JP2015110046A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game machine capable of improving the soundness of a game in a manual shooting type game machine.SOLUTION: A Pachinko game machine includes: a game board with a game area formed thereon; and a game ball shooting mechanism 110 for shooting a game ball to the game area. The game ball shooting mechanism has: a ball feeder 203 for feeding a game ball to a predetermined shooting standby position; and a shooting member 201 for shooting the standby game ball at the shooting standby position by linkage with a game ball shooting lever when the game ball shooting lever is restored to an initial state by energization force after turning the game ball shooting lever. The ball feeder has a downstream side shutter configured to be switchable in a permitted state in which feeding of the game ball is permitted and a prohibited state in which feeding of the game ball is prohibited. The downstream side shutter is connected to a power supply-shooting controller so as to be driving-controlled not to be switched into the permission state until a specified period elapses from a game ball feeding timing.

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine.

  Some gaming machines, such as pachinko machines, include a gaming machine main part in which a gaming board in which a gaming area is formed is mounted on a frame. The main part of the gaming machine is provided with an operation unit that is operated when the game ball is launched and a launching device that launches the game ball based on a launch operation by the operation unit. The operation unit is provided so as to be switchable between an initial state and a firing standby state.For example, the operation unit is moved to the firing standby position by hooking the operation unit with a finger or the like, and then the operation unit is released to the initial state. Switch. The launching device operates in conjunction with the movement of the operation unit, whereby the game ball is launched into the game area. In the game area, a ball entry section such as a prize opening is provided. When a prize is awarded to a pitching part or the like, a privilege is given to the player (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Registered Utility Model No. 3011197

  In the above-mentioned type of game machine (so-called hand-held game machine), the game pace depends on the player's intention, skill, etc., and can be acquired per unit time by shortening the game ball launch interval, for example. It is assumed that attempts will be made to increase the number of game balls. Here, the possibility of extremely shortening the firing interval becomes a factor that excessively aggravates the player's happiness, and there is a concern that it will hinder the operation of a healthy gaming hall.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances and the like, and an object thereof is to provide a gaming machine that can improve the soundness of a game in a hand-held gaming machine.

The present invention
Operated by the player, a holding unit that holds the game ball at a predetermined standby position, a supply device that supplies the game ball to the standby position through a guide passage unit that guides the game ball to the standby position. A launching mechanism that launches a game ball based on returning to the initial state by an urging force after the operation unit is operated so as to be in a launch preparation state from an initial state;
Based on the operation of the operation unit and the first switching means provided so as to be switchable between a permitting state permitting supply of the game ball from the supplying device and a restricting restricting state, the permitting state or the restricting state is achieved. Drive control means for driving and controlling the first switching means, and by restricting the supply of game balls to the launch standby position by the supply device, the number of game balls fired per unit time is previously A first regulating means for regulating the number to be less than a predetermined number;
Period determining means for determining whether or not a predetermined period has elapsed from the previous game ball supply timing;
A ball detecting means provided so as to be able to detect the game ball waiting at the launch standby position, and capable of determining whether or not the game ball is waiting at the launch standby position;
In the situation where the drive control means is determined by the period determination means that the specific period has elapsed, and the ball detection means determines that the game ball is not waiting at the firing standby position, the operation unit Is configured to drive and control the first switching means so as to supply the next game ball based on the switching to the firing preparation state of
The first restricting means is configured to restrict the flow of the game ball downstream from a predetermined position in the guide passage portion when the first switching means is in the restricted state.
The guide passage portion is provided upstream of the first restricting means, and is switchable between a restricting state that restricts the flow of the game ball to the first restricting means and an allowable state that allows the game ball to flow down. And a second restricting means including a second switching means and a means for setting the second switching means in a restricted state when the first switching means is in the permitted state.

  The game soundness can be improved in a hand-held game machine.

It is a front view which shows the pachinko machine in 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view which expands and shows the main structures of a pachinko machine. It is a rear view which shows the structure of a pachinko machine. It is a rear view which shows the structure of a front door frame. It is a front view which shows the structure of an inner frame. It is a front view which shows the structure of a game board. It is a front view which shows the structure of a back pack unit. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the structure of a back pack unit. FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 5 showing a game ball launching mechanism and a configuration associated therewith. (A) The partial fracture | rupture figure which shows the internal structure of a ball feeder, (b) It is the schematic which shows the positional relationship of a supply channel | path and a launch rail. It is the schematic which shows operation | movement of a game ball | bowl launching mechanism. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of a pachinko machine. It is a flowchart which shows a discharge control process. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the operation timing of each shutter based on discharge | release operation of a game ball. It is the schematic which shows the ball feeding apparatus in 2nd Embodiment, and the structure relevant to it. It is the schematic which shows operation | movement of a game ball | bowl launching mechanism. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of a pachinko machine. It is a flowchart which shows a discharge control process. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the operation timing of the movable channel | path based on discharge operation of a game ball. It is the schematic which shows the ball feeding apparatus in 3rd Embodiment, and the structure relevant to it. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of a pachinko machine. It is a flowchart which shows a discharge control process.

<First Embodiment>
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a pachinko gaming machine (hereinafter referred to as “pachinko machine”), which is a type of gaming machine, will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of the pachinko machine 10, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a main configuration of the pachinko machine 10, and FIG. 3 is a rear view of the pachinko machine 10. In FIG. 2, the configuration in the game area of the pachinko machine 10 is omitted for convenience.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the pachinko machine 10 includes an outer frame 11 that forms an outer shell of the pachinko machine 10, and a gaming machine main part 12 attached to the outer frame 11.

  The outer frame 11 is configured by connecting wooden plates to four sides and has a rectangular frame shape. The pachinko machine 10 is installed in the island facility of the game hall by attaching and fixing the outer frame 11 to the island facility. In the pachinko machine 10, the outer frame 11 is not an essential configuration, and the outer frame 11 may be provided on the island facility of the game arcade.

  The game machine main part 12 is supported by the outer frame 11 in an openable and closable state. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, an upper support bracket 17 is fixed to a connection portion between the upper frame portion and the left frame portion in the outer frame 11, and the lower frame portion and the left frame in the outer frame 11 are further fixed. A lower support metal fitting 18 is provided at a connecting portion with the portion. The upper support bracket 17 and the lower support bracket 18 form a support mechanism. The support mechanism causes the gaming machine main unit 12 to turn the left side of the pachinko machine 10 in the front view with respect to the outer frame 11. In addition, the right side can be turned forward of the pachinko machine 10 with the turning tip side.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the gaming machine main part 12 includes an inner frame 13 as a base body, a front door frame 14 arranged in front of the inner frame 13, and a back pack arranged behind the inner frame 13. And a unit 15 (see FIG. 3). The inner frame 13 of the gaming machine main part 12 is supported so as to be rotatable with respect to the outer frame 11.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the front door frame 14 is rotatably supported on the inner frame 13, and can be rotated forward with the left side as a rotation base end side and the right side as a rotation front end side in a front view. It is said that. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a backpack unit 15 is rotatably supported on the inner frame 13, and when viewed from the front, the left side is the rotation base end side and the right side is the rotation front end side. It is possible to move.

  Next, the front door frame 14 will be described. In the following description, FIGS. 1 and 2 are referred to, and FIG. 3 is referred to for the configuration of the back surface of the front door frame 14. FIG. 3 is a rear view of the front door frame 14.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the front door frame 14 is provided so as to cover almost the entire front side of the inner frame 13. The front door frame 14 is formed with a substantially elliptical window portion 21 so that substantially the entire game area PE described later can be viewed from the front. A transparent glass 22 is fitted into the window portion 21, and the gaming area PE is covered with the glass 22.

  As shown in FIG. 1, light emitting means such as various lamps are provided around the window portion 21. For example, an annular illumination part 23 incorporating a light emitting means such as an LED is provided along the periphery of the window part 21. In the annular illumination part 23, lighting or blinking is performed in accordance with a change in the gaming state at the time of a big hit or a predetermined reach. In addition, an error display lamp unit 24 is provided at the center of the annular illumination unit 23 and at the uppermost part of the pachinko machine 10 so as to be lit when a predetermined error occurs. A prize ball lamp unit 25 is provided. Further, a speaker unit 26 is provided at a position close to the central error display lamp unit 24 to output sound effects corresponding to the gaming state.

  Below the window portion 21 in the front door frame 14, an upper bulging portion 31 and a lower bulging portion 32 that bulge to the near side are provided side by side. An upper pan 33 that opens upward is provided inside the upper bulging portion 31, and a lower pan 34 that also opens upward is provided inside the lower bulging portion 32. The upper plate 33 has a function of temporarily storing game balls paid out from a payout device (to be described later) and guiding them to the game ball launching mechanism (to be described later) while aligning them in a line. In addition, the lower tray 34 has a function of storing game balls that are surplus in the upper tray 33.

  The front door frame 14 in the present embodiment does not cover the entire front surface of the inner frame 13, and the lower right portion of the inner frame 13 is covered with a cover member 40 formed separately from the front door frame 14. . Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the lower right corner of the inner frame 13, that is, the portion on the right side of the lower bulging portion 32, is provided with a lower corner portion on the rotation tip side of the inner frame 13. A cover member 40 is arranged so as to cover a part of the cover frame. The front door frame 14 and the cover member 40 cover the entire area of the inner frame 13. The cover member 40 is fixed to the inner frame 13 independently of the front door frame 14, and even when the front door frame 14 is opened, the cover member 40 remains in its fixed position.

  On the front side of the cover member 40, a game ball launch lever 41 that is operated when the game ball is launched is provided. The game ball launch lever 41 is attached to the cover member 40 so as to be rotatable. The shaft portion 42 of the game ball launch lever 41 protrudes to the back side of the cover member 40, that is, the inner frame 13 side through a through hole formed in the cover member 40. The protruding portion is connected to a game ball launching mechanism described later, and when the game ball launching lever 41 is operated, the game ball launching mechanism is interlocked to launch a game ball.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a passage forming unit 50 is attached to the back surface of the front door frame 14. The passage forming unit 50 is formed of synthetic resin, and includes a front door side upper tray passage portion 51 that communicates with the upper plate 33 and a front door side lower tray passage portion 52 that communicates with the lower plate 34. In the passage forming unit 50, a receiving portion 53 that protrudes rearward and opens upward is formed at an upper corner portion thereof, and the receiving portion 53 is divided into left and right portions by a partition wall 54, whereby the front door side upper plate is formed. A passage portion 51 and an entrance portion of the front door side lower dish passage portion 52 are formed. The upstream side of the front door side upper dish passage portion 51 and the front door side lower dish passage portion 52 communicate with a game ball distributing portion described later, and the game balls that have entered the front door side upper tray passage portion 51 are guided to the upper plate 33. The game ball that has entered the front door side lower tray passage 52 is guided to the lower tray 34.

  Next, the inner frame 13 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view of the inner frame 13. In FIG. 4, the configuration in the game area of the pachinko machine 10 is omitted as in FIG. 2.

  The inner frame 13 is mainly composed of a resin base 70 whose outer shape is substantially the same as that of the outer frame 11. Support metal fittings 71 and 72 are attached to the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the rotation base end side (left side in FIG. 4) on the front surface of the resin base 70. Further, projection shafts 61 and 62 are provided on the rotation base end side (the right side in FIG. 3) on the back surface of the front door frame 14 so as to correspond to the support fittings 71 and 72. Although illustration is omitted, shaft holes are formed in the support fittings 71 and 72, and the projection shafts 61 and 62 of the front door frame 14 are inserted into these shaft holes, so that the front door with respect to the inner frame 13. The frame 14 is rotatably supported. That is, the support fittings 71 and 72 and the projecting shafts 61 and 62 constitute an assembly mechanism for the inner frame 13.

  A locking device 75 is provided on the front surface of the inner frame 13. The locking device 75 has a plurality of front door flange members 76 extending toward the front door frame 14. Corresponding to these front door collar members 76, a plurality of collar receiving members 63 extending toward the inner frame 13 are provided on the back surface of the front door frame 14. When the front door collar member 76 is hooked on the collar receiving member 63, the front door frame 14 is locked in a closed state. The locking device 75 has an inner frame collar member 77 extending rearward of the inner frame 13. These inner frame hook members 77 are hooked on the hook receiving member 19 of the outer frame 11, so that the gaming machine main part 12 is locked in a closed state with respect to the outer frame 11.

  A cylinder lock 78 for performing an unlocking operation of the locking device is installed at the lower right corner of the resin base 70. The cylinder lock 78 is integrated with the locking device, and the tip portion (key hole portion) is exposed to the front of the pachinko machine 10 through the hole provided in the cover member 40. Turning the key inserted into the key hole of the cylinder lock 78 to the right releases the locking of the front door frame 14 with respect to the inner frame 13, and turning the key to the left releases the locking of the inner frame 13 with respect to the outer frame 11. .

  A game board housing portion 73 for housing the game board 80 is formed at a substantially central portion of the front surface of the resin base 70. The game board accommodating portion 73 is recessed behind the pachinko machine 10 to define an accommodation space for accommodating the game board 80, and the game board 80 attached to the resin base 70 is fitted in the accommodation space. ing. Particularly in the present embodiment, the game board 80 is detachably attached to the resin base 70, thereby facilitating maintenance work and the like.

  The game board 80 includes a wooden plywood and a sheet material that covers a front plate surface of the plywood, and the front surface of the game board 80 is exposed to the front side of the resin base 70 through an open portion of the game board housing portion 73. . In the exposed portion, that is, the front surface of the game board 80, a game area PE in which game balls flow down is formed. Hereinafter, the game board 80 (in particular, various configurations arranged in the game area PE) will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a front view of the game board 80.

  The game board 80 is formed with a plurality of large and small openings penetrating in its own thickness direction (front-rear direction) by performing router processing. A general winning port 81, a variable winning port 82, a winning combination unit 83, and the like are attached to each opening. Specifically, a winning combination unit 83 is arranged in the opening formed in the center of the game area PE, and a general winning opening 81 is arranged in the openings formed on the left and right sides of the winning combination unit 83. In addition, a variable winning opening 82 is disposed in an opening formed below the general winning opening 81 and the winning combination unit 83. When game balls enter the general winning port 81, the variable winning port 82, and the prize winning unit 83, these game balls are detected by the detection switch, and a predetermined number of award balls are paid out based on the detection result. In addition, an out port 88 is provided at the lowermost part of the game board 80, and game balls that have not entered various winning ports etc. are discharged from the game area PE through the out port 88.

  The game board 80 is provided with a large number of nails 89 in order to disperse and adjust the flow path of the game ball as appropriate, and various members (instruments) such as a windmill. By various configurations such as the nail 89 and the windmill, the flow path of the game ball is differentiated and adjusted so that the above-described winning in the general winning opening 81 and the like is generated with an appropriate probability.

  The winning combination unit 83 has a case 84 in which various devices constituting the winning combination unit 83 are accommodated. The case 84 has a box shape opened to the front side of the game board 80, and the inside of the case 84 is visible through the glass 22 from the front of the pachinko machine 10. The case 84 is fixed to the game board 80 in a state of projecting forward from the opening of the game board 80, and the game ball flowing down the game area PE gets over the peripheral wall of the case 84 and enters the inside of the case 84. It has been avoided. That is, a part of the game area PE is partitioned by the case 84, and the inflow of the game ball into the partitioned area, that is, the winning combination unit 83 is restricted.

  A plurality of inflow ports 84a that allow the inflow of game balls are formed in the upper portion of the case 84 and on the left and right side portions. Below the inflow ports 84a, there are provided a plurality of types of winning ports 85 and 86 with different privileges given to the player. Specifically, a first winning port 85 is disposed at the lower center of the case 84, and second winning ports 86 are disposed on both the left and right sides of the first winning port 85.

  A distribution member 87 that distributes game balls to the winning ports 85 and 86 is disposed between the inflow port 84 a and the winning port groups 85 and 86. A motor is connected to the allocating member 87, and the allocating member 87 can swing in the direction in which the prize winning openings 85 and 86 are juxtaposed (left-right direction) at a predetermined cycle by driving the motor. It has become. The game balls that have flowed into the winning combination unit 83 from each inflow port 84 a are distributed to either the first winning port 85 or the second winning port 86 by the sorting member 87.

  The game balls that have entered the winning holes 85 and 86 are discharged to the outside of the pachinko machine 10 through a collection passage provided on the back side of the game board 80. The collection passage is provided with a switching mechanism that switches from a state in which it is difficult for the game ball to flow into the variable winning opening 82 when the game ball passes through the collection passage.

  Specifically, it is easier for the game balls to flow into each of the variable winning holes 82 than when the game balls are arranged at the closed position and the closed position that prevent the game balls from flowing into the variable winning holes 82. A movable accessory 90 that can be switched to an open position is provided. The movable accessory 90 is normally locked in a closed position by a locking member, and is connected to a release operation portion for releasing the locked state via a link member. The release operation part protrudes into the flow-down area where the game ball flows down in the collection passage, and the game ball flowing from the winning combination unit 83 and flowing down the collection path collides with the release operation part. Thus, when the game ball collides with the release operation unit, the locked state of the movable accessory 90 is released, and the movable accessory 90 is switched to the open position.

  Further, on the back side of each variable winning opening 82, there is provided a return operation section for switching the movable accessory 90 to the closed position and returning from the released state to the locked state when the inflowing game ball collides. ing. Therefore, the state where the winning to the first winning port 85 or the second winning port 86 is generated and the movable accessory 90 is switched to the open position to facilitate the inflow of the game ball is the variable winning port. The game ends when one game ball flows into 82. That is, the movable accessory 90 returns to the closed position, and it becomes difficult for the game balls to flow further.

  It should be noted that an electrical configuration such as a detection switch or an actuator can be applied to switch each variable winning opening 82 (specifically, the movable accessory 90).

  Here, a game mode when a game ball flows into the winning combination unit 83 will be briefly described. When a game ball enters the winning combination unit 83 through the inflow port 84a, the gaming ball flows down through the winning combination unit 83 and reaches the sorting member 87. When the game ball is distributed to the first winning opening 85 by the distributing member 87, the movable accessory 90 is switched to the unlocked state, and all the closed variable winning outlets 82 (more specifically, the movable accessory 90 are closed). ) Are released sequentially. On the other hand, when the game balls are distributed to the right second winning port 86R, a part of the variable winning ports 82 arranged on the right side are opened, and the game balls are distributed to the second second winning port 86L. A part of the variable winning opening 82 arranged on the left side is opened. Thereafter, when a game ball enters the open variable winning opening 82, the movable accessory 90 of the variable winning opening 82 containing the game ball is switched to the closed position, and a predetermined game ball is paid out.

  In addition, the game board 80 is provided with an inner rail 101 and an outer rail 102 so as to partition a game area PE in which a winning combination unit 83 and the like are arranged. The inner rail 101 and the outer rail 102 are arranged so that a part of both faces each other with a gap slightly larger than the diameter of the game ball, and the guide rail 100 that guides the game ball by both rails 101 and 102 is provided. It is configured. A game ball launching mechanism 110 that launches a game ball to the game area PE based on the launch operation of the game ball launch lever 41 is provided below the game board housing portion 73 in the resin base 70. The game balls launched from the game ball launching mechanism 110 are guided to the game area PE through the area sandwiched between the rails 101 and 102 (see FIG. 3). A detailed description of the game ball launching mechanism 110 and the configuration associated therewith will be described later.

  Here, the configuration of the back side of the inner frame 13 will be briefly described with reference to FIG. A main controller unit 131 is mounted on the back surface of the inner frame 13 (game board 80).

  The main control unit 131 has a synthetic resin mounting base 132 on which the main control device 133 is mounted. The main controller 133 includes a main control board having a function (main control circuit) that controls the main control of the game and a function (power failure monitoring circuit) that monitors the power source, and a board box 134 that houses the main control board. ing.

  A portion of the mounting base 132 facing the back of the game board 80 is formed with the collection passage corresponding to various winning ports such as the general winning port 81 and gathering in one place on the downstream side. Thereby, all the game balls won in the general winning opening 81 and the like are gathered below the game board 80 through the collection passage. In other words, the mounting base 142 is provided with a function of collecting game balls won in various winning openings. In addition, a switching mechanism portion for the movable accessory 90 is attached to the mounting base 142.

  A discharge passage, which will be described later, is arranged below the game board 80, and the game balls gathered below the game board 80 by the collection passage are led out into the discharge passage. Similarly, the out port 88 leads to the discharge passage, and a game ball that has not won any winning port is led out into the discharge passage through the out port 88.

  The collection passage is equipped with a winning opening switch for detecting a game ball won in various winning openings, and a winning detection mechanism is constituted by these various switches. These various switches are electrically connected to the main control device 133, and the detection information by each switch is output to the main control device 133.

  An audio lamp control device unit 141 is arranged above the main control device unit 131. The sound lamp control device 143 includes a mounting base 142 and a sound lamp control device 143, similarly to the main control device unit 131, and is fixed to the back of the game board 80 via the mounting base 142. ing. The sound lamp control device 143 includes a sound lamp control board that controls sound and lamp display according to instructions from the main control device 133, and the sound lamp control board is accommodated in a substrate box made of a transparent resin material or the like. It becomes.

  The sound lamp control unit 141 and a part of the main control unit 131 are covered from the back of the pachinko machine 10 by the back pack unit 15 as shown in FIG. Hereinafter, the back pack unit 15 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7 is a rear view of the back pack unit 15, and FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the back pack unit 15.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the back pack unit 15 includes a back pack 161, and a payout mechanism portion 162 and a control device assembly unit 164 are attached to the back pack 161. The back pack 161 is formed of a synthetic resin having transparency, and includes a base portion 171 to which the payout mechanism portion 162 and the like are attached, and a protective cover portion 172 that protrudes rearward from the pachinko machine 10 and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.

  The base portion 171 is provided with an external terminal plate 173 at the upper right portion thereof. The external terminal plate 173 is provided with various output terminals, and various signals are output to the management control device on the game hall side through these output terminals. In the base portion 171, a payout mechanism portion 162 is disposed so as to bypass the protective cover portion 172. Specifically, a tank 181 that opens upward is provided at the uppermost portion of the back pack 161, and game balls supplied from island facilities of the game arcade are sequentially supplied to the tank 181. A tank rail 182 that is gently inclined toward the downstream side is connected to the lower side of the tank 181, and a case rail 183 that extends in the vertical direction is connected to the downstream side of the tank rail 182. A dispensing device 184 is provided at the most downstream portion of the case rail 183. The game ball paid out from the payout device 184 is guided to the upper plate 33 or the lower plate 34 through a payout passage provided on the downstream side of the payout device 184.

  A backpack substrate 187 is installed in the payout mechanism unit 162. The back pack substrate 187 is supplied with, for example, an AC 24 volt main power, and is turned on or off by a switching operation of the power switch 187a.

  The control device assembly unit 164 is attached to the lower end portion of the base portion 74. The control device assembly unit 164 has a horizontally long mounting base 191, and a payout control device 192 and a power supply / launch control device 193 are mounted on the mounting base 191. The payout control device 192 and the power supply / launch control device 193 are arranged so as to overlap each other so that the payout control device 192 is behind the pachinko machine 10.

  The payout control device 192 is configured such that a payout control board for controlling the payout device 184 is accommodated in a board box 194. The power source / launch control device 193 is configured such that a power source / launch control board is accommodated in the board box 196, and the predetermined power required by various control devices and the like is generated and output by the board. Control of the launching of the game ball (specifically, the ball feed) is performed in accordance with the operation of the game ball launch lever 41. This pachinko machine 10 has a function to store and store various data so that even if a power failure occurs, it maintains the state at the time of the power failure, and when it recovers from the power failure, it can be restored to the state at the time of the power failure. It has become.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a discharge passage board 198 is fixed to a part opposite to the control device assembly unit 164 with the base portion 171 interposed therebetween. A discharge passage 199 opened rearward is formed on the surface of the discharge passage board 198 facing the base portion 171, and the open portion of the discharge passage 199 is blocked by the base portion 171. The discharge passage 199 is formed so as to discharge the game balls to the island facilities of the game hall, and the game balls led out to the discharge passage 199 from the above-mentioned various winning holes etc. pass through the discharge passage 199, so that the pachinko machine 10 discharged outside.

  Next, the game ball launching mechanism 110 and the accompanying structure will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 5 showing the game ball launching mechanism 110 and the structure associated therewith in an enlarged manner. In FIG. 9, the game ball launch lever 41 and the cover member 40 are not shown.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the game ball launching mechanism 110 launches (launches) a game ball placed at a predetermined position (launch standby position WP1), and a game ball launched by the launcher 201. A launch rail 202 for guiding to the entrance portion 100a of the guide rail 100, a ball feeding device 203 for supplying a game ball to the launch standby position WP1, and a base plate 204 on which these various components are mounted are provided. The game ball launching mechanism 110 is integrated with the game machine main part 12 (specifically, the inner frame 13) by screwing the base plate 204 to the front surface of the resin base 70.

  The firing rail 202 is fixed to the base plate 204 in an inclined state so as to have a predetermined firing angle (launch angle). Specifically, the entrance portion 100a of the guide rail 100 is opened to the rotating front end side of the gaming machine main body 12, more specifically, obliquely downward, and the launch rail 202 has its entrance portion on an extension line in its own rail direction. It is fixed in a state of facing the inlet portion 100a so that 100a is positioned (see FIG. 5).

  A gap through which a game ball can pass is formed between the firing rail 202 and the entrance portion 100a of the guide rail 100, and a foul ball passage is provided below the gap. If the game balls that have been fired do not reach the game area PE and return to the inside of the guide rail 100 as foul balls, the foul balls are discharged to the lower plate 34 through the foul ball passage. Thereby, all of the foul balls are surely guided to the foul ball path, and interference between the foul balls and the game balls to be fired next is suppressed.

  A ball stopper 205 that holds the game ball supplied from the upper plate 33 through the ball feeding device 203 at the above-described firing standby position WP1 is disposed at a position closer to the downstream end portion (that is, the lower end portion) of the firing rail 202. ing. The ball stopper 205 is opposed to the firing rail 202 with a gap smaller than the diameter size of the game ball, and is fixed to the base plate 204. As described above, the firing rail 202 is attached so as to incline upward toward the entrance portion 100a of the guide rail 100, and the game balls supplied on the firing rail 202 follow the launch rail 202. It flows down and contacts the ball stopper 205 from the inclined upstream side of the firing rail 202. Thereby, the game ball is held at the launch standby position WP1.

  In the inclination direction of the firing rail 202, the above-described launching rod 201 is disposed on the downstream side of the firing standby position WP1, that is, on the extension to the downstream side of the firing rail 202. The launching rod 201 is attached to the base plate 204 in a rotatable state, and is arranged at a position such that the pivot center axis is away from the extension of the launch rail 202.

  An attachment portion 211 for the base plate 204 is formed at the rotation base end portion of the launching rod 201. The mounting portion 211 has a flat plate shape facing the front surface of the resin base 70, and an arm portion 212 extending toward the firing rail 202 is integrally formed on the peripheral portion of the mounting portion 211. The distal end portion of the arm portion 212 is located on the extension of the firing rail, specifically, directly downstream of the firing standby position WP1.

  A projection 213 extending in the same direction as the firing rail 202 is formed at the distal end portion of the arm portion 212, and the distal end portion of the projection 213 reaches the firing standby position WP1 through the gap between the ball stopper 205 and the firing rail 202. ing. Further, a coil spring 214 is inserted into the protrusion 213, and the tip portion of the coil spring 214 protrudes from the tip portion of the protrusion 213. As a result, the coil spring 214 can come into contact with the game ball waiting at the launch standby position WP1.

  The launching rod 201 is arranged so that the rotation center axis of the launching rod 201 is on the same axis as the rotation center axis of the game ball launching lever 41. A fitting portion 215 that fits into the convex portion formed on the firing lever 41 is formed. The projecting rod 201 and the game ball launching lever 41 are integrated with each other by fitting the projecting portion and the fitting portion 215 together. In particular, the fitting portion 215 of the launcher 201 and the convex portion of the game ball launch lever 41 extend in the radial direction of the rotation center axis. For this reason, when the game ball launch lever 41 rotates, the launch rod 201 also rotates integrally in the same direction.

  The base plate 204 is formed with a first abutting portion 221 that stands from the front surface of the base plate 204 and abuts against the arm portion 212 from the firing rail 202 side (front side in the launch direction). The arm portion 212 abuts against the first abutment portion 221 so that the rotation in the firing direction is restricted. A coil spring 216 as a biasing member that biases the launcher 201 in the firing direction is attached to the attachment portion 211 of the launcher 201, and the arm portion 212 is first contacted by the biasing force of the coil spring 216. It is in a state of being pressed against the portion 221.

  In addition, the arm portion 212 rotates against the urging force in the direction opposite to the firing direction on the base plate 204, and when the amount of rotation reaches a predetermined value, the second portion abuts on the arm portion 212. A contact portion 222 is formed. Similar to the first contact portion 221, the second contact portion 222 stands from the front surface of the base plate 204 and is disposed on the rotation track of the arm portion 212. When the arm portion 212 abuts on the second abutting portion 222, further rotation is suppressed. That is, the rotation range of the launcher 201 is defined by the first contact portion 221 and the second contact portion 222. In addition, each contact part 221,222 is covered with the rubber-made cover member, The impact generate | occur | produced when the arm part 212 collides is suppressed.

  The game ball launched based on the operation of the launcher 201 is guided to the game area PE by moving in the order of the launch rail 112 → the guide rail 100.

(Ball feeder 203)
Here, the pachinko machine 10 has a characteristic configuration with respect to the supply of game balls to the firing rail 202 by the ball feeding device 203. Therefore, the characteristic configuration and the related configuration will be described below with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. 10A is a partially cutaway view showing the internal structure of the ball feeding device 203, and FIG. 10B is a schematic view showing the relationship between the firing rail 202 and the ball feeding device 203. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the ball feeding device 203 has a substantially box-shaped case body 251 having an entrance and exit for a game ball. The case body 251 is formed by combining a plurality of case constituent members made of synthetic resin, and a game ball supply passage 252 is formed therein. The inlet 251 a of the case body 251, that is, the inlet of the supply passage 252 is open to the front door frame 14 side, and is connected to the outlet portion of the upper plate 33.

  The supply passage 252 is connected to the first passage portion 253 extending downward from the inlet 251a of the case body 251 and the downstream end portion of the first passage portion 253, and is gently inclined downward toward the downstream side of the firing rail 202. The second passage portion 254 and the third passage portion 255 that is continuous with the downstream end of the second passage portion 254 and extends downward. In this way, the supply passage 252 is bent into a crank shape, thereby reducing the ball pressure of the game ball group stored in the supply passage 252.

  Each of the passage portions 253, 254, and 255 has a rectangular cylindrical shape (tubular shape), and the passage width dimension and the like are set slightly larger than the diameter dimension of the game ball. As a result, a single row of game balls connected to the passage portions 253, 254, and 255 is formed by the game balls accumulated in the ball feeding device 203. In other words, each of the passage portions 253, 254, and 255 is configured so that a plurality of game balls cannot pass through the same location at the same time, that is, a plurality of rows of game balls are not formed.

  In the present embodiment, each of the passage portions 253, 254, and 255 has a rectangular tube shape (tubular shape), but may be a circular tube shape (tubular shape).

  Here, the positional relationship between the supply passage 252 (case body 251) and the firing rail 202 will be supplementarily described. As shown in FIG. 10B, the supply passage 252 is cranked back and forth. Specifically, the first passage portion 253 is located in front of the firing rail 202, that is, near the front door frame 14, and the third passage portion 255 is located immediately above the firing rail 202. These first passage portions The second passage portion 254 extends obliquely rearward so as to connect 253 and the third passage portion 255. In other words, the second passage portion 254 is inclined forwardly away from the firing rail 202 above the firing rail 202, and interference between the moving path of the game ball moving along the firing rail 202 and the supply passage 252 Has been avoided.

  The passage length of the second passage portion 254 is formed so that a plurality of game balls can stand by. At the most downstream position of the second passage portion 254, a shutter mechanism 270 that prevents the game ball from flowing into the third passage portion 255 is provided. The shutter mechanism 270 is disposed above the second passage portion 254 and has a plurality of shutters 280 and 290 arranged side by side so as to be upstream and downstream along the second passage portion 254. Since the operation modes of the shutters 280 and 290 are different from each other, the downstream shutter 280 will be described as “downstream shutter 280” and the upstream shutter 290 as “upstream shutter 290”. .

  The downstream shutter 280 has a solenoid 281 that is electrically connected to the power / fire control device 193. A downstream shutter accommodating portion 261 is formed above the second passage portion 254, and the solenoid 281 is accommodated in the downstream shutter accommodating portion 261 with the plunger 282 facing the second passage portion 254 side. Yes. The plunger 282 is constantly urged toward the side protruding to the second passage portion 254 by an urging member (specifically, a coil spring) accommodated in the solenoid 281.

  A game in which the tip of the plunger 282 is formed so as to protrude into the second passage portion 254 through an opening 258 formed in the upper passage wall portion 257 of the second passage portion 254, and flows down the second passage portion 254. A contact member 283 that contacts the sphere from the downstream side is attached.

  When the plunger 282 moves, the contact member 283 crosses the flow path in the second passage portion 254 and prevents the game ball from flowing down, and the protrusion to the second passage portion 254 is suppressed, so that the game ball It is possible to switch to a permissible position that allows the flow of water.

  When power is supplied from the power supply / launch control device 193 and the solenoid 281 is energized, the plunger 282 is attracted upward against the urging force, and the contact member 283 moves to the allowable position. As a result, the downstream shutter 280 is switched to a permissible state that allows the game ball to flow into the third passage portion 255.

  On the other hand, when power is not supplied to the solenoid 281, the plunger 282 is lowered by the urging force of the urging member, and the downstream shutter 280 is maintained at the blocking position. Thereby, the downstream shutter 280 is switched to a blocking state in which the inflow of game balls to the third passage portion 255 is blocked.

  The upstream shutter 290 described above is disposed at a position upstream of the downstream shutter 280 by one game ball. The upstream shutter 290 has a contact member 293 that protrudes into the second passage portion 254 and contacts the game ball flowing down the game second passage portion from the downstream side. The abutting member 293 is accommodated in an upstream shutter accommodating portion 262 formed above the second passage portion 254 so that the sliding direction thereof is defined to be the vertical direction.

  The upstream shutter 290 is connected to the launcher 201 via a link mechanism that converts the circular motion of the launcher 201 into a linear motion. Specifically, the upstream shutter 290 and the launcher 201 are connected via an interlocking rod 295 that moves in conjunction with the launcher 201.

  The interlocking rod 295 is disposed on the back side of the base plate 204 and extends vertically. The upper end of the interlocking rod 295 is fixed to the upstream shutter 290, and the interlocking rod 295 and the upstream shutter 290 move together. The upstream shutter 290 is formed with a plurality of elongated holes 296 extending vertically, and pins 225 fixed to the base plate 204 are inserted into the elongated holes 296, respectively. Thereby, the base plate 204 and the interlocking rod 295 are integrated, and the sliding direction of the interlocking rod 295 is defined to be the same as the operation direction of the upstream shutter 290.

  The lower end of the interlocking rod 295 is connected to the launching rod 201. Specifically, a shaft portion 218 extending toward the resin base 70 side (rear) is formed in the attachment portion 211 of the launching rod 201, and the shaft portion 218 is formed through the through hole formed in the base plate 204. Protrusively on the back side. The shaft portion 218 has an arm 219 that extends substantially horizontally from the central axis of the shaft portion 218. The tip of the arm 219 is positioned on the right side of the rotation center axis of the launching rod 201 and is integrated with the interlocking rod 295 via the pin 220. Specifically, the interlocking rod 295 is formed with a long hole 296 extending in the horizontal direction, and the pin 220 is fitted in the long hole 296 while allowing movement in the horizontal direction.

  When the launching rod 201 is at the initial position, the contact member 293 is in a standby state at the allowable position. When the launching rod 201 rotates from this state to the side opposite to the firing direction (clockwise in front view of the pachinko machine 10), the interlocking rod 295 is pulled downward. When the interlocking rod 295 is pulled down, the contact member 293 protrudes into the second passage portion 254 through the opening 259, and the amount of rotation reaches a predetermined value (that is, when the launching rod 201 reaches the firing preparation position). The upstream shutter 290 (specifically, the contact member 293) is arranged at the blocking position.

  Thus, when the launching rod 201 returns to the initial position from the state where it has been moved to the launch preparation position, when the launching rod 201 rotates in the firing direction (counterclockwise in the front view of the pachinko machine 10), the interlocking rod 295 is Pushed up. Following the movement of the interlocking rod 295, the abutting member 293 rises, and the protrusion of the upstream shutter 290 to the second passage portion 254 is suppressed.

  A crank portion 297 is formed at an intermediate position of the interlocking rod 295, specifically, at a position above the rotation center axis of the firing rod 201. The crank portion 297 extends in a direction that intersects the sliding direction of the interlocking rod 295. A detection sensor 299 is disposed so as to sandwich the crank portion 297 in the front-rear direction. The detection sensor 299 is an optical sensor having a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and is fixed to the base plate 204 with the pair of elements facing each other with the crank portion 297 interposed therebetween. The interlocking rod 295 is formed using a colored and opaque synthetic resin material. For this reason, when the launching rod 201 is in the initial position, the transmission and reception of light is blocked by the crank portion 297. The width of the crank portion 297 is determined so that when the launching rod 201 is fired, the detection sensor 299 is shielded until the launching rod 201 reaches the preparation position (until the upstream shutter 290 reaches the blocking position). Is set to continue.

  The detection sensor 299 is connected to the power / fire control device 193, and the detection signals (HI level signal and LOW level signal) are input to the power / fire control device 193. Specifically, a LOW level signal is input when blocked by the crank portion 297, and an HI level signal is input when not blocked by the crank portion 297. Based on this detection signal, the operation of the downstream shutter 280 is controlled.

  Here, based on FIG. 11, the operation of the shutter mechanism 270 based on the game ball firing operation will be described. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the shutter mechanism 270, which operates in the order of (a) → (b) → (c) → (d).

  The game ball guided from the upper plate 33 to the ball feeding device 203 passes through the inlet 251 a of the case body 251 and flows into the supply passage 252. The game ball that has flowed into the supply passage 252 moves from the first passage portion 253 to the second passage portion 254. At this time, as shown in FIG. 11 (a), the downstream shutter 280 is in the blocking state, so that these game balls are in contact with the downstream shutter 280 without flowing into the third passage portion 255. It waits in a state in which a game ball row starting from the game ball is formed.

  When the game ball launch lever 41 is pushed down as shown in FIG. 11B, the launch rod 201 rotates together with the game ball launch lever 41, and the upstream shutter 290 is switched to the blocking state. As a result, the game ball following the game ball located at the most downstream position in the second passage portion 254, that is, the game ball following the game ball contacting the downstream shutter 280, flows down. Is blocked by the upstream shutter 290. Immediately after the upstream shutter 290 is switched to the blocking state in this way, the movement of the launching rod 201 is detected by the detection sensor 299, and when the detection result is grasped by the power source / launch control device 193, A drive signal is output from the firing control device 193 to the solenoid 281 of the downstream shutter 280. Thereby, the downstream shutter 280 is switched to an allowable state, and the game ball (one piece) waiting between the downstream shutter 280 and the upstream shutter 290 passes through the third passage portion 255 and the firing rail 202. Fall down. Thereafter, the game ball waits at the launch standby position WP1 by contacting the ball stopper 205.

  As shown in FIG. 11 (b) → FIG. 11 (c), if the game ball launch lever 41 is held in a depressed state, it passes downstream after a predetermined period (0.5 sec in the present embodiment). Although the side shutter 280 is switched from the permitting state to the blocking state, the game ball group is stopped by the upstream shutter 290, and thus is not affected by the operation of the downstream shutter 280. That is, the game balls waiting in the supply passage 252 are prevented from flowing out, and a plurality of game balls are avoided from being placed on the firing rail 202.

  When the hand is released from the game ball launch lever 41 in the state shown in FIG. 11B or FIG. 11C, the game ball launch lever 41 and the launcher 201 are returned to the initial position by the biasing force of the coil spring 216. To do. At this time, the detection sensor 299 is first blocked by the interlocking rod 295, so that the detection signal from the detection sensor 299 changes from the HI level to the LOW level. When the detection signal becomes the LOW level, the power source / launch control device 193 recognizes that the game ball is to be launched. As a result, the output of the drive signal from the power / fire control device 193 to the solenoid 281 is avoided. That is, when the drive signal is output, the output of the drive signal is stopped, and when the drive signal is not output, the state is maintained. Thereby, the outflow of the game ball from the downstream shutter 280 is prevented. Thereafter, the upstream shutter 290 is switched to an allowable state, and the game ball that has been prevented from flowing by the upstream shutter 290 moves downstream. Then, by moving downstream by one game ball and coming into contact with the downstream shutter 280, further downflow is prevented.

  Next, the electrical configuration of the pachinko machine 10 will be described based on the block diagram of FIG. In FIG. 12, a power supply line is indicated by a double line arrow, and a signal line is indicated by a solid line arrow.

  A main control board 401 provided in the main controller 133 incorporates a main control circuit 402 and a power failure monitoring circuit 403. An MPU 411 is mounted on the main control circuit 402. The MPU 411 includes a ROM 412 that stores various control programs executed by the MPU 411 and fixed value data, and a memory that temporarily stores various data when the control program stored in the ROM 412 is executed. A RAM 413 and various circuits such as an interrupt circuit, a timer circuit, and a data input / output circuit are incorporated.

  The RAM 413 is configured to hold data by supplying data storage holding power from the power supply / launch control board 421 provided in the power / fire control device 193 even after the power of the pachinko machine 10 is shut off.

  An input / output port is connected to the MPU 411 via a bus line including an address bus and a data bus. Connected to the input side of the main control circuit 402 are a power failure monitoring circuit 403 provided on the main control board 401, a payout control board 422 provided on the payout control device 192, and other switches not shown. In this case, a power / fire control board 421 is connected to the power failure monitoring circuit 403, and power is supplied to the main control circuit 402 via the power failure monitoring circuit 403.

  On the other hand, a power failure monitoring circuit 403, a payout control board 422 and a relay terminal board 423 are connected to the output side of the main control circuit 402. Various commands such as a prize ball command are output to the payout control board 422. Various commands and the like are output from the main control circuit 402 to the sound lamp control board 424 provided in the sound lamp control device 143 via the relay terminal plate 423.

  The power failure monitoring circuit 403 relays between the main control circuit 402 and the power / launch control board 421, and monitors the power source of stable DC 24 volts, which is the maximum power output from the power / fire control board 421.

  The payout control board 422 is used for payout control of prize balls and rental balls by the payout device 184. The MPU 431 that is an arithmetic unit includes a ROM 432 that stores a control program executed by the MPU 431 and fixed value data, and a RAM 433 that is used as a work memory.

  Similar to the RAM 413 of the main control circuit 402, the RAM 433 of the payout control board 422 is configured such that the data storage holding power is supplied from the power / launch control board 421 even after the power of the pachinko machine 10 is shut off. It has become.

  An input / output port is connected to the MPU 431 of the payout control board 422 through a bus line including an address bus and a data bus. On the input side of the payout control board 422, a main control circuit 402, a power / fire control board 421, and a backpack board 187 are connected. The main control circuit 402 and the back pack substrate 187 are connected to the output side of the payout control substrate 422.

  The sound lamp control board 424 controls the various lamp units 23 to 25 and the speaker unit 26. The MPU 461 serving as an arithmetic unit includes a ROM 462 that stores a control program executed by the MPU 461, fixed value data, and the like, and a RAM 463 that is used as a work memory.

  An input / output port is connected to the MPU 461 of the sound lamp control board 424 through a bus line including an address bus and a data bus. The main control circuit 402 is connected to the input side of the sound lamp control board 464 by relaying to the relay terminal plate 423. Based on various commands output from the main control circuit 402, various lamp units 23 to 25 and a speaker are connected. The unit 26 is controlled.

  The power / fire control board 421 includes a power supply unit 441 and a fire control circuit 442. The power supply unit 441 supplies necessary operating power to the main control circuit 402, the payout control board 422, and the like through a path indicated by a double line arrow. The launch control circuit 442 is responsible for launch control of the game ball launch mechanism 110 according to the operation of the game ball launch lever 41, specifically, drive control of the ball feeding device 203, and the game ball launch mechanism 110 is subjected to predetermined launch conditions. Allow game balls to fire when

  The launch control circuit 442 is equipped with an MPU 451 that is an arithmetic unit. An input / output port is connected to the MPU 451 via a bus line including an address bus and a data bus. A detection sensor 299 is connected to the input side of the firing control circuit 442. On the other hand, the solenoid 281 of the downstream shutter 280 and the like are connected to the output side of the firing control circuit 442.

  In addition, the MPU 451 stores various control programs executed by the MPU 451 and a ROM 452 storing fixed value data, and temporarily stores various data when the control program stored in the ROM 452 is executed. A RAM 453 as a memory and various circuits such as a timer circuit and a data input / output circuit are incorporated.

  The RAM 453 is configured to retain data by supplying data storage holding power from the power supply unit 441 even after the pachinko machine 10 is powered off. The RAM 453 is provided with various counter areas 453a. The various counter areas 453a store an opening counter used when driving the shutter mechanism 270 of the ball feeding device 203 and a delay counter used when restricting the opening of the shutter mechanism 270. The MPU 451 controls the supply of the game ball to the launch standby position WP1 with reference to the counter information of the release counter and the delay counter when the game ball is launched.

  These release counter and delay counter are updated when an update command is issued from the MPU 451. More specifically, the open counter and the delay counter are loop counters that are each subtracted from the previous value every time they are updated and return to the maximum value based on a predetermined condition when the value reaches zero. Both counters are updated by the firing control process.

  Here, the launch control process executed by the MPU 451 of the power / fire control board 421 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The firing control process is a periodic process executed at a cycle of 2 msec.

  In the launch control process, first, in step S101, it is determined whether or not the release counter stored in the various counter areas 453a is zero. If the opening counter is not 0, a negative determination is made in step S101, and 1 is subtracted from the opening counter as an opening counter update process in step S102. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S103, where 1 is subtracted from the delay counter as a delay counter update process, and then this process ends.

  On the other hand, when the release counter is 0, an affirmative determination is made in step S101, and the process proceeds to step S104. In step S104, a drive signal output stop process for the downstream shutter 280 (specifically, the solenoid 281) is executed. In this stop process, the output of the drive signal is stopped when the downstream shutter drive signal is being output, and the state is maintained when the drive signal is not being output. When the output of the drive signal is stopped, the solenoid 281 is de-energized and the downstream shutter 280 is switched to the blocking state.

  In step S104, after making the outflow of game balls downstream of the downstream shutter 280 impossible, steps S105 to S109 are executed as a ball transport delay process. In the ball transport delay process, first, in step S105, it is determined whether or not the delay counter is zero. If the delay counter is not 0, a negative determination is made in step S105, and after the delay counter is decremented by 1 in step S103, this process is terminated. Thereby, the downstream shutter 280 is maintained in the blocked state, and supply of the game ball to the firing standby position WP1 is avoided. On the other hand, when the delay counter is 0, an affirmative determination is made in step S104, and the process proceeds to step S106.

  In step S106, it is determined whether or not the signal input from the detection sensor 299 is at the HI level. When the input signal from the detection sensor 299 is not at the HI level, that is, when the input signal is at the LOW level, this processing is terminated as it is. When the input signal is at the HI level, the driving for the downstream shutter 280 is performed in step S107. Execute signal output processing. By executing this drive signal output process, the solenoid 281 of the downstream shutter 280 is excited, and the downstream shutter 280 is switched to an allowable state. That is, the game ball is allowed to flow out of the ball feeding device 203, and the game ball is supplied to the launch standby position WP1.

  After outputting the drive signal in step S107, “500” is set in the delay counter in step S108. As described above, since the main firing control process is executed every 2 msec, the supply of the next game ball is impossible for 1 sec after the supply of one game ball. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S109, where “250” is set in the release counter, and the main firing control process is terminated.

  By setting “250” in the opening counter, the downstream shutter 280 is maintained in an allowable state for 0.5 sec. This counter value is set in accordance with the time required for one game ball to pass through the downstream shutter 280, that is, the time required for the game ball to move one supply ball 252 downstream by one ball. In addition, it is possible to avoid a plurality of game balls from flowing out at the same time as switching to the allowable state. If the game ball launch lever 41 returns to the initial position at a timing before the opening counter becomes 0 and the downstream shutter 280 is switched to the blocking state, both the upstream shutter 280 and the downstream shutter 290 are instantaneously displayed. Can be allowed. However, in this case, when the gaming ball whose flow has been blocked by the upstream shutter 290 moves downstream by one ball, the release counter becomes 0, and the downstream shutter 280 is switched to the blocked state. Therefore, the game ball comes into contact with the downstream shutter 280 and the outflow from the ball feeding device 203 is prevented.

  By the way, focusing on the fact that by controlling the timing of game ball supply, the launch interval of game balls is regulated so as not to become excessively short, this launch control process may be referred to as a “ball feeding control process”. Is possible. If attention is paid to the fact that the supply of game balls is delayed, the main firing control process can also be referred to as a “delay process”.

  Here, the state of launch control when a game ball launch operation is performed will be described with reference to the timing chart of FIG. 14 (a) shows the state of the game ball launch lever 41, FIG. 14 (b) shows the input signal from the detection sensor 299, FIG. 14 (c) shows the count number of the delay counter, and FIG. ) Shows the count number of the open counter, FIG. 14E shows the open / close state of the downstream shutter 280, and FIG. 14F shows the open / close state of the upstream shutter 290. 14 (g1) to (g7) are schematic diagrams of the game ball launching mechanism 110 at each timing, and these schematic diagrams will be referred to as appropriate in the following description.

  First, a case where a game ball is launched at a timing before the delay counter DC becomes 0 will be described. When the game ball launch lever 41 is rotated clockwise from the initial position, the amount of rotation of the game ball launch lever 41 reaches a predetermined value (about 10 ° in the present embodiment), and the game that has been launched. The urging force is stored so that the ball can reach the guide rail 100, and the upstream shutter 290 is switched to the blocking state. Immediately thereafter, as shown in FIG. 14B, the overlap between the interlocking rod 295 and the detection sensor 299 is released at the timing t1, and the detection signal from the detection sensor 299 becomes the HI level. When the detection signal becomes the HI level, the downstream shutter 280 is switched to the permissible state (see FIG. 14E), “500” is set to the delay counter DC, and “250” is set to the open counter MC. (See FIGS. 14C and 14D).

  When the upstream shutter 290 is switched to the blocking state and the downstream shutter 280 is switched to the permissible state, the flow of one game ball waiting between the shutters 280 and 290 is permitted, and the game ball is a ball. It flows out from the feeding device 203 to the firing rail 202.

  Thereafter, when the downstream shutter 280 is switched to the blocking state at the timing t2 when 0.5 sec has elapsed, both the shutters 280 and 290 are switched to the blocking state as shown in FIG. 14 (g1). It becomes.

  By releasing the game ball launch lever 41 at the timing of t3 before the delay counter DC becomes 0, the game ball launch lever 41 returns to the initial position as shown in FIG. 14 (g2) and the game ball is launched. Is done. Along with the movement of the game ball launch lever 41, the upstream shutter 290 is switched to an allowable state.

  Thereafter, the delay counter DC becomes 0 at the timing of t4 when 1 sec has elapsed from the timing of t1, and thereafter, the value of the delay counter DC is maintained at 0 until the next launch operation is performed (FIG. 14 (c)). )reference). When the game ball is fired at the timing t5 after the value of the delay counter DC becomes 0, the shutters 280 and 290 are switched to the permissible state as in the timing t1, so that FIG. As shown in (g3), a game ball is supplied to the launch rail 202.

  Next, a case where a game ball is fired at a timing after the delay counter DC becomes 0 will be described. As described above, the shutters 280 and 290 are operated at the timing of t5 and the game balls are supplied, so that preparation for launching is completed. Thereafter, the opening counter MC becomes 0 at the timing of t6, and the downstream shutter 280 is switched to the blocking state. At the timing of t7 when 1 sec has elapsed from the timing of t5 when the detection signal becomes the HI level, as shown in FIG. 14 (a), the game ball launch lever 41 is held in the rotating position. As shown in b), the detection signal is also maintained at the HI level. For this reason, as shown in FIGS. 14D and 14E, “500” is set in the delay counter DC and “250” is set in the release counter MC again.

  Note that the release counter MC becomes 0 at the timing of t8, but at the timing of t8, the upstream shutter 290 is maintained in the blocked state as shown in FIG. Additional supply of spheres is avoided.

  By releasing the game ball launch lever 41 at the timing of t9 before the delay counter DC becomes 0, the game ball launch lever 41 returns to the initial position and the game ball is launched. At the timing of t9, as shown in FIG. 14C, the delay counter DC is not 0, but the delay counter DC is continuously subtracted even after the game ball is fired and becomes 0 at the timing of t10. After the delay counter DC becomes 0 at the timing t10, the game ball launch lever 41 is rotated clockwise from the initial position, whereby the game ball is supplied to the launch standby position WP1.

  Next, a case where the game ball launch lever 41 is continuously operated while the delay counter DC is being subtracted will be described. After the game ball is supplied at the timing t11, the game ball is released by releasing the game ball launch lever 41 at the timing t13 before the delay counter DC becomes 0. Along with this launching operation, the upstream shutter 290 is switched to an allowable state, and as shown in FIG. 14 (g5), the game ball that has been prevented from flowing down by the upstream shutter 290 moves to the downstream shutter 280 side. . The most downstream game ball comes into contact with the downstream shutter 280 and is prevented from flowing again.

  Thereafter, when the game ball launch lever 41 is operated again at a timing before the delay counter DC becomes 0, the upstream shutter 290 is switched to the blocking state in conjunction with the operation of the game ball launch lever 41, and the upstream shutter One game ball is in a standby state between 290 and the downstream shutter 280. However, at this timing (timing t14), since the delay counter DC is not 0 as shown in FIG. 14C, the downstream shutter 280 is not switched to the allowable state even if the detection signal becomes HI level. . Therefore, the waiting game ball cannot flow out. If the value of the delay counter DC becomes 0 with the game ball launch lever 41 held at the launch preparation position, the downstream shutter 280 is allowed at the timing when the delay counter DC becomes 0 (timing t15). The state is switched to allow the game ball to flow out. Thereby, the game ball is supplied to the launch standby position WP1, and as shown in FIG. 14 (g7), the game ball can be launched.

  After the game ball is supplied to the launch rail 202 and the game ball can be fired, the game ball is fired by releasing the game ball launch lever 41 at an arbitrary timing (for example, timing t16). Is done. Thus, by disabling the supply of game balls until at least the delay counter DC becomes 0, it is necessary to wait for the supply of game balls between the timings t13 and t15.

  According to the first embodiment described in detail above, the following excellent effects are obtained.

  When launching a game ball, the game ball is supplied by pushing down the game ball launch lever 41 with a finger or the like. Thereafter, when the finger is released from the game ball launch lever 41, the launcher 201 is rotated by the biasing force of the coil spring 216, and the game ball is launched toward the game area PE (specifically, the guide rail 100). In such a so-called hand-operated pachinko machine 10, for example, a game ball that can be acquired per unit time by shortening the launch interval of the game balls because the launch interval of the game balls depends on the player's intention, skill, etc. It is assumed that attempts will be made to increase the number of If an increase in the number of acquired game balls is allowed by shortening the firing interval, it is feared that the player's gambling will be excessively hindered, which hinders the operation of a healthy game hall. In this regard, according to the present embodiment, the shutter mechanism 270 and the power source / launch control device 193 regulate the number of game balls fired per unit time to be smaller than a predetermined number. Thereby, the said inconvenience can be wiped out and the soundness of a game can be improved.

  For example, a lock device or the like that can be switched between a locked state and an unlocked state that permits the same operation of the game ball launch lever 41 is provided, and for a while after the game ball is launched, the game ball launch lever By adopting a configuration in which the rotation operation of 41 is not possible, it is possible to contribute to improving the game soundness described above. However, when such a configuration is adopted, for example, it is assumed that an operation of waiting for unlocking while the game ball launch lever 41 is pressed downward is performed, and the game ball launch lever 41 or the lock device that is the target of repeated operations. It is assumed that the load generated in This is not preferable because it may cause deformation or breakage of the game ball launch lever 41 or the lock device and hinder smooth launch of the game ball, and may cause a decrease in the launch regulation function. In this regard, as shown in this feature, if the configuration that regulates the launch of the game ball by delaying the supply of the game ball from the ball feeding device 203 is adopted, the game ball launch lever 41 and the shutter mechanism 270 are protected and launched. It is possible to favorably secure the regulation function.

  The delay counter DC is used to disable the supply of game balls within a predetermined period, and the subtraction of the delay counter DC is started when the supply of game balls is triggered. Thereby, the degree of freedom of the timing of launching the game ball is suppressed from being lowered while the number of times the game ball is fired per unit time is restricted. For example, in the case of adopting a configuration in which the supply of the game ball is disabled until a certain period elapses triggered by the launch of the game ball, the launch and supply of the game ball are restricted at least for the certain period. In this regard, according to the present embodiment, the supply of the next game ball becomes impossible until the specific period elapses, and the timing at which the supplied game ball is fired is arbitrary. In other words, before launching the supplied game ball, wait until the next game ball is allowed to be supplied, and then launch the supplied game ball. The firing interval can be shortened (for example, continuous firing). Thereby, it is possible to contribute to ensuring the soundness of the game while increasing the degree of freedom of the launch timing.

  By using the downstream shutter 280 and the upstream shutter 290 in combination, it is possible to suitably suppress the subsequent supply of additional game balls even though the game balls are supplied to the firing standby position WP1. In particular, when a plurality of game balls are accumulated on the launch rail 202, it is assumed that even if the game balls are fired, the game balls do not reach the intended position, and the game balls do not reach the game area PE. . This is not preferable because it becomes a factor that hinders the smooth progress of the game. In this regard, as described above, by suppressing the plurality of game balls from accumulating on the launch rail 202, it is possible to appropriately wipe out these various disadvantages.

  In particular, the downstream shutter 280 and the upstream shutter 290 are arranged with a distance corresponding to one game ball. Therefore, when the game ball launch lever 41 is operated and the upstream shutter 290 is switched to the blocking state, a plurality of game balls will not flow out even if the downstream shutter 280 is repeatedly opened and closed. Thereby, the operation of the downstream shutter 280 in a state where the player holds the game ball launch lever 41 at the rotated position can be permitted. That is, it is not always necessary to limit the operation of the downstream shutter 280. Therefore, it can contribute to simplification of the launch control process and simplification of the electrical configuration.

  The upstream shutter 290 and the launcher 201 are connected by an interlocking cage 295 so that the upstream shutter 290 operates following the operation of the game ball launch lever 41. By providing a power unit such as a solenoid as in the case of the downstream shutter 280, the same movement can be realized, but it is not preferable to increase the power unit unnecessarily because the electrical configuration is complicated. In particular, if the upstream shutter 290 only needs to follow the movement of the game ball launch lever 41, the configuration of the solenoid or the like is not necessarily required. Thus, by using the interlocking rod 295 as described above, the upstream shutter 290 is driven by using the power when the game ball launch lever 41 is operated, so that the progress of the game is suppressed while suppressing the complexity of the electrical configuration. It is possible to contribute to the smoothing of the structure, and a practically preferable configuration can be realized.

<Second Embodiment>
In the present embodiment, the configuration relating to the launch restriction of the game ball in the game ball launching mechanism is different from that of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the configuration related to the emission restriction will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of the game ball launching mechanism 500. In FIG. 15, the ball feeding device 503 is partially broken so that the internal structure can be visually recognized.

  The game ball launching mechanism 500 has a configuration similar to that of the game ball launching mechanism 110 described above. Specifically, a launcher 501, a launch rail 502, a ball feeder 503, a base plate 504, and a ball stopper 505 are provided. Among these various configurations, the firing rail 502, the base plate 504, and the ball stopper 505 are the same as the firing rail 202, the base plate 204, and the ball stopper 205, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In the first embodiment, the firing rod 201 and the upstream shutter 290 are interlocked using the interlocking rod 295. However, in the present embodiment, the interlocking rod 295 and the configuration associated therewith are omitted. . With the omission of the interlocking rod 295 and the like, the following changes are made to the launching rod 501 in the present embodiment. In other words, a protruding portion 518 that protrudes in the radial direction from the peripheral portion of the mounting portion 511 is provided, and the detection sensor 599 is disposed so as to sandwich the protruding portion 518 in the front-rear direction. The detection sensor 599 has a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and is fixed to the base plate 504 so that one of the two elements is on the front side of the protruding portion 518 and the other is on the rear side of the protruding portion 518. The detection sensor 599 is electrically connected to the power source / launch control device 600 and outputs a HI level signal when the launcher 501 moves from the initial position, and a LOW level signal when the launcher 501 does not move. Output. Based on this detection signal, the ball feeding device 503 is driven and controlled, so that the supply of game balls to the firing rail 502 is restricted.

  In the case body 551 of the ball feeding device 503, a supply passage 552 including a first passage portion 553, a second passage portion 554, and a third passage portion 555 is formed as in the first embodiment. An opening 558 is provided in the middle of the second passage portion 554 (specifically, the bottom plate portion 557), and a portion of the bottom plate portion 557 on the downstream side of the opening portion 558 (hereinafter referred to as a downstream bottom plate portion for convenience). 557a) is formed to be higher than a portion on the upstream side of the opening 558 (hereinafter referred to as an upstream bottom plate portion 557b for convenience).

  The opening 558 is provided with a movable passage 570 that operates based on detection information from the detection sensor 599, and the game ball is prevented from flowing out of the opening 558. The movable passage 570 includes a passage forming member 571 that forms a part of the second passage portion 554, and a solenoid 572 that is disposed below the passage forming member 571 and moves the passage forming member 571 up and down. Thus, the solenoid 572 is fixed to the case body 551 so as to be integrated with the case body 551.

  The passage forming member 571 has a substantially columnar shape extending vertically, and is formed so as to be able to pass through the opening 558. The upper surface 572a of the passage forming member 571 is positioned lower than the opening 558 and faces the passage region of the second passage portion 554. Since the upper surface 572a has a size that allows a game ball to be placed thereon, the game ball that has reached the opening 558 fits into a recess formed by the opening 558 and the passage forming member 571. In other words, it is placed on the upper surface of the passage forming member 571 in detail.

  The upper surface 572a of the passage forming member 571 is inclined in the same direction as the second passage portion 554 (specifically, the bottom plate portion 557). Therefore, the game ball placed on the upper surface 572a is urged toward the downstream bottom plate portion 557a, that is, the third passage portion 555, and the upstream end of the downstream bottom plate portion 557a. It waits in the state contact | abutted to the part.

  The passage forming member 571 is fixed to the upper end portion of the plunger 573 protruding upward from the solenoid 572. The solenoid 572 is electrically connected to the power source / fire control device 600 and is excited when a drive signal is input from the power source / fire control device 600, and the plunger 573 is weighted to the passage forming member 571 and the like. It rises against. The upward movement amount of the plunger 573 when the solenoid 572 is excited is set so that the upper surface 571a of the passage forming member 571 reaches a position higher than the downstream bottom plate portion 557a.

  The portion of the top wall portion 559 of the second passage portion 554 that faces the passage forming member 571 extends upward, and when the passage forming member 571 rises with a game ball placed thereon, the game Interference between the sphere and the top wall 559 is suppressed.

  Here, based on FIG. 16, operation | movement of the game ball | bowl launching mechanism 500 is demonstrated easily. FIG. 16 is a schematic view showing the operation of the game ball launching mechanism 500. When the game ball launch lever 41 is operated, FIG. 16 (a) → FIG. 16 (b) → FIG. 16 (c) and FIG. It works in the order.

  As shown in FIG. 16 (a), the game balls that have flowed into the ball feeder 503 from the upper plate 33 wait in a state where the game balls fitted in the opening 558 are arranged in a line with the head, and are fired. The supply of game balls to the rail 502 is blocked. In a state where the game ball launch lever 41 is waiting at the initial position, the light from the detection sensor 599 is blocked by the launcher 501 (specifically, the protrusion 518). Thereby, since the movable passage 570 stays at the blocking position, the game ball waiting as described above does not flow out of the ball feeding device 503.

  As shown in FIG. 16 (b), when the game ball launch lever 41 is pushed down, the launch rod 501 follows the game ball launch lever 41 and is opposite to the launch direction (clockwise in front view of the pachinko machine 10). Direction). As the launching rod 501 rotates, the projecting portion 518 moves away from the detection sensor 599, and the shielding state of the detection sensor 599 is released. As a result, a HI level signal is output from the detection sensor 599 to the power / fire control device 600, and a drive signal is output from the power / fire control device 600 to the movable passage 570 (specifically, the solenoid 572) based on this detection signal. Is done. The solenoid 572 to which the drive signal is input is excited and the plunger 573 is pushed up. As the plunger 573 moves up, the upper surface 572a of the passage forming member 571 moves to a position higher than the downstream bottom plate portion 557a. As a result, the game ball placed on the upper surface 572a flows down along the inclination of the upper surface 572a and moves to the third passage portion 555 side. Thereafter, when the drive signal is stopped, the excitation state of the solenoid 572 is released, and the plunger 573 and the passage forming member 571 are lowered. Along with this, the upper surface 571a of the passage forming member 571 moves to a position lower than the upstream bottom plate portion 557b, and the subsequent game ball flows into the opening 558 as shown in FIG. As a result, the game ball stands by in a state where it is placed on the upper surface 572a.

  In addition, at the time of the transition from FIG. 16A to FIG. 16B, the succeeding game balls placed on the upstream bottom plate portion 557b are brought into contact with the side wall surface 571b of the passage forming member 571 so that the downstream side Movement to is prevented. In addition, at the time of the transition from FIG. 16B to FIG. 16C, the game ball that has been in contact with the side wall surface 571b by moving the side wall surface 571b to a position lower than the upstream side bottom plate portion 557b. However, it moves to the upper surface 572a through the opening 558. That is, the side wall surface 571b of the passage forming member 571 is provided with a blocking function for preventing the game ball from flowing down, so that a plurality of game balls can be prevented from flowing out when the movable passage 570 reciprocates once. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 16C, the game ball reaches the launch standby position WP2, and the game ball is ready for launch. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 16D, by releasing the game ball launch lever 41, the game ball launch lever 41 and the launcher 501 return to the initial positions, and the game ball is launched along the launch rail 502. The Rukoto.

  In the present embodiment, the electrical configuration relating to the launch control of the ball feeding device is different from that of the first embodiment. Specifically, the configuration of the power source / launch control device is different. The different configuration will be described below with reference to FIG. The description of the same configuration as that of the first embodiment is omitted.

  The power / fire control board 601 includes a power supply unit 621 and a fire control circuit 622. The launch control circuit 622 is responsible for launch control of the game ball launch mechanism 500 according to the operation of the game ball launch lever 41, specifically, drive control of the ball feeder 503, and when a predetermined condition is met, Allow supply of spheres.

  The launch control circuit 622 is equipped with an MPU 631 that is an arithmetic unit. An input / output port is connected to the MPU 631 via a bus line including an address bus and a data bus. A detection sensor 599 is connected to the input side of the firing control circuit 622. On the other hand, on the output side of the launch control circuit 622, various boards such as a payout control board 422, a solenoid 572, and the like are connected.

  In addition, the MPU 631 temporarily stores various data and the like when executing the control program stored in the ROM 632 and the ROM 632 storing various control programs executed by the MPU 631 and fixed value data. A RAM 633 that is a memory, and various circuits such as a launch detection circuit 634 that detects the launch of a game ball, a timer circuit, and a data input / output circuit are incorporated.

  The RAM 633 is provided with a delay counter area 633a and a firing detection flag area 633b used when driving the movable passage 570 (specifically, the solenoid 572).

  Here, the relationship between the launch detection flag area 633b and the launch detection circuit 634 will be described. The launch detection circuit 634 has a function of constantly monitoring whether or not a game ball has been launched based on an input signal from the detection sensor 599. Specifically, when the detection signal falls from the HI level to the LOW level, it is recognized that the game ball has been launched, and a flag to that effect (a launch detection flag) is stored in the launch detection flag area 633b. When the power of the pachinko machine 10 is turned on, the launch detection flag is stored in the launch detection flag area 633b in the power-up startup process.

  Both the launch detection flag stored in the launch detection flag area 633b and the value of the delay counter stored in the delay counter area 633a constitute a condition permitting the supply of game balls. The value of the delay counter is updated when an update command is issued from the MPU 631. More specifically, the delay counter is a loop counter that subtracts 1 from the previous value each time it is updated and returns to the maximum value based on a predetermined condition when the value reaches 0. Updated. The MPU 631 controls the supply of the game ball to the launch standby position WP2 by using the presence / absence of the flag in the launch detection flag area 633b and the counter value of the delay counter at the time of launching the game ball.

  Here, the firing control process in the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Note that this launch control process is a periodic process executed at a cycle of 2 msec, similar to the launch control process in the first embodiment.

  In the launch control process, first, in step S201, it is determined whether or not a launch detection flag is stored in the launch detection flag area 633b. If the firing detection flag is not stored, a negative determination is made in step S201, and the process proceeds to step S202. In step S202, it is determined whether or not the delay counter is zero. If the delay counter is 0, the process is terminated as it is. If the delay counter is not 0, the delay counter is decremented by 1 as a delay counter update process in step S203, and then the firing control process is terminated.

  On the other hand, when the firing detection flag is stored, an affirmative determination is made in step S201, and the process proceeds to step S204. In step S204, it is determined whether or not the signal input from the detection sensor 599 is at the HI level. If the input signal from the detection sensor 599 is not at the HI level, that is, if it is at the LOW level, the process proceeds to step S202, and it is determined whether or not the delay counter is zero. If the delay counter is 0, the process is terminated as it is. If the delay counter is not 0, the delay counter is decremented by 1 as a delay counter update process in step S203, and then the firing control process is terminated.

  If the signal input from the detection sensor is at the HI level, an affirmative determination is made in step S204, and the process proceeds to step S205.

  In step S205, it is determined whether or not the delay counter is zero. If the delay counter is not 0, a negative determination is made in step S205, the process proceeds to step S203, and after 1 is subtracted from the delay counter, the present emission control process is terminated.

  If the delay counter is not 0, an affirmative determination is made in step S205, the process proceeds to step S206, and the movable path driving process is executed. In the movable path driving process, a driving signal is output to the solenoid 572 for a predetermined period. As a result, the solenoid 572 is excited to raise the passage forming member 571 and the game ball placed on the upper surface 572a of the passage forming member 571 flows into the third passage portion 555. Thereby, game balls are supplied to the launch rail 502. Thereafter, the output of the drive signal stops, the solenoid is de-energized, and the passage forming member 571 is lowered. Thereby, the game ball to be supplied next is placed on the upper surface 572a.

  After performing the driving process in step S207, the process proceeds to step S207, and "500" is set in the delay counter. As a result, the next game ball cannot be supplied until the delay counter reaches 0 (1 sec).

  After updating the counter in step S207, the process proceeds to step S208, the firing detection flag is deleted, and the main firing control process is terminated.

  Here, the state of the launch control when the launch operation of the game ball is performed will be described with reference to the timing chart of FIG. 19A shows the state of the game ball launch lever 41, FIG. 19B shows the input signal from the detection sensor 599, FIG. 19C shows the presence or absence of the launch detection flag, and FIG. ) Shows the count number of the delay counter, FIG. 19 (e) shows the position of the movable passage, and FIG. 19 (f) shows the presence or absence of a standby ball.

  First, a case where a game ball is launched at a timing after the delay counter DC becomes 0 will be described.

  When the game ball launch lever 41 is pivoted clockwise from the initial position and the amount of rotation of the game ball launch lever 41 reaches a predetermined value, the launch rod 501 has a timing t1 as shown in FIG. The shielding of the detection sensor 599 by the protrusion 518 is released, and the detection signal from the detection sensor 599 becomes the HI level. The drive signal is output to the movable passage 570 because the detection signal is at the HI level and the firing detection flag is stored. As a result, the passage forming member 571 of the movable passage 570 rises, and the game ball waiting on the passage forming member 571 flows into the third passage portion 555. As a result, the game ball is supplied to the launch rail 502.

  The delay counter DC becomes 0 at the timing of t21 when 1 sec elapses after the supply of the game ball, and two conditions (detection signal = HI, delay counter DC = 0) for supplying the next game ball are satisfied. However, at the timing of t21, the game ball is still waiting at the launch standby position WP2, and no launch detection flag is stored. For this reason, all three conditions are not satisfied, and the next game ball is not additionally supplied.

  Thereafter, by releasing the game ball launch lever 41 at the timing of t22, the game ball launch lever 41 and the launcher 501 are returned to the initial positions, and the game ball is launched. At this time, when the detection signal falls from the HI level to the LOW level, the launch detection flag is stored in the launch detection flag area 633b. As a result, two conditions for allowing a game ball (with a firing detection flag and a delay counter DC = 0) are satisfied. However, at the timing of t22, that is, the timing at which the firing detection flag is stored, the detection sensor signal becomes LOW, so not all three conditions are satisfied. For this reason, supply of the next game ball is avoided.

  After the game ball is fired, when the game ball launch lever 41 is operated again, the detection signal becomes the HI level at the timing t23. As a result, three conditions for supplying game balls are satisfied. As a result, a drive signal is output to the solenoid 572 of the movable passage 570, the passage forming member 571 of the movable passage 570 is raised, and a game ball is supplied to the firing rail 502 (see FIG. 19D). At the timing t23, “500” is set again in the delay counter DC, and the next game ball cannot be supplied within a predetermined period (1 sec).

  Next, a case where a game ball is launched at a timing before the delay counter DC becomes 0 will be described.

  After the game ball is supplied at the timing of t23, the delay counter DC is gradually decreased. When the game ball launch lever 41 is released at a timing before the value of the delay counter DC becomes 0, a game ball is launched. At this time, when the detection signal falls from the HI level to the LOW level, the launch detection flag is stored in the launch detection flag area. Thereafter, the next game ball cannot be supplied until the timing t25 when the value of the delay counter DC becomes zero.

  Thereafter, by operating the game ball launch lever 41 again, the detection signal becomes the HI level at the timing of t26, and all three conditions for supplying the game ball are satisfied. As a result, a drive signal is output to the solenoid 572 of the movable passage 570, the passage forming member 571 of the movable passage 570 is raised, and a game ball is supplied to the firing rail 502 (see FIG. 19D). At the timing t26, “500” is set again in the delay counter DC, and the next game ball cannot be supplied within a predetermined period (1 sec).

  A case where the game ball launch lever 41 is continuously operated while the countdown of the delay counter DC is continued will be described. After the game ball is supplied at the timing t26, the game ball is released by releasing the game ball launch lever 41 at the timing t27 before the delay counter DC becomes zero. Along with this launching operation, the detection sensor 599 is shielded, and the detection signal falls from the HI level to the LOW level. This falling is detected by the launch detection circuit, and the launch detection flag is stored in the launch detection flag area. As a result, one of the three conditions for supplying the next game ball is satisfied.

  Next, when the game ball launch lever 41 is operated again at the timing before the delay counter DC becomes 0, the detection signal changes from the LOW level to the HI level at the timing t28, and the game ball launch The second condition is met. However, since the delay counter DC is not 0 at the timing of t28, not all three conditions are satisfied. For this reason, the supply of game balls remains impossible. Thereafter, if the game ball launch lever 41 is held while being rotated, the delay counter DC becomes 0 at the timing of t29, and the three conditions for supplying the game ball are satisfied. As a result, a drive signal is output to the solenoid 572 of the movable passage 570, the passage forming member 571 of the movable passage 570 is raised, and a game ball is supplied to the firing rail 502 (see FIG. 19D).

  At the timing t29, “500” is set again in the delay counter DC, and the next game ball cannot be supplied for a predetermined period (1 sec). Thereafter, the delay counter DC becomes 0 again at the timing of t30, and the game ball is launched by releasing the game ball launch lever 41 at the timing of t31. When the game ball is thus fired, two of the three conditions for supplying the game ball are satisfied. For this reason, when the next game ball is fired, the detection signal becomes HI level by rotating the game ball launch lever 41, and the three conditions for supplying the game ball are immediately satisfied. Therefore, the supply of the game ball is not delayed, and the game ball can be continuously fired.

  According to the second embodiment described in detail above, the following excellent effects are obtained.

  It is possible to prevent the delay period from extending due to the operation timing of the game ball launch lever 41.

  In particular, in a state in which one game ball is supplied to the launch standby position WP2, the supplied game ball is fired at the timing when the next game ball is allowed to be supplied, that is, when the delay counter DC becomes zero. By doing so, it becomes possible to immediately fire the next game ball. That is, it is not always necessary to fire the game balls at a constant interval, and it is possible to refrain from launching the game balls at a certain timing and to fire the game balls at another timing. Thereby, while restricting the number of game ball shots per unit time, the degree of freedom of the launch timing within the unit time can be suitably increased, and a practically preferable configuration can be realized.

  The downstream bottom plate portion 557a that is on the downstream side of the movable passage 570 is formed to be higher than the upstream bottom plate portion 557b that is on the upstream side of the movable passage 570. As a result, when the passage forming member 571 of the movable passage 570 moves up and down, the game balls located upstream from the passage forming member 571 are immediately drawn via the upper surface 571a of the passage forming member 571. Can be prevented from flowing into Specifically, when the upper surface 571a reaches a position on the same plane as the upstream bottom plate portion 557b, the game ball placed on the upper surface 571a is maintained in a state of being in contact with the downstream bottom plate portion 557a. For this reason, subsequent game balls are not placed on the upper surface 571a. Thereby, only one game ball can be reliably supplied by driving the movable passage 570 once.

<Third Embodiment>
In the present embodiment, the configuration relating to the game ball launch control in the game ball launch mechanism is different from the first embodiment and the second embodiment. Hereinafter, the configuration related to the emission restriction will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 20 is a schematic view of the game ball launching mechanism 700. In FIG. 20, the ball feeder is partially broken so that its internal structure can be visually recognized.

  The game ball launching mechanism 700 has a configuration similar to that of the game ball launching mechanism 500. Specifically, a launcher 701, a launch rail 702, a ball feeding device 703, a base plate 704, and a ball stopper 705 are provided. Among these various configurations, the firing rail 702, the base plate 704, and the ball stopper 705 are the same as the firing rail 202, the base plate 204, and the ball stopper 205, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In the first embodiment, the firing rod 201 and the upstream shutter 290 are interlocked using the interlocking rod 295. In the present embodiment, however, the interlocking rod 295 is the same as the second embodiment. And the structure accompanying it is abbreviate | omitted. The following changes are made to the game ball launching mechanism 700 in the present embodiment in accordance with the omission of the interlocking rod 295 and the like. The base plate 704 is fixed with a ball detection sensor 749 for detecting a game ball waiting at the launch standby position WP3. The ball detection sensor 749 has a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and is arranged such that one of the two elements is on the front side of the launch standby position WP3 and the other is on the rear side of the launch standby position WP3. The ball detection sensor 749 is electrically connected to the power supply / launch control device 800, and outputs a LOW level signal when the game ball is waiting at the launch standby position, and HI when the game ball is not waiting. Output level signal. Based on this detection signal, the ball feeding device 703 is driven and controlled, so that the supply of game balls to the firing rail 702 is restricted.

  In the case body 751 of the ball feeding device 703, a supply passage 752 including a first passage portion 753, a second passage portion 754, and a third passage portion 755 is formed as in the first embodiment. An opening 758 is provided at a boundary portion between the second passage portion 754 (specifically, the top wall portion 757) and the third passage portion 755.

  The opening 758 is provided with a rotating body 770 as a ball stopper for temporarily stopping the game ball flowing from the second passage portion 754 to the third passage portion 755 at the exit portion of the second passage portion 754. The rotating body 770 has a substantially disk shape, and is disposed so that both plate surfaces are parallel to the passage direction, and a part of the rotating body 770 protrudes into the supply passage 752. The rotating body 770 is integrated with the case body 751 with its center fixed to the output shaft of the stepping motor 775. By rotating the output shaft of the stepping motor 775 in a predetermined direction, the rotating body 770 rotates in the predetermined direction.

  The output shaft of the stepping motor 775 is set to advance one step by giving a driving signal of one pulse and to make one rotation by giving a driving signal of 360 pulses. The rotating body 770 and the stepping motor 775 are housed in the case body 751.

  Concave portions 771a are formed on the outer peripheral portion 771 of the rotating body 770 at two locations at intervals of 180 °. When the rotating body 770 is not rotating, that is, when the supply of the game ball is stopped and the game ball is waiting in the ball feeding device 703, the game ball located at the most downstream side of the second passage portion 754 is the same. The outer peripheral portion 771 of the rotating body 770, specifically, the portion excluding the concave portion 771a is brought into contact, and the flow of the game ball is temporarily stopped. Further, when the rotating body 770 is rotating, only the game balls that have entered the recess 771 a are led out to the third passage portion 755.

  Here, the operation of the game ball launching mechanism 700 will be briefly described.

  The group of game balls that have flowed into the ball feeder 703 from the upper plate 33 waits in a state in which the game balls that are in contact with the outer peripheral portion 771 of the rotating body 770 are in line, and are in a line. The supply of the game ball to the standby position WP3) is blocked.

  Thereafter, the rotating body 770 rotates counterclockwise, so that the game ball fits into the recess 771a and moves to the third passage portion 755 side as the rotating body 770 rotates. At this time, the subsequent game ball is not fitted into the concave portion 771a of the rotating body 770 and waits while being in contact with the outer peripheral portion 771 of the rotating body 770.

  The game ball that has reached the launch rail 702 through the third passage portion 755 flows down along the launch rail 702 and waits in a state where the game ball is in contact with the launcher 701, specifically, slightly away from the ball stopper 705. Thus, when the game ball waits at the launch standby position WP3, the light emitted from the light emitting element of the ball detection sensor 749 is blocked, and the detection signal from the ball detection sensor 749 switches to the LOW level.

  Thereafter, when the game ball launch lever 41 is rotated toward the launch preparation position, the launcher 701 moves away from the game ball, and the game ball follows the launcher 701 and moves to the downstream side of the launch rail 702. Then, the game ball comes into contact with the ball stopper 705 and is prevented from further flowing down.

  When the game ball launch lever 41 is released, the launcher 701 rotates toward the initial position, and the game ball that has been waiting at the launch standby position WP3 is launched. As a result, the ball detection sensor 749 is allowed to transmit and receive light again, and an HI level signal is output from the ball detection sensor 749.

  In the present embodiment, the electrical configuration related to the launch control of the ball feeding device is different from the first embodiment and the second embodiment. Specifically, the configuration of the power source / launch control device is different. Hereinafter, the different configuration will be described with reference to FIG. Note that a description of the same configurations as those in the first embodiment and the second embodiment is omitted.

  The power / fire control board 801 includes a power supply unit 821 and a fire control circuit 822. The launch control circuit 822 is responsible for launch control of the game ball launch mechanism 700 according to the operation of the game ball launch lever 41, specifically, drive control of the ball feeder 703, and when a predetermined condition is met, Allow supply of spheres.

  The launch control circuit 822 is equipped with an MPU 831 that is an arithmetic unit. An input / output port is connected to the MPU 831 via a bus line including an address bus and a data bus. A ball detection sensor 749 is connected to the input side of the firing control circuit 822. On the other hand, on the output side of the launch control circuit 822, various boards such as the payout control board 422, a stepping motor 775, and the like are connected.

  Further, the MPU 831 is used to temporarily store various control programs executed by the MPU 831, ROM 832 storing fixed value data, and various data when executing the control program stored in the ROM 832. A RAM 833, which is a memory, and various circuits such as a timer circuit and a data input / output circuit are incorporated. The RAM 833 is provided with a delay counter area 833a used when driving the rotating body 770 (specifically, the stepping motor 775).

  Here, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 22, the emission control process in 3rd Embodiment is demonstrated. Note that this launch control process is a periodic process executed at a cycle of 2 msec, similar to the launch control process in the first embodiment.

  In the firing control process, first, in step S301, it is determined whether or not the delay counter is zero. If the delay counter is not 0, the delay counter is decremented by 1 in step S302, and then the firing control process is terminated. On the other hand, if the delay counter is 0, the process proceeds to step S303.

  In step S303, it is determined whether or not the signal input from the ball detection sensor 749 is at the HI level. When the input signal from the ball detection sensor 749 is not at the HI level, that is, when the game ball is waiting at the launch standby position WP3, the present launch control process is terminated as it is. On the other hand, when the signal input from the ball detection sensor 749 is at the LOW level, that is, when the game ball is not waiting at the firing standby position WP3, the process proceeds to the rotating body driving process of step S304.

  In the rotating body driving process in step S304, a pulse signal is output to the stepping motor 775, and the rotating body 770 is rotated 180 °. Thereby, one game ball is supplied to the launch standby position WP3. Thereafter, “500” is set to the delay counter in step S305. As a result, the next game ball cannot be supplied until the delay counter reaches 0 (1 sec). After updating the delay counter in step S305, the present emission control process is terminated.

  In addition, it is not limited to the description content of each embodiment mentioned above, For example, you may implement as follows. Incidentally, the configuration of another embodiment described below may be applied individually to the configuration in the above embodiment, or may be applied in combination with each other.

  (1) In each of the above-described embodiments, the configuration is such that the launch of the game ball is restricted by controlling the shutter mechanism 270 of the ball feeding device 203. That is, the configuration is such that the supply of the game ball is controlled to restrict the launch of the game ball. It is also possible to change this as follows. In other words, it is possible not to control the launch by controlling the supply of game balls, but to control the launch by controlling the launch operation. For example, a lock device that can be switched between a blocking state for blocking the operation of the game ball launch lever 41 and a blocking release state is provided, and after the game ball is fired, the lock device is operated until a predetermined period elapses. It is preferable to adopt a configuration in which the next launch operation is disabled by maintaining the blocked state.

  However, the game ball launch lever 41 is the target of the launch operation and is a portion to which a load is applied every launch operation. Thus, when the part which is easy to apply the load by the launch operation is locked, it is assumed that the game ball launch lever 41 is likely to be deformed or damaged by the load. This is not preferable because it is assumed that the operability is deteriorated and the firing restriction function is deteriorated. Therefore, it is preferable not to disable the operation of the game ball launch lever 41 but to restrict the launch by stopping the supply of the game ball.

  (2) In each of the above embodiments, the measurement of the firing restriction period is started with the supply of the game ball as an opportunity, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it is good also as a structure which starts the measurement of a launch control period with the launch of a game ball. However, when such a change is made, the degree of freedom of the game ball firing timing may be reduced. Such a decrease in the degree of freedom of the launch timing is not preferable because it can be a factor that reduces the fun of the hand-operated gaming machine. Therefore, it is desirable to start the measurement of the launch restriction period, triggered by the supply of game balls.

  (3) In the first and second embodiments, the detection sensor 299 serving as the “detection means” is configured to detect the movement of the game ball launching mechanism 110 (specifically, the interlocking rod 295). It is also possible to change the detection target by the game ball launch lever 41.

  In addition, it is configured to determine that the game ball has been indirectly fired when the launching rod 501 is returned to the initial position by the detection means. However, the detection target by the detection means is a game ball, and the game ball is directly fired. It is also possible to determine automatically. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which a game ball is detected at the launch standby position WP. However, in the configuration for detecting the game ball, it is assumed that it is difficult to improve the detection accuracy and protect the detection means. This is not preferable because it may be a factor that hinders the improvement of the launch control function. Therefore, it is desirable to set the detection target by the detection means other than the game ball.

  (4) In the first embodiment, the operation timing of the shutters 280 and 290 is slightly changed, so that both the shutters 280 and 290 are prevented from being allowed. Specifically, the upstream shutter 290 is interlocked with the movement of the firing rod 201, and the overlapping timing of the interlocking rod 295 and the detection sensor 299 (the overlapping margin in the operation direction of the interlocking rod 295) is determined by the shielding timing of the launching rod 201. It was set to be delayed with respect to movement. In other words, the timing deviation is realized by devising the arrangement of the interlocking rod 295 and the detection sensor 299. By changing this, it is possible to align the operation timing of the upstream shutter and the output timing of the detection signal, and to delay the output timing of the drive signal output from the power supply / emission control device 193 by the control. .

  (5) In the first embodiment, the upstream shutter 290 and the launcher 201 are mechanically connected to use the power at the time of the game ball launch operation as the driving force of the upstream shutter 290. It is not limited to this. For example, similarly to the downstream shutter 280, the upstream shutter may have a power source such as a solenoid.

  However, when a power source for both shutters is provided separately in a configuration having a plurality of shutters as described above, there is a concern that the configuration becomes complicated and the control load increases. Therefore, the upstream shutter is preferably a mechanical type.

  (6) In each of the above embodiments, when one game ball is supplied to the launch rail, the subsequent game ball is not allowed to be supplied. It is good also as a structure which accept | permits supply. However, if subsequent game balls accumulate on the launch rail 202, there is a possibility that the game balls PE that have been fired are prevented from reaching the game area PE. This is not preferable because it may hinder smooth gaming machines. Therefore, when making the above changes, it is preferable to make the following changes together.

  For example, it is preferable to provide a collection path for collecting the succeeding game ball when the subsequent game ball comes into contact with the waiting game ball at the launch standby position WP. For example, the following game ball is configured to be located at the outlet portion of the third passage portion 255 of the supply passage 252, and a through-hole penetrating to the rear of the pachinko machine 10 is formed in the outlet portion. Further, when the above change is made by deforming the third passage portion 255 so that the game ball flowing down the third passage portion 255 comes into contact with the waiting game ball obliquely from the upper rear of the pachinko machine 10 Good. As a result, the subsequently supplied game ball abuts against the waiting game ball, thereby being guided to the through hole, and it is possible to suppress the plurality of game balls from staying on the firing rail 202. In addition, what is necessary is just to set it as the structure by which the game ball which passed the collection | recovery channel | path is guide | induced to the lower tray 34, for example.

  (7) It is also possible to make it possible to visually recognize the game ball placed at the launch standby position WP. Thereby, it is possible to appropriately grasp at which timing the game ball can be fired, and it is possible to grasp the end of the waiting for launch. Thereby, the flying swing of the launcher 201 can be suppressed and it can contribute to smooth progress of a game.

  (8) In each of the above-described embodiments, the countdown method is employed as a method for measuring the delay period and the like in the MPU 451 of the power / fire control board 421. It is also possible to change this and adopt a count-up method as a method for measuring the delay period or the like.

  (9) In each of the above embodiments, the function as the “drive control unit” is given to the power supply / launch control device 193, but the same function can be given to the main control device 133. In other words, the launch control of the game ball may be performed by the main control device 133.

  (10) In the first and second embodiments described above, the detection signal from the detection sensor 299 as the “detection means” is based on the case where the game ball launching mechanism 110 (specifically, the launching rod 201) is not moving from the initial position. Is configured to output a LOW level signal and output a HI level signal when moved from the initial position, but this can be reversed. That is, it may be configured to output a HI level signal when not moving from the initial position, and a LOW level signal when moving from the initial position.

  (11) In each of the above embodiments, the non-contact type detection sensor 299 is employed as the “detection means”, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a contact type detection sensor can be adopted. It is also possible to employ other non-contact type sensors such as a magnetic sensor.

  (12) In each of the above-described embodiments, the game ball launch lever 41 as the “operation unit” is a rotary type, but is not limited to this. For example, the “operation unit” may be a slide type.

  Moreover, although it was set as the structure which has the launching rod 201 as a "launch part", it is not limited to this. For example, it is also possible to employ a hook-shaped member that is slidably movable as the “launching portion”.

  (13) When a game ball enters a specific area of a special device, such as another type of pachinko machine different from the above-described embodiments, for example, a lottery is made by the control device, and as a result, when the jackpot is won, Pachinko machines that are released a number of times, pachinko machines that become a big hit when a game ball enters a predetermined area among a plurality of areas provided in a special device, and pachinko machines equipped with other objects The present invention can also be applied to gaming machines such as machines, arrange ball machines, and sparrow balls.

<Invention Group Extracted from Each Embodiment>
Hereinafter, the features of the invention group extracted from each of the embodiments described above will be described while showing effects and the like as necessary. In the following, for ease of understanding, the corresponding configuration in the above embodiment is appropriately shown in parentheses, but is not limited to the specific configuration shown in parentheses.
The invention described in the following feature group is that “a gaming machine such as a pachinko machine has a gaming machine main part in which a gaming board in which a gaming area is formed is mounted on a frame. The main part of the gaming machine is provided with an operation unit that is operated when the game ball is launched, and a launching mechanism that launches a game ball based on a launch operation by the operation unit. It is provided so as to be movable to the standby position, and is biased toward the initial position, for example, by moving the operation unit to the firing standby position by hooking the operation unit with a finger or the like, and then releasing the operation unit. The operation unit moves to the initial position, and the launching mechanism operates in conjunction with the movement of the operation unit, whereby a game ball is launched into the game area. These are the composition related to winning a prize and the game balls that have reached the game area. Various components such as nails that disperse the flow path of the game balls are arranged so as to win with a reasonable probability at the prize opening, etc. When a prize is awarded to the prize opening, etc., a preset number As for the background technology that “a game ball of the game is paid out (see, for example, Patent Document 1)”, in the above-mentioned type of game machine (so-called hand-held game machine), the game pace depends on the player's intention, skill, etc. For example, it is assumed that an attempt is made to increase the number of game balls that can be acquired per unit time by shortening the launch interval of game balls, for example. If this increase is allowed, the player's gambling will be excessively affected, and there is a concern that it will interfere with the operation of a healthy game hall. ” That.

Features 1. A launch mechanism (having a game ball launch lever 41), which launches a game ball when the operation portion is operated so as to be in a launch preparation state from an initial state and then returned to the initial state by an urging force ( For example, a game ball launch mechanism 110),
It is provided with regulation means (for example, a downstream shutter 280, a power supply / launch control device 193, etc.) for regulating the number of game balls fired per unit time to be smaller than a predetermined number. Gaming machine.

  According to the feature 1, when the operation unit switched to the launch preparation state is returned to the initial state by the biasing force, the game ball is launched from the launch mechanism. Thus, in the configuration in which the game balls are fired by the switching operation of the operation unit, the launch interval of the game balls can depend on the player's intention, skill, etc., so for example, the launch interval of the game balls can be shortened to a unit time. It is assumed that an attempt is made to increase the number of game balls that can be acquired. If an increase in the number of acquired game balls is allowed by shortening the firing interval, it is feared that the player's gambling will be excessively hindered, which hinders the operation of a healthy game hall. In this regard, in this feature, the number of game balls fired per unit time is restricted by the restriction means so as to be smaller than a predetermined number. Thereby, the said inconvenience can be wiped out and the soundness of a game can be improved.

Feature 2. The firing mechanism is
A holding unit (for example, the launch rail 202 and the ball stopper 205) that holds the game ball at a predetermined launch standby position (for example, the launch standby position WP1);
A supply device (for example, a ball feeding device 203) for supplying a game ball to the launch standby position;
A launcher (e.g., launcher 201) that launches the game ball held at the launch standby position by interlocking with the operation unit;
The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the regulating means regulates the supply of gaming balls to the firing standby position by the supply device.

  According to the feature 2, by adopting a configuration that restricts the supply of the game ball, it is possible to suppress the configuration related to the launch of the game ball from being complicated due to the adoption of the regulation means. Thereby, the soundness of a game can be improved, for example, suppressing the fall of maintainability.

Feature 3. The regulating means is
Blocking means (for example, a shutter mechanism 270) provided so as to be switchable between an allowable state for allowing the supply of game balls from the supply device and a blocking state for blocking;
Drive control means (for example, a power supply / launch control device 193) that drives and controls the blocking means so as to be in the allowed state or the blocked state based on the operation of the operation unit. A gaming machine according to feature 2.

  In order to realize the configuration shown in feature 2, it is preferable to provide a blocking unit and a drive control unit as shown in this feature. By switching the blocking means by the drive control means, the supply of the game ball can be easily delayed.

  Feature 4. 4. The feature 2 or feature 3, wherein the regulation means regulates the supply of the next game ball until a predetermined period elapses from the supply timing of the game ball by the supply device. Gaming machine.

  According to the feature 4, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom of the timing of launching the game ball within the same unit time while restricting the number of game balls fired per unit time. For example, when a configuration is adopted in which the supply of game balls is disabled until a certain period has elapsed from the launch timing of the game balls, the launch and supply of the game balls are restricted during the certain period. In this regard, in this feature, the supply of the next game ball is not possible until the specific period elapses, and the timing at which the supplied game ball is fired is arbitrary. In other words, before launching the supplied game ball, wait until the next game ball is allowed to be supplied, and then launch the supplied game ball. The firing interval can be shortened (for example, continuous firing). Thereby, it is possible to contribute to securing the soundness of the game while increasing the degree of freedom in selecting the launch timing.

  In combination with the feature 3 (configuration having the drive control means), the drive control means controls the blocking means so that the switching of the blocking means to the permissible state is disabled at least until the specific period elapses. Good.

Feature 5. The restriction means determines whether or not an elapsed period from the supply timing of the game ball by the supply device has become the specific period (e.g., the process of step S105 in the MPU 451 of the power supply / launch control device 193). A function to be executed and a function to execute step S205 in the MPU 631 of the power supply / launch control device 600)
5. The gaming machine according to claim 4, wherein supply of game balls is restricted when the elapsed period determining means determines that the specific period has not elapsed.

  In order to restrict the supply of the game ball until the specific period elapses as shown in the feature 4, it is preferable to provide an elapsed period determination unit as shown in this feature.

  In particular, in combination with the feature 3 (configuration having the drive control means), the drive control means switches the blocking means to the allowable state when the elapsed period determination means does not determine that the specific period has elapsed. It may be impossible.

Feature 6 Period determining means (for example, a function for executing the process of step S301 in the MPU 831 of the power supply / launch control device 800) for determining whether or not a predetermined period has elapsed from the previous game ball supply timing;
A ball detection means (ball detection sensor 749 and power supply / launch control device) is provided so as to be able to detect the game ball waiting at the launch standby position and can determine whether or not the game ball is waiting at the launch standby position. A function of executing the processing of step S303 in the MPU 831 of 800),
Ball supply control for supplying the next game ball when it is determined by the period determination means that the specific period has elapsed and the ball detection means determines that the game ball is not waiting at the firing standby position The gaming machine according to any one of features 2 to 4, further comprising: means.

  According to the feature 6, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom of the timing of launching the game ball within the same unit time while restricting the number of game balls that are fired per unit time. For example, when a configuration is adopted in which the supply of game balls is disabled until a certain period has elapsed from the launch timing of the game balls, the launch and supply of the game balls are restricted during the certain period. In this regard, in this feature, the supply of the next game ball is not possible until the specific period elapses, and the timing at which the supplied game ball is fired is arbitrary. In other words, before launching the supplied game ball, wait until the next game ball is allowed to be supplied, and then launch the supplied game ball. The firing interval can be shortened (for example, continuous firing). Thereby, it is possible to contribute to securing the soundness of the game while increasing the degree of freedom in selecting the launch timing.

  In addition, in a hand-held game machine, it is uncertain at which timing the operation unit is switched to the firing preparation state and at which timing the operation unit is switched to the initial state (that is, at which timing the game ball is launched). Become. For this reason, there is a concern that simply by delaying the supply timing of the game ball, it becomes difficult to launch the game ball by the launch unit due to accumulation of the game ball at the launch standby position. In this regard, according to this feature, when the game ball remains in the launch standby position, the supply of the next game ball is restricted, and when the operation unit is not switched to the launch preparation state, The supply of game balls is regulated. As a result, it is possible to make it difficult to cause inconvenience that it is difficult to fire the game ball by supplying more game balls than expected.

  In particular, in the case of the combination with the feature 3 (configuration including the blocking unit and the drive control unit), this feature is referred to as “a period for determining whether or not a specific period predetermined from the previous game ball supply timing has elapsed. The drive control includes: a determination unit; and a ball detection unit that is provided so as to be able to detect a game ball that is waiting at the launch standby position and that can determine whether or not the game ball is waiting at the launch standby position. The means supplies the next game ball when the period determination means determines that the specific period has elapsed and the ball detection means determines that the game ball is not waiting at the firing standby position. In this way, it is possible to replace the gaming machine according to the third feature which controls the blocking means.

Feature 7. The regulating means is
Standby ball determination means for determining whether or not a game ball is waiting at the launch standby position (function to execute the process of step S201 in the MPU 631 of the power supply / launch control device 600);
Switching state determination means for determining whether or not the operation unit has been switched to the firing preparation state (function to execute the process of step S204 in the MPU 631 of the power supply / launch control device 600);
Further, the restricting means determines that the game ball is not waiting by the standby ball determining means, determines that the operation unit is switched to the firing preparation state by the switching state determining means, and further, the progress 6. The game according to claim 5, wherein, when it is determined by the period determination means that the elapsed period is the specific period, supply of the game ball to the firing standby position by the supply device is permitted. Machine.

  In a hand-held game machine, it is uncertain at which timing the operation unit is switched to the firing preparation state and at which timing the operation unit is switched to the initial state (that is, at which timing the game ball is launched). For this reason, there is a concern that simply by delaying the supply timing of the game ball, it becomes difficult to launch the game ball by the launch unit due to accumulation of the game ball at the launch standby position. In this regard, according to this feature, when the game ball remains in the launch standby position, the supply of the next game ball is restricted, and when the operation unit is not switched to the launch preparation state, The supply of game balls is regulated. As a result, it is possible to make it difficult to cause inconvenience that it is difficult to fire the game ball by supplying more game balls than expected.

Feature 8 The regulating means is
Detection means (detection sensor 599) capable of detecting whether the operation unit is in the initial state or the firing preparation state;
Switching information storage means (stores a firing detection flag in the RAM 633 of the power supply / launch control device 600) that stores switching information when switching of the operation unit from the firing preparation state to the initial state is detected by the detection means. Function)
The switching state determination means determines that the operation section is in the same launch preparation state when the detection means detects that the operation section is in the launch preparation state.
The waiting ball determining means determines that a game ball is not waiting at the firing standby position when switching information is stored in the switching information storage means. Game machines.

  According to the feature 8, it is possible to determine whether or not the operation unit is ready for launch and whether or not a game ball is present at the launch standby position using the detection information from the detector. Thereby, for example, the configuration of the restricting means can be simplified as compared with the case where the detecting means for the operation unit and the detecting means for the game ball at the firing standby position are employed.

Feature 9 The supply device has a guide passage portion (supply passage 252) for guiding the game ball to the launch standby position,
The blocking means is a first blocking means for blocking the flow of the game ball downstream from a predetermined position in the guide passage portion,
The guide passage portion is disposed upstream of the first blocking means, and is provided separately from the first blocking means, and prevents the game ball from flowing down to the first blocking means side. And a second blocking means (upstream shutter 290) that can be switched between an allowed state in which the game ball is allowed to flow down, and the gaming machine according to any one of features 2 to 5, .

  According to the feature 9, it is possible to suppress a plurality of game balls from accumulating in the launching unit by providing the first and second blocking means which are independent and independent. In particular, in a hand-operated gaming machine, the player can arbitrarily delay the timing of game ball launch. Therefore, in the case of simply delaying the supply of game balls, the game balls are sequentially supplied and waiting for launch. There may be a disadvantage that game balls accumulate at the position. In this regard, if the second blocking means is configured to block the supply of the subsequent game ball, the above inconvenience can be easily eliminated. Thereby, it can suppress that the smooth launch of a game ball is prevented by adopting the structure which has a control means.

Feature 10 The first blocking means is formed so as to come into contact with the game ball flowing down the guide passage portion from the downstream side by being in the blocking state,
The second blocking means is for blocking the subsequent flow of the game ball against the game ball contacting the first blocking means, and is maintained in the allowable state when the operation unit is in the initial state. The gaming machine according to claim 9, wherein when the operation unit is in the firing preparation state, the operation unit is maintained in the blocking state.

  According to the feature 10, when the game ball flows into the guide passage when the operation unit is in the initial state, the game ball accumulates with the game ball in contact with the first blocking means as the head. When the operation unit is switched to the firing preparation state, the second blocking unit prevents the game ball that is in contact with the first blocking unit from flowing down. Thereby, even if the first blocking means is switched to the permitted state and a game ball is supplied, the subsequent game ball stays in the guide passage portion. Thereby, even if the first blocking means is switched to the allowable state after the game ball is supplied, the subsequent game ball does not flow out, and the game ball is accumulated in the standby position for the game and is played by the launch unit. It is possible to suitably suppress the hindrance of firing. In addition, since the second blocking means returns to the permitted state when the operation unit is switched to the initial state, the flow of the game ball can be prevented from stagnation upstream of the second blocking means in the guide passage unit.

  Feature 11. A feature 10 is provided with a link mechanism (for example, an interlocking rod 295) provided between the second blocking unit and the operation unit and transmitting the movement of the operation unit to the second blocking unit. The gaming machine described.

  When adopting a configuration in which the second blocking means operates in conjunction with the operation unit as shown in the feature 10, a driving device for the second blocking unit is not provided separately, but the power when the operation unit is operated The second blocking means may be driven using Thereby, a practically preferable configuration can be realized.

  The basic configuration of the gaming machine to which the above features can be applied is shown below.

  Pachinko machine: operating means (game ball launch lever 41) operated by a player, game ball launching means (game ball launching mechanism 110) launching a game ball based on the operation of the operation means, and the fired A ball passage (guide rail 100) for guiding a game ball to a predetermined game area and game parts (nails 89, etc.) arranged in the game area, and a predetermined passing portion (general prize) among these game parts A gaming machine that gives a privilege to a player when a game ball passes through the mouth 81 or the like.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Pachinko machine as a gaming machine, 110 ... Game ball launching mechanism, 193 ... Power source / launch control device constituting a regulating means, 201 ... Launching rod as launching part, 202 ... Launching rail constituting a holding part, 203 ... Ball feeding device as a supply device, 205... Sphere stopper, 252... Supply passage as a guide passage portion, 270... Shutter mechanism, 280. 201 ... Launching rod as launching unit, 451 ... MPU, 453 ... RAM, 453a ... Various counter areas, 500 ... Game ball launching mechanism, 570 ... Movable path that constitutes regulating means, 600 ... Power source that constitutes regulating means Launch control device, 631... MPU, 633... RAM, 201... Launcher as launching unit, 633a. Cum detection flag area, WP1, WP2, WP3 ... firing the standby position.

Claims (1)

Operated by the player, a holding unit that holds the game ball at a predetermined standby position, a supply device that supplies the game ball to the standby position through a guide passage unit that guides the game ball to the standby position. A launching mechanism that launches a game ball based on returning to the initial state by an urging force after the operation unit is operated so as to be in a launch preparation state from an initial state;
Based on the operation of the operation unit and the first switching means provided so as to be switchable between a permitting state permitting supply of the game ball from the supplying device and a restricting restricting state, the permitting state or the restricting state is achieved. Drive control means for driving and controlling the first switching means, and by restricting the supply of game balls to the launch standby position by the supply device, the number of game balls fired per unit time is previously A first regulating means for regulating the number to be less than a predetermined number;
Period determining means for determining whether or not a predetermined period has elapsed from the previous game ball supply timing;
A ball detecting means provided so as to be able to detect the game ball waiting at the launch standby position, and capable of determining whether or not the game ball is waiting at the launch standby position;
In the situation where the drive control means is determined by the period determination means that the specific period has elapsed, and the ball detection means determines that the game ball is not waiting at the firing standby position, the operation unit Is configured to drive and control the first switching means so as to supply the next game ball based on the switching to the firing preparation state of
The first restricting means is configured to restrict the flow of the game ball downstream from a predetermined position in the guide passage portion when the first switching means is in the restricted state.
The guide passage portion is provided upstream of the first restricting means, and is switchable between a restricting state that restricts the flow of the game ball to the first restricting means and an allowable state that allows the game ball to flow down. 2. A gaming machine comprising: 2 switching means having 2 switching means and means for setting the second switching means in a restricted state when the first switching means is in an allowed state.

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