JP2017164367A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game machine capable of suitably increasing a degree of attention to a game.SOLUTION: A game board unit 80 of a Pachinko machine includes a variable winning unit 300 allowing a game ball flowing down a game area PE to enter. In the variable winning unit 300, an upper electric accessory 315 capable of switching to an assist state for assisting entry of a game ball into an upper inflow port and to a non-assist state is arranged. A guide path 302 for guiding a game ball entering the upper inflow port is branched into a first guide path and a second guide path in a position directly below the upper inflow port, and a difference is provided such that the first guide path is more advantageous to a player than the second guide path. In the branch position, a guide member capable of switching to a first guide state for guiding a game ball entering the upper inflow port to the first guide path and to a second guide state for guiding the game ball to the second guide path is disposed. The guide member is in the first guide state and in the second guide state when the upper electric accessory 315 is in a non-assist state and in an assist state, respectively.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine.

  Some gaming machines, such as pachinko gaming machines, include a game board in which a game area in which game balls flow down is formed. Based on the player's operation, the game ball is launched toward the game area, and when the launched game ball enters the entrance area provided in the game area, the player is given benefits such as paying out the game ball To be granted.

  In gaming machines in which the provision of benefits depends on the movement of game balls in this way, game parts such as nails and windmills are arranged in the game area to distribute the flow paths of the game balls, In some cases, the degree of attention to the movement of the game ball, and hence the degree of attention to the game, is increased by diversifying the movement of the game (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2003-071059 A

  However, there is still room for improvement in the configuration in order to increase the attention to the game by the movement of the game ball.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a gaming machine that can suitably increase the degree of attention to a game.

The present invention
A game board in which a game area is formed;
A gaming machine comprising a ball entry device capable of entering a game ball flowing down the game area;
Variable entrance means provided at the entrance portion of the entrance device, and capable of switching to an assist state in which entrance into the entrance device is easier than in the non-assist state and the non-assist state;
A first entrance portion into which a game ball entering the entrance device enters and a second entrance portion that is more advantageous to the player than the first entrance portion;
A first guidance state in which a game ball that has passed through an entrance portion of the ball entry device is guided to the first ball entrance portion or the second ball entrance portion, and a game is made to the first ball entrance portion than the first guidance state. And a guide means capable of switching to a second guidance state for easily guiding a sphere,
When the variable pitching means is in the non-assisting state, the guiding means is in the first guiding state, and when the variable pitching means is in the assisting state, the guiding means is the first guiding state. It is characterized in that it is provided with a switching means for making two guidance states.

  The degree of attention to the game can be suitably increased.

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 front view which shows the structure of an inner frame. It is a front view which shows the structure of a game board unit. It is a rear view which shows the structure of an inner frame. It is a rear view which shows the structure of a pachinko machine. It is a front view which shows the structure of a back pack unit. It is the schematic which shows a winning combination unit. (A) The top view which shows the midstream area | region of a housing, (b) It is a perspective view of an accessory apparatus. It is a fragmentary sectional view showing an accessory device. It is the schematic which shows the distribution aspect of the game ball by a distribution apparatus. It is the schematic which shows the mode of an interlocking | linkage with an upper electric accessory and a guide member. It is a timing chart which shows the flow of the interlocking | linkage with an upper electric accessory and a guide member. It is the schematic which shows the relationship between the electrically-driven accessory in 2nd Embodiment, and a guide member. It is the schematic which shows the modification of a winning combination.

<First Embodiment>
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a pachinko gaming machine (hereinafter referred to as a “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, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the main configuration of the pachinko machine 10 in an exploded manner. 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 plate members 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, the 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 further, a lower portion is connected to the connection portion between the lower frame portion and the left frame portion in the outer frame 11. Side support fittings 18 are provided. 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. Unit 15. 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.

  The front door frame 14 is attached to the inner frame 13 so that the front door frame 14 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 of the pachinko machine 10. 15 is attached to the inner frame 13 so that it can be rotated rearward with the left side as the rotation base end side and the right side as the rotation front end side in the front view of the pachinko machine 10.

  The front door frame 14 is mainly composed of a synthetic resin frame body 20 whose outer shape is substantially the same as that of the outer frame 11, and covers substantially the entire front side of the inner frame 13. A substantially elliptical window portion 21 is formed in the central portion of the frame body 20 so that a substantially entire game area PE, which will be described later, can be viewed from the front. The window portion 21 is formed by the glass unit 30. The front door frame 14 is covered from the back side.

  A glass unit installation portion is formed in the frame 20 so as to surround the window portion 21. The glass unit installation portion is provided on the back side of the frame body 20 and is recessed toward the front of the pachinko machine 10, and the window portion 21 is formed at the bottom thereof. The glass unit 30 is restricted from being displaced in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction by being fitted into the glass unit installation portion.

  The glass unit 30 includes glass panels 31 and 32 having transparency, and a glass holder 33 that holds the glass panels 31 and 32. The glass holder 33 has an annular frame portion formed along the window portion 21, and the glass panels 31 and 32 are accommodated in a region surrounded by the frame portion, and the glass panels 31 and 32 play games. The region PE is double-covered from the front side of the pachinko machine 10.

  Referring back to FIG. 1, light emitting means such as various lamps are provided around the window portion 21. For example, an annular illumination part 24 incorporating a light emitting means such as an LED is provided along the periphery of the window part 21. In the annular illumination unit 24, lighting or blinking is performed according to a change in the gaming state at the time of a big hit or a predetermined reach. In addition, an error display lamp unit 25 is provided at the center of the annular illumination unit 24 and at the top of the pachinko machine 10 so as to be lit when a predetermined error occurs. A prize ball lamp unit 26 is provided. In addition, a speaker unit 27 is provided at a position close to the central error display lamp unit 25 to output a sound effect corresponding to the gaming state.

  Below the window portion 21 in the front door frame 14, an upper bulging portion 28 and a lower bulging portion 29 bulging toward the front side are arranged in parallel. An upper pan 28a that opens upward is provided inside the upper bulging portion 28, and a lower pan 29a that also opens upward is provided inside the lower bulging portion 29. The upper plate 28a has a function of temporarily storing game balls paid out from a payout device, which will be described later, and guiding the game balls to a game ball launching mechanism, which will be described later, while aligning them in a line. In addition, the lower tray 29a has a function of storing game balls that are surplus in the upper tray 28a.

  A game ball launching handle 41 is provided at a position aligned with the lower bulging portion 29 so as to protrude toward the front side. By operating the game ball launch handle 41, a game ball is launched from a game ball launch mechanism described later.

  As shown in FIG. 2, 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 a synthetic resin, and is formed with a front door side upper plate passage that leads to the upper plate 28a and a front door side lower plate passage that leads to the lower plate 29a. 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. An entrance portion of the passage and an entrance portion of the front door side lower dish passage are partitioned. The upstream side of the front door side upper dish passage and the front door side lower dish path are connected to a game ball distributing section which will be described later. The game balls that have entered the dish passage are guided to the lower dish 29a.

  Next, the inner frame 13 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a front view of the inner frame 13. In FIG. 3 as well, the configuration in the game area of the pachinko machine 10 is omitted as in FIG.

  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. 3) on the front surface of the resin base 70. In addition, on the rotation base end side on the back surface of the front door frame 14, projection shafts are provided corresponding 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 shaft of the front door frame 14 is inserted into these shaft holes, so that the front door frame 14 is attached to the inner frame 13. It is rotatably supported. That is, these support fittings 71 and 72 and the projection shaft 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 saddle members 76, a plurality of scissor receiving members 63 extending toward the inner frame 13 are provided on the back surface of the front door frame 14 (see FIG. 2). 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. As shown in FIG. 2, the locking device 75 includes 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.

  As shown in FIG. 3, 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 a hole provided in the front door frame 14. 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 unit 80 is formed at a substantially central portion of the front surface of the resin base 70. The game board housing portion 73 is recessed behind the pachinko machine 10 to define a housing space for housing the game board unit 80, and the game board unit 80 attached to the resin base 70 is fitted in the housing space. It has become. Particularly in the present embodiment, the game board unit 80 is detachably attached to the resin base 70, thereby facilitating maintenance work and the like.

  The game board unit 80 includes a game board 80a made of synthetic resin and a back block 80b (see FIG. 5) provided behind the game board unit 80a, and the front surface of the game board unit 80 passes through an open portion of the game board housing portion 73. It is exposed on the front side. A game area PE in which game balls flow down is formed on the exposed portion, that is, on the front surface of the game board 80a. As already described, the game area PE is covered with the glass panel 32. In the glass panel 32, the gap between the front surface of the game board 80a is slightly larger than the diameter of the game ball, that is, the game balls flowing down the game area PE are not lined up and down in the same place of the game area PE. Are arranged as follows. Thereby, the ball blockage in the game area PE is suppressed. Note that the game board 80a is not limited to being made of synthetic resin, and may be made of wood.

  Hereinafter, the game board unit 80 (particularly, various configurations arranged in the game area PE) will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view of the game board unit 80.

  A plurality of large and small openings penetrating in the thickness direction (front-rear direction) of the game board 80a constituting the game board unit 80 are formed. Each opening is provided with a general winning opening 81, operating ball entering portions 84 and 85, a through gate 86, a variable winning unit 300, and the like. When game balls enter the general winning opening 81, the operation ball portions 84 and 85, and the variable winning unit 300, these game balls are detected by a detection sensor described later, and a predetermined number of prize balls are paid out based on the detection result. Are given to the player. In addition, an out port 89 is provided at the lowermost part of the game board 80a (game area PE), and game balls that have not entered various winning holes etc. are discharged from the game area PE through the out port 89. In the following description, in order to clearly distinguish the game ball from entering the out port 89, the game ball enters the general winning port 81, the operating ball 84, 85, the through gate 86, and the variable winning unit 300. Is also expressed as “winning”.

  In addition, a large number of nails 90 are planted on the game board 80a to disperse and adjust the flow path of the game ball as appropriate, and various members (functions) such as a windmill are arranged. The flow path of the game ball is differentiated by various configurations such as the nails 90 and the windmills, and is adjusted so that a winning in the above-described general winning opening 81 and the like occurs with an appropriate probability.

  The variable winning unit 300 is arranged in the center of the game board 80a, and the variable winning unit 300 causes the flow route of the game balls in the game area PE to bypass the variable winning unit 300 from the left side and the variable winning unit 300. It is roughly divided into a right route that detours from the right side.

  In the vicinity of the variable prize-winning unit 300, the above-mentioned action entry parts 84 and 85 (lottery opportunity entry parts) are arranged. The operation entrance parts 84 and 85 are the left and right operation entry parts 84 (hereinafter referred to as the first operation entry part 84) disposed on the sides (left route and right route) of the variable prize winning unit 300, respectively. It is comprised by the lower operation | movement entrance part 85 (henceforth the 2nd operation | movement entrance part 85) arrange | positioned below the variable display unit 88, specifically, the junction of the right and left routes.

  The second actuating ball portion 85 is provided with an electrically operated accessory 91 for the actuating ball portion as an openable / closable entrance assist device (entrance assisting means) or an opening / closing member (opening / closing means). The electric accessory 91 has a pair of left and right movable pieces and a solenoid-type drive unit that drives the movable pieces, and an auxiliary state (open state) that makes it easy to enter the second working ball entry portion 85. ) And a non-auxiliary state (closed state) in which entering is more difficult than the open state. The through gate 86 is disposed at a position above each first operation entrance portion 84 in the left route and the right route. When a winning is made through a lottery triggered by the passing of the game ball through the through gate 86, the electric accessory 91 attached to the second action entry portion 85 is in an auxiliary state for a predetermined period, and the second action entry. Entry into the unit 85 is assisted.

  Below the game area PE, a decorative body 92 that is an object to be provided with the general winning opening 81 is provided. The decorative body 92 protrudes from the front surface of the game board 80a to the front of the pachinko machine 10, and the gap with the glass unit 30 (glass panel 32) is narrower than that of one game ball. This prevents the game ball from falling in front of the decorative body 92. A main display unit D is embedded in a portion of the decorative body 92 that faces the glass unit 30, and the visibility of the main display unit D through the glass unit 30 is ensured. Here, the main display unit D will be supplementarily described.

  The main display unit D is operated based on a first action entry part display unit 93 for displaying a lottery result based on a winning in the first action entry part 84 and a winning in the second action entry part 85. And a display section 94 for second actuated ball entering section that displays the lottery result.

  In the first action entry part display unit 93, the display of the variation of the pattern is executed with the winning of the first action entry part 84 as a trigger, and as a result of stopping the change display, the first action entry part 84 is displayed. The result of the internal lottery performed based on the winning is clearly indicated. Similarly, in the second actuated ball display unit 94, the display of the variation of the picture is executed with the winning of the second actuated ball entering unit 85 as a trigger, and as a result of stopping the variation display, the second actuated entrance unit The result of the internal lottery performed based on winning to 85 is clearly shown.

  Although details will be described later, an electric accessory 315 that is an open / close-type entry assist device is provided at the inlet of the variable prize unit 300 as a support means or an auxiliary means for supporting the inflow of game balls into the variable prize unit 300. It is arranged. Similarly to the electric accessory 91, the electric accessory 315 can be switched between an auxiliary state (open state) for assisting in entering the inflow port and a non-assistant state (closed state) in which the auxiliary is not performed. It has become. In the internal lottery based on winnings to the first operating ball entering unit 84 and the second operating ball entering unit 85, a support period or the like for maintaining the electric accessory attached to the variable winning unit 300 in an auxiliary state is determined.

  In the present embodiment, there are a first period (for example, 1 sec) that is a relatively short period as a support period in which the electric accessory is in an auxiliary state, and a second period (for example, 2 sec) that is a relatively long period. Is set. The internal lottery based on the winning to the first working pitching portion 84 tends to be the first period, and the internal lottery based on the winning to the second working pitching portion 85 is likely to be the second period. In other words, when comparing the first action entry part 84 and the second action entry part 85, the winning support mode is differentiated so that the latter is more advantageous to the player than the former.

  In the present embodiment, the firing cycle when the game balls are continuously fired based on the player's launch operation is 0.6 sec. Therefore, the assumed number of winnings when the first period is set as the support period is about 1-2, and the assumed number of winnings when the second period is set as the support period is about 3-4. .

  In the present embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the number of times that the game ball has passed through the first operation entrance portion 84 or the second operation entrance portion 85 is held up to 4 times in total, and the main display unit D Is provided with a holding number display section 95 for displaying the holding number (holding number).

  The main display unit D is also provided with a through gate display unit 96 for displaying a lottery result based on winning through the through gate 86. In the through gate display unit 96, the display of the variation of the pattern is performed with the winning of the through gate 86 as a trigger, and the result of the internal lottery performed based on the winning of the through gate 86 is displayed as a result of stopping the variation display. It is clearly shown. When the result of the internal lottery based on the winning to the through gate 86 is a winning result corresponding to the transition to the electric power open state, a predetermined stop result is displayed on the through gate display unit 96 and displayed in a variable manner. After is stopped, it shifts to the electric utility open state. In the state where the electric combination is released, the electric combination 91 attached to the second operation entrance portion 85 is opened in a predetermined manner.

  In the present embodiment, as the support mode by the electric accessory 91, the low-frequency support mode (the low-frequency support state or the low-frequency support state or so that the frequency that the electric accessory 91 is in the auxiliary state per unit time is relatively high. Low frequency guide state) and high frequency support mode (high frequency support state or high frequency guide state) are set.

  Specifically, the low-frequency support mode and the high-frequency support mode have the same probability of winning the power-released state in the electric-power-item release lottery, but the high-frequency support mode is more than the low-frequency support mode. The minimum securing time is set shortly after the next electrification opening lottery is performed after one electrification opening lottery is performed.

  As described above, in the high frequency support mode, there is a higher probability that a prize will be awarded to the second working ball entering portion 85 than in the low frequency support mode. In other words, in the low frequency support mode, there is a higher probability that a winning to the first operation ball portion 84 will occur than in the second operation ball portion 85, but in the high frequency support mode, the first operation ball portion The probability of winning a prize to the second operation ball entering portion 85 is higher than 84.

  The configuration for increasing the frequency at which the high frequency support mode is set to the power release state per unit time as compared to the low frequency support mode is not limited to the above. It is good also as a structure which raises the probability of becoming electrified state winning. Furthermore, the high frequency support mode and the low frequency support mode may be differentiated by making any one condition or any combination of the number of times, the opening time, and the winning probability different.

  Incidentally, in the present embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the number of times that the game ball has passed through the through gate 86 is held up to a maximum of 4 times, but the number of hold (holding number) is displayed on the main display unit D. A holding number display unit 97 is provided.

  Referring again to FIG. 3, below the game board housing portion 73 (game board unit 80) in the resin base 70, a game for launching a game ball to the game area PE based on the operation of the game ball launch handle 41. A ball launching mechanism 110 is provided. The game ball launching mechanism 110 includes a solenoid 111 that launches a game ball placed at a predetermined launch standby position, a launch rail 112 that defines the launch direction of the game ball launched by the solenoid 111, and a game at the launch standby position. A ball feeding device 113 for supplying a ball and a base plate 114 on which the various configurations 111 to 113 are mounted are provided as main components, and the base plate 114 is fixed to the resin base 70 so that it is attached to the inner frame 13. On the other hand, it is integrated.

  The firing rail 112 is fixed to the base plate 114 in an inclined state so as to be inclined upward toward the game board unit 80 side. A ball stopper that holds the game ball supplied from the ball feeding device 113 at the above-described firing standby position is disposed at a position closer to the downstream end portion (that is, the lower end portion) of the firing rail 112. The solenoid 111 is arranged at a position further downstream than the ball stopper.

  The solenoid 111 is electrically connected to a power source / launch control device described later. Based on the output of the electrical signal from the power supply / launch control device, the output shaft of the solenoid 111 reciprocates in the expansion / contraction direction, so that the game ball placed at the launch standby position is on the game board unit 80 side, in detail. It is launched toward the guide rail 100 mounted on the game board unit 80.

  The guide rail 100 forms a game area PE together with the game area partition member 108 so that the outer shape of the game area PE is substantially circular. In addition, the guide rail 100 includes an inner rail 101 and an outer rail 102 arranged so as to face each other with a gap slightly larger than the diameter of the game ball, and a single guide passage 103 is defined by both the rails 101 and 102. Is formed. The guide passage 103 has an inlet portion that is open to the tip end side (obliquely downward) of the firing rail 112 and an outlet portion that is located above the game area PE. The game ball fired based on the operation of the solenoid 111 is guided to the game area PE by moving in the order of the firing rail 112 → guide rail 100 (entrance portion → exit portion). In the game board unit 80, on the front side of the exit portion, specifically, in the vicinity of the front end of the inner rail 101, a reversal prevention member 106 for preventing the reversal of the game ball reaching the game area PE into the guide passage 103 is attached. Thus, it is possible to prevent the subsequent launch of the game ball from being hindered by the game ball that has reached the game area PE first.

  Each of the rails 101 and 102 constituting the guide rail 100 has an arc shape centered at a substantially central portion of the game area PE. For this reason, the game ball passing through the guide passage 103 is likely to move (slide or roll) along the outer rail 102, that is, in contact with the outer rail 102 due to the centrifugal force generated by itself.

  The guide rail 100 and the firing rail 112 are arranged such that the entrance portion of the guide rail 100 and the tip portion of the firing rail 112 face each other with the lower end edge of the game board unit 80 interposed therebetween. That is, both the rails 100 and 112 are arranged such that the entrance portion of the guide rail 100 and the tip portion of the firing rail 112 are shifted to the left and right in the vicinity of the lower end edge of the game board unit 80. As a result, a gap of a predetermined interval is formed between the entrance portion of the guide rail 100 and the firing rail 112 while bringing both rails 100 and 112 close to the lower end edge of the game board unit 80.

  A foul ball passage 55 (see FIG. 2) is disposed below the gap formed in this way. The foul ball passage 55 is integrally formed with the passage formation unit 50 of the front door frame 14. If the game balls launched from the game ball launching mechanism 110 do not reach the game area PE and return as foul balls in the guide passage 103, the foul balls enter the foul ball passage 55 through the gap. It becomes. The foul ball passage 55 communicates with the front door side lower tray passage 52, and the game balls that have entered the foul ball passage 55 are discharged to the lower tray 29a shown in FIG. This suppresses interference between the foul ball and the next game ball to be launched.

  On the left side of the firing rail 112 in the resin base 70 (specifically, the side supporting the front door frame 14), a passage forming member 131 is disposed in a through-hole penetrating the resin base 70 in the front-rear direction. The passage forming member 131 is screwed to the resin base 70 and has a main body side upper dish path 132 and a main body side lower dish path 133. The upstream side of the main body side upper dish passage 132 and the main body side lower dish passage 133 communicates with a game ball distributing section described later. Further, the receiving portion 53 of the passage forming unit 50 attached to the front door frame 14 enters below the passage forming member 131, and the front door side upper plate passage 51 is below the main body side upper plate passage 132. The front door side upper dish path 51 is disposed below the main body side lower dish path 133 (see FIG. 2).

  In the resin base 70, below the passage forming member 131, a shutter 134 that restricts the flow of game balls from the main body side upper dish passage 132 and the main body side lower dish passage 133 is provided. The shutter 134 is supported by the resin base 70 in a state where the shutter 134 can be switched between a blocking position where the outlet portions of both passages are narrowed to prevent the gaming ball from flowing out and an allowable position where the gaming ball is allowed to flow out. The resin base 70 is provided with a biasing member that biases the shutter 134 toward the blocking position. When the front door frame 14 is opened with respect to the inner frame 13, the shutter is driven by the biasing force of the biasing member. 134 is configured to remain in the blocking position. Thereby, when the front door frame 14 is opened in a state where the game balls are stored in the main body side upper tray passage 132 or the main body side lower tray passage 133, the inconvenience that the stored balls spill out is avoided. . In contrast, when the front door frame 14 is closed, the shutter 134 is pushed back to the allowable position against the urging force by the receiving portion 53 provided in the passage forming unit 50 of the front door frame 14. In this state, the main body side upper tray passage 132 and the front door side upper tray passage 51 communicate with the main body side lower tray passage 133 and the front door side lower tray passage 52, respectively, and the movement of the game ball is allowed. Become.

  Next, the back configuration of the inner frame 13 (the resin base 70 and the game board unit 80) will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a rear view of the inner frame 13.

  A bearing fitting 136 is attached to the rotation base end side (the right side in FIG. 5) on the back surface of the resin base 70. A bearing portion 137 is formed on the bearing bracket 136 so as to be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction, and the back pack unit 15 is rotatably attached to the inner frame 13 by these bearing portions 137.

  A central opening 74 that penetrates in the thickness direction of the resin base 70 and opens to the back side of the resin base 70 is formed at the bottom of the game board housing portion 73 in the resin base 70. The central opening 74 is a game. The game board unit 80 housed in the board housing part 73 is covered from the front side of the inner frame 13. Various components such as a control device are mounted on the back block 80 b of the game board unit 80, and these various components are exposed to the back side of the inner frame 13 through the central opening 74.

  The back block 80b of the game board unit 80 is fixed with a base body 141 as a pedestal for mounting various configurations on the game board 80a. The base body 141 has a substantially box shape opened to the game board unit 80 side, and covers almost the entire rear surface of the game board 80a. A part of the base body 141 protrudes to the back side of the resin base 70 through the central opening 74 of the resin base 70, and a notification / production control device unit 142 is mounted on the protruding portion. The notification / effect control device unit 142 includes a notification / effect control device 143 and a mounting base, and the notification / effect control device 143 is mounted on the mounting base.

  The notification / production control device 143 includes a notification / production control board that controls voice and lamp display (control of the lamp units 24 to 26 and the speaker unit 27) in accordance with instructions from the main control device described later. The production control board is housed in a board box 145 made of a transparent resin material or the like.

  A main controller unit 160 is provided below the notification / effect controller unit 142 so as to cover the base body 141 from behind. The main controller unit 160 includes a synthetic resin mounting base 161 fixed to the back surface of the game board unit 80 and a main control unit 162 mounted on the mounting base 161. The main controller 162 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 the main control board is made of a transparent resin material. It is configured to be accommodated in a substrate box 163 made of, for example.

  The board box 163 includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box base (front case body) and a box cover (back case body) that covers an opening of the box base. The box base and the box cover are connected so as not to be unsealed by a box sealing portion 164 as sealing means, whereby the substrate box 163 is sealed. A plurality of box sealing portions are provided on the short side portion of the substrate box 163, and at least one of them is used for sealing processing.

  Any structure can be applied to the box sealing part as long as the box base and the box cover are coupled so as not to be opened, but by inserting a locking pin into the locking hole that forms the box sealing part, The box cover is connected to the box cover so that it cannot be opened. The sealing process by the box sealing part prevents unauthorized opening after the sealing, and makes it possible to detect such a situation quickly and easily even if unauthorized opening is performed. It is possible to perform the sealing process again even after it has been performed. That is, the sealing process is performed by inserting a locking pin into at least one locking hole among the plurality of box sealing portions. When the substrate box 163 is opened, such as when a failure occurs in the accommodated main control board or when the main control board is inspected, a connecting portion between the box sealing portion into which the locking pin is inserted and the substrate box 163 main body. Disconnect. As a result, the box base and the box cover of the substrate box 163 are separated, and the internal main control substrate can be taken out. Thereafter, when the sealing process is performed again, a locking pin is inserted into another locking hole. If the history of opening the substrate box 163 is left in the substrate box 163, it can be easily found that the unauthorized opening has been performed by looking at the substrate box 163.

  The board box 163 and the mounting base 161 are connected to each other by a pedestal seal portion so that they cannot be opened. Specifically, the pedestal sealing part has a locking hole part and a locking pin like the box sealing part 164, and is attached to the board box 163 by inserting the locking pin into the locking hole part. The base 161 is connected to the base 161 inseparably. This makes it easier to grasp the fact that the substrate box 163 has been illegally removed.

  In the portion of the base body 141 facing the back of the game board 80a, there is one place on the downstream side corresponding to the game board opening for the general prize opening 81, the action ball parts 84 and 85, and the variable prize unit 300. A collection passage that gathers at the top is formed. Thereby, all the game balls won in the general winning opening 81 etc. are gathered below the game board unit 80 through the collection passage. That is, the base body 141 is provided with a function of collecting game balls won in various winning ports.

  A discharge passage, which will be described later, is arranged below the game board unit 80, and the game balls gathered below the game board unit 80 by the collection passage are led out into the discharge passage. The out port 89 is also connected to the discharge passage in the same manner, and the game balls that have not won any winning port are led out to the discharge passage through the out port 89.

  Further, in the collection passage, a general winning port detection sensor for detecting a game ball won in the general winning port 81 on the front side of the game board unit 80, and an operation for detecting the game ball won in the operating ball entering portions 84 and 85. A ball-entry detection sensor is provided. Each of these detection sensors constitutes a winning detection mechanism together with through gate detection sensors disposed on the left and right sides of the variable winning unit 300. These various detection sensors are electrically connected to the main control device 162, and detection information (detection signals) from the respective detection sensors are input to the main control device 162.

  Next, the back pack unit 15 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 is a rear view of the pachinko machine 10, and FIG. 7 is a front view of the back pack unit 15.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the inner frame 13 is covered from behind by the back pack unit 15. The back pack unit 15 includes a back pack 201, and a payout mechanism unit 202, a discharge passage board, and a control device assembly unit 204 are attached to the back pack 201.

  The back pack 201 is formed of a synthetic resin having transparency, and as shown in FIG. 7, a base portion 211 to which the payout mechanism portion 202 and the like are attached, and a protective cover portion 212 that protrudes rearward from the pachinko machine 10 and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. And have. The protective cover portion 212 has a shape in which the left and right side surfaces and the upper surface are closed and only the lower surface is opened, and has a size sufficient to surround at least the variable display unit 88 (see FIG. 6).

  The base part 211 is provided with an external terminal board at the upper right part thereof. Various output terminals are provided on the external terminal plate, and various signals are output to the management control device on the game hall side through these output terminals. Further, the base portion 211 is provided with a pair of upper and lower latch pins 214 at the right end when viewed from the rear of the pachinko machine 10, and the latch pins 214 are inserted through the bearing portions 137 provided on the inner frame 13. The back pack unit 15 is supported so as to be rotatable with respect to the inner frame 13. The base portion 211 is formed with a plurality of insertion portions through which the fixing levers provided in the inner frame 13 are inserted, and comes into contact with the base portion 211 from behind in a state where the fixing levers are inserted into the insertion portions. Thus, the back pack unit 15 is fixed to the inner frame 13.

  In the base portion 211, a payout mechanism portion 202 is disposed so as to bypass the protective cover portion 212. The payout mechanism 202 is provided with a tank 221 that is arranged at the top of the back pack 201 and that opens upward, and game balls supplied from the island facilities of the game hall are sequentially replenished to the tank 221. The A tank rail 222 that is gently inclined toward the downstream side is connected to the lower side of the tank 221, and a case rail 223 that extends in the vertical direction is connected to the downstream side of the tank rail 222. A payout device 224 is provided at the most downstream portion of the case rail 223. The game balls paid out from the payout device 224 are supplied to a game ball distribution unit 225 fixed to the base portion 211 of the back pack 201 through a payout passage (not shown) provided on the downstream side of the payout device 224. The game ball distribution unit 225 has a function of distributing the game balls paid out from the payout device 224 to either the upper plate 28a or the lower plate 29a.

  At the lower end portion of the base portion 211, the discharge passage board and the control device collective unit 204 are attached so as to sandwich the lower end portion in the front-rear direction. In the discharge passage board, a discharge passage opened rearward is formed on a surface facing the control device assembly unit 204, and an open portion of the discharge passage is closed by the control device assembly unit 204. The discharge passage is formed so as to discharge the game ball to the island facility or the like of the game hall, and the game ball led to the discharge passage from the recovery passage described above passes through the discharge passage to the outside of the pachinko machine 10. Discharged.

  The control device assembly unit 204 has a horizontally long mounting base 241, and a payout control device 242 and a power supply / launch control device 243 are mounted on the mounting base 241. The payout control device 242 and the power supply / launch control device 243 are arranged so as to overlap each other so that the payout control device 242 is behind the pachinko machine 10.

  In the payout control device 242, a payout control board for controlling the payout device 224 is accommodated in the board box 244, and a state return switch 245 provided on the payout control board projects out of the board box 244. For example, when the state return switch 245 is pressed when a payout error occurs, such as a ball jam in the payout device 224, the ball jam is eliminated.

  The power source / launch control device 243 includes a power source / launch control board housed in the board box 246, and a predetermined power source required for various control devices and the like is generated and output by the board. Control of the launch of the game ball accompanying the operation of the firing handle 41 is performed.

  The board boxes 244 and 246 are formed of a synthetic resin having transparency so that the built-in boards can be viewed from the outside of the board boxes 244 and 246. In the payout control board and the power / fire control board, one plate surface is a mounting surface for various elements, and the other plate surface is a solder surface. And, by placing the mounting surface facing the back of the gaming machine (soldering surface facing the inner frame 13 side (front of the gaming machine)), there is an abnormality in each control board during maintenance etc. It is the structure which can confirm easily visually whether it has generate | occur | produced.

  Further, the power supply / launch control device 243 is provided with a power switch 247 for performing power ON / OFF operations. This pachinko machine 10 has a function of storing and holding various data. For example, when the power is turned off in a normal procedure at the end of a game hall, the state before the turn-off is stored and held. In addition, even if a power failure occurs, the state at the time of the power failure is maintained, and when returning from the power failure, the state at the time of the power failure can be restored.

  Here, the main controller 162 is provided with a reset switch 166. When the power is turned on while pressing the reset switch 166, the RAM data is initialized.

(Variable winning unit 300)
Here, the variable winning unit 300 disposed in the center of the game board unit 80 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a front view showing the internal structure of the variable winning unit 300. For convenience of explanation, a part of the outline of the variable winning unit 300 (a part of a housing described later) is omitted.

  The variable prize-winning unit 300 includes a housing 301 in which a game ball flow area and an arrangement area for an accessory are defined. As already described, the inflow of game balls to the housing 301 is facilitated by winning a prize or the like to the operation ball entering portions 84 and 85. The housing 301 constitutes the outline of the variable winning unit 300 and is formed of a transparent synthetic resin material. As a result, the inner area of the variable prize-winning unit 300 through the housing 301, specifically, a game ball or the like moving in the inner area can be viewed from the front of the gaming machine.

  An upper inflow port 311 as an “inlet portion” of the variable winning unit 300 is formed at the top of the housing 301. The upper inflow port 311 is an opening that opens to the inside and outside (up and down) of the housing 301, and is formed so that its outer shape is slightly larger than the game ball. The game balls that have reached the upper inlet 311 flow into the variable winning unit 300 one by one through the upper inlet 311.

  As described above, the upper inflow port 311 is provided with the upper electric accessory 315 that controls the inflow of game balls to the upper inflow port 311. The upper electric accessory 315 includes a pair of left and right movable pieces 316 facing each other across the upper inlet 311, a biasing member (not shown) that biases the movable pieces 316 to a standby position (non-auxiliary position), and a movable And a solenoid 317 as a “drive unit” for displacing the piece 316. The solenoid 317 is connected to the main control device 162 and operates based on a drive signal from the main control device 162. When the solenoid 317 is driven (excited) by the drive signal from the main controller 162, a driving force is generated against the biasing force of the biasing member, and the movable piece 316 is resisted against the biasing force. Move from non-auxiliary position to auxiliary position. Then, the output of the drive signal is stopped and the solenoid 317 is brought into a non-driven state (non-excited state), whereby the movable piece 316 is returned from the auxiliary position to the standby position by the biasing force of the biasing member.

  The upper electric accessory 315 can be switched between an auxiliary state (open state) for assisting inflow of game balls into the upper inflow port 311 and a non-assist state (closed state) for not assisting inflow. In the non-assist state, the left and right movable pieces 316 face each other with a gap slightly larger than the diameter of the game ball (see the solid line), and the inflow to the upper inlet 311 through this gap is allowed. Yes. However, in this state, although there is room for inflow for game balls that move along the first route from directly above the upper inlet 311 toward the upper inlet 311, a route (for example, obliquely) There is no room for inflow of game balls moving along the second route from the upper side toward the upper inlet 311. In other words, the frontage is narrow and the frequency of winning a prize is low. On the other hand, when the upper electric accessory 315 is switched to the auxiliary state, the left and right movable pieces 316 rotate away from each other with the lower end portion of the movable piece 316 as the base end, and descend toward the upper inlet 311. The frontage is expanded by the inclination (see the two-dot chain line). As a result, a game ball moving along a route (eg, the second route) deviating from the first route is also guided to the upper inflow port 311 by the movable piece 316, and the frequency of winning is increased.

  Although not shown, a detection sensor for detecting a game ball flowing into the variable prize winning unit 300 is provided at a portion where the upper inlet 311 is formed in the housing 301. This detection sensor is connected to the main control device 162, and the main control device 162 grasps whether or not a prize is generated in the variable winning unit 300 based on a detection signal (detection information) from the detection sensor, and the winning is determined. When it occurs, a predetermined number of game balls are paid out.

  The inner region of the housing 301 is roughly divided into three regions: an upstream region / middle flow region / downstream region. Of these three areas, a middle-class area is provided with an accessory device 303 that constitutes a lottery means for performing a lottery generation lottery. A guide passage 302 is provided as supply means for supplying to the device 303. The guide passage 302 is branched into a plurality (specifically, a first guide passage 341 and a second guide passage 342) at a position immediately below the upper inflow port 311. In the branch portion 345, a guide member 330 is disposed as a “guide means” for guiding the game ball flowing in from the upper inflow port 311 to one of the first guide passage 341 and the second guide passage 342. If attention is paid to the fact that the guide passage 302 is switched at the branch portion 345, it can be said that the “passage switching means” is constituted by the guide member 330.

  Here, with reference to FIG.9 and FIG.10, supplementary description is given about the accessory apparatus 303. FIG. 9A is a plan view showing a midstream region of the housing, FIG. 9B is a perspective view of the accessory device 303, and FIG. 10 is a partial sectional view of the variable winning unit.

(Accessory device 303)
As shown in FIG. 9A, the housing 301 is formed with a partition portion 380 that divides the inner region of the housing 301 up and down. On the upper surface of the partition portion 380, a winning combination 350 constituting the combination device 303 is disposed. The winning combination 350 is fixed to the output shaft of the motor 360 (see FIG. 10), and is placed on the partition 380 in a state where rotation about the axis extending in the vertical direction is allowed. The motor 360 is electrically connected to the main controller 162 and operates based on a drive signal from the main controller 162. The drive signal continues to be output until the gaming machine is turned off until it is turned off. For this reason, while the power of the gaming machine is ON, the winning combination 350 continues to rotate in the same direction (specifically, counterclockwise in plan view) at a constant speed. Note that the rotation speed and the rotation direction of the winning combination 350 need not be constant, and may be changed according to the game situation or the like.

  The winning combination 350 has a thick disk shape in which a plurality of steps are formed in the direction of the central axis of the winning combination 350. More specifically, the winning combination 350 has three steps of an upper step portion 351, a middle step portion 352, and a lower step portion 353, and the outer diameter of the upper step portion 351 <the outer diameter of the middle step portion 352 <the lower step portion. By being formed so as to have an outer diameter of 353, it is convex upward as a whole (see FIG. 9B).

  As shown in FIG. 10, the partition portion 380 is formed with a circular recess 381 corresponding to the lower step portion 353, and the lower step portion 353 is fitted into the recess 381. The depth dimension of the concave portion 381 is set smaller than the thickness dimension of the lower step portion 353, and the lower step portion 353 protrudes upward from the concave portion 381. A substantially annular inner wall portion 382 that stands along the vertical wall of the lower step portion 353 is formed at the opening edge of the concave portion 381, and an outer wall portion 383 that faces the inner wall portion 382 outside the inner wall portion 382. Is formed. The gap between the inner wall portion 382 and the outer wall portion 383 is slightly larger than the diameter of the game ball, and the passage formed by both the wall portions 382 and 383 and the partition portion 380 is a downstream portion of the second guide passage 342. (Horizontal passage part) is constituted. Note that the lateral passage portion is located on the near side of the winning combination 350, and the visibility of the game ball moving in the lateral passage portion is ensured.

  The portion sandwiched between both wall portions 382 and 383 (the rolling surface of the game ball) on the upper surface of the partition portion 380 is gently inclined downward toward the center in the left-right direction. The game ball that has reached the partition portion 380 via the vertical passage portion (upstream portion) of the second guide passage 342 moves forward along the both wall portions 382 and 383 in the horizontal passage portion (downstream portion).

  A groove portion 384 that is inclined downward toward the winning combination 350 (that is, toward the rear) is formed in a specific portion (center portion) of the partition portion 380 that is the lowest in the horizontal passage portion. A recess portion 385 penetrating inward and outward is formed in a portion of the inner wall portion 382 located on the front side of the groove portion 384, and the game ball can move to the winning combination 350 through the recess portion 385. It has become. That is, the outlet of the second guide passage 342 is configured by the notch 385.

  As shown in FIG. 9B, the lower stage portion 353 of the winning combination 350 is provided with a plurality (eight in this embodiment) of ball entering portions 356 corresponding to the notched portions 385. . The respective ball entering portions 356 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the winning combination 350, and the ball entering portions 356 (hereinafter referred to as the first ball entering portions 356) opened to the side facing the inner wall portion 382 and upward. Sphere portion 356 </ b> A) and a side facing the inner wall portion 382 and a ball entry portion 356 that is open vertically (hereinafter referred to as a second ball entry portion 356 </ b> B). That is, one of the plurality of ball entering portions 356 (second ball entering portion 356B) is bottomless, and the other (first ball entering portion 356A) is bottomed.

  When the incoming ball portion 356 of the lower step portion 353 reaches a position where it is continuous with the notch portion 385, movement of the game ball that has moved through the second guide passage 342 to the incoming ball portion 356 is permitted. Become. As a result, the game ball that has passed through the second guide passage 342 enters the bottomless second entrance portion 356B with a probability of 1/8, and enters the bottomed first entrance portion 356A with a probability of 7/8. It becomes. Then, the game ball once entering the ball entering portion 356 moves together with the ball entering portion 356 as the winning combination 350 rotates. As a result, the return of the game ball from the ball entry portion 356 to the second guide passage 342 is prevented by the wall surface and the inner wall portion 382 of the recess 381.

  A V winning opening 386 is provided at a position overlapping the path through which the ball entering portion 356 passes at the bottom of the concave portion 381. The V winning opening 386 has a hole shape that allows the passing of the game ball, and the game ball that has entered the bottomless second entering portion 356B has the second entering portion 356B and the V winning opening 386. When it is connected, it moves to the V prize opening 386. The game balls that have passed through the V winning opening 386 are guided to the downstream area through a predetermined passage, and are discharged from the variable winning unit 300 through the downstream area (returned to the island facility).

  The partition unit 380 is provided with a V winning opening detection sensor 387 that detects a game ball that has entered the V winning opening 386. The V winning opening detection sensor 387 is connected to the main control device 162, and the main control device 162 grasps whether or not there is a winning at the V winning opening 386 based on a detection signal (detection information) from the V winning opening detection sensor 387. To do. If a win to the V prize opening 386 occurs in a situation where the jackpot (opening / closing execution mode) is not established, the system shifts to a jackpot (opening / closing execution mode) and is a jackpot (opening / closing execution mode). When a winning at the V winning opening 386 occurs, the open / close execution mode is continued based on the winning.

  In addition, a discharge port 388 is formed at a position opposite to the notch 385 with the inner wall 382 sandwiching the rotation center axis of the winning combination 350. The discharge port 388 penetrates into and out of the variable winning unit 300 (housing 301). The game ball that has entered the bottomed first ball entry portion 356A is discharged out of the variable winning unit 300 through the discharge port 388 when the discharge port 388 and the open portion of the first ball entry portion 356A are connected. Thereafter, the game board 80a is returned to the island facility in the game hall via a discharge passage provided on the back side of the game board 80a.

  In the upper stage portion 351 of the winning combination 350, a single groove portion 358 opened upward is formed. The groove portion 358 has one end opened to the bottomed first ball entering portion 356 </ b> A and the other end opened to the bottomless second ball entering portion 356 </ b> B, and is connected via a communication portion 357 formed in the middle step portion 352. Are communicated with the first and second balls 356A and 356B. Here, the outlet portion 341 a of the first guide passage 341 is located immediately above the central portion of the groove portion 368, and the game ball dropped from the outlet portion 341 a enters the groove portion 358. Then, the game ball that has entered the groove 358 moves along the groove 358 by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the winning combination 350. As a result, the game ball moves to either the first incoming ball portion 356A or the second incoming ball portion 356B. For this reason, the game ball that has passed through the first guide passage 341 enters the first entrance portion 356A with a probability of 1/2, and similarly enters the second entrance portion 356B with a probability of 1/2. In other words, when the game ball that has entered the variable winning unit 300 reaches the winning combination 350 via the first guide passage 341, the winning to the V winning opening 386 (for example, a big hit) with a probability of 1/2. Will occur.

  The game ball that has entered the V winning opening 386 moves to the downstream area of the variable winning unit 300, unlike the game ball that has entered the discharge opening 388. In this downstream area, a round distribution device 304 that determines the number of rounds in the case of a big hit (opening / closing execution mode) is arranged. In the present embodiment, by shifting to the opening / closing execution mode, the upper electric accessory 315 is opened, and the inflow of game balls to the variable winning unit 300 is facilitated. During the opening / closing execution mode, the round game is continued with the winning of the V prize opening 386, and the number of executed rounds reaches the number of rounds set at the time of shifting to the opening / closing execution mode, or a preset period When the V prize opening 386 is not won, the opening / closing execution mode is terminated.

  During the opening / closing execution mode, a third period (30 sec) longer than the first period and the second period is set as a period during which the upper electric accessory 315 is in the auxiliary state. When the upper electric accessory 315 is in an auxiliary state, either the third period has elapsed or a predetermined number (10) of game balls have flowed into the upper inflow port 311 before the third period has elapsed. Switching to the non-assisting state is made on the condition. Thus, it is equivalent to one round that the upper electric accessory 315 is switched from the non-assisting state to the assisting state to the non-assisting state. Hereinafter, a configuration (round distribution device 304) related to determination of the number of rounds will be described with reference to FIGS.

(Round sorting device 304)
As shown in FIG. 8, the round distribution device 304 has a distribution passage 390 that is continuous with the V winning opening 386, and the game balls that have entered the V winning opening 386 flow into the distribution passage 390. Distributing members 391A and 391B are disposed in the middle of the distributing passage 390. The number of rounds is determined according to the distribution destination of the game balls by the distribution members 391A and 391B. Note that the distribution mode of game balls in the respective distribution members 391A and 391B is the same. Hereinafter, the distribution member 391A disposed on the upstream side will be described, and the description on the downstream distribution member 391B will be cited.

  The distribution member 391A has a disk shape and is pivotally supported by the housing 301 so as to be rotatable. A motor is mounted on the housing 301 as a drive unit that rotates the distribution member 391A. This motor is connected to the main controller 162 and operates based on a drive signal from the main controller 162. Thereby, the distribution member 391A always continues to rotate in the same direction at a constant speed. Note that the rotation speed and the rotation direction of the distribution member 391A do not need to be constant, and may be changed according to the game situation or the like.

  A first receiving port 392A and a second receiving port 393A having a concave shape are formed in the sorting member 391A. The bottoms of the receiving ports 392A and 393A are inclined toward the rear of the gaming machine, and the game balls that have entered the receiving ports 392A and 393A are directed toward the rear of the gaming machine along this inclination. Here, the first receiving port 392A is opened to the tip of the slope, and the movement of the game ball (movement in the direction of the rotation center axis) through the open portion is allowed. A first winning port 395 is formed in the inner wall of the distribution passage 390, and the first receiving port 392A communicates with the first winning port 395, so that a waiting game ball is in the first receiving port 392A. One winning opening 395 is won (see FIG. 11 (a) → FIG. 11 (b)).

  The first winning opening 395 is provided with a first winning detection sensor that detects a game ball won in the first winning opening 395. The first winning detection sensor is connected to the main control device 162, and the main control device 162 grasps the presence / absence of winning in the first winning opening 395 based on the detection signal (detection information) from the first winning detection sensor. . When a winning to the first winning opening 395 occurs, “4” is set as the number of rounds. As a result, the open / close execution mode is started with the upper limit of four rounds.

  On the other hand, the back wall of the second receiving port 393A is formed and is not opened to the tip of the slope. For this reason, when a game ball that has flowed down the distribution passage 390 enters the second receiving port 393A, winning to the first winning port 395 through the second receiving port 393A is avoided, and the game ball is placed on the downstream side. It is guided to the sorting member 391B (see FIG. 11 (c) → FIG. 11 (d)).

  The game balls that have reached the downstream distribution member 391B are also distributed in the same manner, and won in either the second winning port 396 or the third winning port 397. The second winning opening 396 is provided with a second winning detection sensor for detecting a game ball won in the second winning opening 396, and a gaming ball won in the third winning opening 397 is detected in the third winning opening 397. A third winning detection sensor is attached. The second winning detection sensor and the third winning detection sensor are connected to the main control device 162, and the main control device 162 receives the first winning detection sensor and the third winning detection sensor based on detection signals (detection information) from the second winning detection sensor and the third winning detection sensor. Whether or not there is a winning in the second winning opening 396 and whether or not there is a winning in the third winning opening 397 is grasped. When the winning at the second winning opening 396 occurs, “8” is set as the number of rounds, and when the winning at the third winning opening 397 occurs, “16” is set as the number of rounds. . As a result, the opening / closing execution mode is started with 8 rounds or 16 rounds as the upper limit.

  In the present embodiment, the first prize-detecting sensor to the third prize-detecting sensor are temporarily made effective when a winning result is obtained by winning the V winning opening 386, and then the V winning prize is set. All the game balls won in the mouth 386 flow into the distribution passage 390. By changing this, a shutter may be provided at the entrance portion of the distribution path 390 so that it can flow into the distribution path 390 only when a big hit occurs (only the game ball that triggered the big hit). In this case, a discharge path for the V winning opening 386 is provided in the variable winning unit 300, and the game balls whose inflow to the distribution path 390 is restricted by the shutter may be discharged from the variable winning unit 300 through the discharge path.

  In the case of a jackpot result in this embodiment, “4” is set as the number of rounds in the open / close execution mode with a probability of 1/2, and “8” is set as the number of rounds with a probability of 1/4. , “16” is set as the number of rounds with a probability of ¼. After the opening / closing execution mode is completed, the support mode is set to the specified number of times (five times related to the actuating ball units 84 and 85, triggered by the fact that all the game balls in the variable winning unit 300 are discharged from the variable winning unit 300. Shift to the high frequency support mode with the upper limit (number larger than the upper limit number of pending) as the upper limit. During the high-frequency support mode, the electric accessory 91 attached to the second operation entrance portion 85 is likely to be in an auxiliary state, and entry into the second operation entrance portion 85 is prompted. As already described, in the internal lottery based on the entry into the second operation entry part 85, it is easy to achieve a long opening in which the second period is set as the auxiliary period. An inlet different from the upper inlet 311 is set for the opening target when the long opening is executed. Here, referring to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 again, the configuration relating to the long opening will be described.

(Right inlet 321 and right electric accessory 325)
As shown in FIG. 8, a right inflow port 321 opened to the side (right side) is formed on the right side of the variable prize winning unit 300 (housing 301). As with the upper inlet 311, the right inlet 321 is provided with a right electric accessory 325 as a ball entry assisting means. The right electric accessory 325 includes a movable piece 326 configured to face the right inflow port 321 and a solenoid 327 as a drive unit that drives the movable piece 316. The solenoid 327 is connected to the main controller 162 and operates based on a drive signal from the main controller 162.

  The right electric accessory 325 can be switched between an auxiliary state (open state) that assists the inflow of game balls to the right inflow port 321 and a non-assistant state (closed state) that does not assist inflow. In the non-assist state, the right inlet 321 is covered with the movable piece 316 (see the solid line), and the inflow of game balls to the right inlet 321 is impossible. On the other hand, in the auxiliary state, the movable piece 316 is tilted laterally with the lower end portion of the movable piece 316 as a base end, whereby the right inlet 321 is opened, and the movable piece 316 opens the game ball to the right inlet 321. An inclined guide surface is formed for guiding. This makes it easier for game balls flowing down the right side (right route) of the variable prize unit 300 to flow into the variable prize unit 300.

  Although not shown, the right inflow port 321 is provided with a detection sensor for detecting a game ball flowing into the variable prize winning unit 300. This detection sensor is connected to the main control device 162. The main control device 162 grasps whether or not a winning has occurred based on a detection signal (detection information) from the detection sensor. Pay out a number of game balls.

  The game ball flowing into the right inflow port 321 is guided to the accessory device 303 through the third guide passage 343. The downstream portion of the third guide passage 343 merges with the downstream portion of the second guide passage 342, and the lower stage of the winning combination 350 through the notch 385 is the same as the game ball flowing down the second guide passage 342. It will be guided to the part 353 (refer FIG. 9).

  A shutter 346 capable of temporarily restricting the flow of the game ball is provided in the middle of the third guide passage 343. The shutter 346 is movable to a blocking position where the third guide passage 343 is cut to prevent the game ball from flowing down further downstream, and to a permissible position where the game ball is allowed to flow down. The shutter 346 is normally disposed at the blocking position, and is permitted from the blocking position at the opening timing when a predetermined waiting period has elapsed from the switching timing to the assisting state when the right electric accessory 325 enters the assisting state. Move to position. Specifically, the right electric accessory 325 moves from the blocking position to the allowable position at the timing when “1.5 sec” has elapsed since the right electric accessory 325 is in the assist state, and the right electric accessory 325 returns to the non-assist state. It is configured to move from the allowable position to the blocking position at the timing when “1 sec” has elapsed.

  In the third guide passage 343, the passage length from the right inlet 321 to the shutter 346 is about six times the diameter of the game ball, and the game ball that has flowed into the right inlet 321 goes to the location where the shutter 346 is disposed. The period required to reach is “0.5 sec”. Due to the timing shift described above, a plurality of game balls temporarily form a row starting from the shutter 346. In other words, when the right electric accessory 325 is in the assisting state, the game balls that have flowed into the right inflow port 321 are not immediately guided to the accessory device 303, but are collectively guided after a certain number has accumulated. The Rukoto.

  The upper limit of the number of game balls stored by the shutter 346 is less than the number of the ball entering portions 356 provided in the accessory device 303 (winning accessory 350) (more specifically, six). A plurality of game balls are collectively guided to the winning combination 350, thereby increasing the winning probability to the second winning portion 356B. In other words, the off-ball that has entered the first entrance 356A stays in the first entrance 356A until it is discharged, so that the game ball enters the first entrance 356A in which the subsequent game ball is the same. Functions as a barrier to prevent For the above reasons, when a game ball is supplied to the accessory device 303 via the third guide passage 343, the degree of expectation for winning a prize to the V winning opening 386 is high.

  The opening of the right inlet 321 described in detail above mainly occurs in the high-frequency support mode that shifts after the opening / closing execution mode ends. The high frequency support mode has a limit on the number of times (five times). However, during this period, it is easier for a player to enter the V prize opening 386 than during the low frequency support mode. Thus, it is possible to suppress the monotonousness of the game by generating a sharpness in the game as a configuration in which jackpots are easy to continue.

  However, when the game flow is sharpened in order to suppress the monotony of the game, the disadvantageous situation for the player is conspicuous (excessive bias occurs in the advantage). It can be a factor to reduce. In the variable winning unit 300 shown in the present embodiment, in view of the above-described circumstances, etc., the game flow is sharpened in order to suppress the monotony of the game, resulting in excessive bias in the advantage. One of the characteristics is that a device for suppressing this is made. Here, with reference to FIG.8 and FIG.12, the structure concerning this device is demonstrated. FIG. 12 is a partially enlarged view of the variable winning unit 300.

  As shown in FIG. 8, an upper electric accessory 315 is disposed at the top (upper inlet 311) of the variable winning unit 300. The upper electric accessory 315 (specifically, the movable piece 316) and the guide member 330 are connected via a link mechanism 335 attached to the housing 301. The link mechanism 335 functions as power transmission means for transmitting the power applied to the movable piece 316 to the guide member 330 and is configured to operate the guide member 330 so as to follow the movement of the movable piece 316. That is, the posture of the guide member 330 shown in the present embodiment is configured to change according to the movement of the movable piece 316 of the upper electric accessory 315.

  The guide member 330 has a long plate-like main body portion 331 extending in the left-right direction and a shaft portion 332 provided at the center in the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 331, and the shaft portion 332 is pivotally supported by the housing 301. Thus, the housing 301 is integrated. The main body portion 331 functions as a ball receiving portion that faces the upper inflow port 311 from below and receives a game ball dropped from the upper inflow port 311. The guide member 330 is arranged so that the shaft portion 332 is positioned directly below the upper inflow port 311. For this reason, when the game ball dropped from the upper inflow port 311 collides with the guide member 330, the stress generated in the guide member 330 tends to be directed to the shaft portion 332, and the stress causes the guide member 330 to rotate. It suppresses acting on.

  The guide member 330 can be rotated clockwise and counterclockwise about the shaft portion 332, and the rotation range is defined by the housing 301. Specifically, in a state where the right end portion of the main body portion 331 is in contact with the bottom surface of the guide passage 302, the main body portion 331 is inclined downward to the right side and reaches the branch portion 345 via the upper inflow port 311. Is in the first guidance state in which the first guidance passage 341 is guided. On the other hand, when the left end portion of the main body portion 331 is in contact with the bottom surface of the guide passage 302, the main body portion 331 is inclined downward to the left and reaches the branch portion 345 via the upper inflow port 311. To the second guide passage 342.

  The main body 331 is provided with a decorative portion 333 that protrudes downward. The decorative portions 333 are respectively disposed on the left and right sides of the shaft portion 332 and are formed so as to be symmetrical with respect to the shaft portion 332 so that the center of gravity of the guide member 330 is located on the shaft portion 332. (A weight imbalance is avoided). A slit for the decorative portion 333 is formed on the bottom surface of the guide passage 302, and the decorative portion 333 can be switched alternately between a state where the decorative portion 333 protrudes downward and a retracted state where the protrusion is avoided. Yes. The decoration portion 333 has a pattern indicating that the game ball guide destination is the first guide passage 341 (specifically, a right-pointing arrow), and the game ball guide destination is the second guide passage 342. (Specifically, a left-pointing arrow) is provided. In a state where the decorative portion 333 protrudes from the slit, any pattern (arrow) can be visually recognized from the front of the gaming machine.

  As shown in FIG. 12A, when the upper electric accessory 315 is in the non-assisting state, the guide member 330 guides the game ball that has reached the branch portion 345 to the first guide passage 341. It becomes a guidance state. In the non-auxiliary state, the inflow path to the upper inflow port 311 is limited to the first route. For this reason, the frequency of winning a prize to the upper inflow port 311 is lowered. However, a game ball that breaks through such a requirement and enters the upper inflow port 311 is guided to the first guide passage 341. For this reason, winning to the V winning opening 386 occurs with a probability of 1/2.

  When the guide member 330 is in the first guide state, the arrow indicating the guide to the first guide passage 341 of the two arrows provided on the decoration portion 333 is prevented from overlapping with the guide passage 302. It can be seen from the front of the gaming machine. Thereby, it is suggested that the guide destination of the game ball is the first guide passage 341 (the first guide state is set). In this state, another arrow is hidden behind the guide passage 302, so that the arrow cannot be visually recognized.

  As shown in FIG. 12B, when the upper electric accessory 315 is in the auxiliary state, the guide member 330 guides the game ball that has reached the branch portion 345 to the second guide passage 342. It becomes a state. In the auxiliary state, inflow to the upper inlet 311 through the second route in addition to the first route is possible. For this reason, the frequency of winning a prize to the upper inflow port 311 is higher than in the non-assist state. Under such circumstances, the game ball that has entered the upper inlet 311 is guided to the second guide passage 342. As a result, winning to the V winning opening 386 occurs with a probability of 1/8.

  When the guide member 330 is in the second guide state, the arrow indicating the guide to the second guide passage 342 out of the two arrows provided on the decoration portion 333 is prevented from overlapping the guide passage 302. It can be seen from the front of the gaming machine. Thereby, it is suggested that the guide destination of the game ball is the second guide passage 342 (the second guide state is established). In this state, another arrow is hidden behind the guide passage 302, so that the arrow cannot be visually recognized.

  Thus, in a non-assist state where it is difficult to enter the upper inlet 311, the game ball that has flowed into the upper inlet 311 is guided to the first guide passage 341 that is relatively advantageous to the player, and the upper inlet 311. In an auxiliary state in which it is easy to enter the ball 311, the game ball flowing into the upper inflow port 311 is guided to the second guide passage 342 which is relatively disadvantageous for the player. Thus, by changing the guidance destination of the game ball, for example, in a non-assist state where it is difficult to enter the upper inlet 311, the game ball flowing into the upper inlet 311 is relatively disadvantageous for the player. In an auxiliary state where the ball is guided to the second guide passage 342 and easy to enter the upper inlet 311, the game ball flowing into the upper inlet 311 is guided to the first guide passage 341 which is relatively advantageous to the player. Compared to the configuration, the excessive bias of the advantage can be suppressed. In other words, when the upper electric accessory 315 is in the non-assist state, the expectation that the game ball enters the upper inflow port 311 will result in a big hit result, so the game willingness in the non-assist state is increased. Reduction can be suppressed. When the upper electric accessory 315 is in the auxiliary state, the game ball is guided to the second guide passage 342 having a low expectation of jackpot instead of easily entering the upper inflow port 311. Thereby, even if the opportunity to switch the upper electric accessory 315 to the auxiliary state is increased, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of large jackpots due to the increase.

  Note that a game ball that has reached the winning combination 350 through the first guide passage 341 enters the V winning opening 386 with a probability of 1/2 and reaches the winning combination 350 through the second guide passage 342. The game balls entered will enter the V prize opening 386 with a probability of 1/8. As for the second guide passage 342, if the number of game balls that flowed in at a time increases, the winning probability to the V winning opening 386 increases, and if eight game balls, which are the same number as the pitched portion 356, flow in. V winning is almost certain. However, since the actual number of incoming balls when the upper electric accessory 315 is in the assisting state is about 1 to 2, the player who is basically distributed to the first guide passage 341 is more It is advantageous.

  In addition, after the big hit ends, the mode shifts to a high frequency support mode with a limited number of times (limited to 5 times). In this case, the variation display time of the through gate display unit 96 is shortened, and most of the support lottery is a hit. In other words, a collective number of game balls are supplied to the winning combination 350 through the first guide passage 341 and the third guide passage 343. This increases the likelihood of a big hit result again during the high frequency support mode.

  Here, when the upper electric accessory 315 (upper inlet 311) and the guide member 330 are arranged so as to be separated from each other, the following inconvenience occurs. That is, under the situation where the upper electric accessory 315 is in the non-assist state, the electric accessory 315 is switched to the auxiliary state immediately before the game ball that has flowed into the upper inflow port 311 reaches the branching portion 345. Then, the game ball that should have been guided to the first guide passage 341 on the advantageous side can be guided to the second guide passage 342. This becomes a factor that misses the opportunity of distribution to the first guide passage 341, which may impair the player's willingness to play.

  In the present embodiment, a device is devised for the interlocking timing between the upper electric accessory 315 and the guide member 330 in order to suppress the occurrence of such inconvenience. Here, with reference to FIG. 13, a supplementary explanation will be given of the operation timing. FIG. 13 is a timing chart showing the movement of the upper electric accessory 315 and the guide member 330.

  At the timing of t1 when the switching condition for switching the upper electric accessory 315 to the assisting state based on the entry into the first actuating entry portion 84 or the second actuating entry portion 85 is satisfied, the solenoid 317 of the upper electric accessory 315 is obtained. The drive signal is output to the movable piece 316, and the movable piece 316 starts to rotate from the standby position to the maximum rotation position. At this timing, the inflow route of game balls to the upper inflow port 311 is limited to the first route described above, and inflow of game balls from the second route is not possible. Further, the guide member 330 is in the first guide state, and the game ball that has reached the guide member 330 is guided to the first guide passage 341.

  At the timing t2 after the timing t1, the amount of rotation of the upper electric accessory 315 is not the maximum, but at least the inflow of game balls from the second route is acceptable. At this timing, the linkage of the guide member 330 by the link mechanism 335 is started. That is, in the present embodiment, the operation start timing of the guide member 330 is slightly delayed (delayed) with respect to the operation start timing of the upper electric accessory 315.

  At the timing of t3 after the timing of t2, more specifically, at the timing of t3 when a predetermined delay period has elapsed from the timing of t1, the guide member 330 is inclined to the left from the first guiding state in which the guide member 330 is inclined downward to the right. Switch to 2 guidance state. Thereby, after the timing of t3, the guidance destination of the game ball becomes the second guide passage 342.

  Here, the delay period is longer than the period required for the game ball to reach the guide member 330 from the gap between the movable pieces 316. For this reason, for example, a game ball that has reached the gap before the timing of t1 reaches the guide member 330 before the guide destination is switched to the second guide passage 342. That is, the game ball won in the non-assisting state where it is difficult to enter the ball is guided to the first guide passage 341 on the advantageous side.

  At the timing t4 after the switching timing t3, the guide member 330 reaches the maximum rotation position and stops rotating. Thereafter, at the timing of t5, the upper electric accessory 315 arrives at the maximum rotation position with a delay from the guide member 330. In the configuration in which the guide destination of the game ball is switched between the first guide passage 341 and the second guide passage 342 by rotating the guide member 330, the guide destination of the game ball is changed when the guide member 330 is horizontal. It will vary. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the horizontal movement time of the guide member 330 is shortened by making the operation end timing of the guide member 330 earlier than the operation end timing of the movable piece 316 of the upper electric accessory 315, so that the horizontal It is possible to shorten the period of the state. Thereby, the variation of the guidance destination of the game ball is reduced.

  After the guide member 330 and the upper electric accessory 315 are stationary, the output of the drive signal to the upper electric accessory 315 (solenoid 317) is stopped at the timing t6. As a result, the movable piece 316 of the upper electric accessory 315 starts a return operation (rotation) toward the standby position. At the timing t7 after the timing t6, the guide member 330 starts to rotate behind the movable piece 316.

  At the subsequent timing t8, the guide member 330 is inclined downward to the right and returns to the first guide state. Thereafter, at the timing t9, the rotation of the guide member 330 is stopped, and the upper electric accessory 315 is in a non-assist state. This makes it impossible to win a prize through the second route. Thereafter, the return operation of the upper electric accessory 315 is completed at the timing of t10.

  Here, at the timing t9 when the winning from the second route is restricted, the guide member 330 has returned to the first guide state. For this reason, for example, the guide destination of the game ball won at the timing of t9 is the first guide passage 341. In addition, although it is highly possible that the game ball won immediately before the assistance by the upper electric accessory 315 has ended, the possibility of passing through the first route cannot be denied. Therefore, when such a game ball reaches the guide member 330, by returning the guide member 330 to the first guide state, it is possible to give the player the impression that the benefits that should have been originally obtained have been missed. Suppressed.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 8 again, the relationship between the first guide passage 341 to the third guide passage 343 will be supplementarily described. The first guide passage 341 has a spiral shape and is reduced so that the diameter decreases as the winning combination 350 is approached. Thereby, the moving speed of the game ball in the vertical direction is slowed down, and the required period required for the passage of the first guide passage 341 is lengthened. As described above, the frequency with which the game ball is guided to the first guide passage 341 is low, and the game ball guided to the first guide passage 341 wins the V winning opening 386 with a high probability (1/2). The first guide passage 341 is configured to be more advantageous to the player than the second guide passage 342. In view of this, attention is paid to the game ball by slowly lowering the game ball.

  On the other hand, the second guide passage 342 is a vertical passage portion that extends in the vertical direction for the midstream portion, although the upstream portion and the downstream portion are horizontal passage portions that extend in the horizontal direction. The time required for passing through the guide passage 342 is shorter than that of the first guide passage 341. In the present embodiment, if the number of game balls guided to the second guide passage 342 increases, the winning probability to the V winning opening 386 increases. Therefore, by shortening the required period in the second guide passage 342, the opportunity for the subsequent game ball to reach the winning combination 350 is increased before the previous game ball is discharged. In addition, by adopting a configuration in which the game ball is decelerated using the downstream portion as a lateral passage portion, the subsequent game ball can easily catch up with the preceding game ball. Thereby, the function of increasing the winning probability to the V winning opening 386 according to the number of the game balls guided to the second guide passage 342 can be preferably exhibited.

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

  When entering the variable winning unit 300 through the upper inflow port 311 occurs in a situation in which it is difficult to enter the upper inflow port 311 because the upper electric accessory 315 is in a non-assist state. Is when the entrance to the variable winning unit 300 through the upper inflow port 311 occurs under the situation where the upper electric accessory 315 is in the assisting state and it is easy to enter the upper inflow port 311. Compared to the above, it is configured to increase the possibility of winning a V winning opening 386 that is a chance to win a jackpot. That is, when entry is likely to occur, the path serving as the guide for the game ball is the second guide path 342 on the disadvantageous side, and when entry is difficult, the path serving as the guide for the game ball is advantageous. The first guide passage 341 becomes. With such a configuration, the diversification of the game and avoiding an extremely disadvantageous state due to the diversification of the game can be avoided. It can control that it becomes a factor which reduces a game craving. Therefore, the effect of suppressing the monotonization of the game and appropriately improving the degree of attention to the game can be preferably exhibited.

  The upper electric accessory 315 (movable piece 316) and the guide member 330 are connected by a link mechanism 335, and the guide member 330 is operated in accordance with the movement of the movable piece 316. In this way, by adopting a configuration in which the upper electric accessory 315 and the guide member 330 are interlocked from the structural side, variations in operation timing can be eliminated. Thereby, the certainty of operation | movement of the electrically-driven accessory 315 and the guide member 330 can be ensured suitably. Note that, for example, a driving unit for the guide member 330 may be provided separately, and drive control of the electric accessory 315 and the guide member 330 may be performed separately to link the two together. However, in such a configuration, the control load is increased by the control device or the like. Therefore, in order to ensure the certainty of the operation, it is technically significant to link the upper electric accessory 315 and the guide member 330 using the link mechanism 335 as described above.

  In the configuration in which power is transmitted to the guide member 330 via the link mechanism 335, the structure becomes large, resulting in inconveniences such as increased transmission loss and reduced responsiveness. Therefore, if the guide member 330 is disposed at a position closer to the latter of the accessory device 303 and the upper inflow port 311 (upper electric accessory 315) as shown in the present embodiment, the connection mechanism can be reduced in size. The occurrence of the various inconveniences can be suitably suppressed.

  When the upper electric accessory 315 is in the assisting state, the probability of entering the variable winning unit 300 is higher than in the non-assisting state, but the game balls that enter the assisting state are It becomes easy to guide to the disadvantage side (second guide passage 342) by the guide member 330. Here, when the game ball is guided to the disadvantage side, the degree of expectation changes according to the frequency of the incoming balls by adopting a configuration in which the advantage changes according to the number of the game balls. Monotonization can be suitably suppressed.

  In the configuration in which the guide member 330 is switched between the first guide state and the second guide state by the link mechanism 335, when the guide member 330 moves due to the momentum or the like when the game ball collides, the upper electric accessory follows it. By operating 315 (movable piece 316), the probability of entering the variable winning unit 300 can change. For example, when a force is applied to the guide member 330 so as to switch from the second guide state to the first guide state, if the upper electric accessory 315 is changed from the auxiliary state to the non-assistant state, the upper electric accessory 315 There is a concern that the interlocking function between the guide member 330 and the guide member 330 will not be exhibited well. In this respect, by restricting the movement of the upper electric accessory 315 (movable piece 316) following the movement of the guide member 330, it is preferable that the advantageous and disadvantageous relationship between the guide member 330 and the upper electric accessory 315 is broken. Can be suppressed.

  Further, if the guide member is configured to operate independently regardless of the upper electric accessory, the game can be advantageously advanced by launching a game ball in anticipation of the movement of the guide member. In such a configuration, there is a concern that the operating rate of the gaming machine is reduced by performing so-called irregular hitting or the like. In this regard, if the guide member 330 is configured to operate in conjunction with the upper electric accessory 315, a decrease in operating rate due to such factors can be suppressed. Thereby, the improvement effect of the attention degree to a game can be exhibited suitably.

  A game ball that has entered the variable prize winning unit 300 through the upper electric accessory 315 (upper inlet 311) is moved between the first guide passage 341 and the second guide passage 342 by the guide member 330 disposed immediately below the upper inlet 311. It will be distributed to either. By using these two configurations together to suppress monotonization of the game, the degree of attention to the game can be preferably improved. Both the upper electric accessory 315 and the guide member 330 that influence the flow of the game are places where the player is likely to pay attention. As shown in the present embodiment, by arranging the guide member 330 immediately below the upper inflow port 311 and bringing both components close to each other, it is possible to gather points of interest. Thereby, a player's fatigue resulting from an improvement in attention can be relieved.

  The guide member 330 functions as a ball receiving portion that receives a game ball dropped from the upper inflow port 311, and the game ball that has collided with the guide member 330 moves in the inclination direction of the guide member 330. A state in which the game ball is guided to the first guide passage 341 (a state inclined to the right side) and a state in which the game ball is guided to the second guide passage 342 (a state inclined to the left side) are switched by a slight change in inclination. be able to. Therefore, the configuration in which the guide destination of the game ball is changed in accordance with the change in inclination is a preferable configuration for improving the responsiveness when the guide destination is switched.

  Even if the guide member 330 is in either the first guide state or the second guide state between the main body 331 of the guide member 330 and the passage wall surface of the guide passage 302, the first guide A gap that allows the game ball to move to the passage that is not the guidance destination of the passage 341 and the second guide passage 342 is secured. When the guide destination of the game ball is determined according to the state of the guide member 330, the player's attention can be directed to the guide member 330, and attention to the movement of the game ball can be reduced. In this regard, as described above, if it is configured to allow the movement of the game ball to the opposite side to the guide destination of the game ball, the game ball is moved to the opposite side of the guide destination until the game ball is actually distributed. There is room for movement. Thereby, the fall of the attention degree to the motion of a game ball can be suppressed suitably.

  When the guide member 330 is a pivoting type, there is a difference in rotational moment applied to the guiding means between when a game ball is received near the pivot center and when a game ball is received near the pivot tip. Occurs. When the rotational moment increases, the state of the guide member 330 is likely to change due to the influence. In this regard, if the rotation center portion (shaft portion 332) is positioned directly below the upper inflow port 311 of the variable winning unit 300, it is possible to suppress the direction of the guide member 330 from being changed due to the momentum of the game ball colliding. .

  When the upper electric accessory 315 is in the non-assist state, the movable piece 316 is waiting at the standby position (non-auxiliary position) by the urging force of the urging member. In this case, the urging force is transmitted to the guide member 330 via the link mechanism 335, so that even when a game ball collides with the guide member 330, the guide member 330 is displaced by the collision → the movable piece 316 is displaced. Can be regulated. In addition, when the movable piece 316 is waiting at the auxiliary position by the driving force from the solenoid 317, the driving force is transmitted to the guide member 330 via the link mechanism 335, so that the game ball collides with the guide member 330. Even in this case, the guide member 330 is displaced by the collision, and the displacement of the movable piece 316 can be restricted.

  In particular, in the assist state, the number of game balls entering the ball is likely to increase as compared to the non-assist state, so that the stress generated by the collision of the game balls is likely to increase. Therefore, in the assist state, the state is maintained by using a driving force of the solenoid 317 (a driving force set so as to exceed the biasing force) instead of the biasing force of the biasing member to prevent the switching. The function (function for restricting switching) can be suitably exhibited.

  The movable piece 316 is configured to function as an inclined surface capable of guiding the game ball toward the upper inflow port 311 when the upper electric accessory 315 is in the auxiliary state. When the game ball is guided to the upper inlet 311 by the upper electric accessory 315 (movable piece 316), the movable piece 316 is pressed by the game ball. According to the configuration shown in the present embodiment, the force can be used as a drag that prevents the posture of the guide member 330 from being pushed and changed by the game ball that has reached the guide member 330. Therefore, compared with the structure which controls switching of the state of the guide member 330 etc. using a lock mechanism etc., for example, complexity of a structure can be suppressed.

  In the configuration in which the upper electric accessory 315 and the guide member 330 are interlocked using the link mechanism 335, a driving force required to operate the guide member 330 is increased. This is not preferable because the burden generated on the upper electric accessory 315 (drive portion) and the link mechanism 335 increases, and becomes a factor of reducing the responsiveness when the state is switched. In this regard, as shown in the embodiment, if the guide member 330 is formed so as to be symmetric with respect to the rotation center portion (shaft portion 332) of the guide member 330, the bias of the weight balance is suppressed. The driving force required when the guide member 330 is switched between the first guide state and the second guide state can be reduced. This can alleviate an increase in burden in realizing the above-described interlocking and contribute to improvement of responsiveness.

<Second Embodiment>
In the first embodiment, the upper electric accessory 315 and the guide member 330 are interlocked. In the present embodiment, in addition to this, the configuration is different from the first embodiment in that the guide member 330 and the right electric accessory 325 are configured to be interlocked. Therefore, hereinafter, the relationship between the two electric accessories 315, 325 and the guide member 330 will be described with reference to the schematic diagram of FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, when the right electric accessory 325 attached to the right inlet 321 is in a non-assist state, the guide member 330 is attached to the upper inlet 311. Interlocks with the electric accessory 315. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14A, when the upper electric accessory 315 is in a non-assisting state, the guide member 330 is inclined downward toward the first guide state (the first guide passage 341 side). ). On the other hand, when the upper electric accessory 315 is switched to the auxiliary state, the guide member 330 is switched to the second guide state (inclined downward toward the second guide passage 342) following the movement of the movable piece 316. When the upper electric accessory 315 returns from the assist state to the non-assist state, the guide member 330 is switched to the first guide state (inclined downward toward the first guide passage 341) in conjunction with the movement of the movable piece 316.

  As described above, when the relatively long second period is set as the auxiliary period, the switching target (opening target) to the auxiliary state is the right electric combination 325 instead of the upper electric combination 315. Here, the movable piece 326 of the right electric accessory 325 and the guide member 330 are coupled via a link mechanism 336X, and when the movable piece 326 is operated, the power is guided via the link mechanism 336X. 330. Thereby, the guide member 330 is configured to operate in accordance with the movement of the movable piece 326.

  Specifically, when the movable piece 326 of the right electric accessory 325 rotates from the closed position to the open position, the power is transmitted to the guide member 330 via the link mechanism 336X, and the guide member 330 is The guidance state is switched to the second guidance state. Here, the link mechanism 335X that connects the guide member 330 and the upper electric accessory 315 (movable piece 316) has a so-called one-way link structure, and even if the guide member 330 operates, the movable piece 316 is caused by that. Will not work. That is, when the guide member 330 is operated by the link mechanism 336X, the upper electric accessory 315 is prevented from following the guide member 330 and switching from the non-assisting state to the assisting state.

  As already described, the downstream portion of the third guide passage 343 merges with the second guide passage 342. Even when the right electric accessory 325 is in the assisting state, the ball entering the upper inlet 311 is allowed, and the game ball that has entered the upper inlet 311 in such a situation is the second It passes through the guide passage 342. Then, the game ball group supplied to the winning combination 350 through the third guide passage 343 is joined before the winning combination 350. As described above, the game balls that have passed through the second guide passage 342 and the third guide passage 343 are collectively supplied to the winning combination 350, thereby reducing the number of game balls supplied to the winning combination 350. You can earn. As described above, the second guide passage 342 and the third guide passage 343 are configured such that the probability of winning a prize at the V winning opening 386 increases as the number of game balls supplied increases. For the above reason, the game ball that has flowed into the upper inlet 311 is guided to the second guide passage 342 in a situation where the right electric accessory 325 is in the assisting state and the upper electric accessory 315 is in the non-assisting state. Thus, it is possible to increase the probability of occurrence of a prize at the V prize opening 386 by the game ball entering the upper inflow port 311.

  As shown in FIG. 14C → FIG. 14A, when the right electric accessory 325 is switched from the auxiliary state to the non-auxiliary state, the guide member 330 rotates following the movable piece 326 to guide The member 330 returns from the second guidance state to the first guidance state. Thereby, the guidance destination of the game ball becomes the first guide passage 341.

  In addition, the link mechanism 336X is a one-way that prevents the power from being transmitted to the movable piece 326 of the right electric accessory 325 even when the state of the guide member 330 changes based on the operation of the upper electric accessory 315. It has a structure. For this reason, even if the upper electric combination 315 is operated as shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the state of the right electric combination 325 does not change following the guide member 330. .

  Here, when the third guide passage 343 and the second guide passage 342 are compared, a flow delay occurs due to the shutter 346, so although the third guide passage 343 is shorter in the passage length, The second guide passage 342 is shorter with respect to the time required for passage. This is a contrivance to increase the chance that the game ball joins the group of game balls that flowed in from the right inlet 321 when a ball enters the upper inlet 311 during the long opening.

<Other embodiments>
In addition, it is not limited to the description content of each embodiment mentioned above, For example, you may implement as follows. Incidentally, each of the following configurations may be individually applied to each of the above embodiments, or a part or all of them may be combined and applied to each of the above embodiments. It is also possible to arbitrarily combine all or some of the various configurations shown in the above embodiments. In this case, it is preferable that the technical significance (effects to be exerted) of the components to be combined is ensured. Each of the following configurations may be applied individually to a new configuration that is a combination of the embodiments, or a part or all of the configurations may be applied in combination.

  (1) In the above embodiment, the first guide passage 341 as the “first passage portion” and the second guide passage 342 as the “second passage portion” are arranged side by side in the front view of the gaming machine. However, what is necessary is just to have the structure corresponded to the "1st channel | path part" and "2nd channel | path part" by which the difference of the advantage / disadvantage was set at least, and about the arrangement | positioning, it is arbitrary. For example, the first guide passage and the second guide passage can be arranged side by side in the front-rear direction.

  However, in order to facilitate the visual confirmation of the positional relationship between the guide member 330 constituting the “guide means” and the game ball, the two guide passages are arranged side by side in the surface expansion direction of the game machine (specifically, the front surface). It is preferable.

  (2) In each of the above embodiments, when the upper electric accessory 315 (corresponding to “variable ball entry means”) is in the non-assisting state, the guide member 330 (corresponding to “guidance means”) is the first. The guide member 330 is configured to be in the second guide state when the upper electric accessory 315 is in the assist state when in the guide state, but this may be changed as follows. That is, when the upper electric accessory 315 (corresponding to “variable ball entry means”) is in the assisting state, the guide member 330 is in the first guiding state, and the upper electric accessory 315 is in the non-assisting state. In some cases, the guide member 330 may be configured to be in the second guide state.

  (3) In each of the above-described embodiments, the game ball that has reached the guide member 330 reaches the former of the first guide passage 341 and the second guide passage 342 in a situation where the guide member 330 is in the first guide state. A configuration in which the game ball that has reached the guide member 330 is easily guided to the latter of the first guide passage 341 and the second guide passage 342 in a situation where the guide member 330 is in the second guide state. It was. That is, it is configured to allow inflow into the second guide passage 342 under the first guide state and inflow into the first guide passage 341 under the second guide state. . By changing this, it is impossible to flow into the second guide passage 342 under the condition of the first guide state or into the first guide passage 341 under the state of the second guide state. You may comprise so that it may become.

  (4) In the above embodiments, when the period required for the game ball to pass through the first guide passage 341 is compared with the period required for the game ball to pass through the second guide passage 342, the latter is more effective than the former. However, it is possible to reverse this relationship.

  (5) In each of the above embodiments, when game balls are guided to the relatively disadvantageous second guide passage 342, the number of game balls guided to the second guide passage 342 increases. However, the present invention is not limited to this, although the advantage is increased. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the degree of advantage does not depend on the number of game balls guided.

  (6) In each of the above-described embodiments, the upper piece 316 and the guide member 330 are linked by connecting the upper piece 315 and the guide member 330 via the link mechanism 335. It was set as the structure made to do. It is also possible to change this and separately provide a drive unit (actuator) for driving the guide member 330, and drive the drive unit to control the movable piece 316 and the guide member 330. In such a configuration, it is possible to switch between an interlocking state in which the upper electric accessory 315 and the guide member 330 are interlocked and a non-interlocking state in which the upper electric accessory 315 and the guide member 330 are interlocked, thereby contributing to further diversification of games.

  (7) In each of the above embodiments, the guide member 330 is configured to follow the movable piece 316 of the upper electric accessory 315. However, the guide member 330 is not necessarily linked to the movable piece 316. The guide member 330 may be configured to operate independently of the movable piece 316 (for example, alone). For example, a configuration in which the guide member 330 operates by receiving the weight of the game ball, specifically, when the game ball moves to the first guide passage 341 side, the first guide state is set by the weight of the game ball, and the game ball When moving to the second guide passage 342 side, it may be configured to switch to the second guide state by the weight of the game ball. With such a configuration, subsequent game balls can be easily guided to the same side as the previous game ball, and a certain bias can be generated at the guide destination.

  When such a modification is employed, it is not necessary to make the degree of bias toward the advantageous side equal to the degree of bias toward the disadvantaged side. That is, a configuration in which one of the switching from the first guiding state to the second guiding state and the switching from the second guiding state to the first guiding state is biased to be easier (harder) than the other is adopted. Is also possible. For example, the guide member constituting the “guide means” is not formed so that the right and left weight balance of the guide member is 1: 1 on the basis of the rotation center. Thus, the weight balance may be biased by shifting the position of the center of gravity to the left or right.

  (8) In each of the above embodiments, the operation start timing of the guide member 330 is delayed when the guide member 330 operates following the movement of the movable piece 316. However, this delay function is omitted. It is also possible. In addition, when the guide member 330 operates following the movement of the movable piece 316, it is possible to delay the operation end timing of the guide member 330 with respect to the operation end timing of the movable piece 316. . Furthermore, it is good also as a structure which uses these two delay functions together.

  (9) In each of the above embodiments, the game ball that has entered the upper inflow port 311 immediately before the upper electric accessory 315 is switched from the auxiliary state to the non-auxiliary state is guided to the first guide passage 341. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It is good also as a structure which guides the game ball which entered the upper inflow port 311 to the 2nd guide channel 342 just before the upper side electric accessory 315 switches from an auxiliary | assistant state to a non-auxiliary state.

  (10) In each of the above embodiments, the guide member 330 (branch) is disposed at a position closer to the upper inlet 311 in the upper inlet 311 and the accessory device 303, but the present invention is not limited to this. . You may arrange | position the guide member 330 (branch) in the position close | similar to the accessory apparatus 303 among the upper inflow port 311 and the accessory apparatus 303. FIG.

  (11) In each of the above embodiments, the guide member 330 is disposed at a position between the upper inlet 311 and the accessory device 303, but the present invention is not limited to this. The configuration that can change the flow of the game ball in conjunction with the upper inlet 311 may be arranged upstream of the upper inlet 311 or arranged downstream of the accessory device 303. Also good.

  For example, when the guide member is arranged downstream of the accessory device 303 (for example, the round sorter 304), the number of rounds may be determined by the guide destination of the game ball by the guide member. In this case, when the upper electric accessory 315 is in the assisting state, it is easy to guide to the side with the smaller number of rounds, and when the upper electric accessory 315 is in the non-assisting state, to the side with the larger number of rounds. What is necessary is just to set it as the structure which a difference arises in a guidance aspect so that it may become easy to guide.

  (12) In each of the above-described embodiments, the guide member 330 is disposed at a position directly below the upper inlet 311 that constitutes the “entrance portion” to the variable winning unit 300. However, the arrangement of the guide member 330 is arbitrary. It is not always necessary to arrange it at a position directly below the upper inlet 311. In addition, by arranging the upper inflow port 311 directly above the shaft portion 332 as the “rotation center” of the guide member 330, when a game ball collides with the guide member 330, the state of the guide member 330 is changed by the momentum. Although the change is suppressed, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the shaft portion 332 is shifted left and right with respect to the upper inlet 311.

  (13) In each of the embodiments described above, the upper electric accessory 315 (corresponding to “variable ball entry means”) has a pair of left and right movable pieces 316. However, at least the ball incidence occurrence frequency at the upper inlet 311 is determined. It is sufficient if it can be changed, and its specific configuration is arbitrary. For example, the number of movable pieces can be singular as with the right electric accessory 325. The operation mode of the movable piece is also arbitrary, and may be configured to rotate back and forth instead of left and right, or may be configured to slide and move back and forth or left and right.

  (14) In each of the embodiments described above, the winning combination 350 constituting the accessory device 303 is movable. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the winning combination 350 may be fixed. is there.

  For example, as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 15A, the winning combination may be configured by a stage 350Y on which a game ball can roll. Specifically, the stage 350Y has a curved surface (hemispherical shape) that protrudes upward, and a first ball entry portion 356AY (displacement) is provided at the base of the stage 350Y, and a second ball entry portion 356BY (V prize opening) at the top. ) And the game balls that have passed through the respective guide passages 341 to 343 may roll toward the second entrance portion 356BY. In this configuration, diversification of the ball entering mode can be realized by allowing the stage to have a curved surface that is convex upward and allowing the front and back and left and right movement of the game ball.

  As shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 15B, a bowl-shaped encircling portion that surrounds the convex portion is formed, and the game ball supplied to the stage 350Z is located beside the second entering portion 356BZ (V winning opening). It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which a chance of another lottery is given by running up the stage 350Z again in the case where it is removed by grazing.

  (15) In each of the above embodiments, the upper inflow port 311 is positioned above the shaft portion 332 of the guide member 330, and the game ball dropped from the upper inflow port 311 hits the rotation center portion of the guide member 330. In order to suppress the influence of the rotational moment. In order to avoid the change of the direction of the guide member 330 due to the collision of the game ball, a lock device (for example, a variable stopper) that can be switched between a state in which the guide member 330 is allowed to rotate and a state in which the guide member 330 is prevented from rotating. ) May be provided.

  (16) The hold function and the time reduction function corresponding to the number of holds shown in the above embodiments are not essential components. One or both of these functions can be omitted.

  (17) About the 1st guide channel 341 shown in the above-mentioned each embodiment, the channel has a spiral shape and is a smooth channel in which bending at a midway position (middle stream portion excluding the exit portion) is avoided. ing. As a result, the variation in the flow speed of the game ball flowing down the first guide passage 341 and the time required for passage are suppressed. Here, the exit portion of the first guide passage 341 is disposed not at the center of the upper step portion 351 but at the center (for example, above the lower step portion 353), and the destination is determined by the exit timing from the exit portion. To do. Then, a suggestion portion that suggests the occurrence of a ball entering the second ball entering portion 356B is provided in a downstream portion of the first guide passage 341 (specifically, a portion having an outer diameter equal to that of the winning combination 350). Specifically, when the second ball entry portion 456B passes a predetermined position (for example, a position on the front side of the gaming machine) at the timing when the game ball passes through the suggestion portion, the second ball entry portion 456B is moved to the second ball entry portion 456B. It is configured such that a ball enters easily, and when the first ball entrance portion 456A passes the predetermined position, a ball entrance into the first ball entrance portion 456A is likely to occur. As a result, it is possible to suggest in advance the possibility of entering the first entrance portion 456A and the second entrance portion 456B.

  (18) The spiral first guide passage 341 described in each of the above embodiments may be configured such that the moving speed of the game ball in the height direction is constant. In other words, the outer diameter and the inclination of the passage can be set so that the moving speed of the game ball in the height direction is constant. In the case of a normal spiral structure, the moving speed of the game ball in the height direction gradually increases as the game ball accelerates toward the downstream side. That is, the moving speed increases as the winning combination 350 is approached. This makes it difficult to follow the movement of the game ball with the eyes. This is not preferable because it hinders increasing the degree of attention to the movement of the game ball. In this regard, in the above-described configuration, the moving speed of the game ball in the height direction is constant, so that the movement of the game ball can be easily followed with eyes, and the occurrence of the inconvenience can be suitably suppressed.

  (19) A configuration may be adopted in which the game ball is allowed to move between the first guide passage 341 to the third guide passage 343. For example, an opening is formed in the wall portion facing the shutter 346 in the third guide passage 343, and the game ball that has reached the shutter 346 at the timing when the shutter 346 moves from the open position to the closed position is first guided. It may be configured to play toward the passage 341. When the played game ball moves to the first guide passage 341, there is a high possibility that a ball enters the second ball entrance 356B. With such a configuration, it is possible to contribute to further improvement in the degree of attention to the movement of the game ball by making the movement of the game ball innovative.

  (20) Other types of pachinko machines different from the above-described embodiments, such as pachinko machines in which an electric accessory is released a predetermined number of times when a game ball enters a specific area of a special device, or games in a specific area of a special device The present invention can also be applied to a pachinko machine that generates a big hit when a ball enters, a pachinko machine equipped with another accessory, an arrangement ball machine, a sparrow ball, and the like.

  Also, a non-ball-type gaming machine, for example, a plurality of reels with a plurality of types of symbols attached in the circumferential direction, starts rotation of the reel by inserting a medal and operating a start lever, and a stop switch is operated. The present invention also relates to a slot machine that gives a player a privilege such as paying out medals when a specific symbol or a combination of specific symbols is established on an effective line that can be visually recognized from the display window after the reel stops. Can be applied.

  Further, the gaming machine main body supported by the outer frame so as to be openable and closable is provided with a storage unit and a capture device, and the start lever is operated after a predetermined number of game balls stored in the storage unit are captured by the capture device. Thus, the present invention can also be applied to a gaming machine in which a pachinko machine and a slot machine are fused to start the rotation of the reel.

<Invention Group Extracted from Each Embodiment>
Hereinafter, the characteristics of the invention group extracted from each of the above-described embodiments 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.

<Characteristic group A> Distributing to disadvantageous passages when entry is easy, and advantageous passages when entry is difficult The following feature group A is "a game area where game balls flow down in game machines such as pachinko machines" Some of them have a formed game board.When a game ball is launched toward the game area based on the player's launch operation, and the fired game ball enters the entrance part provided in the game area Based on this, the player is given a privilege such as paying out a game ball, etc. In the gaming machine in which the privilege is given depending on the movement of the game ball as described above, a game such as a nail or a windmill is provided in the game area. By disposing the parts, the flow path of the game ball is dispersed, and the movement of the game ball is diversified to increase the degree of attention to the movement of the game ball, and hence the degree of attention to the game. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1) ""However, in order to improve the degree of attention to the game by the movement of the game ball, there is still room for improvement in its configuration." In which the invention that has been made with the problems to be solved.

Feature A1. A game board (game board 80a) in which a game area (game area PE) is formed;
A gaming machine comprising a pitching device (variable winning unit 300) capable of entering a gaming ball flowing down the gaming area,
A first switching means (for example, the upper electric accessory 315) capable of switching to a first state (for example, a non-auxiliary state) and a second state (for example, an auxiliary state) that is more advantageous to the player than the first state;
Second switching means (for example, the right electric accessory 325) that can be switched to a third state (for example, the second guidance state) and a fourth state (for example, the first guidance state) that is more advantageous to the player than the third state;
When the first switching means is in the first state, the second switching means is in the fourth state, and when the first switching means is in the second state, the second switching is performed. A gaming machine comprising means for bringing the means into the third state (for example, a link mechanism 335).

  According to the feature A1, when the first switching means is in the first state relatively disadvantageous to the player, the second switching means is in the fourth state relatively advantageous to the player, and the first switching means When the means is in a second state that is relatively advantageous to the player, the second switching means is in a third state that is relatively disadvantageous to the player. Thereby, while diversifying a game, it can suppress that the difference of the advantage and disadvantage for every state resulting from it becomes large too much. As a result, while diversifying the game, it is possible to avoid an extremely unfavorable state due to the diversification of the game, so that the unfavorable state or the unfavorable state continues lowers the player's gaming desire It can suppress becoming a factor. Therefore, the effect of suppressing the monotonization of the game and appropriately improving the degree of attention to the game can be preferably exhibited.

Feature A2. A game board (game board 80a) in which a game area (game area PE) is formed;
A gaming machine comprising a pitching device (variable winning unit 300) capable of entering a gaming ball flowing down the gaming area,
Variable entrance means (upper side) provided at the entrance portion (upper inlet 311) of the entrance device and capable of switching to an assist state in which entrance into the entrance device is easier than in the non-assist state and the non-assist state. Electric accessory 315),
A first entrance part (first entrance part 356A) into which a game ball entering the entrance apparatus enters and a second entrance part (second entrance) that is more advantageous to the player than the first entrance part. Part 356B),
A first guidance state in which a game ball that has passed through an entrance portion of the ball entry device is guided to the first ball entrance portion or the second ball entrance portion, and a game is made to the first ball entrance portion than the first guidance state. Guidance means (guide member 330) that can be switched to the second guidance state for easily guiding the sphere,
When the variable pitching means is in the non-assisting state, the guiding means is in the first guiding state, and when the variable pitching means is in the assisting state, the guiding means is the first guiding state. 2. A gaming machine comprising switching means (for example, a main control device 162 and a link mechanism 335) for making a two-guidance state.

  According to the feature A2, when a game ball enters the entrance device in a situation where it is difficult to enter because the variable entrance means is in a non-assist state, the entrance state becomes easy and the entrance is easy. As compared with the case where a game ball enters the ball entry device, the ball entering the second ball entry portion on the advantageous side is more likely to occur. With such a configuration, while diversifying the game, it is possible to suppress an excessively large difference between advantages and disadvantages for each state (assist state / non-assist state). As a result, while diversifying the game, it is possible to avoid an extremely unfavorable state due to the diversification of the game, so that the unfavorable state or the unfavorable state continues lowers the player's gaming desire It can suppress becoming a factor. Therefore, the effect of suppressing the monotonization of the game and appropriately improving the degree of attention to the game can be preferably exhibited.

Feature A3. The variable entry means has a movable piece (movable piece 316) that can be displaced to an auxiliary position and a non-auxiliary position, and a drive unit (solenoid 317) that displaces the movable piece,
The gaming machine according to Feature A2, wherein the switching means includes a connection mechanism (link mechanism 335) for connecting the movable piece and the guide means.

  If the movable piece and the guide means are connected by the connecting mechanism as shown in the feature A3, the guide means can be operated in accordance with the movement of the movable piece, that is, the movable piece and the guide means can be interlocked. When the movable piece and the guide means are interlocked, the operation timing varies, so that the two companies do not cooperate well. In other words, in order to realize the cooperation between the two companies, it may be necessary to devise a technique for ensuring the reliability of the operation by suppressing the variation in the operation timing. In this regard, such a problem can be suitably solved by adopting a configuration in which the variable pitching means and the guiding means are interlocked from the structural side as shown in this feature. For example, it is advantageous in avoiding an increase in control load as compared with a case where drive control of each configuration is performed individually.

Feature A4. A distribution means (winning prize 350) in which the first and second balls are formed;
The gaming machine according to Feature A3, wherein the guide means is disposed at a position closer to the variable pitching means among the variable pitching means and the distributing means.

  As shown in the feature A3, in the configuration in which the power is transmitted through the coupling mechanism, the structure becomes large, resulting in inconveniences such as an increase in transmission loss and a decrease in responsiveness. Therefore, as shown in this feature, if the guide means is arranged at a position closer to the latter of the sorting means and the variable pitching means, it is possible to promote downsizing of the coupling mechanism and suitably suppress the occurrence of the above various problems. be able to.

Feature A5. A distribution means (winning prize 350) in which the first and second balls are formed;
In the first guidance state, the allocating means is configured to increase the probability of entering the second entering portion by increasing the number of game balls to be guided. The gaming machine according to any one of features A2 to A4.

  When the variable pitching means is in the assisting state, the probability of entering the pitching device is higher than in the non-assistable state, but the game balls that enter the assisting state are guided means. This makes it easier to be guided to the disadvantaged side. Here, when the game ball is guided to the disadvantage side, the degree of expectation changes according to the frequency of the incoming balls by adopting a configuration in which the advantage changes according to the number of the game balls. Monotonization can be suitably suppressed.

Feature A6. A supply passage (guide passage 302) for supplying game balls that have passed through the guide means to the distribution means;
The supply passage includes a first passage (first guide passage 341) through which a game ball is guided when the guide means is in the first guide state, and the guide means is in the second guide state. And a second passage (second guide passage 342) through which the game ball is guided so that a period required for passage of the second passage is shorter than a period required for passage of the first passage. The gaming machine according to Feature A5, wherein the gaming machine is configured.

  In the configuration in which the advantage is increased by increasing the number of game balls to be guided as shown in the feature A5, the opportunity for the subsequent game ball to catch up with the preceding game ball by shortening the period required for passage. Can be increased. As a result, even if the game ball is guided to the disadvantageous second passage during the assisting state in which the ball is likely to be generated, the subsequent game ball is guided to the second passage so that the second ball enters. There is a high possibility that a ball enters the club. Thereby, it can contribute to the improvement of the attention degree to a game.

Feature A7. The guide means is a ball receiving portion that receives a game ball and changes the flow direction of the game ball,
When the movable piece is displaced, the switching means switches the state of the guide means so as to follow the displacement, and restricts the movable piece from being displaced based on the change of the guide means. The gaming machine according to any one of features A3 to A6, which is configured as described above.

  In the configuration in which the guide means is switched between the first guide state and the second guide state by the switching means as shown in the feature A2, etc., when the guide means moves due to the momentum or the like when the game ball collides, it follows it. Then, the probability of entering the entrance device can be changed by operating the variable entrance means (movable piece). For example, when a force is applied to the guide means to switch from the second guide state to the first guide state, if the variable pitching means is switched from the auxiliary state to the non-assist state, the variable pitching means and the guide means There is concern that the link function will not be performed well. In this regard, by restricting the movement of the variable ball entry means (movable piece) following the movement of the guide means, it is possible to suitably suppress the advantageous and unfavorable relationship between the guide means and the variable ball entry means.

  Feature A8. The variable entry means may allow entry into the entry device even in the non-assist state, according to any one of features A2 to A7. Game machines.

  As shown in feature A8, the function of realizing diversification of the game by changing the guidance destination of the game ball according to the game situation by allowing the ball to enter the ball entry device even in the non-assist state. Can be suitably exhibited.

  Feature A9. When the variable pitching means is switched from the non-assisting state to the assisting state, the switching of the guiding means to the second guiding state is delayed with respect to the switching of the variable pitching means. The gaming machine according to Feature A8, characterized in that

  According to feature A9, if a game ball that has entered just before switching from the non-assisting state to the assisting state is guided to the disadvantage side, the benefits that should have been originally obtained cannot be obtained due to the switching of the assisting state of the variable pitching means. There is a possibility of giving the player the impression that he was. This is not preferable because it causes a decrease in game motivation. In this regard, as shown in this feature, if the configuration is made so that the switching is delayed, the chance that the game ball that has just entered is guided to the disadvantageous side can be reduced, and the occurrence of the inconvenience can be suppressed.

  Feature A10. When the variable pitching means switches from the non-assisting state to the assisting state, the game ball that has entered the entrance portion is in the guiding means during a delay period in which the switching of the guiding means to the second guiding state is delayed. The gaming machine according to Feature A9, wherein the gaming machine is set so as to be longer than a period required to reach.

  According to the feature A10, it is possible to suitably suppress the gaming ball that should have been originally guided to the advantageous side from being guided to the disadvantaged side.

  Note that the delay period depends on the distance between the variable pitching means (entrance part) and the guiding means. Therefore, according to the combination with the feature A4, it is possible to prevent the delay period from being extended and to prevent the configuration for realizing the interlocking between the variable pitching means and the guiding means from becoming complicated.

Feature A11. A distribution means (winning prize 350) in which the first and second balls are formed;
The allocating means is configured to increase the probability of entering the second entering portion by increasing the number of game balls to be guided in the second guiding state,
The inlet portion is a first inlet portion, and the variable pitching means is a first variable pitching means;
Provided in a second inlet part (right inlet 321) provided separately from the first inlet part, and switched between an auxiliary state for assisting in entering the second inlet part and a non-auxiliary state in which the assistance is not performed. Possible second variable entry means (right electric accessory 325);
A supply passage (guide passage 302) for supplying game balls that have passed through the guide means to the distribution means;
The supply passage includes a first passage (first guide passage 341) through which a game ball is guided when the guide means is in the first guide state, and the guide means is in the second guide state. A second passage (second guidance passage 342) through which a game ball is guided when
A third passage (third guide passage 343) for guiding the game ball that has entered the second entrance portion to a position where it merges with the game ball that has passed through the second guide passage;
And a means (link mechanism 336) for bringing the guide means into the second guide state when the second variable ball entry means is in the auxiliary state. Thru | or the game machine as described in any one of characteristics A10.

  According to the feature A11, when the second variable pitching means is in the auxiliary state, the guiding means is forcibly switched to the second guiding state. This gives priority to the disappointment. As a result, the game balls entering the first entrance portion and the game balls entering the second entrance portion can be merged, and the total number of game balls reaching the distribution means through the second passage and the third passage increases. This increases the advantage. Thereby, diversification of a game is realizable.

  Note that the technical idea shown in the feature A2 to the feature A11 may be applied to the feature A1.

<Characteristic Group B> Interlocking Type Seesaw Acting The following characteristic B group is “a gaming machine such as a pachinko gaming machine is provided with a game board in which a gaming area where a game ball flows down is formed. Based on the player's launch operation, the game ball is launched toward the game area, and when the launched game ball enters the entrance part provided in the game area, benefits such as payout of the game ball are played based on it. In a gaming machine in which the provision of a privilege depends on the movement of the game ball as described above, the game ball flow path is provided by arranging game parts such as nails and windmills in the game area. Is distributed, and the movement of the game ball is diversified to increase the degree of attention to the movement of the game ball, and hence the degree of attention to the game (see, for example, Patent Document 1). However, according to the movement of the game ball In improving the degree of attention to the game is Te, in which there is still room for improvement in its configuration. Invention that "has been made with the problems to be solved.

Feature B1. A game board (game board 80a) in which a game area (game area PE) is formed;
A gaming machine comprising a pitching device (variable winning unit 300) capable of entering a gaming ball flowing down the gaming area,
Variable entrance means (upper electric motor) provided at the entrance portion (upper inlet 311) of the entrance device and capable of switching to a non-assist state and an assist state in which entrance into the entrance portion is easier than in the non-assist state. An accessory 315),
A first guidance state in which a game ball that has entered the ball entry device through the entrance portion is easily guided to the first passage (first guide passage 341), and is more disadvantageous to the player than the first passage. Guide means (guide member 330) that can be switched to the second guide state that is easy to guide to the second passage (second guide passage 342),
The gaming machine is characterized in that the guiding means is configured to switch the guiding state in conjunction with the variable pitching means.

  According to the feature B1, by adopting a configuration in which the guidance state by the guidance means changes in conjunction with the variable pitching means, it is possible to suppress the monotonization of the game and contribute to the improvement in the degree of attention to the game. Here, if it is possible to advance the game advantageously by observing the movement of the guide means and firing the game ball, there is a concern that the operating rate of the gaming machine will be reduced by so-called irregular hits and the like. . In this regard, if the guide means is configured to operate in conjunction with the variable pitching means, it is possible to suppress a reduction in operating rate due to such factors. Thereby, the improvement effect of the attention degree to a game can be exhibited suitably.

  Note that the configuration shown in this feature is “a game board (game board 80a) in which a game area (game area PE) is formed” and a pitching device (a variable prize unit 300) in which a game ball flowing down the game area can enter. ) Provided at the entrance portion (upper inflow port 311) of the pitching device, and entering the pitching device is easier than in the non-assist state and the non-assist state. Variable entry means (upper electric accessory 315) that can be switched to an auxiliary state, and a first guide that easily guides a game ball that has entered the entry device through the entrance to the first passage (first guide passage 341). And a guide means (guide member 330) that can be switched to a second guide state that is easier to guide to the second passage (second guide passage 342) configured to be more disadvantageous to the player than the first passage. The guide means in conjunction with the variable pitching means It is also possible to the first guide state and interlocking means for switching to the second guide state (link mechanism 335) and a game machine, characterized in that it comprises a. ".

Feature B2. A game board (game board 80a) in which a game area (game area PE) is formed;
A gaming machine comprising a pitching device (variable winning unit 300) capable of entering a gaming ball flowing down the gaming area,
The entrance device is
Variable entrance means (upper side) provided at the entrance portion (upper inlet 311) of the entrance device and capable of switching to an assist state in which entrance into the entrance device is easier than in the non-assist state and the non-assist state. Electric accessory 315),
A first guidance state in which a game ball that has entered the ball entry device through the entrance portion is easily guided to the first passage (first guide passage 341), and is more disadvantageous to the player than the first passage. Guide means (guide member 330) that can be switched to the second guide state that is easy to guide to the second passage (second guide passage 342),
The gaming machine is characterized in that the guide means is arranged at a position directly below an entrance portion (upper inflow port 311) of the ball entry device.

  According to the feature B2, the game balls that have entered the ball entry device through the variable ball entry means (entrance portion) are distributed to either the first passage or the second passage by the guide means arranged immediately below the entrance portion. It will be. By using these two configurations together to suppress monotonization of the game, the degree of attention to the game can be preferably improved. Both the variable pitching means and the guiding means that influence the flow of the game are places where the player tends to pay attention. As shown in the present feature, by arranging guide means directly under the entrance portion and bringing both components closer, the points of interest can be collected. Thereby, a player's fatigue resulting from an improvement in attention can be relieved.

  Note that the configuration shown in this feature is “a game board (game board 80a) in which a game area (game area PE) is formed” and a pitching device (a variable prize unit 300) in which a game ball flowing down the game area can enter. The entrance device is provided at an entrance portion (upper inflow port 311) of the entrance device, and enters the entrance device more than the non-assist state and the non-assist state. Variable entry means (upper electric accessory 315) that can be switched to an auxiliary state that makes it easy to enter, and a game ball that has entered the entry device through the entrance portion into the first passage (first guide passage 341). Guidance means capable of switching to a first guidance state that is easy to guide and a second guidance state that is easy to guide to a second passage (second guide passage 342) configured to be more disadvantageous to the player than the first passage. (Guide member 330), and the guide means According to a change in the state of the changing ball means, the first guiding state and the second guiding state are switched, and the guiding means is directly below the inlet portion (upper inlet 311) of the ball entry device. It is also possible to use “a gaming machine characterized by being arranged at a position”.

  Feature B3. The guiding means has a planar ball receiving portion (main body portion 331) for receiving a game ball dropped from the entrance portion, and the ball receiving portion is inclined toward the first passage in the first guiding state. To form a guide path that goes down to the first path, and in the second guide state, the ball receiving portion tilts toward the second path to form a guide path that goes down to the second path. The gaming machine according to Feature B2, characterized in that

  According to the feature B3, the game ball falling from the entrance portion hits the ball receiving portion and then moves in the inclination direction of the ball receiving portion. Thus, according to the configuration in which the guide destination of the game ball changes according to the change in the inclination of the ball receiving portion, it is possible to suitably improve the responsiveness when switching the guide destination.

  Feature B4. Regardless of whether the guide means is in the first guide state or the second guide state between the ball receiving portion and the passage wall surface, the first passage and the second The gaming machine according to Feature B3, wherein a gap is allowed to allow the game ball to move to a passage that is not a guide destination in the passage.

  When the guidance destination of the game ball is determined according to the state of the guidance means, the player's attention can be directed to the guidance means, and attention to the movement of the game ball can be reduced. In this regard, as shown in this feature, if it is configured to allow the movement of the game ball to the opposite side to the guide destination of the game ball, the game is moved to the opposite side from the guide destination until the game ball is actually distributed. There is room for the sphere to move. Thereby, the fall of the attention degree to the motion of a game ball can be suppressed suitably.

Feature B5. The guide means is rotatably held, and the tilting direction of the ball receiving portion is changed by turning the guide means.
The gaming machine according to Feature B3 or Feature B4, wherein the entrance portion is located immediately above a rotation center portion (shaft portion 332) of the guide means.

  When the guide means is a rotation type, there is a difference in rotational moment applied to the guide means between when a game ball is received near the rotation center and when a game ball is received near the rotation tip. Occurs. When the rotational moment is increased, the state of the guide means is likely to change due to the influence. In this regard, if the rotation center portion is located directly below the entrance portion of the ball entry device, it is possible to suppress the change of the direction of the guide means (ball receiving portion) due to the momentum of the game ball colliding.

  Feature B6. The gaming machine according to Feature B5, wherein the guide means is configured to switch between the first guide state and the second guide state in conjunction with the variable pitching means.

  By adopting a configuration in which the guiding state by the guiding means is switched in conjunction with the variable pitching means, it is possible to suppress the monotonousness of the game and contribute to an improvement in the degree of attention to the game. Here, if it is possible to advance the game advantageously by observing the movement of the guide means and firing the game ball, there is a concern that the operating rate of the gaming machine will be reduced by so-called irregular hits and the like. . In this regard, if the guide means is configured to operate in conjunction with the variable pitching means, it is possible to suppress a reduction in operating rate due to such factors. Thereby, the improvement effect of the attention degree to a game can be exhibited suitably.

  Feature B7. When the guide means is pushed by a game ball dropped from the entrance portion, a restriction means for restricting the variable ball entry means from being switched from one of the auxiliary state and the non-auxiliary state to the other by the action of the game ball. A gaming machine according to Feature B6, comprising:

  As shown in the feature B6, in the configuration in which the variable ball entry means and the guide means are interlocked, there is a possibility that the state of the variable ball entry means changes according to the change in the state of the guide means. For example, a game that is not supposed to enter if the variable entry part is switched to the assisting state when the guide means is pushed by the game ball in a situation where the entry of the game ball should not be supported There is concern about the ball entering. In addition, if the guidance means is pushed by the game ball in a situation where entry of the game ball is to be assisted, the game that was supposed to enter the game should have been switched to the non-assist state. I am concerned that the ball will be unable to enter. In this regard, as shown in this feature, even if the guiding means (ball receiving portion) receives a game ball, the variable ball entering means is restricted from switching to the assisting state / non-assisting state thereby to The occurrence of inconvenience can be suitably suppressed.

  Feature B8. The variable entry means includes a movable piece (movable piece 316) that can be displaced between an auxiliary position and a non-auxiliary position, an urging means that urges the movable piece to a non-auxiliary position, and an urging force of the urging means. The game machine according to Feature B6 or Feature B7, further comprising: a drive unit (solenoid 317) that displaces the movable piece from the non-auxiliary position to the auxiliary position.

  In the non-assisting state, the movable piece is waiting at the auxiliary position by the urging force of the urging means. In this case, the urging force is transmitted to the guide means via the link mechanism, so that even when a game ball collides with the guide means, it is possible to restrict the guide means from being displaced to moving the movable piece. In addition, when the movable piece is waiting at the auxiliary position by the driving force from the driving unit, this driving force is transmitted to the guiding means via the link mechanism, so that the game ball collides with the guiding means. However, it is possible to regulate the displacement of the guide means due to the collision → the displacement of the movable piece.

  In particular, in the assist state, the number of game balls entering the ball is likely to increase as compared to the non-assist state, so that the stress generated by the collision of the game balls is likely to increase. Therefore, in the auxiliary state, the state is maintained by using a configuration that prevents the switching by using the driving force of the driving unit (the driving force set to exceed the biasing force) instead of the biasing force of the biasing means. The function (function for restricting switching) can be suitably exhibited.

Feature B9. The variable pitching means has a movable piece (movable piece 316) that can be displaced between an auxiliary position and a non-auxiliary position,
The movable piece is configured to function as an inclined surface capable of guiding a game ball toward the entrance portion when the variable ball entry means is in the auxiliary state. Thru | or the game machine as described in any one of characteristics B8.

  When the game ball is guided to the entrance portion of the ball entry device by the variable ball entry means (movable piece), the movable piece is pressed by the game ball. According to the configuration shown in this feature, the force can be used as a drag that prevents the posture of the guide means from being pushed and changed by the game ball that has reached the guide means. Therefore, the complexity of the structure can be suppressed as compared with the configuration in which the switching of the state of the guide means or the like is regulated using, for example, a lock mechanism.

  Feature B10. The gaming machine according to any one of features B6 to B9, wherein the guide means is formed to be symmetric with respect to a rotation center portion (shaft portion 332) of the guide means. .

  As shown in the feature B6 and the like, in the configuration in which the variable ball entry portion and the guide means are interlocked using the link mechanism, the driving force required to operate the guide means increases. This is not preferable because it increases the burden on the variable pitching part (driving part) and the link mechanism, and causes a decrease in responsiveness when switching states. In this regard, as shown in this feature, if the guide means is formed so as to be symmetric with respect to the center of rotation and the weight balance is suppressed, the guide means is in the first guide state / second guide. The driving force required when switching to the state can be reduced. This can alleviate an increase in burden in realizing the above-described interlocking and contribute to improvement of responsiveness.

  For example, the guide member may be formed in a long plate shape extending in a predetermined direction, and the rotation center portion may be positioned at the center in the longitudinal direction.

  Any one of the technical ideas shown in the above-described features may be applied to other features, or the technical ideas shown in a plurality of features may be combined and applied to other features. It is also possible to extract a part of the configuration shown in each feature and apply it to other features.

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

  Pachinko machine: operation means (game ball launching handle 41) operated by a player, game ball launching means (game ball launching mechanism 110) for launching a game ball based on the operation of the operation means, and the fired A ball path (guidance rail 100) for guiding a game ball to a predetermined game area and game parts (nails, etc.) arranged in the game area, and a predetermined passing portion (general prize opening) among these game parts 81 etc.) and a gaming machine that gives a privilege to the player when the game ball passes.

  Slot machine, etc .: A variable display means that displays a symbol sequence consisting of a plurality of symbols in a variable manner and then stops and displays the symbol sequence. Special game advantageous to the player on the condition that the change of the symbol is stopped due to the operation of the operation means for stoppage or when a predetermined time elapses and the final stop symbol at the time of stoppage is a specific symbol A gaming machine that generates a state (bonus game, etc.).

  Ball-use belt-type game machine: Equipped with variable display means that displays the symbol sequence consisting of multiple symbols in a variably displayed state, and then stops and displays the symbol sequence. The special game state (bonus) that is advantageous to the player on the condition that the change of the symbol is stopped due to the operation of the operating means or when the predetermined time elapses, and the final stop symbol at the time of the stop is a specific symbol A throwing device that performs a throwing process for taking in a game ball from the ball tray and a payout device for paying out the game ball to the ball tray, A gaming machine configured such that the operation of the starting operation means is made effective when a game ball is inserted by.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Pachinko machine as a gaming machine, 80 ... Game board unit, 80a ... Game board, 84, 85 ... Acting ball entry part, 162 ... Main control device, 300 ... Variable winning unit as a ball entry device, 301 ... Housing, 302 ... Guide path, 303 ... Service device, 304 ... Sorting device as sorting means, 311 ... Upper inflow constituting the inlet portion, 315 ... Upper electric accessory constituting variable pitching means, 316 ... Movable Movable piece as a piece, 317 ... Solenoid as a drive unit, 321 ... Right inflow port, 325 ... Right electric accessory, 326 ... Movable piece, 327 ... Solenoid, 330 ... Guide member as guide means, 332 ... Center of rotation 335: Link mechanism as connecting mechanism or power transmission means, 336: Link mechanism, 341: First guide passage, 342: Second guide passage, 343: Third Inner passage, 345 ... branch portion, 350 ... winning combination thereof, 356A ... first ball entrance portion, 356B ... second ball entrance section, 386 ... V winning opening, PE ... game area.

Claims (5)

A game board in which a game area is formed;
A gaming machine comprising a ball entry device capable of entering a game ball flowing down the game area;
Variable entrance means provided at the entrance portion of the entrance device, and capable of switching to an assist state in which entrance into the entrance device is easier than in the non-assist state and the non-assist state;
A first entrance portion into which a game ball entering the entrance device enters and a second entrance portion that is more advantageous to the player than the first entrance portion;
A first guidance state in which a game ball that has passed through an entrance portion of the ball entry device is guided to the first ball entrance portion or the second ball entrance portion, and a game is made to the first ball entrance portion than the first guidance state. And a guide means capable of switching to a second guidance state for easily guiding a sphere,
When the variable pitching means is in the non-assisting state, the guiding means is in the first guiding state, and when the variable pitching means is in the assisting state, the guiding means is the first guiding state. 2. A gaming machine comprising switching means for making a two-guidance state. The variable pitching means has a movable piece that can be displaced to an auxiliary position and a non-auxiliary position, and a drive unit that displaces the movable piece,
The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit includes a connection mechanism that connects the movable piece and the guide unit. A distribution means formed with the first and second balls;
The gaming machine according to claim 2, wherein the guide unit is arranged at a position closer to the variable ball entry unit among the variable ball entry unit and the distribution unit. The guide means is a ball receiving portion that receives a game ball and changes the flow direction of the game ball,
When the movable piece is displaced, the switching means switches the state of the guide means so as to follow the displacement, and restricts the movable piece from being displaced based on the change of the guide means. The gaming machine according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the gaming machine is configured as described above. A distribution means formed with the first and second balls;
The allocating means is configured to increase the probability of entering the second entering portion by increasing the number of game balls to be guided in the second guiding state,
A supply passage for supplying game balls that have passed through the guide means to the distribution means;
The supply passage includes a first passage through which a game ball is guided when the guide means is in the first guide state, and a game ball that is guided when the guide means is in the second guide state. The second passage is configured so that a period required for the passage of the second passage is shorter than a period required for the passage of the first passage. Item 5. The gaming machine according to any one of Items4.

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