JP2017080627A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game machine capable of improving visibility of decoration imparted to a decorative plate by illuminating the decoration plate from the rear side as uniformly as possible.SOLUTION: A front door 12 of a slot machine 10 includes a box-shaped storage part 160 opened forward, and a forward opening part is closed by a decoration plate 16. The storage part 160 stores a light guide plate unit 170 so as to be positioned in front of a selector cover 162 and in the rear of the decoration plate 16. The light guide plate unit 170 is composed of a light guide plate 171, a cold-cathode tube 172 provided at both the left and right ends of the light guide plate, and a light reflective material 173. The plate face of the light guide plate 171 opposes the back surface of a plate part 16a in the decoration plate 16, and the plate part 16a is irradiated with light introduced from the cold-cathode tube 172 and radiated from the light guide plate 171.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine such as a slot machine.

  As a gaming machine that stops after rotating a plurality of reels, for example, there is a slot machine. In the slot machine, a plurality of symbols are given to the outer peripheral portion of each reel, and a part of the symbols given to each reel is visible through the display window. An effective line is set according to the number of medals inserted when the player inserts medals as a game medium, and then the player operates the start lever so that a bonus combination or small amount can be set inside the slot machine. Each reel such as a role is drawn and each reel starts rotating. After each reel starts rotating, each reel is sequentially stopped by operating a stop switch or elapse of a predetermined time. Game ends. When all the reels stop rotating, the winning combination will be awarded when the winning combination of symbols on the active line is stopped. For example, when a small role winning is established, the player is given a privilege of paying out a predetermined number of medals. When the bonus combination winning is established, the player is given a privilege that the game state shifts to a bonus game (special game state) advantageous to the player such as a big bonus game or a regular bonus game.

  The slot machine has a decorative plate with a model name, a character related to a game, and the like attached to the front door. A light emitter such as a fluorescent lamp is disposed on the back side of the decorative plate provided near the center of the front door, and the model name, character, and the like are illuminated by this light emitter (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  Here, the configuration of the decorative plate and its periphery will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 19, an operation area 213 provided with a start lever 211, a stop switch 212 and the like is provided with an insertion port 214. A selector 215 is provided below the insertion port 214. The medal inserted from the insertion port 214 is guided to either the storage passage 216 or the discharge passage 217 by the selector 215. The medal guided to the storage passage 216 is stored in a storage tank provided inside the slot machine, and the medal guided to the discharge passage 217 is discharged to a tray provided below the operation area 213. . The selector 215 is covered with a selector cover 218 on the front side, and a decorative plate 221 is provided on the front side of the selector cover 218.

  The decorative plate 221 has a plate part 221a as a light-transmitting part, and a model name, a character related to a game, and the like are given to the back of the plate part 221a. A fluorescent lamp 222 that illuminates the plate portion 221a is provided behind the decorative plate 221 and below the selector cover 218 (selector 215). Thereby, the visibility of the model name given to the plate part 221a, the character related to a game, etc. is improved.

  However, in the configuration in which the selector cover 218 is above the fluorescent lamp 222 as described above, a part of the emitted light is blocked by the selector cover 218, so that the amount of light reaching the front of the selector cover 218 is reduced. . Accordingly, in the plate portion 221a, the brightness of the portion in front of the selector 215 is darker than the brightness of the other portions. Therefore, there is a disadvantage that unevenness occurs in the brightness of the plate portion 221a.

JP 2000-259103 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and in a gaming machine provided with a decorative plate so as to cover the front side of the selector that guides the inserted game medium to either the storage passage or the discharge passage. It is an object of the present invention to provide a gaming machine that can illuminate a decoration plate as uniformly as possible and improve the visibility of the decoration applied to the decoration plate.

The present invention is provided on the front portion of the gaming machine, an operation area in which operation means to be operated in the game is disposed,
An insertion port provided in the operation area and into which a game medium is inserted;
A storage passage for guiding the game medium to a storage tank provided inside the gaming machine;
A discharge passage for guiding the game medium to a tray provided below the operation area;
A selector that is provided below the input port and guides the game medium input from the input port to either the storage passage or the discharge passage;
In a gaming machine provided with a decorative plate provided between the operation area and the tray and on the front side of the selector and having a decoration on a portion having light permeability,
A light guide plate provided between the decorative plate and the selector so that the plate surface faces the back surface of the decorative plate;
A light emitter for introducing light into the light guide plate;
And a light emission region that is provided on the light guide plate and transmits the light that is introduced from the light emitter and reflected within the light guide plate to transmit or diffusely reflect the light.

  According to the present invention, in a gaming machine provided with a decorative plate so as to cover the front side of the selector that guides the inserted game medium to either the storage passage or the discharge passage, the decorative plate is illuminated as uniformly as possible. Therefore, it is possible to provide a gaming machine that can improve the visibility of the decoration applied to the decoration plate.

The front view of the slot machine in one embodiment. The perspective view of the slot machine which shows the state which closed the front door. The perspective view of the slot machine which shows the state which opened the front door. The rear view of a front door. The front view of a housing | casing. The assembly perspective view of a left reel. FIG. 3 is a development view of a belt-like belt constituting each reel. Explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between a winning mode and medal payout number. The figure which shows the internal structure of a selector. The front view of a decoration plate. The exploded perspective view around a decoration plate. The longitudinal cross-sectional view for demonstrating the structure around a decoration plate. The disassembled perspective view of a light-guide plate unit. The schematic diagram which shows the path | route of the light in a light-guide plate. The longitudinal cross-sectional view for demonstrating the structure regarding attachment of a decoration plate. The cross-sectional view for demonstrating the structure regarding clamping of a light-guide plate unit. Sectional drawing for demonstrating the comparison with a conventional machine about the structure of a decorative plate periphery. The cross-sectional view for demonstrating the structure of another light-guide plate unit. Sectional drawing for demonstrating a subject.

  First, the invention that can be extracted from the present embodiment will be described while showing effects and the like as necessary.

Means 1. An operation area (operation area 70) provided on the front portion of the gaming machine (front door 12) and provided with operation means (start lever 71 and the like) operated in the game;
An insertion slot (insertion slot 75) provided in the operation area and into which a game medium is inserted;
A storage passage (storage passage 81) for guiding the game medium to a storage tank (storage tank 92) provided inside the gaming machine;
A discharge passage (discharge passage 82) for guiding the game medium to a tray (medal tray 18) provided below the operation area in the front portion of the gaming machine;
A selector (selector 84) that is provided below the insertion port and guides the game medium input from the insertion port to either the storage passage or the discharge passage;
Provided so as to constitute the front portion of the gaming machine between the operation area and the tray and on the front side of the selector, and a decoration is given to the light-transmitting portion (plate portion 16a) In a gaming machine provided with a decorative plate (decorative plate 16),
A light guide plate (light guide plate 171) provided between the decorative plate and the selector so that the plate surface faces the back surface of the decorative plate;
A light emitter (cold cathode tube 172) for introducing light into the light guide plate;
A gaming machine comprising: a light emitting region (uneven portion 175) that is provided on the light guide plate and that transmits light that is introduced from the light emitter and reflected within the light guide plate, or radiates and diffuses the light. .

  According to the means 1, the game medium input from the input port is guided to either the storage passage or the discharge passage by the selector. When the game medium is guided to the storage passage, the game medium is stored in the storage tank, and when the game medium is guided to the discharge path, the game medium is received by the tray.

  A light guide plate is disposed between the selector and the decorative plate, and a light emission region is provided on the light guide plate. When light from the light emitter is introduced into the light guide plate, the light is repeatedly reflected in the light guide plate and emitted from the light emitting region. Therefore, the back surface of the decorative plate is illuminated by the light emitted from the plate surface of the light guide plate. Here, for example, in a configuration in which the light sources are arranged below the selector, a part of the light emitted from the light source is blocked by the selector. Therefore, in the decorative plate, the brightness of the place where the selector blocks light is darker than the brightness of other places. Therefore, unevenness occurs in the brightness of the decorative plate. On the other hand, in the configuration in which the light guide plate is arranged in front of the selector, the back surface of the decorative plate facing the light emission region of the light guide plate is illuminated, so that light emitted from the light guide plate may be blocked by the selector. Absent. For this reason, a decoration plate can be illuminated as uniformly as possible, and the visibility of the decoration provided to the decoration plate can be improved.

  Mean 2. 2. A gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the light guide plate is arranged in parallel with the decorative plate.

  According to the means 2, the light guide plate is arranged in parallel with the decorative plate. For this reason, the light guide plate can be provided in a narrow space existing between the decorative plate and the selector. Thereby, the space can be effectively used in a limited space called a gaming machine.

  Means 3. In the above means 1 or 2, the light emitting plate is provided and the light emitting region is formed so that the entire portion having the light transmitting property is illuminated by the light emitted from the light emitting region. Gaming machine.

  According to the means 3, the entire portion of the decorative plate having light transparency is illuminated by the light emitted from the light emitting region. For this reason, when the light emission region of the light guide plate is arranged in parallel with the entire region of the decorative plate having light transparency, light is emitted from the light emission region of the light guide plate, thereby The entire surface of the transparent part becomes bright. Thereby, the visibility of the decoration provided to the site | part which has a light transmittance can be improved.

  In order to illuminate the entire light-transmitting part with the light emitted from the light emitting area, the light emitting plate is provided and the light emitting area is formed by changing the size of the light guiding plate to the light of the decorative plate. A configuration in which the light emission region is formed in the entire region of the light guide plate facing the portion having the light transmittance of the decorative plate is considered to be larger than the portion having the transmittance.

  Means 4. In the means 3, the decorative plate and the light guide plate are formed in a horizontally long rectangular shape, and the light emitter is a rod-like light emitter disposed along at least one of right and left ends of the light guide plate. A gaming machine.

  According to the means 4, the decorative plate and the light guide plate have a horizontally long rectangular shape, and the rod-shaped light emitter is disposed along at least one of the left and right ends of the light guide plate. Thereby, since light is introduced from a wide range of the end portion of the light guide plate, the light easily spreads throughout the light guide plate. Therefore, light can be uniformly emitted from the light emission region of the light guide plate.

  In addition, when the rod-shaped light emitter is arranged so as to extend over substantially the entire light guide plate end, light is introduced from substantially the entire light guide plate end so that the light can easily spread throughout the light guide plate. Become. Here, the light guide plate has a horizontally long rectangular shape, and the length in the vertical direction of the left and right ends is shorter than the length in the horizontal direction of the upper and lower ends. Therefore, in this case, the length of the rod-shaped light emitters disposed at the left and right ends of the light guide plate is shorter than the length of the rod-shaped light emitters disposed at the vertical ends of the light guide plate. This makes it easy to spread light throughout the light guide plate and contributes to cost reduction of the gaming machine.

  Means 5. The gaming machine according to claim 4, wherein the light emitters are arranged along the left and right ends of the light guide plate.

  According to the means 5, the light emitters are respectively arranged along the left and right end portions of the light guide plate. Thereby, a large amount of light is introduced into the light guide plate, and a large amount of light is uniformly emitted from the light emitting region. For this reason, the decoration plate can be brightly illuminated by the light guide plate. In addition, the light emitters disposed along the left and right ends of the light guide plate are shorter in length than the light emitters disposed along the vertical ends of the light guide plate. Therefore, according to this configuration, it is possible to contribute to the cost reduction of the gaming machine while achieving the above effects.

Means 6. In any one of the above means 3 to 5, the housing includes an accommodating portion (accommodating portion 160) that is opened forward and accommodates the light guide plate and whose front opening portion is closed by the decorative plate.
A gaming machine, wherein the light guide plate is fixed in the housing portion without using a portion in which a light emitting region for illuminating the light-transmitting portion is formed.

  According to the means 6, the light guide plate is fixed in the accommodating portion without using the portion where the light emitting region that illuminates the light-transmitting portion is formed. Thereby, the whole part which has a light transmittance can be illuminated, fixing a light-guide plate in an accommodating part.

  Mean 7 In the means 6, the decorative plate has a plate part having the light transmittance and a frame body (plate frame 16b) provided so as to surround an outer periphery of the plate part, and the light guide plate is disposed in the housing part. A gaming machine characterized by being sandwiched between the frame body and a support portion (first support plate portion 164b) for the formed light guide plate.

  According to the means 7, the light guide plate can be fixed in the housing portion with a simple structure in the configuration in which the entire light-transmitting part is illuminated while the light guide plate is housed in the housing portion. For example, in the case where the light guide plate is provided with a fixing through-hole and fixed with screws or the like, there is a possibility that light may leak from the through-hole. In this case, in order to prevent leakage of light from the through hole, it is necessary to perform a process such as closing the through hole. On the other hand, in the case where the light guide plate is sandwiched between the light guide plate support portion and the frame body formed in the housing portion, such a problem does not occur and processing such as closing the through hole is performed. There is no need to apply.

  In addition, the structure which provides a buffer material between a light-guide plate, a frame, and an accommodating part is respectively preferable. For example, when sandwiching the light guide plate, the decorative plate, the light guide plate, or the like may be damaged. At this time, an impact applied to the light guide plate can be buffered by providing a buffer material in a portion where the light guide plate is sandwiched. For this reason, damage to a decorative plate, a light guide plate, or the like can be suppressed.

Means 8. The means 6 includes a light guide plate unit (light guide plate unit 170) in which the light guide plate and the light emitter are unitized.
The decorative plate includes a plate portion having the light transmission property and a frame provided so as to surround an outer periphery of the plate portion, and the light guide plate unit is supported for the light guide plate unit formed in the housing portion. A game machine characterized by being sandwiched between a frame and the frame.

  According to the means 8, the light guide plate unit can be fixed in the housing portion with a simple structure in the configuration in which the light guide plate unit is housed in the housing portion and the entire light-transmitting part is illuminated. For example, in the case where the light guide plate unit is provided with a fixing through-hole and is fixed with screws or the like, there is a possibility that light leaks from the through-hole. In this case, in order to prevent leakage of light from the through hole, a process such as closing the through hole is required. On the other hand, when the light guide plate unit is sandwiched between the light guide plate support portion and the frame formed in the housing portion, a process such as closing the through hole is not necessary.

  Moreover, since the light guide plate and the light emitter are unitized, the light guide plate and the light emitter can be easily attached to the gaming machine body.

  In addition, the structure which provides a buffer material between a light-guide plate unit, a frame, and an accommodating part is respectively preferable. For example, when sandwiching the light guide plate unit, the decorative plate, the light guide plate unit, or the like may be damaged. At this time, an impact applied to the light guide plate unit can be buffered by providing a buffer material in a portion where the light guide plate unit is sandwiched. Thereby, damage to a decoration plate, a light-guide plate unit, etc. can be suppressed.

Means 9. In the above means 8, the light guide plate has a quadrangular shape, and the light emitter is provided so as to be along at least one of the upper and lower or left and right ends of the light guide plate,
Furthermore, it is provided with light reflecting means (light reflecting material 173) that is formed of a hard material and is provided so as to cover the light emitter except for a portion facing the light guide plate.
A gaming machine, wherein the light reflecting plate is sandwiched between the frame body and the support portion of the light guide plate unit.

  According to the means 9, the light reflecting plate unit is sandwiched between the light reflecting means and the frame body. Here, since the light reflecting means is formed of a hard material, damage to the light emitter and the light guide plate unit can be suppressed.

  In the configuration including the means 4 or 5, the light emitter is provided along the left and right ends of the light guide plate.

  Means 10. A gaming machine according to any one of the above means 1 to 9, wherein game information (payout table 152) is given to an upper part of the light-transmitting portion of the decorative plate.

  According to the means 10, game information is given to the upper part of the decorative plate that has light permeability. Therefore, the distance between the player's viewpoint and the game information can be shortened, and the game information necessary for the game can be easily seen by the player. Thereby, even in the middle of the game, the player can visually recognize the game information without causing any trouble to the game. At this time, for example, in the case where the light emitted from the light source is blocked by the selector in the upper part of the decorative plate that is light transmissive, the brightness of the upper part of the part is high. Since it becomes darker than the brightness of other parts of the part, the visibility of the game information is lowered. On the other hand, this inconvenience can be solved in the case where the light radiated from the light guide plate can illuminate the light-transmitting portion of the decorative plate as uniformly as possible.

  Note that the game information includes a payout table relating to payout of game media, information on symbols that trigger a transition to a special game state (so-called jackpot state, etc.), game contents in the special game state, and the like.

Means 11. In any one of the above means 1 to 10, a plurality of rotating bodies (reels 42L, 42M, 42R) in which a plurality of kinds of symbols are arranged in the circumferential direction while rotating in the circumferential direction,
Display windows (display windows 31L, 31M, 31R) provided on the front surface of the gaming machine and allowing a plurality of symbols to be visually recognized for each of the revolving bodies,
Start operation means (start lever 71) operated to start the circulation of each of the circuit bodies;
Stop operation means (stop switches 72 to 74) operated to stop the circulation of each of the circulating bodies,
Based on the operation of the starting operation means, the circuit body starts to circulate, and based on the stop pattern after the operation of the stop operation means, the game medium stored in the storage tank is paid out to the tray. A gaming machine characterized by

  Each means described above can be suitably embodied in a gaming machine generally called a slot machine.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment in the case of application to a spinning cylinder type gaming machine, which is a kind of gaming machine, specifically, a slot machine will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 is a front view of the slot machine 10, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the slot machine 10 with the front door 12 closed, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the slot machine 10 with the front door 12 opened, and FIG. 5 is a rear view of the door 12, and FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the slot machine 10 includes a housing 11 that forms an outer shell thereof. The casing 11 includes a top plate 11a, a bottom plate 11b, a back plate 11c, a left plate 11d, and a right plate 11e formed in a wooden plate shape, and the adjacent plates 11a to 11e are fixed by a fixing means such as adhesion. Thus, it is formed in a box shape with the front surface opened as a whole. In addition, each board 11a-11e may be comprised with a synthetic resin panel or a metal panel other than being comprised with a wooden panel, or it is comprised by forming in the box shape integral with a synthetic resin material or a metal material. May be. The casing 11 configured as described above is attached by, for example, driving nails against a so-called island facility at the time of installation in the game hall.

  A front door 12 as a front open / close door is attached to the front side of the housing 11 so as to be openable and closable. That is, the left side plate 11d of the housing 11 is provided with a pair of upper and lower support shafts 25a and 25b. Each of the support shafts 25a and 25b includes a tapered shaft portion that protrudes upward. On the other hand, the front door 12 is provided with support fittings 26a and 26b having insertion holes into which the shaft portions of the support shafts 25a and 25b are inserted corresponding to the support shafts 25a and 25b. Then, the support brackets 26a and 26b are arranged above the support shafts 25a and 25b, and the front door 12 is lowered, whereby the shaft portions of the support shafts 25a and 25b are inserted into the insertion holes of the support brackets 26a and 26b. It is assumed that it was done. Thereby, the front door 12 is supported so as to be rotatable about an opening / closing axis extending in the vertical direction connecting the both support shafts 25a and 25b with respect to the housing 11, and the front opening side of the housing 11 is opened by the rotation. It can be closed or closed.

  The front door 12 is brought into a locked state that cannot be opened by a locking device provided on the rear surface. Further, a key cylinder 20 serving as an unlocking operation unit is provided at the upper right side of the front door 12. The key cylinder 20 is integrated with a locking device, and is configured such that the locked state is released by a predetermined key operation on the key cylinder 20. Therefore, an outline of the lock mechanism including the locking device will be described.

  On the right end side of the front door 12, that is, on the opposite side of the opening / closing axis of the front door 12, a locking device is provided on the back surface. The locking device extends vertically and is fixed to the front door 12, a key cylinder 20 provided so as to extend from the upper part of the base frame to the front of the front door 12, and moves vertically with respect to the base frame. It is provided with a long interlocking rod 21 assembled as possible. And only the key cylinder 20 is provided in the state which protruded ahead of the front door 12 among the locking devices. The position where the key cylinder 20 is provided is the thin upper portion of the front door 12, and as a result, a versatile key cylinder 20 having a short overall length can be employed. In the present embodiment, Omlock (trade name) having a high function of preventing unauthorized unlocking is used as the key cylinder 20. The interlocking rod 21 is moved downward by operating the key inserted into the key cylinder 20 clockwise. The interlocking saddle 21 is provided with a pair of upper and lower saddle fittings 22 having a bowl shape. When the front door 12 is closed with respect to the casing 11, the saddle fitting 22 is supported on the casing 11 side. Is locked. In addition, the urging member 22 is provided with an urging member such as a coil spring for urging to the side maintaining the locked state. When the key is operated clockwise with respect to the key cylinder 20, the interlocking rod 21 moves downward, and the saddle fitting 22 is moved against the biasing force of the biasing member. The locked state with the support fitting 23 is released, and the locked state of the front door 12 with respect to the housing 11 is released.

  A game panel 30 for notifying the player of the game state is provided above the center of the front door 12. In the game panel 30, three vertically long display windows 31L, 31M, 31R are formed side by side. The display windows 31L, 31M, 31R are made of a transparent or translucent material, and the inside of the slot machine 10 is visible through the display windows 31L, 31M, 31R. The display windows 31L, 31M, and 31R may be combined into a single display window.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the inside of the housing 11 is vertically divided into two by a partition plate 40, and a reel unit 41 constituting variable display means is attached to the upper portion of the partition plate 40. The reel unit 41 includes a left reel 42L, a middle reel 42M, and a right reel 42R each formed in a cylindrical shape (annular shape). The reels 42L, 42M, and 42R may be configured as at least an endless belt, and are not limited to a cylindrical shape (annular shape). Each of the reels 42L, 42M, and 42R is rotatably supported so that the central axis thereof is the rotation axis of the reel. The rotation axes of the reels 42L, 42M, and 42R are arranged on the same axis extending in the substantially horizontal direction, and the reels 42L, 42M, and 42R correspond to the display windows 31L, 31M, and 31R on a one-to-one basis. . Accordingly, a part of the surface of each reel 42L, 42M, 42R is visible through the corresponding display windows 31L, 31M, 31R. Further, when the reels 42L, 42M, and 42R are rotated forward, the surfaces of the reels 42L, 42M, and 42R are projected as if moving from top to bottom through the display windows 31L, 31M, and 31R.

  Each of the reels 42L, 42M, and 42R is coupled to the stepping motors 61L, 61M, and 61R, and each of the reels 42L, 42M, and 42R is individually, that is, independently, driven by the stepping motors 61L, 61M, and 61R. Thus, it can be rotationally driven. Since these reels 42L, 42M, and 42R have the same configuration, here, the left reel 42L will be described as an example with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is an assembled perspective view of the left reel 42L.

  The left reel 42L includes a cylindrical skeleton member 50 that forms a cylindrical cage, and a belt-like belt wound endlessly on the outer peripheral surface thereof. And it is affixed on the cylindrical skeleton member 50 through a pair of seal parts formed along the both sides of the long side of the belt so as to maintain the wound state. A large number of symbols as identification information are printed at equal intervals on the outer peripheral surface of the belt. A boss 51 is formed at the center of the cylindrical skeleton member 50, and is attached to the drive shaft of the left reel stepping motor 61L via a disc-shaped boss reinforcing plate 52. Accordingly, when the drive shaft of the left reel stepping motor 61L is rotated, the cylindrical skeleton member 50 is rotated around the drive shaft so that the left reel 42L circulates along the annular reel surface. It has become.

  The left reel stepping motor 61L is fixed to the side surface of the motor plate 53 arranged in an upright state in the reel unit 41 (FIG. 3) with screws 54. The motor plate 53 is provided with a reel index sensor (rotational position detection sensor) 55 in which a light emitting element 55a and a light receiving element 55b are held at a predetermined interval. On the other hand, the base end portion 56b of the sensor cut bun 56 extending in the radial direction is fixed to the boss reinforcing plate 52 integrated with the left reel 42L with a screw 57. The front end portion 56a of the sensor cut bun 56 is bent at a substantially right angle and is positioned so as to pass between both elements 55a and 55b of the reel index sensor 55. Each time the left reel 42L makes one rotation, the reel index sensor 55 detects the passage of the front end portion 56a of the sensor cut bun 56, and a detection signal is output to the main controller 131 described later each time the detection is made. Therefore, main controller 131 can confirm and correct the angular position of left reel 42L for each rotation based on this detection signal.

  The stepping motor 61L is set to rotate once by giving, for example, a drive signal of 504 pulses (also referred to as an excitation signal or an excitation pulse; the same applies hereinafter), and the rotation position of the stepping motor 61L, that is, left The rotational position of the reel 42L is controlled.

  On each belt of each of the reels 42L, 42M, and 42R, a plurality of, specifically, 21 symbols are drawn in the long side direction (circumferential direction). Therefore, 24 pulses (= 504 pulses ÷ 21 symbols) are required to switch from one symbol to the next symbol at a predetermined position. Based on the number of pulses from when the detection signal of the reel index sensor 55 is output, it is recognized which symbols are visible from the display windows 31L, 31M, and 31R, and arbitrary symbols are displayed on the display window. Control to make it visible from 31L, 31M, 31R can be performed.

  Of the symbols attached to the reels 42L, 42M, and 42R, the number of symbols that can be visually recognized through the display windows 31L, 31M, and 31R is mainly determined by the vertical lengths of the display windows 31L, 31M, and 31R. Is limited to a predetermined number. In this embodiment, three reels are provided. For this reason, when all the reels 42L, 42M, and 42R are stopped, 3 × 3 = 9 symbols are visible to the player.

  Here, the symbols attached to the reels 42L, 42M, and 42R will be described. FIG. 7 shows a symbol arrangement drawn on the belt wound around each of the left reel 42L, the middle reel 42M, and the right reel 42R. As shown in the figure, each of the reels 42L, 42M, and 42R is provided with 21 symbols in a row. In addition, numbers 0 to 20 are assigned to the reels 42L, 42M, and 42R, and these numbers are used for the main controller 131 to recognize the symbols that are visible from the display window. It is a number and is not actually attached to the reels 42L, 42M, 42R. However, in the following description, the number is used for explanation.

  The symbols include “Replay” symbol (for example, left belt 20th), “Bell” symbol (for example, left belt 19th), “Youth” symbol (for example, left belt 18th), “7” symbol (for example, (Left belt 17th), “Cherry” design (eg, left belt 13th), “Chance” design (eg, left belt 12th), “Watermelon” design (eg, left belt 9th), “Reach” design ( For example, there are nine types: the 6th left belt) and the “Lucky” symbol (for example, 1st left belt). As shown in FIG. 7, the number of various symbols and the arrangement order are completely different in the belt wound around each reel 42L, 42M, 42R.

  Each reel 42L, 42M, 42R of the reel unit 41 is an example of variable display means for variably displaying identification information, and constitutes a main display unit. However, the variable display means may have a configuration other than this as long as the symbol is variably displayed in the circumferential direction. For example, other mechanical reel configurations such as a type in which the belt is rotated instead of rotating may be used. In addition to the mechanical reel configuration, an electric display such as a liquid crystal display or a dot matrix display may be used. A device for variably displaying the identification information may be provided, and in this case, it is possible to give abundant variations in the display form.

  A total of five combination lines are attached to the game panel 30 such that three display windows 31L, 31M, and 31R are connected to each other and three in parallel in the horizontal direction and two in diagonal directions. Of course, the maximum number of combined lines may be 6 or more, or less than 5, and the maximum number of combined lines may be changed according to a predetermined condition. Corresponding to these combination lines, effective line display sections 32, 33, and 34 are provided on the left side when viewed from the front of the display windows 31L, 31M, and 31R. The first effective line display unit 32 is notified by lighting or the like when the central horizontal line (middle line) of the combination lines is activated. When the upper and lower horizontal lines (upper line and lower line) of the combination lines are activated, the second effective line display unit 33 is displayed and notified by lighting or the like. The third effective line display unit 34 is notified by lighting or the like when a pair of diagonal lines (downward right line and upward right line) of the combination lines is activated. And, when the combination line that has been activated, that is, when the symbol is stopped in a predetermined combination on the activated line, a prize is awarded, and a payout process for a predetermined medal number or a bonus game such as a BB game that is in a special gaming state is awarded. Migration processing etc. are executed.

  FIG. 8 shows a combination of symbols for winning and the number of medals to be paid out when winning.

  Small prizes for which medals are paid out include a watermelon prize, a bell prize, and a cherry prize. When stopped alongside the “Watermelon” symbol, “Watermelon” symbol, and “Watermelon” symbol from the left on the active line, 15 medals are paid out as a watermelon prize, “Bell” symbol from the left, “Bell” on the active line In the case of stopping alongside the symbol and the “bell” symbol, eleven medals are paid out as a bell prize. When the “cherry” symbol on the left reel 42L stops on the active line, two medals are paid out as a cherry prize. That is, in the case of a cherry winning, any symbol that stops on the active line of the middle reel 42M and the right reel 42R may be any symbol. Therefore, when the “cherry” symbol stops at the position where the plurality of effective lines of the left reel 42L overlap (specifically, the upper stage or the lower stage), a cherry winning is established on each active line, and the overlapping effective The medal is paid out by multiplying the number of lines. As a result, in this embodiment, four medals are paid out.

  Further, there is a BB winning as a state transition winning in which the gaming state shifts. When the “7” symbol, “7” symbol, and “7” symbol are stopped from the left on the active line, the game state shifts to the BB game where the gaming state is the special gaming state as a BB winning. However, even if the “7” symbol stops along the left, middle and right on the active line, no medal is paid out. That is, when the combination of the “7” symbols is established on the active line, only the BB game is entered. In other words, it can be said that the “7” symbol is a state transition symbol for shifting the gaming state to the BB game.

  Furthermore, when the “replay” symbol, “replay” symbol, and “replay” symbol are stopped from the left on the active line, a re-game win is awarded. When the re-game winning is established, the medal payout and the state transition are not performed, but the player can play the next game without reducing the medals owned and without inserting medals.

  In addition, only when the gaming state is an RB game, which will be described later, when stopped alongside the “Replay” symbol, “Replay” symbol, “Chance” symbol from the left on the active line, and from the left on the active line When the “replay” symbol, “replay” symbol, and “lucky” symbol are stopped alongside, 15 medals are paid out as a JAC prize.

  In other cases, that is, when the “cherry” symbol of the left reel 42L does not stop on the active line and the combination of the symbols described above does not stop on the active line, the medal payout, the transition of the gaming state, etc. Not done at all. That is, the “chance” symbol and “lucky” symbol of the left reel 42L, the “cherry” symbol of the middle reel 42M and the right reel 42R, the “young” symbol and the “reach” symbol of each reel 42L, 42M, 42R Not involved at all. In other words, it can be said that each of the symbols is a no-benefits symbol unrelated to the privilege given to the player. As described above, each of the reels 42L, 42M, and 42R is provided with a bonus symbol related to winning such as a “bell” symbol and a non-privileged symbol irrelevant to winning such as a “young” symbol, for example. In the following, a combination of symbols corresponding to each prize is also referred to as a combination of winning symbols. For example, the BB symbol combination is a symbol BB winning combination, that is, a combination of “7” symbol, “7” symbol, and “7” symbol.

  An operation area 70 is provided below the game panel 30 so as to protrude forward with respect to the game panel 30. The reels 42L, 42M, and 42R are simultaneously (simultaneously) arranged on the left side of the operation area 70. A start lever 71 is provided which is operated to start rotation. The start lever 71 constitutes start operation means or start operation means operated to start rotation of the reels 42L, 42M, and 42R, that is, to start variable display of symbols. The start lever 71 is a lever that is pushed by the hand when the player starts the game, and automatically returns to the original position after the hand is released. When the start lever 71 is operated when a predetermined number of medals are inserted, the reels 42L, 42M, and 42R start to rotate all at once.

  On the right side of the start lever 71, button-like stop switches 72, 73, 74 that are operated to individually stop the rotating reels 42L, 42M, 42R are provided. Each of the stop switches 72, 73, 74 is arranged directly below the display windows 31L, 31M, 31R corresponding to the reels 42L, 42M, 42R to be stopped. That is, when the left stop switch 72 is operated, the rotation of the left reel 42L is stopped. When the middle stop switch 73 is operated, the rotation of the middle reel 42M is stopped and the right stop switch 74 is operated. In this case, the rotation of the right reel 42R is stopped. The stop switches 72, 73, 74 constitute stop operation means operated to stop the variable display of symbols based on the rotation of the reels 42L, 42M, 42R. Each of the stop switches 72, 73, 74 can be stopped when a predetermined time elapses after the left reel 42L starts rotating, and is stopped by lighting a lamp (not shown) during such a state. It is notified that the operation is possible, and is turned off when the rotation stops.

  On the lower right side of the display windows 31L, 31M, 31R, there is provided a medal slot 75 for inserting a medal as an investment value. The medal slot 75 constitutes an input means for inputting the investment value. Further, if attention is paid to the point that the medal insertion slot 75 is accompanied by the operation of directly inserting the medal by the player, it can be said that the medal insertion slot 75 constitutes a direct input means for directly inputting the investment value.

  The medals inserted from the medal insertion slot 75 are guided to either the storage passage 81 or the discharge passage 82 by the selector 84 as passage switching means provided on the back surface of the front door 12. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the selector 84. The two-dot chain line in the figure indicates the medal passage route for easy understanding. The selector 84 is formed with a guide passage 85 for guiding medals inserted from the medal insertion port 75 to the storage passage 81. The guide passage 85 is formed in a curved line that draws an arc from the upper end to the lower right in the drawing so that medals can pass in one row. More specifically, the selector body constituting the selector 84 is provided with a protrusion 85a protruding toward the front side of the figure, and a guide passage 85 is formed along the protrusion 85a. Thereby, the medal that has reached the guide passage 85 flows in the downstream direction so as to roll on the ridge 85a.

  The medal passage switching member 83 includes a passage switching piece 83a that is provided in the upstream portion of the guide passage 85 and can be moved in and out of the guide passage 85, and a solenoid (not shown) for operating the passage switching piece 83a. doing. When the solenoid is not excited, the passage switching piece 83a protrudes into the guide passage 85, and the flow of medals to the storage passage 81 is obstructed. As a result, the medal falls downward so as to get over the protrusion 85 a and is guided to the discharge passage 82. Further, the passage switching piece 83a is sunk outside the guide passage 85 when the solenoid is excited. Thereby, the medal flows along the guide passage 85 and is guided to the storage passage 81.

  A first inserted medal detection sensor 86 for detecting the passage of medals and a second inserted medal detection sensor 87 are arranged close to each other along the guide path 85 on the downstream side of the passage switching piece 83a ( The proximity state is such that a state in which the same medal is simultaneously detected at least at one time is generated). When the solenoid of the medal path switching member 83 is not energized, the medal falls downward from the middle of the guide path 85, so that the inserted medal detection sensors 86 and 87 do not detect the passing of the medal. On the other hand, when the medal passage switching member 83 is energized with solenoid, the inserted medal detection sensors 86 and 87 sequentially detect the passage of medals.

  The medal guided to the discharge passage 82 is guided to the medal tray 18 from the medal discharge port 17 provided in the lower front portion of the front door 12 and returned to the player. On the other hand, the medal guided to the storage passage 81 is guided to the hopper device 91 housed in the housing 11.

  A hopper device 91 as a payout means for giving a medal to a player is composed of a storage tank 92 for storing the medal and a payout device 93 for paying out the medal to the player. The payout device 93 rotates a medal payout rotating plate (not shown) to discharge the medal to the opening 94 provided in the central right part of the discharge passage 82 and to the medal tray 18 through the discharge passage 82. To come out. Further, a reserve tank 95 is provided on the right side of the hopper device 91 in order to avoid storing a predetermined amount or more of medals in the storage tank 92. A guide plate 96 for discharging medals from the storage tank 92 to the reserve tank 95 is provided inside the storage tank 92 of the hopper device 91. Therefore, when medals are stored more than the height at which the guide plate 96 is provided, the medals are stored in the reserve tank 95.

  A button-like return switch 76 is provided below the medal slot 75. The return switch 76 is a switch that is pressed when a medal inserted into the medal slot 75 is jammed in the selector 84. When this switch is pressed, the selector 84 is mechanically operated to operate the selector 84. The medals packed in 84 are returned from the medal discharge port 17.

  On the lower left side of the display windows 31L, 31M, 31R, there is provided a button-like first credit insertion switch 77 for inserting three virtual medals credited as investment values at a time. Further, on the left side of the first credit insertion switch 77, a second credit insertion switch 78 and a third credit insertion switch 79 are provided as button switches smaller than the switch 77. The second credit insertion switch 78 is for inserting two credited virtual medals at a time, and the third credit insertion switch 79 is for inserting one virtual medal. Each of the credit insertion switches 77 to 79, together with the medal insertion slot 75, constitutes an input means for inputting an investment value. Further, if the medal insertion slot 75 is accompanied by an operation of directly inserting a medal by the player, each credit insertion switch 77 to 79 is only accompanied by an operation of inserting a virtual medal based on the storage memory. It can also be said that it constitutes an indirect input means for indirectly inputting the investment value.

  The first credit insertion switch 77 has a built-in lamp as a light emitting member (not shown) to urge that the maximum number of medals that can be inserted per game (three) has not been reached. The lamp is turned on when the switch operation of the first credit insertion switch 77 is valid and prompts the operation of the switch 77. However, when there is no credited virtual medal or three medals have already been inserted. It is turned off under the circumstances. Here, instead of the above-described lighting, the player may make it easier to understand the prompt for medal insertion by blinking.

  A button-like settlement switch 80 is provided on the left side of the start lever 71. That is, the slot machine 10 has a credit function for storing and storing surplus inserted medals up to a predetermined maximum value (for 50 medals) and winning medals as virtual medals. The virtual medal is paid out as an actual medal when the settlement switch 80 is pressed while stored and stored. In this case, if paying attention to the function of paying out the credited virtual medal as an actual medal, it can be said that the checkout switch 80 constitutes a checkout operation means for actually paying out the stored game value.

  It should be noted that the surplus inserted medals up to a predetermined maximum value (for example, 50 medals) and the “credit mode” set to store and memorize the winning medals as virtual medals, the surplus inserted medals, In the case of a slot machine that can be switched to “direct mode” set so that the winning medal at the time of winning is paid out as an actual medal, the settlement switch 80 has a function as a changeover switch for mode switching. May be added. In this case, the settlement switch (changeover switch) 80 is turned on when pressed once, turned off when pressed again, and switched on / off every time a pressing operation is performed. When the settlement switch 80 is on, the credit mode is selected. When the settlement switch 80 is off, the direct mode is selected. If there are virtual medals when the credit mode is switched to the direct mode, the virtual medals corresponding to the virtual medals are paid out as real medals. Thereby, the player can execute the game in a format according to his / her preference by switching between the credit mode and the direct mode. The settlement switch 80 constitutes a switching operation means for switching the input value and game value handling formats.

  Below the display windows 31L, 31M, and 31R of the game panel 30, a credit display unit 35 that displays the number of virtual medals stored and stored, and the remaining number of acquired medals that can be acquired until the BB game is completed A display unit 36 and an acquired number display unit 37 for displaying the number of medals acquired at the time of winning are provided. Although these display parts 35-37 are comprised by the 7 segment display, it is naturally possible to substitute by a liquid crystal display etc. FIG.

  Here, a procedure for betting medals will be described. If a medal is inserted from the medal slot 75 at the start of the game, a bet is placed.

  That is, when the first medal is inserted into the medal insertion slot 75, the first effective line display section 32 is turned on, and the corresponding middle line becomes the effective line, and the second medal is the medal insertion slot. When the number 75 is inserted, the second effective line display section 33 is turned on, and a total of three combination lines including an upper line and a lower line corresponding to the second effective line display section 33 become effective lines, respectively, and the third medal is a medal. When it is inserted into the insertion port 75, the third effective line display unit 34 is further turned on, and a total of five combination lines including a pair of diagonal lines corresponding thereto become effective lines.

  When four or more medals are inserted into the medal slot 75, the surplus medals exceeding three are stored inside the slot machine if the number of virtual medals stored and stored at that time is less than 50. At the same time, the number of virtual medals on the credit display unit 35 is added and displayed. On the other hand, when the number of virtual medals is 50 or reaches 50, the selector 84 switches from the storage passage 81 to the discharge passage 82, and the surplus medals are returned from the medal discharge port 17 to the medal tray 18. Is done.

  Further, when the stored number is displayed on the credit display unit 35, a virtual medal is inserted even when any of the first to third credit insertion switches 77 to 79 is pressed, and a bet is made. .

  When the third credit insertion switch 79 is pressed, the numerical value displayed on the credit display unit 35 is decremented by one as a virtual medal is inserted, and the first effective line display unit 32 is turned on. The middle line becomes the active line. When the second credit insertion switch 78 is pressed, two numerical values displayed on the credit display unit 35 as two virtual medals are inserted are subtracted, and the first valid line display unit 32 and the second The effective line display unit 33 is turned on, and a total of three combination lines become effective lines. When the first credit insertion switch 77 is pressed, three numerical values displayed on the credit display unit 35 are subtracted as three virtual medals are inserted, and all the effective line display units 32 to 34 are displayed. Lights up and a total of five combination lines become effective lines.

  In addition, when the virtual medal to be inserted when any of the first to third credit insertion switches 77 to 79 is pressed is not stored, for example, when the display of the credit display unit 35 is 2, the first credit For example, when the insertion switch 77 is pressed, all the numerical values in the credit display unit 35 are subtracted to 0, and a bet is placed for the virtual medal that can be inserted.

  On the upper part of the front door 12, there are an upper lamp 13 that lights up or flashes as the game progresses, and a pair of left and right sounds that make various sound effects as the game progresses and inform the player of the game state Speaker 14 and an auxiliary display unit 15 for giving various information to the player. In the present embodiment, the auxiliary display unit 15 is configured by a liquid crystal display for the purpose of diversifying display contents and increasing the display effect. However, other displays such as a dot matrix display may be used. Good. The auxiliary display unit 15 is for executing various display effects as the game progresses, and it can be considered that the game by the reels 42L, 42M, and 42R is caused by the main display unit. This is referred to as an auxiliary display unit 15. On the back surface of the auxiliary display unit 15, an upper lamp 13, a speaker 14, and a display control device 111 for driving the auxiliary display unit 15 are provided. The positions and numbers of the upper lamp 13 and the speakers 14 are not limited to those described above.

  Above the medal tray 18, a decorative plate 16 to which a model name, a character related to a game, and the like are attached is mounted. By illuminating the decorative plate 16 from the back side, the visibility of the model name of the decorative plate 16 and characters related to the game is improved. In addition, an ashtray 19 that can be reversed to the lower side on the front side is provided on the left side of the medal tray 18.

  A power supply box 121 is provided on the left side of the hopper device 91 inside the housing 11. The power supply box 121 includes a power switch 122, a reset switch 123, a setting key insertion hole 124, and the like. The power switch 122 is a start switch for supplying power to each unit including the main controller 131. The reset switch 123 is a switch for resetting an error state of the slot machine 10. Further, the setting key insertion hole 124 is used by a hole manager or the like to adjust the medal appearance. That is, the hall manager or the like can set the winning probability of the slot machine 10 by inserting the setting key into the setting key insertion hole 124 and turning it ON. The reset switch 123 is operated not only to reset the error state but also to change the winning probability of the slot machine 10.

  A main controller 131 is attached to the back plate 11 c of the housing 11 above the reel unit 41. The main control device 131 includes a CPU that controls the main control, a ROM that stores a game program, a RAM that temporarily stores necessary data according to the progress of the game, a port that communicates with various devices, time counting and synchronization. A main board including a clock circuit and the like used in the case of planning is provided, and the main board is accommodated in a board box as an encapsulating means made of a transparent resin material or the like. The board box includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box base and a box cover that covers an opening of the box base. The box base and the box cover are connected to each other so as not to be opened by a sealing unit as a sealing means, whereby the substrate box is sealed. In addition, it is good also as a structure which connects a box base and a box cover so that opening is impossible using a key member.

  Here, a configuration around the decorative plate 16 which is a characteristic part of the present embodiment will be described. First, the decorative plate 16 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 is a front view of the decorative plate 16, FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the periphery of the decorative plate 16, and FIG. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view for explaining the configuration of the peripheral of the decorative plate 16.

  The decorative plate 16 has a horizontally long rectangular shape and includes a plate portion 16a and a plate frame 16b. The plate portion 16a is formed of a synthetic resin material having optical transparency such as acrylic resin or polycarbonate resin. Also, a model name, a character related to a game, and the like are given to the back side of the plate portion 16a. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, a character 151 is given to the plate portion 16a, and a payout table 152 relating to the payout of medals is given to the upper right portion as game information. The plate frame 16b is formed in a frame shape so as to surround the outer periphery of the plate portion 16a with a colored synthetic resin having a high light blocking property.

  Below the operation area 70 of the front door 12, a box-shaped accommodation portion 160 that is open at the front is provided, and the front opening is closed by the decorative plate 16. The accommodating part 160 is comprised by the back cover 161 and the surrounding wall part 163, and the selector cover 162 bulging ahead is attached to the back cover 161 of the accommodating part 160 at the upper right part. The selector cover 162 covers the lower front surface and lower surface of the selector 84. In addition, the light guide plate unit 170 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 160 so as to be positioned in front of the selector cover 162.

  The configuration of the light guide plate unit 170 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the light guide plate unit 170, and FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a light path in the light guide plate 171.

  The light guide plate unit 170 includes a light guide plate 171. The light guide plate 171 is formed in a horizontally-long rectangular shape with a transparent acrylic resin. The light guide plate 171 has substantially the same size as the plate portion 16a, and is disposed such that the front surface thereof faces the back surface of the plate portion 16a and the front region thereof overlaps the entire plate portion 16a. .

  Cold cathode fluorescent lamps 172 are provided at both left and right ends of the light guide plate unit 170, respectively. Each cold cathode tube 172 is disposed along the left and right ends of the light guide plate 171, and the length of the cold cathode tube 172 is substantially the same as the vertical length of the light guide plate 171. That is, light is introduced from the entire end. Further, a light reflecting material 173 is provided on the outer periphery of the cold cathode tube 172 excluding a portion facing the end of the light guide plate 171 so as to cover the cold cathode tube 172. The light reflecting material 173 is made of a hard material having light reflectivity such as aluminum, and holds the cold cathode tube 172. Since the light reflecting material 173 is fixed to the light guide plate 171, the cold cathode tubes 172 are disposed at the left and right ends of the light guide plate 171 as described above. The light guide plate 171 and the light reflecting material are fixed by fixing them with an adhesive or the like.

  When light is emitted from the cold cathode tube 172, the light emitted toward the end of the light guide plate 171 is directly introduced into the light guide plate 171. On the other hand, light emitted in a direction different from the end of the light guide plate 171 is reflected by the light reflecting material 173 and then introduced into the light guide plate 171. Therefore, the light emitted from the cold cathode tube 172 is efficiently introduced into the light guide plate 171.

  On the back surface of the light guide plate 171, an uneven portion 175 is provided on the entire surface. The uneven portion 175 is formed by mechanical etching or the like. In addition, the uneven | corrugated | grooved part 175 may be formed in the front surface of the light-guide plate 171, and may be formed in both surfaces of the front surface and back surface of the light-guide plate 171. In FIG. 14, L 1 and L 2 are light paths in the light guide plate 171. L1 and L2 travel while reflecting in the light guide plate 171. The light is totally reflected when the incident angle (angle with respect to the normal of the plate surface) when entering the front surface or the back surface is larger than the total reflection angle. For example, in L1, when light is incident on the front surface, the light is totally reflected. On the other hand, when light is incident on the concavo-convex portion 175, it is irregularly reflected by changing the incident angle, and a part is emitted from the plate surface. In FIG. 14, for convenience of explanation, the size of the uneven portion 175 with respect to the thickness of the light guide plate 171 is shown larger than the actual size.

  The light guide plate unit 170 is fixed in the accommodating portion 160 without using the portion where the uneven portion 175 is formed. Such a configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16. 15 is a longitudinal sectional view for explaining a configuration relating to attachment of the decorative plate 16, and FIG. 16 is a transverse sectional view for explaining a constitution relating to clamping of the light guide plate unit 170 (a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 12). ). First, a configuration for fixing the decorative plate 16 will be described.

  The decorative plate 16 has an outer edge shape whose outer periphery comes into contact with the front end surface of the peripheral wall portion 163 in the housing portion 160. In this case, the upper part and the lower part of the front opening part of the accommodating part 160 located below the operation area 70 are stepped as shown in FIG. An abutting portion 164a and a peripheral surface abutting portion 165a that faces upward or downward and contacts the peripheral surface of the decorative plate 16 are formed. A substantially L-shaped hook 166 extending rearward is formed on the rear surface of the plate frame 16b. The hook 166 includes an insertion portion 166a extending rearward from the plate frame 16b and an upper portion from the distal end of the insertion portion 166a. It is comprised by the latching | locking part 166b extended below. In addition, the back contact portion 164a is formed with a receiving portion 167 penetrating in the front-rear direction so that the hook 166 can be inserted. Then, by inserting the hook 166 into the receiving portion 167, the locking portion 166b comes into contact with the upper or lower end of the inner surface of the receiving portion 167, and the locking portion 166b is locked to the back surface of the back contact portion 164a. The decorative plate 16 is locked to the housing portion 160 at the upper right portion, the upper left portion, the lower right portion, and the lower left portion of the back surface. Thereby, the decorative plate 16 is attached to the accommodating portion 160.

  Subsequently, a configuration in which the light guide plate unit 170 is fixed in the housing portion 160 will be described. In FIG. 16, the light guide plate unit 170 is sandwiched between the decorative plate 16 and the accommodating portion 160. Specifically, the left part and the right part of the front opening part of the accommodating part 160 are stepped, and a first support plate part 164b facing the front and a second support plate part 165b facing each other are formed. The first support plate portion 164b is positioned so as to recede to the back side by the thickness of the light guide plate unit 170, that is, the thickness of the light reflecting material 173 with respect to the back contact portion 164a.

  The back surface of the light reflecting material 173 is in contact with the first support plate portion 164b, and the end portion of the light reflecting material 173 is in contact with the second support plate portion 165b. Further, the front surface of the light reflecting member 173 is in contact with the back surface of the plate frame 16b, and the horizontal dimension of the plate frame 16b is substantially the same as the horizontal dimension of the light guide plate 171. That is, the light reflecting material 173 is sandwiched between the plate frame 16 b and the first support plate portion 164 b, and the light guide plate unit 170 is fixed in the housing portion 160.

  As described above, the light guide plate unit 170 is fixed in the accommodating portion 160 by sandwiching the light reflecting material 173, and the entire plate portion 16a is located in the front region of the light guide plate 171. Accordingly, the entire surface of the plate portion 16a is illuminated by the light guide plate 171.

  Here, a comparison with the conventional machine regarding the configuration around the decorative plate 16 will be described with reference to FIG. 17A is a cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration around the decorative plate 16 in the present embodiment, and FIG. 17B is a cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration around the decorative plate 16 in the conventional machine. is there.

  In FIG. 17B, a fluorescent lamp 181 is provided in the housing portion 160. The fluorescent lamp 181 is supported by a support 182 provided below the selector cover 162 in front of the back cover 161. Here, when light is emitted from the fluorescent lamp 181, the decorative plate 16 is illuminated by the light. However, a part of the light emitted from the fluorescent lamp 181 is blocked by the selector cover 162. For this reason, the amount of light hitting the back surface of the portion surrounded by the two-dot chain line (front of the selector cover 162) in the plate portion 16a shown in FIG. 10 is smaller than the amount of light hitting the back surface of the other portion. For this reason, the brightness of the payout table 152 is darker than other portions. As a result, the visibility of the payout table 152 is degraded.

  On the other hand, when the light guide plate unit 170 is provided in the housing portion 160, the light guide plate unit 170 is provided facing the back surface of the decorative plate 16, as shown in FIG. In this case, when light is emitted from the light guide plate unit 170, the entire surface of the plate portion 16a is illuminated. Therefore, the plate portion 16a becomes bright, and the visibility of the character 151 and the payout table 152 can be improved.

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

  A light guide plate unit 170 is provided between the decorative plate 16 and the selector cover 162. For this reason, the light emitted from the light guide plate unit 170 is not blocked by the selector cover 162. For this reason, the decoration plate 16 can be illuminated as uniformly as possible, and as a result, the visibility of the character 151 and the payout table 152 given to the plate portion 16a can be improved.

  Since the payout table 152 is given to the upper right part of the plate portion 16a, the distance between the player's viewpoint and the payout table 152 can be shortened, and the payout table 152 can be easily seen by the player. Thereby, even in the middle of the game, the player can visually recognize the payout table 152 without causing any trouble in the game. At this time, when the fluorescent lamp 181 is provided in the housing portion 160, the distance between the payout table 152 and the fluorescent lamp 181 is increased, and part of the light emitted from the fluorescent lamp 181 is blocked by the selector cover 162. The brightness of the payout table 152 is darker than the brightness of other portions of the plate portion 16a. Therefore, the visibility of the payout table 152 is reduced. On the other hand, when the light guide plate is provided in the housing portion 160, this inconvenience can be solved.

  The light guide plate 171 has substantially the same size as the plate portion 16a, and an uneven portion 175 is provided on the entire back surface of the light guide plate 171. Then, the light guide plate unit 170 is arranged so that the front region of the light emission region in the light guide plate 171 overlaps the entire plate portion 16a. Therefore, the entire surface of the plate portion 16a can be brightened.

  In this case, the light guide plate unit 170 was fixed in the housing portion 160 by sandwiching the light reflecting material 173 between the plate frame 16 b of the decorative plate 16 and the first support plate portion 164 b of the housing portion 160. As a result, the entire surface of the plate portion 16a can be illuminated brightly while fixing the light guide plate unit 170 in the accommodating portion 160 without using the portion where the light emission region of the light guide plate 171 is formed. In this case, it can be fixed with a simple configuration.

  In addition, a configuration in which a fixing through-hole or the like is provided in the light guide plate unit 170 and fixed with a screw or the like is also conceivable. However, in this case, there is a possibility that light leaks from the through-hole, and the problem is solved. Therefore, it is necessary to perform a process such as closing the through hole. On the other hand, in the case of this configuration, since it is not necessary to provide a through hole in the light guide plate unit 170, such a problem does not occur, and it is not necessary to perform a process such as closing the through hole.

  Furthermore, since the light reflecting material 173 is formed of a hard material, even if the light guide plate unit 170 is sandwiched, damage or the like does not occur.

  The light guide plate unit 170 was placed in contact with the decorative plate 16 and arranged in parallel with the selector cover 162. For this reason, the space between the decorative plate 16 and the selector cover 162 can be made as small as possible. Therefore, the space can be effectively utilized in a limited space called a gaming machine.

  Cold cathode tubes 172 were provided along the left and right ends of the light guide plate 171 having a horizontally long rectangular shape. Accordingly, a large amount of light is introduced from the entire area of both end portions of the light guide plate 171, so that a large amount of light can be uniformly emitted from the light guide plate 171. Further, the length of the cold cathode tube 172 is shortened as compared with the case where the cold cathode tube 172 having the same length as that of the light guide plate 171 is provided along the vertical end of the light guide plate 171. be able to. For this reason, it is possible to contribute to the cost reduction of the slot machine 10 while achieving the effects described above.

  The cold cathode tube 172 was held by the light reflecting material 173, and the light reflecting material 173 was fixed to the light guide plate 171 to form the light guide plate unit 170. Therefore, the light guide plate 171, the cold cathode tube 172, and the light reflecting material 173 can be easily attached to the slot machine 10.

  In addition, it is not limited to the description content of embodiment mentioned above, For example, you may implement as follows.

  (A) Although the light guide plate 171 has substantially the same size as the plate portion 16 in the above embodiment, the light guide plate 171 may be larger than the plate portion 16. In this case, the uneven portion 175 may be formed in the light guide plate 171 in a range including the plate portion 16.

  (B) In the above embodiment, the uneven portion 175 is formed on the plate surface of the light guide plate 171 by mechanical etching. However, the uneven portion 175 is formed by chemical patterning using a chemical solution or the like. It may be formed.

  (C) In the above embodiment, the uneven portion 175 is formed on the plate surface of the light guide plate 171 in order to generate irregular reflection of light. However, the present invention is not limited to this. On the plate surface of the light guide plate 171, a material having transparency and a refractive index different from that of the light guide plate 171 may be embedded as a member for irregular reflection. In this case, when the light in the light guide plate 171 enters the irregular reflection member, the refractive index is different from that of the other flat surface. For this reason, irregular reflection of light occurs in the light guide plate 171 and light is emitted from the plate surface. Further, the ink may be printed on the plate surface of the light guide plate 171 with dots.

  (D) In the above embodiment, the light guide plate 171 is made of acrylic resin, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the light guide plate 171 may be formed of a material having a different refractive index and transmittance and having transparency, such as another synthetic resin material or glass.

  (E) In the above embodiment, the light reflecting material 173 is provided so as to cover the cold cathode tube 172, but in addition, the light reflecting material 173 may be provided so as to cover the light guide plate 171. For example, when the light in the light guide plate 171 reaches the end in the vertical direction, the light may be emitted from the end. Therefore, when the light reflecting material 173 is provided so as to cover the end portion of the light guide plate 171, the light is reflected to the light reflecting material 173 and is not emitted to the outside. For this reason, the light in the light guide plate 171 can be efficiently emitted toward the decorative plate 16. Further, a light reflecting material 173 may be provided so as to cover the back surface of the light guide plate 171.

  (F) In the above embodiment, the light guide plate 171 and the light reflecting material 173 are fixed by being fixed by an adhesive or the like, but the light reflecting material 173 is detachable from the light guide plate 171. Also good. For example, a locking portion is provided on the light guide plate 171 and a locked portion corresponding to the locking portion is provided on the light reflecting material 173. At this time, the light reflecting material 173 can be attached to and detached from the light guide plate 171 by the locking portion and the locked portion. Therefore, the replacement work of the cold cathode tube 172 can be easily performed.

  (G) Although the cold cathode tubes 172 are provided along the left and right ends of the light guide plate 171 in the above embodiment, they may be provided along the upper and lower ends.

  (H) In the above embodiment, the cold cathode tubes 172 having the length substantially the same as the vertical length of the light guide plate 171 are arranged, but the cold cathode tubes 172 shorter than the vertical length of the light guide plate 171 are arranged. May be.

  (I) In the above embodiment, the light reflecting material 173 is sandwiched between the plate frame 16b and the first support plate portion 164b, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the light guide plate 171 may be sandwiched between the plate frame 16b and the first support plate portion 164b.

  (J) In the above embodiment, the back surface of the light reflecting material 173 is in contact with the first support plate portion 164b and the front surface is in contact with the back surface of the plate frame 16b. However, this may be changed. That is, a buffer material may be provided between the back surface of the light reflecting material 173 and the first support plate portion 164b and between the front surface of the light reflecting material 173 and the plate frame 16b. For example, when the light guide plate unit 170 is sandwiched, the light reflecting material 173 may be damaged. At this time, the shock applied to the light reflecting material 173 and the like can be buffered by providing the buffer material on the front and back surfaces of the light reflecting material 173. Therefore, damage to the decorative plate 16 and the light guide plate unit 170 can be suppressed.

  (K) In the above embodiment, the light guide plate unit 170 is configured by the light guide plate 171, the cold cathode tube 172, and the light reflecting material 173, but the light guide plate unit 170 may be configured by the light guide plate 171 and the cold cathode tube 172. good.

  (L) In the above embodiment, the decorative plate 16 is engaged with the hook 166 formed on the back surface of the plate frame 16b and the receiving portion 167 formed on the back surface contact portion 164a, so that the front opening portion of the storage portion 160 is opened. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the decorative plate 16 may be attached with screws.

  (M) In the above embodiment, the light reflector 173 is sandwiched between the plate portion 16a and the first support plate portion 164b to fix the light guide plate unit 170 in the housing portion 160. It may be changed as follows. That is, a substantially L-shaped hook 201 extending rearward is formed on the rear surface of the light reflecting material 173, and the hook 201 stands up from the insertion portion 201a extending rearward from the light reflecting material 173 and the inserting portion 201a. And a locking portion 201b extending in this manner. The first support plate portion 164b is formed with a receiving portion 202 penetrating in the front-rear direction so that the hook 201 can be inserted. In such a configuration, by inserting the hook 201 into the receiving portion 202, the locking portion 201b comes into contact with the inner surface of the receiving portion 202, and the locking portion 201b is locked to the back surface of the first support plate portion 164b. Thereby, the light guide plate unit 170 can be fixed in the accommodating portion 160 without covering the uneven portion 175.

  (N) In the above-described embodiment, the light receiving plate unit 170 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 160. However, the light receiving plate unit 170 may be accommodated. For example, the light guide plate unit 170 is provided on the back side of each of the character 151 and the payout table 152. Thereby, the character 151 and the payout table 152 are particularly brightly illuminated. Therefore, the character 151 and the payout table 152 can be emphasized.

  (O) In the above embodiment, the cold cathode tubes 172 are provided along the left and right ends of the light guide plate 171, but a plurality of light emitting diodes may be provided side by side along the left and right ends of the light guide plate 171. good. Thereby, the power consumption of the light guide plate unit 170 can be reduced, and the service life can be extended.

  (P) In the above embodiment, the payout table 152 relating to the payout of medals is given to the plate portion 16a as game information. However, the “7” symbol, “7” symbol, and “7” symbol are arranged on the active line from the left. For example, when the game is stopped, the game information may be changed to a special game state (so-called jackpot state).

  (Q) The operation area 70 may be stepped when viewed from the front of the slot machine 10. For example, the operation area 70 is stepped so that the medal insertion slot 75 is positioned below the first credit insertion switch 77.

  (R) Although the slot machine 10 in which the auxiliary display unit 15 is provided above the reel unit 41 has been described in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the slot machine 10 in which the auxiliary display unit 15 is provided below the reel unit 41. Also good.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Slot machine as game machine, 12 ... Front door as game machine front part, 16 ... Decoration plate as decoration plate, 16a ... Plate part as part which has light transmittance, 16b ... Plate frame as frame , 18 ... Medal tray, 70 ... Operation area, 71 ... Start lever as operation means, 75 ... Loading port, 81 ... Storage passage, 82 ... Discharge passage, 84 ... Selector, 92 ... Storage tank, 160 ... Storage part DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 164b ... 1st support plate part as a support part, 170 ... Light guide plate unit, 171 ... Light guide plate, 172 ... Cold-cathode tube as a light-emitting body, 173 ... Light reflecting material as a light reflection means, 175 ... Uneven part.

Claims (1)

An operation area provided on the front surface of the gaming machine and provided with operation means to be operated in the game,
An insertion port provided in the operation area and into which a game medium is inserted;
A storage passage for guiding the game medium to a storage tank provided inside the gaming machine;
A discharge passage for guiding the game medium to a tray provided below the operation area;
A selector that is provided below the input port and guides the game medium input from the input port to either the storage passage or the discharge passage;
In a gaming machine provided with a decorative plate provided between the operation area and the tray and on the front side of the selector and having a decoration on a portion having light permeability,
A light guide plate provided between the decorative plate and the selector so that the plate surface faces the back surface of the decorative plate;
A light emitter for introducing light into the light guide plate;
A gaming machine comprising: a light emitting region provided on the light guide plate, and transmitting light transmitted from the light emitter and reflected within the light guide plate or radiated by diffuse reflection.

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