 200 in the vertical direction. The ball extraction passage 124 is formed so as to branch from the curved portion of the middle passage 122, and allows the game balls stored in the storage unit 50 (see FIG. 5) and the payout unit 90 to flow down to an island facility outside the gaming machine. . A curved portion of the middle passage 122 is provided with a passage switching mechanism 160 that switches the passage of the game ball flowing down to the middle passage 122 or the ball passage 124.

  The path switching mechanism 160 will be described with reference to FIGS. 16, 17, and 19.

  As shown in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17, the passage switching mechanism 160 is operated by an operator when the gaming machine 1 is replaced, and between the first case member 100 and the second case member 200. An operation unit 161 arranged to be able to move back and forth, a spring 162 for biasing the operation unit 161, and a switching unit 163 arranged to be rotatable between the first case member 100 and the second case member 200. With.

  As shown in FIGS. 16 and 19, a protrusion 161 a that protrudes rearward is formed on the upper portion of the operation portion 161. The protruding portion 161 a of the operation portion 161 protrudes rearward from the case wall 110 through a vertical hole portion 116 formed in the case wall 110 of the first case member 100. The operation portion 161 includes a first case member 100, a second case member 200, and a protrusion 161 a that passes through the vertical hole portion 116, and a support shaft 211 that is formed on the back surface of the case wall 210 of the second case member 200. It is supported so that it can move back and forth.

  A spring 162 through which the support shaft 211 can be inserted is disposed between the operation unit 161 and the second case member 200. The spring 162 biases the operation unit 161 toward the first case member 100 side.

  A regulating piece 161b that protrudes rearward is formed at the lower portion of the operation portion 161. The restricting piece 161b restricts the rotation (state conversion) of the switching unit 163.

  As shown in FIGS. 17 and 19, the switching unit 163 is rotatably supported by the case wall 110 of the first case member 100 below the operation unit 161. The switching unit 163 includes a guide wall 163a that guides a game ball flowing down in the middle passage 122, and a protrusion 163b that protrudes forward.

  A second notch 117 is formed in the partition wall 111 on the side of the ball passage 124 in the curved portion of the middle passage 122, and the guide wall 163 a of the switching portion 163 enters the middle passage 122 via the second notch 117. Arranged to face. The guide wall 163a guides the game ball that has flowed down the middle passage 122 in the left-right direction downward.

  The protrusion 163b of the switching unit 163 is formed so as to be able to come into contact with the restriction piece 161b of the operation unit 161 from below.

  During normal times when the operation unit 161 is not operated, the protrusion 163b of the switching unit 163 comes into contact with the restriction piece 161b of the operation unit 161 from below. Therefore, even if the game ball flowing down the curved portion of the middle passage 122 comes into contact with the guide wall 163a, the switching portion 163 is prohibited from rotating. Therefore, the game ball passing through the curved portion is guided downward by the guide wall 163 a of the switching unit 163 and flows down toward the downstream of the middle passage 122.

  In contrast, when the gaming machine 1 is replaced, the projection 161a of the operation unit 161 is pressed, and the operation unit 161 moves forward against the biasing force of the spring 162 (see FIG. 19). When the operation unit 161 moves in this way, the regulation piece 161b of the operation unit 161 also moves forward, and the contact between the projection 163b of the switching unit 163 and the regulation piece 161b is released. Then, the game ball above the curved portion of the middle passage 122, that is, upstream of the second notch 117 presses the guide wall 163a, and the switching unit 163 rotates to open the second notch 117. To do. As a result, the game ball located above the curved portion of the middle passage 122 flows into the ball extraction passage 124 via the second notch 117. As described above, when the gaming machine 1 is exchanged, the operation unit 161 is pressed to return the game balls stored in the storage unit 50 (see FIG. 5) or the payout unit 90 to the island facility. be able to.

  With reference to FIGS. 20 to 22, the dispensing device 140 disposed in the dispensing unit 90 will be described.

  20A is an exploded perspective view of the dispensing device 140, and FIG. 20B is a rear perspective view of the dispensing device 140 installed on the second case member 200. FIG. 21A is a perspective view of a longitudinal section along the standby passage 120 of the dispensing unit 90, and FIG. 21B is a longitudinal sectional view along the standby passage 120 of the dispensing unit 90. FIGS. 22A and 22B are a rear perspective view and a cross-sectional view of the dispensing device 140 when the dispensing unit 90 is installed on the front frame 5.

  As shown in FIGS. 20A and 20B, the payout device 140 includes a rotating body (sprocket) 141 disposed in the lower passage 123 of the standby passage 120 and a drive for driving the rotating body 141 to rotate. And a motor 142.

  The rotating body 141 is fixed to the output shaft 142 a of the drive motor 142 via the insert pipe 143. On the outer periphery of the rotating body 141, a holding portion 141 a that holds a game ball that is recessed in an arc shape and flows down the standby passage 120 is formed. A plurality of holding portions 141 a are provided along the outer periphery of the rotating body 141.

  A circular flange portion 141b is formed on the end surface of one of the rotating bodies 141 (the side facing the drive motor 142). The flange height of the flange portion 141b is set so as to exceed the half height of the game ball held by the holding portion 141a.

  A circular opening 212 through which the rotating body 141 connected to the drive motor 142 can pass is formed in the lower part of the case wall 210 of the second case member 200. The drive motor 142 is fixed to the front surface of the case wall 210 with the rotating body 141 disposed in the lower passage 123 through the opening 212. At this time, the flange portion 141 b of the rotating body 141 closes the opening 212 of the case wall 210.

  When the drive motor 142 of the payout device 140 is stopped, the game ball is held on the holding portion 141a of the rotating body 141 and does not flow downstream from the rotating body 141. On the other hand, when the drive motor 142 is driven in accordance with the payout condition, the rotating body 141 rotates in the lower passage 123 and the game ball held in the holding portion 141a is paid out downstream of the lower passage 123. Since the holding portion 141a of the rotating body 141 is formed to hold one gaming ball, the gaming balls are paid out one by one as the rotating body 141 rotates.

  As shown in FIGS. 21 (A) and 21 (B), the lower passage 123 of the payout unit 90 meanders in the front-rear direction so as to guide the game ball flowing down from the middle passage 122 backward and then forward again. Is formed. Therefore, the case wall 210 of the second case member 200 has a recessed portion 213 that is recessed backward corresponding to the meandering of the lower passage 123 in the front-rear direction, and the case wall 110 of the first case member 100 is the recessed portion 213. Corresponding to the projections 118 projecting rearward.

  Since the drive motor 142 of the payout device 140 is attached to the recess 213 of the case wall 210, the drive motor 142 can be prevented from projecting toward the game board 20 side. In addition, a relay substrate 151 for relaying a wiring for electrically connecting the drive motor 142 and the payout control device 41 (see FIG. 3) is installed on the back surface of the case wall 110 above the protruding portion 118. . The relay substrate 151 is protected by a substrate cover 152 that is fixed to the back surface of the case wall 110.

  As described above, since the drive motor 142 and the relay board 151 are installed on the second case member 200 and the first case member 100 using the meandering of the lower passage 123 in the front-rear direction, the arrangement efficiency of the drive motor 142 and the relay board 151 is improved. Is increased. Further, the meandering of the lower passage 123 in the front-rear direction can disperse the weight of the game ball waiting in the lower passage 123 via the partition wall 111, and the load acting on the drive motor 142 of the payout device 140 can be reduced.

  As shown in FIGS. 22A and 22B, the payout unit 90 on which the payout device 140 is installed is attached to the back surface of the attachment wall 5 c of the front frame 5. The mounting wall 5c has a passage opening 5d through which the drive motor 142 passes at a position corresponding to the drive motor 142 of the dispensing device 140. Therefore, when the dispensing unit 90 is attached to the attachment wall 5c, the drive motor 142 is disposed in a state of being inserted through the passage opening 5d. Thus, by allowing the drive motor 142 to pass through the passage opening 5d of the mounting wall 5c, the dispensing unit 90 can be prevented from protruding rearward, and the arrangement efficiency of the dispensing unit 90 is increased.

  In the dispensing unit 90 described above, the opening 212 through which the rotating body 141 coupled to the drive motor 142 can pass is formed in the case wall 210 of the second case member 200. As a result, the drive motor 142 can be attached to and detached from the case wall 210 in a state where the rotary body 141 is connected to the drive motor 142, and the rotation is faster than the case where the rotary body 141 and the drive motor 142 are connected across the case wall 210. The assembly workability of the body 141 and the drive motor 142 can be improved.

  Since one end face of the rotating body 141 is formed with a flange portion 141b that closes the opening 212, foreign matter enters the standby passage 120 from the outside, or a game ball held by the holding portion 141a of the rotating body 141 Can be prevented from leaking outside.

  Further, the holding portion 141a of the rotating body 141 is formed so as to hold one game ball, and the flange height of the flange portion 141b is set to exceed half the height of the game ball held by the holding portion 141a. The The game ball held by the holding portion 141a contacts the holding portion 141a and the flange portion 141b that rotates integrally with the holding portion 141a, but does not slide with respect to the case wall 210 of the second case member 200. Therefore, wear of the second case member 200 can be prevented.

  Furthermore, since the first case member 100 disposed behind the second case member 200 is formed of a transparent resin material, the inside of the standby passage 120 is visually recognized through the first case member 100 when the front frame 5 is opened. It is possible to check for clogged balls in the standby passage 120, deterioration of the rotating body 141, and the like.

  The opening 212 may be formed not in the case wall 210 of the second case member 200 of the dispensing unit 90 but in the case wall 110 of the first case member 100. In this case, without removing the game board 20 after the front frame 5 is opened, the drive motor 142 can be attached to and detached from the case wall 110 while the rotary body 141 is installed on the drive motor 142. The assembly workability of 142 can be further improved.

<Fixing mechanism>
Next, a fixing mechanism for fixing the dispensing unit 90 to the mounting wall 5c of the front frame 5 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  23A and 23B are a rear perspective view and a front perspective view of the upper portion of the payout unit 90, respectively. FIG. 24A is a diagram showing a state where the engaging piece 320 of the fixing member 300 is in the first position, and FIG. 24B is a diagram showing a state where the engaging piece 320 is in the second position. FIGS. 25A and 25B are a front perspective view and a longitudinal sectional view of the upper portion of the dispensing unit 90 when the first case member 100 is installed in the second case member 200. FIG. FIG. 26A and FIG. 26B are a rear perspective view and a front perspective view of the upper portion of the front frame 5. FIG. 27 is a rear perspective view of the dispensing unit 90 and the front frame 5. FIGS. 28A and 28B are a longitudinal sectional view and a transverse sectional view of the dispensing unit 90 when the dispensing unit 90 is installed on the front frame 5.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the payout unit 90 is a smaller member than the front frame 5, and is fixed to the back surface of the mounting wall 5 c of the front frame 5 via the three fixing members 300. Since the fixing method by these fixing members 300 is the same, only the method of fixing the dispensing unit 90 and the front frame 5 by the fixing member 300 disposed on the upper part of the dispensing unit 90 will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 23A and 23B, the fixing member 300 includes a shaft portion 310 extending in the front-rear direction, an engagement piece 320 provided at one end (front end) of the shaft portion 310, and And an operation unit 330 provided at the other end (rear end) of the shaft part 310.

  The engagement piece 320 is a protrusion formed so as to protrude from one end portion of the shaft portion 310 in the radial direction (side) of the shaft portion 310. A pair of engaging pieces 320 are provided, and these engaging pieces 320 are arranged point-symmetrically with respect to the center of the shaft portion 310. The width W in the circumferential direction of the shaft portion 310 of the engagement piece 320 is set to be narrower than the diameter D of the shaft portion 310 (see FIG. 23B).

  The operation part 330 is a plate-like member extending laterally from the other end of the shaft part 310 and is operated to rotate the engagement piece 320. A sliding rib 331 protrudes from the end surface of the operation portion 330 on the side where the shaft portion 310 is installed, and an operation rib 332 for facilitating operation of the operation portion 330 protrudes from the end surface of the operation portion 330 on the opposite side. It is formed.

  A bearing portion 171 that rotatably supports the shaft portion 310 of the fixing member 300 is formed on the case wall 110 of the first case member 100 so as to protrude forward. The bearing portion 171 includes a support hole 171a that penetrates in the front-rear direction and supports the shaft portion 310, and a passage groove 171b that communicates with the support hole 171a and allows the engagement piece 320 of the fixing member 300 to pass in the front-rear direction. . A pair of passage grooves 171b are provided corresponding to the engagement pieces 320, and these passage grooves 171b are disposed horizontally. The fixing member 300 is attached to the first case member 100 from the rear of the first case member 100 via the support hole 171a and the passage groove 171b.

  When the fixing member 300 is installed in the first case member 100, the tip of the shaft portion 310 and the engagement piece 320 protrude forward from the bearing portion 171 in a state of being inserted through the support hole 171a and the passage groove 171b. . The upper and lower ends of the front end of the bearing portion 171 are extended along the shaft portion 310 of the fixing member 300 and contact the end surface of the engagement piece 320 on the operation portion 330 side according to the rotation position of the engagement piece 320. A contact portion 172 that can be contacted is formed to protrude.

  The case wall 110 of the first case member 100 is formed as a sliding wall on which the operation portion 330 of the fixing member 300 slides. A guide for guiding the sliding rib 331 of the operation portion 330 is provided on the back surface of the case wall 110. A portion 173 and an upper limit stopper 174 and a lower limit stopper 175 that restrict the upper limit and the lower limit of the rotation of the operation unit 330 are formed.

  The guide portion 173 is formed in a circular arc shape on the back surface of the case wall 110. The sliding rib 331 of the operation part 330 of the fixing member 300 slides along the upper surface of the guide part 173.

  The upper limit stopper 174 protrudes from the upper end side of the guide portion 173, and the lower limit stopper 175 protrudes from the lower end side of the guide portion 173. The operation portion 330 of the fixing member 300 can be rotated within a rotation range of approximately 90 ° between the upper limit stopper 174 and the lower limit stopper 175.

  When one side surface of the operation portion 330 of the fixing member 300 contacts the lower limit stopper 175, the pair of engaging pieces 320 are set to the horizontal position (second position) (see FIG. 24A), and the fixing member 300 is set. When the other side surface of the operation unit 330 is in contact with the upper limit stopper 174, the pair of engagement pieces 320 are set to the vertical position (first position) (see FIG. 24B).

  As shown in FIG. 24A, when the engagement piece 320 of the fixing member 300 is in the second position, the engagement piece 320 is detached from the contact portion 172 of the bearing portion 171 and the passage groove 171b of the bearing portion 171 is reached. Can pass through. Therefore, when the engagement piece 320 is in the second position, the fixing member 300 can be attached to and detached from the first case member 100.

  The operation portion 330 of the fixing member 300 has a center of gravity set at a position shifted from the axis of the shaft portion 310, and when the engagement piece 320 is in the second position, the center of gravity of the operation portion 330 is the shaft portion 310. It is formed so that it may be located directly under the axial center.

  As shown in FIG. 24B, when the engaging piece 320 of the fixing member 300 attached to the first case member 100 is in the first position, the engaging piece 320 is provided at the tip of the bearing portion 171. It contacts the contact portion 172. In this way, the end surface of the engagement piece 320 on the operation portion 330 side and the tip end surface of the contact portion 172 are in contact with each other, so that the operation portion 330 of the fixing member 300 is maintained in a state in contact with the upper limit stopper 174. .

  As shown in FIGS. 23A and 23B, the case wall 210 of the second case member 200 has an engagement piece of the fixing member 300 at a position corresponding to the bearing portion 171 of the first case member 100. 320 and the insertion recessed part 220 which penetrates the front-end | tip of the contact part 172 of the 1st case member 100 are formed.

  The front surface (surface on the front frame 5 side) of the insertion recess 220 is formed to be recessed rearward from the case wall 210, and the back surface (surface on the first case member 100 side) of the insertion recess 220 is formed to protrude rearward from the case wall 210. ing. The insertion recess 220 penetrates in the front-rear direction, and only when the engagement piece 320 and the contact portion 172 are in contact with each other (when the engagement piece 320 is in the first position), A vertically long insertion hole 221 that allows insertion of the tip of the portion 172 is provided.

  Therefore, when the first case member 100 on which the fixing member 300 is installed is assembled to the second case member 200, as shown in FIGS. 25 (A) and 25 (B), the engaging pieces of the fixing member 300 are engaged. 320 is in the first position and is in contact with the contact portion 172. When the first case member 100 and the second case member 200 are assembled, the tip of the bearing portion 171 of the first case member 100 is in contact with the back surface of the insertion recess 220 of the second case member 200 and is inserted through the insertion hole 221. The tips of the joining piece 320 and the contact portion 172 protrude into the insertion recess 220.

  Note that after the first case member 100 and the second case member 200 are assembled, the operation piece 330 of the fixing member 300 is rotated, and the engagement piece 320 inserted through the insertion hole 221 of the insertion recess 220 is moved to the first position. When the position is changed to the second position, the engagement piece 320 cannot pass through the insertion hole 221 (the engagement piece 320 is hooked on the front surface of the insertion recess 220), and the fixing member 300 is moved to the second case member 200. Therefore, the first case member 100 and the second case member 200 can be temporarily fixed by the fixing member 300.

  As shown in FIGS. 26 (A) and 26 (B), the engaging wall 320 of the fixing member 300 and the engagement piece 320 are arranged on the mounting wall 5c of the front frame 5 at a position corresponding to the insertion recess 220 of the second case member 200. An engagement receiving portion 45 that can be engaged is formed.

  The front surface of the engagement receiving portion 45 is formed to be recessed rearward from the mounting wall 5c, and the rear surface of the engagement receiving portion 45 is formed to protrude rearward from the mounting wall 5c. The engagement receiving portion 45 penetrates in the front-rear direction, and only when the engagement piece 320 and the contact portion 172 are in contact (when the engagement piece 320 is in the first position), A vertically long insertion hole 46 that allows insertion of the tip of the contact portion 172 is provided.

  A fitting hole 47 is formed in the upper and lower portions of the back surface of the front frame 5 to fit with a protrusion 214 (see FIG. 15B) that is formed to protrude from the front surface of the case wall 210 of the second case member 200. Has been. By fitting the projection 214 of the second case member 200 into the fitting hole 47 of the front frame 5 (see FIG. 11), the dispensing unit 90 is positioned with respect to the front frame 5. Note that positioning of the dispensing unit 90 is also performed by engaging the engagement receiving portion 45 with the insertion recess 220 of the second case member 200.

  As shown in FIGS. 27 and 28A, when assembling the dispensing unit 90 on which the fixing member 300 is installed on the back surface of the front frame 5, the operation portion 330 of the fixing member 300 contacts the upper limit stopper 174. In other words, the engagement piece 320 is in the first position and is in contact with the contact portion 172. In this state, the engagement receiving portion 45 of the front frame 5 is inserted into the insertion recess 220 of the second case member 200 of the dispensing unit 90, and the engagement piece 320 inserted through the insertion hole 221 and the insertion hole 46 is engaged and received. Projecting to the front side of the portion 45. Further, the front end surface of the contact portion 172 in contact with the engagement piece 320 and the front surface of the engagement receiving portion 45 are substantially flush.

  As shown in FIG. 28B, after the dispensing unit 90 is assembled to the front frame 5, the operation portion 330 of the fixing member 300 is rotated to insert the insertion hole 221 and the engagement receiving portion 45 of the insertion recess 220. When the engagement piece 320 inserted through the insertion hole 46 is converted from the first position to the second position, the engagement piece 320 is disengaged from the contact portion 172, and the engagement piece 320 and the engagement receiving portion 45 are engaged. Match. As a result, the dispensing unit 90 that is smaller than the front frame 5 is fixed to the mounting wall 5 c of the front frame 5 between the operation portion 330 of the fixing member 300 and the engagement piece 320. The second case member 200 of the dispensing unit 90 is sandwiched between the front surface of the bearing portion 171 of the first case member 100 and the rear surface of the engagement receiving portion 45 of the front frame 5.

  According to the fixing mechanism between the dispensing unit 90 and the front frame 5 described above, the following effects can be obtained.

  The fixing member 300 is attached from the small payout unit 90 side, and the engaging piece is engaged with the operation portion 330 of the fixing member 300 that slides on the first case member 100 of the payout unit 90 and the engagement receiving portion 45 of the front frame 5. The dispensing unit 90 is fixed to the front frame 5 by 320. Since the fixing member 300 is disposed in the small dispensing unit 90 that is easy to handle as described above, the mounting operation of the fixing member 300 can be improved. Further, the engaging piece 320 of the fixing member 300 is inserted into the insertion hole 46 of the front frame 5 in a state of being in contact with the contact portion 172 formed on the bearing portion 171 of the first case member 100. Even when the engagement piece 320 collides with the insertion hole 46 or the like, damage to the engagement piece 320 is suppressed.

  The insertion hole 46 of the front frame 5 is formed so as to allow the engagement piece 320 to be inserted only when the engagement piece 320 of the fixing member 300 is in the first position, and the contact portion 172 of the dispensing unit 90. Is formed so as to contact the engagement piece 320 when the engagement piece 320 is in the first position. Since the engagement piece 320 and the contact portion 172 are in contact with each other, the engagement piece 320 can be maintained in a state where it can be inserted through the insertion hole 46 of the front frame 5, and the payout unit in which the fixing member 300 is disposed. The attachment work for attaching 90 to the front frame 5 becomes simple.

  Since the contact portion 172 of the first case member 100 is a protrusion that is formed to protrude from the tip of the bearing portion 171 along the shaft portion 310 of the fixing member 300, the contact portion 172 of the shaft portion 310 is fixed when the payout unit 90 is fixed. Damage or the like can be suppressed.

  The engaging piece 320 of the fixing member 300 is set such that the width in the circumferential direction of the shaft portion 310 is narrower than the diameter of the shaft portion 310, and the bearing piece 171 of the first case member 100 is in the second position. A passage groove 171b through which the engagement piece 320 can pass only in some cases is provided. Accordingly, the shaft portion 310 of the fixing member 300 can be rotatably supported by the bearing portion 171, and the fixing member 300 can be attached to and detached from the first case member 100.

  Since the engagement receiving portion 45 of the front frame 5 is formed in a recessed state on the attachment wall 5c, the engagement piece 320 is attached to the attachment wall 5c when the engagement piece 320 of the fixing member 300 is engaged with the engagement reception portion 45. Than projecting forward. Since the engagement piece 320 of the fixing member 300 is less likely to collide with other members or the like, the breakage or the like of the engagement piece 320 is suppressed.

  The operation portion 330 of the fixing member 300 is such that the center of gravity of the operation portion 330 is directly below the axis of the shaft portion 310 when the engagement piece 320 is in the second position where it engages with the engagement receiving portion 45 of the front frame 5. It is formed to be located. Therefore, even if vibration or the like is applied to the operation portion 330, the engagement piece 320 does not change from the second position, and the engagement state between the engagement piece 320 and the engagement receiving portion 45 can be maintained. Become.

<Protective cover>
Next, with reference to FIG. 3, FIG. 29-FIG. 34, the protective cover 37 which protects the production | presentation control apparatus 36 etc. (back surface component) arrange | positioned at the back surface of the game board 20 is demonstrated.

  FIG. 29 is a rear perspective view of the game board 20. 30 is a rear perspective view of the game board 20 in which one side portion of the protective cover 37 is enlarged, and FIG. 31 is a rear perspective view of the game board 20 in which the other side portion of the protective cover 37 is enlarged. FIGS. 32A and 32B are a rear perspective view and a cross-sectional view of the protective cover 37 in the vicinity of the engaging portion 370. FIG. 33 is a cross-sectional view of the game board 20. 34A is a rear view of the front frame 5 on which the game board 20 and the payout unit 90 are installed, and FIG. 34B is a view of the engagement portion 370 of the protective cover 37 and the standby passage 120 of the payout unit 90. It is a figure explaining a relationship.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 29, an effect control device 36 is provided on the back surface of the game board 20 via a control base 33, and game control is performed via a switch base 38 disposed below the control base 33. A device 35 is provided. The protective cover 37 is disposed in the effect control device 36 and covers the back surface of the effect control device 36 and the upper back surface of the game control device 35. As described above, the protective cover 37 protects various members (back surface constituent members) disposed on the back surface of the game board 20. In the state in which the game board 20 is installed on the front frame 5, the protective cover 37 is disposed below the storage unit 50 and on the side of the payout unit 90 through the opening 5 b (see FIG. 4) of the front frame 5. Exposed behind.

  As shown in FIGS. 3, 29, and 30, the side portion of the protective cover 37 opposite to the payout unit 90 side is rotated by a pair of support portions 36 a formed on the back side portion of the effect control device 36. It is supported movably. Accordingly, the side portion of the protective cover 37 on the payout unit 90 side can be opened and closed with respect to the effect control device 36.

  The game control device 35 is also rotatably supported by a pair of support portions 38a formed on the back side of the switch base 38.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 31, an engaging portion 370 that engages with an engagement receiving portion 39 provided on the back side of the effect control device 36 is provided on the side of the protective cover 37 on the payout unit 90 side. It is formed.

  As shown in FIGS. 32 (A), 32 (B), and 33, the engaging portion 370 of the protective cover 37 extends forward from the side portion of the protective cover 37 and then is folded back to extend rearward. A plate spring portion 371 having a U-shaped cross section, an engaging claw 372 that is formed to protrude on the side surface on the tip side of the folded portion of the plate spring portion 371, and a portion that protrudes rearward from the tip of the plate spring portion 371. And an operation unit 373 to be operated. A pair of leaf springs 371 and engaging claws 372 are provided in the vertical direction, and the operation part 373 is formed between the upper leaf spring part 371 and the lower leaf spring part 371.

  The engagement receiving portion 39 of the effect control device 36 that can be engaged with the engagement portion 370 is disposed between the protective cover 37 and the payout unit 90 (see FIG. 3). The engagement receiving portion 39 has a wall portion 39a facing the protective cover 37, and a through hole 39b penetrating in the front-rear direction is formed in the wall portion 39a so that the leaf spring portion 371 of the engagement portion 370 can be inserted. Has been.

  As shown in FIGS. 32B and 33, when the side portion of the protective cover 37 on the payout unit 90 side is in contact with the effect control device 36, and the protective cover 37 covers the back surface of the effect control device 36, That is, when the protective cover 37 is closed, the leaf spring portion 371 of the engagement portion 370 projects forward of the engagement receiving portion 39 via the through hole 39b of the engagement receiving portion 39. At this time, the engaging claw 372 of the engaging portion 370 is located on the front side of the engaging receiving portion 39. Therefore, even if the side portion of the protective cover 37 on the payout unit 90 side is rotated away from the effect control device 36, the engaging claw 372 is caught on the front surface of the engaging receiving portion 39, so that the protective cover 37 is It is kept closed.

  On the other hand, when opening the protective cover 37, the operation part 373 of the engaging part 370 is operated so that the front-end | tip of the leaf | plate spring part 371 of the engaging part 370 approaches a fixed end. By operating in this way, the engagement between the engagement claw 372 and the engagement receiving portion 39 is released, the leaf spring portion 371 and the engagement claw 372 can be pulled out from the through hole 39b, and the protective cover 37 is opened. Is possible.

  When the game board 20 including the protective cover 37 is disposed on the front surface of the front frame 5, as shown in FIG. 34A, the payout unit 90 is located on the side of the engaging portion 370 of the protective cover 37. Is located. The payout unit 90 has a recess 91 at a position corresponding to the engaging portion 370 so as to form an operation space S4 for operating the operating portion 373 of the engaging portion 370 between the payout unit 90 and the protective cover 37. Yes.

  The recess 91 of the payout unit 90 is formed on the side of the middle passage 122 of the standby passage 120 provided between the case walls 110 and 210, as shown in FIG. The middle passage 122 is a passage formed by meandering in the left-right direction, and is disposed on the side of the first passage 131 disposed above the operation portion 373 of the engagement portion 370 and the operation portion 373. The second passage 132 and the third passage 133 disposed below the operation unit 373 are provided.

  The first passage 131 extends in the left-right direction above the operation unit 373 and causes the game ball flowing from the upstream side to flow away from the operation unit 373.

  The second passage 132 extends vertically on the side of the operation unit 373. The second passage 132 is a passage through which the game ball that has flowed in from the first passage 131 flows down so as to pass through the side of the operation unit 373, and is curved upward to guide the game ball that has passed through the first passage 131 downward. And a lower bending portion 132b that bends to guide the game ball that has passed through the upper bending portion 132a to the third passage 133.

  The third passage 133 extends in the left-right direction below the operation portion 373, and after the game ball flowing from the lower curved portion 132 b of the second passage 132 flows down so as to approach the operation portion 373, the third passage 133 extends downward. Let it flow down.

  The recess 91 of the dispensing unit 90 for forming the operation space S4 is provided by using the meandering shape of the middle passage 122 and is between the first passage 131 and the third passage 133 and on the second passage 132 side. Formed in the direction.

  In addition, the middle passage 122 is provided with a switching portion 163 of a passage switching mechanism 160 that switches the passage of the game ball flowing down to the middle passage 122 or the ball removal passage 124. The ball passage 124 is branched from the middle passage 122 via a second notch 117 formed on the side surface of the upper curved portion 132a on the side opposite to the protective cover 37. The switching portion 163 of the passage switching mechanism 160 is provided at a branch portion between the upper curved portion 132a and the ball passage 124 so that the guide wall 163a faces the middle passage 122 through the second notch 117. When the switching portion 163 is disposed in the upper curved portion 132a of the second passage 132 of the middle passage 122 in this way, the vertical length of the second passage 132 is somewhat long in consideration of the arrangement of the switching portion 163. Is set. As a result, the vertical distance between the first passage 131 and the third passage 133 is increased and the concave portion 91 disposed on the side of the second passage 132 is increased, so that the operation space S4 is expanded.

  In the present embodiment, the protective cover 37 is supported by the support portion 36a of the effect control device 36 and engaged with the engagement receiving portion 39 of the effect control device 36. A receiving part may be formed and supported and engaged with the control base 33. Further, instead of being supported and engaged with members of the game board elements such as the effect control device 36 and the control base 33, a support portion is provided at the end of the front frame 5 opposite to the payout unit 90 and the payout unit 90. An engagement receiving portion may be provided on the side mounting wall 5c or the like.

  According to the protective cover 37 and the dispensing unit 90 described above, the following effects can be obtained.

  The protective cover 37 that protects the back surface component disposed on the back surface of the game board 20 includes an engaging portion 370 that can engage with the engaging receiving portion 39 on the side portion on the payout unit 90 side. A concave portion 91 is provided at a position corresponding to the engagement portion 370 so as to form an operation space S4 for operating the operation portion 373 of the joint portion 370. As a result, the operation space S4 is formed around the operation portion 373 of the engagement portion 370, so that the operation portion 373 is easily operated when the engagement portion 370 and the engagement receiving portion 39 are disengaged.

  Further, the recess 91 of the dispensing unit 90 for forming the operation space S4 is provided by using the meandering shape of the middle passage 122, and is between the first passage 131 and the third passage 133, and the second passage 132. Therefore, even if the recess 91 is formed, the dispensing unit 90 does not increase in size.

  Further, since the switching portion 163 of the passage switching mechanism 160 is disposed in the upper curved portion 132a of the second passage 132 of the middle passage 122, the vertical length of the second passage 132 is somewhat determined in consideration of the arrangement of the switching portion 163. Set long. Therefore, the vertical distance between the first passage 131 and the third passage 133 is increased, and the concave portion 91 disposed on the side of the second passage 132 is increased. As a result, the operation space S4 is enlarged, so that the operation portion 373 can be operated more easily when the engagement portion 370 and the engagement receiving portion 39 are disengaged.

<Upper plate unit>
Next, the upper plate 11a of the upper plate unit 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 35 is a front perspective view of the upper plate unit 11, and FIG. 36 is a rear perspective view of the upper plate unit 11.

  As shown in FIGS. 35 and 36, the upper plate (ball storage unit) 11a is a bottomed box-like member having an upper opening, and is a payout device 140 (FIG. 18A It is configured to be able to store the game balls paid out from (see)). The upper plate 11a extends in the left-right direction at a storage portion 410 that stores game balls discharged from a payout outlet 401 formed on the rear side wall portion as an upper plate unit panel, and a rear end portion of the storage portion 410. A groove portion 420 and a guide portion 440 for guiding the game balls of the storage portion 410 to the alignment channel 430 are provided. The alignment channel 430 is arranged on the rear side (near the rear) of the upper plate 11a in a state of being aligned on the right side of the upper plate 11a, and is connected to the downstream end of the groove 420, and allows the game balls to flow down in a row. It is a passage.

  The storage unit 410 is formed as a box-shaped body capable of storing game balls. The bottom surface 411 of the storage unit 410 is inclined downward at an inclination angle of 2 ° in the right direction (one side in the left-right direction) and is inclined downward at an inclination angle of 3 ° toward the rear (one side in the front-rear direction). As described above, the inclination angle in the front-rear direction of the bottom surface 411 of the storage unit 410 is set larger than the inclination angle in the left-right direction.

  A groove 420 is formed at the rear end of the bottom surface 411 of the storage unit 410 in the left-right direction. The left end portion of the groove portion 420 is disposed at a position shifted in the right direction from the discharge outlet 401, and the right end portion of the groove portion 420 is disposed so as to be connected to the upstream end portion of the alignment channel 430. The groove part 420 is a groove recessed in the bottom surface 411 of the storage part 410, and the bottom surface 421 of the groove part 420 is provided at a position lower than the bottom surface 411 of the storage part 410. The bottom surface 421 of the groove 420 is inclined downward at an inclination angle of 3.5 ° in the right direction (one side in the left-right direction) so that the game balls roll toward the alignment channel 430. Thus, the inclination angle of the bottom surface 421 of the groove part 420 is set to be larger than the inclination angle of the storage part 410 in the front-rear direction. Further, the groove width of the groove portion 420 is set to a width through which one game ball can pass, similarly to the passage width of the alignment channel 430.

  The front side wall portion of the storage portion 410 is formed as a guide portion 440 that guides the game balls stored in the storage portion 410 toward the upstream end portion (downstream end portion of the groove portion 420) of the alignment channel 430. In order to smoothly guide the game balls, the guide portion 440 is curved so that the front-rear width on the downstream side of the storage portion 410 gradually decreases toward the upstream end portion of the alignment channel 430 as it approaches the alignment channel 430. Has been.

  The alignment channel 430 is a passage extending in the left-right direction, and the bottom surface 431 of the alignment channel 430 is formed to be continuous with the bottom surface 421 of the groove 420. The bottom surface 431 of the alignment channel 430 is inclined downward with an inclination angle of 3.5 ° in the right direction. At the downstream end of the alignment flow path 430, a guide path 450 that causes the game balls to flow downward is disposed.

  The guide path 450 is a passage extending in the vertical direction. In the middle of the guide path 450, a guide plate 451 is provided that can slide between a position facing the guide path 450 and a position retracting outside the guide path 450. The guide plate 451 is configured to be linked to an operation lever 452 that is slidably disposed on the upper surface of the upper plate unit 11, and when the player slides the operation lever 452 to the right from the initial position, the guide plate 451 moves out of the guide path 450 from a position facing the guide path 450.

  In the upper plate 11a configured as described above, the game balls stored in the storage unit 410 flow down toward the alignment channel 430 by their own weight. That is, the game ball stored in the storage unit 410 rolls on the bottom surface 411 of the storage unit 410 toward the right rear and is guided to the groove 420, or rolls on the bottom surface 411 of the storage unit 410 and is guided. Or guided to the groove 420 through the portion 440. The game ball guided to the groove part 420 rolls rightward on the bottom surface 421 of the groove part 420 and flows into the alignment channel 430. The game balls that have flowed into the alignment flow path 430 flow down the guide path 450, and when the guide plate 451 is located in the guide path 450, the game balls pass through the guide plate 451 to the ball launcher 42 (see FIG. 3). When the guide plate 451 is positioned outside the guide path 450, the guide plate 451 flows down the guide path 450 and is guided to the lower plate 13 (see FIG. 1).

  In the upper plate 11a of the gaming machine 1 of the present embodiment, the tilt angle in the front-rear direction of the bottom surface 411 of the storage unit 410 is set to be larger than the tilt angle in the left-right direction, so that the game balls stored in the storage unit 410 The spherical pressure is likely to act on the rear side wall portion of the storage portion 410. Therefore, even when the ball pressure of the game ball acting on the guide unit 440 is reduced and a large amount of game balls are stored in the storage unit 410, the vicinity of the guide unit 440 and the alignment flow path 430 Generation | occurrence | production of the ball | bowl clogging (spherical spot) in an entrance part is suppressed.

  In the upper plate 11 a of the gaming machine 1, a groove 420 is recessed at the rear end of the bottom surface 411 of the reservoir 410, and the groove 420 is aligned with the alignment channel 430 so that game balls guided by the guide 440 can flow in. Communicating with The bottom surface 421 of the groove 420 is inclined downward so that the game balls roll toward the alignment channel 430, and the inclination angle of the bottom surface 421 is set larger than the inclination angle of the bottom surface 411 of the storage unit 410 in the front-rear direction. Has been. In this way, the groove 420 is recessed in the bottom surface 411 of the storage portion 410, and the inclination angle of the bottom surface 421 is set to be larger than the inclination angle of the bottom surface 411 of the storage portion 410 in the front-rear direction. It becomes easy for the spheres to flow into the alignment channel 430 preferentially, and it is possible to more effectively suppress the occurrence of stagnation at the entrance of the alignment channel 430.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is obvious that various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea.

  For example, in the storage tank (sphere storage unit) 60 of the storage unit 50, the groove part 63 is not provided in the bottom surface 61a of the storage part 61, and the bottom surface 63a of the groove part 63 is inclined in the same manner as the bottom surface 61a of the storage part 61. You may form as. Further, the alignment channel 70 may be disposed on the front side (front side) of the storage unit 50.

  Further, in the upper plate 11 a of the upper plate unit 11, the groove portion 420 is not provided in the bottom surface 411 of the storage portion 410, and the bottom surface 421 of the groove portion 420 is formed as an inclined surface in the same manner as the bottom surface 411 of the storage portion 410. Also good.

  The gaming machine of the present invention is not limited to the pachinko gaming machine as shown in the above embodiment, and uses, for example, gaming balls such as other pachinko gaming machines, arrange ball gaming machines, and sparrow ball gaming machines. Applicable to all gaming machines.

1 gaming machine 5 front frame (frame)
5b Opening 11 Upper plate unit 11a Upper plate 20 Game board 21 Game area 24 Center case 25 Fluctuation display device 35 Game control device 36 Production control device 37 Protective cover 50 Storage unit 52b Rib 53 Engaging groove 54 Screw receiving portion 55 Screw 60 Storage tank 61 Storage part 61a Bottom surface 62 Step part 62a Upper surface (upper surface part)
63 groove part 63a bottom face 64 guide part 66 slit groove 70 alignment flow path 71 upstream flow path (first flow path)
72 Curved channel (second channel)
73 Downstream channel (second channel)
74 Outflow port 75 Leveling member 75a Guide portion 75b Support portion 75c Guide surface 75d Upper end surface (inclined portion)
80 External information unit 81 Lower cover 82 Substrate 83 Upper cover 90 Discharge unit 401 Discharge outlet 410 Storage part 411 Bottom surface 420 Groove part 421 Bottom surface 430 Alignment flow path 431 Bottom surface 440 Guide part

Claims (6)

A ball storage section capable of storing game balls, and an alignment flow path that can flow down in a state where the game balls flowing in from the ball storage section are aligned in a line, and arranged in the left-right direction, the alignment flow path In the gaming machine arranged on the front and back side of the ball storage unit,
The ball reservoir is
A box-like body having an open top surface capable of storing game balls, and a bottom portion that slopes down to one side in the left-right direction, which is the alignment channel side, and a storage portion that slopes down to one side in the front-rear direction,
A guide portion that is provided so as to gradually narrow the front-rear width on the downstream side of the storage portion toward the one side in the front-rear direction, and guides the game balls stored in the storage portion to the alignment flow path. ,
The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the bottom portion of the storage portion is set to have a larger inclination angle in the front-rear direction than in the left-right direction. The ball storage portion is recessed in the left-right direction at the end of the storage portion on one side in the front-rear direction so that a game ball guided by the bottom portion of the storage portion and the guide portion can flow in. A groove portion communicating with the alignment channel,
The groove width of the groove is set to a width through which one game ball can pass,
The bottom portion of the groove portion is inclined downward toward one side in the left-right direction so that the game balls roll toward the alignment channel, and the inclination angle of the bottom portion is an inclination angle in the front-rear direction of the bottom portion of the storage portion. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the gaming machine is set to be larger. A game board having a game area on the front surface is detachably attached, and includes a frame body having an opening at the rear of the game board,
The sphere storage unit and the alignment flow path constitute a storage unit disposed on the upper back surface of the frame,
The gaming machine according to claim 2, wherein the one side in the front-rear direction in which the bottom of the storage unit is inclined is a gaming machine rear side. The ball storage portion includes a stepped portion protruding into the storage portion so as to form a separation space between a lower front portion of the storage portion and the game board,
The gaming machine according to claim 3, wherein the step portion includes a top surface portion that extends horizontally in the left-right direction and slopes downward toward the bottom portion of the storage portion. The alignment channel is
A first flow path connected to the downstream end of the groove and extending linearly toward the side;
And a second flow path that is connected to a downstream end of the first flow path and curves in the front-rear direction and has a curved front end disposed behind the stepped portion. Item 5. The gaming machine according to item 4. The second flow path is
A curved flow path that is connected to the downstream end of the first flow path and curves so as to be folded forward;
A downstream flow path connected to the downstream end of the curved flow path and extending in parallel with the first flow path;
An outlet that is formed in the downstream flow path and causes the game ball to flow downward;
A ball leveling member provided corresponding to the outlet and guiding the game balls one by one toward the outlet;
The ball leveling member is
A guide portion having an arcuate guide surface formed so as to cover the upper side of the outlet from the downstream end side of the downstream flow path;
A support portion that swingably supports the guide portion according to the ball pressure of the game ball received by the guide surface;
6. An inclined portion formed on an upper surface of the guide portion and inclined downward toward the downstream flow path even when the guide portion swings due to a ball pressure of a game ball. The gaming machine described.