JP2018175447A - Game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a gaming machine capable of detecting the positions of movable objects arranged in a line, such as reels and stop buttons, with a simpler configuration than conventional ones. A transmission wave L2 is transmitted from one end side to the other end side of an array of a plurality of movable objects 7a to 7c arranged in a line, and the aspect according to the distance to the reflection position of the transmission wave L2 is provided. A distance sensor 57 for outputting a signal is provided. Moreover, the indicator part 46 which reflects the transmission wave L2 of the distance sensor 57 is disposed on each movable object 7a to 7c, and the index part 46 is disposed on the path of the transmission wave L2 for each movable object 7a to 7c. The entry position R and the retreat position S where the index unit 46 retreats from the path of the transmission wave L2 can be converted. And it is comprised so that the distance sensor 57 may output the signal of a different aspect depending on whether the transmission wave L2 was reflected in the parameter | index part 46 of which movable objects 7a-7c. [Selection] Figure 14

Description

  The present invention relates to a gaming machine including a plurality of movable objects arranged in a line, and a detection unit that detects whether each movable object is at a predetermined position.

  A plurality of reels are disposed side by side in a gaming machine such as a slot machine. Each reel is rotatably held about the left and right rotation axes, is driven by a stepping motor or the like, and is configured to be able to stop at any rotation position. Also, on the front of the machine, a plurality of stop buttons used for stopping the reels are arranged side by side. The stop buttons are arranged side by side by the number of reels, and when the right end stop button is pressed, the right end reels stop rotating so that the individual stop buttons stop the separate reels. It is an operation button.

  In such a conventional gaming machine, in order to detect the reference position of the reel, an index portion (index) is provided on the reel so that a sensor (index sensor) detects the index portion when the reel is at the reference position. It is comprised (for example, patent document 1). Also, for the stop button, in order to detect the pressing operation, an indicator section (push button detected section) is provided on the stop button, and when the stop button is pushed into the inside of the gaming machine, the sensor It is comprised so that an index part may be detected (for example, patent documents 2).

JP, 2011-160843, A Paragraph [0028], Figure 5 JP, 2015-130931, A Paragraph [0025] and Drawing 5

  As described above, in the conventional gaming machine, the sensor detects whether the reel or the stop button is positioned at a predetermined position. However, in the conventional configuration, such a sensor is disposed on each of the reel and the stop button, so the configuration relating to the position detection of the reel, the stop button, and the like is complicated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the current situation, and an object thereof is to provide a gaming machine capable of detecting the position of a movable object such as a reel and a stop button with a configuration simpler than that of the prior art.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a plurality of movable objects arranged in a row, and transmitting a transmission wave from one end side to the other end side of the plurality of movable objects arranged individually movably and the plurality of movable objects arranged. And a distance sensor for receiving a reflected wave of the transmission wave, the distance sensor outputting a signal in a mode according to the distance to the reflection position of the transmission wave, each movable object comprising Each of the indicators is provided with an index portion capable of reflecting the transmission wave, and can be converted into an approach position where the index portion is disposed in the path of the transmission wave and a save position where the index portion retracts from the path of the transmission wave. When the indicator part is different in distance from the distance sensor at the entry position for each movable object, and the distance sensor is such that the transmission wave is reflected by any of the indicator parts And when it does not reflect to any of the above indicator part Outputs of the signal, and further, the transmission wave, depending reflected by the indicator portion of any of the movable object, a game machine and outputs a signal of different aspect. Here, the index unit is not limited to one that completely reflects the transmission wave, and may be one that reflects the transmission wave to such an extent that a distance sensor can detect a reflection wave of the transmission wave.

  In such a configuration, regardless of the number of movable objects arranged, it is possible to detect the positions of all movable objects by the distance sensor provided at one end of the movable object array, There is an advantage that the circuit and wiring relating to the position detection can be integrated and simplified.

  In the present invention, each movable object is held movably with respect to the holding member, and the distance sensor and the holding member are detachably attached to the gaming machine main body independently of each other. It is proposed that

  Movable objects are parts that are frequently removed during replacement repair or recycling. With such a configuration, the movable object can be removed from the gaming machine main body while the distance sensor and the wiring relating to the distance sensor are attached to the gaming machine main body, so the movable object can be easily attached and detached compared to the conventional configuration. Become. In addition, with such a configuration, it is not necessary to insert and remove the wire related to the distance sensor at the time of mounting and removing the movable object, so that there is an advantage that the failure related to the wire related to the distance sensor does not easily occur.

  Further, in the present invention, each of the movable objects is an operation button, and the operation button is biased to a non-operating position projecting to the front of the gaming machine main body by the biasing means, and the bias is applied. The device is disposed so as to be moved from the non-operation position to a predetermined operation position by pressing it against the biasing force of the means, and the non-operation position and the operation position of the operation button are the retraction position. It is proposed that a predetermined position between the non-operation position and the operation position is the entry position.

  In such a configuration, when the operation button is pressed, the operation sensor moves from the retracted position (non-operation position) to the other retracted position (operation position) through the entry position, so the distance sensor And temporarily outputting a signal in a mode according to the distance to the indicator portion of the operation button. Therefore, according to such a configuration, the operation of the operation button can be detected based on the output of the distance sensor. In particular, in such a configuration, the operation button is at the entry position during movement between the non-operation position and the operation position, and the indicator portion of the operation button at the operation position (retraction position) does not reflect the transmission wave of the distance sensor. The operation of the operation button can be detected even when the other operation button is pushed to the operation position.

  Further, in the present invention, each of the movable objects is a reel, and the reel includes a rotating shaft, an outer peripheral portion, and a connecting portion connecting the rotating shaft and the outer peripheral portion. The indicator portion is disposed inward of the outer peripheral portion, and the connection portion is a portion that can be disposed in the path of the transmission wave and the reflection wave of the distance sensor, the transmission wave and the reflection wave Is proposed to be formed of a transparent material.

  In the case where the movable object is a reel, it is difficult to configure such that the connection portion of the reel does not intersect at all the path of the transmission wave or the reflection wave of the distance sensor. Since the light is transmitted through the connecting portion of the reel, the transmission wave and the reflected wave of the distance sensor do not receive the interference of the connecting portion. Therefore, if it is set as such composition, the present invention is suitably applicable to a reel.

  Further, in the above configuration, it is proposed that an angle width of the index portion with respect to the rotational direction of the reel is wider as it is disposed on the reel farther from the distance sensor. .

  In such a configuration, while the reel (movable object) is rotationally driven, all of the reels that are relatively far from the distance sensor are not hidden behind the indicators that are relatively close to the distance sensor. The index portion of the sensor can be reliably detected by the distance sensor when crossing the path of the transmission wave.

  Further, in the above configuration, each of the reels is configured to pass through the entering position once every rotation, and includes reel control means for rotationally driving the respective reels by a stepping motor. The reel control means determines that the reel is at the entering position when the distance sensor outputs a signal according to the distance to the indicator portion of the reel during rotational driving of the reel. And the distance sensor does not output a signal corresponding to the distance to the indicator portion related to the reel during a period in which the reel is rotated by a predetermined angle of 360 ° or more, and It is configured to determine that the other reel is in the approach position simultaneously with the other reel, if the other reel being rotationally driven is present between the reel and the distance sensor. It is is proposed.

  In such a configuration, while the reel (movable object) is driven to rotate, the entire index portion of the reel is hidden behind the indicators of the other reels being driven to rotate, and is not detected by the distance sensor. Even in such a case, the reel control means can appropriately determine the timing at which the reel is in the approach position.

  Further, in the present invention, the second distance sensor different from the distance sensor is provided, and the second distance sensor is a second distance sensor from the other end to the one end of the array of the plurality of movable objects. And a receiver for receiving the reflected wave of the second transmission wave, the signal having an aspect according to the distance to the reflection position of the second transmission wave. It outputs, The said indicator part of each said movable object can reflect the said 2nd transmission wave of said 2nd distance sensor, Each said movable object is said indicator part in the said approach position Is arranged in the path of the second transmission wave, and the indicator section is configured to retreat from the path of the second transmission wave at the retraction position, and the index section is configured to It is proposed that the distance from the distance sensor of

  When two movable objects are simultaneously positioned at the entry position, the indicator of one movable object is hidden by the indicator of the other movable object, so with one distance sensor, only the indicator of the other movable object Although it can not detect, if distance sensors are disposed at both ends of the array of a plurality of movable objects as in this configuration, it is possible to simultaneously detect the index portions of the two movable objects at the approach position. Therefore, with this configuration, the positions of the plurality of movable objects can be detected more accurately.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the slot machine 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the slot machine 1 in a state in which the front door 3 is opened. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the reel unit 10; It is a right side view of reel device 15a-15c, (a) shows the state where reels 9a-9c are in non reference position Q, and (b) shows the state where reels 9a-9c exist in reference position P. FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing an attachment aspect of the reel unit 10, the distance sensor 37, and the reflection plate 35 to the housing 2. It is an explanatory view showing the rotation position of reels 9a-9c, and the reflective position of transmitting wave L1 for reference position detection, and (a) shows the state where all reels 9a-9c are in non reference position Q, (b) Shows the state where only the left reel 9a is at the reference position P. It is an explanatory view showing the rotation position of reels 9a-9c, and the reflection position of transmitting wave L1 for reference position detection, (a) shows the state where only middle reel 9b is in reference position P, (b) is the right reel Only the state 9c is at the reference position P. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the rotational position of reels 9a-9c, and a reference position detection signal. It is a block diagram which shows the circuit which concerns on rotation control of reels 9a-9c. It is a flowchart which shows the processing content of a reel rotational position detection process. It is an explanatory view showing the attachment mode to front door 3 of stop button unit 40. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the stop button unit 40. FIG. It is a cross-sectional view of button apparatus 42a-42c, (a) shows the state in which stop button 7a-7c exists in non-operation position S, (b) shows the state that stop button 7a-7c exists in operation position R. . It is a top view of stop button unit 40, (a) shows the state where only left stop button 7a is in operation position R, (b) shows the state where only middle stop button 7b is in operation position R, (c) Shows a state where only the right stop button 7c is at the operation position R. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the position of stop button 7a-7c, and an operation position detection signal. It is a block diagram which shows the circuit which concerns on control of stop button 7a-7c. FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the processing content of reel rotational position detection processing in Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 16 is an explanatory view showing a configuration related to reference position detection of the reels 9a to 9c in the third embodiment. FIG. 21 is an explanatory view showing a configuration related to reference position detection of the reels 9 a to 9 c in the fourth embodiment, (a) shows a state where only the left reel 9 a is at the reference position P, (b) shows the left reel 9 a and the right reel 9c shows a state in which the reference position P is present. It is a cross-sectional view of stop button 7a-7c in Example 5, (a) shows the state in which stop button 7a-7c exists in non-operation position S, (b) stop button 7a-7c in middle position T A certain state is shown, and (c) shows the state where the stop buttons 7a to 7c are at the operation position R.

An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a slot machine will be described according to the following example.
In Example 1 below, two sets of a plurality of movable objects according to the present invention are provided. The first set is three reels 9a to 9c arranged in a line, and the second set is three stop buttons 7a to 7c arranged in a line. With respect to the reels 9a to 9c, the reference position index portions 16 of the respective reels 9a to 9c correspond to the index portions according to the present invention, the reference positions P of the reels 9a to 9c are at the entry position, and the non-reference position Q is at the retraction position. Equivalent to. Further, with regard to the stop buttons 7a to 7c, the operation position indicators 46 of the stop buttons 7a to 7c correspond to the indicator according to the present invention, and the operation position R of the stop buttons 7a to 7c is at the entry position, the non-operation position S corresponds to the retracted position.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the gaming machine main body of the slot machine 1 of this embodiment is constituted by a case 2 opened forward and a front door 3 covering the case 2 from the front. At the front center of the housing 2, a display window 4 is provided which allows the inside of the housing 2 to be visible. Further, on the front side of the front door 3, an operation button and an operation lever used for the game operation are disposed below the display window 4. Specifically, on the front side of the front door 3, two bet buttons 5 for setting the number of bets, a start lever 6 for starting the reels 9a to 9c, and the reels 9a to 9c are stopped. The three stop buttons 7a to 7c and the adjustment button 8 for adjusting credits are disposed. The three stop buttons 7a to 7c have the same shape and are arranged in a line in the left-right direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the inside of the housing 2 can be opened by pivoting the front door 3 to the front. Inside the housing 2, three reels, a left reel 9a, a middle reel 9b, and a right reel 9c, are arranged in a line in the left-right direction. A symbol 12 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of each of the reels 9a to 9c, and the symbol 12 on the front side of each of the reels 9a to 9c can be viewed through the display window 4 of the front door 3. The three reels 9a to 9c are accommodated inside the housing 2 in a state of being held by a reel unit 10 described later. In addition, a speaker 11 and the like are disposed on the back side of the front door 3. Further, inside the housing 2, the main control device 20 and the sub control device 21 are installed above the reels 9 a to 9 c. These control devices 20 and 21 consist of a printed circuit board which mounted a microcomputer etc., and are installed in the state where it was stored in the case. Further, below the reels 9a to 9c, a hopper unit 18 and a power supply device 24 are disposed. The power supply device 24 supplies power to various control devices and devices.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the reel unit 10 housed inside the housing 2. The reel unit 10 is an integrated unit of a reel device 15a for rotating the left reel 9a, a reel device 15b for rotating the middle reel 9b, and a reel device 15c for rotating the right reel 9c, and each reel 9a to 9c Are individually rotatably held by the respective reel devices 15a to 15c. On the upper part of the reel unit 10, a reel relay board 23 relaying wiring for connecting the reel devices 15a to 15c to the main control device 20 and the power supply device 24 is disposed. Since the configurations of the three reel devices 15a to 15c are basically common, the configuration of the reel device 15a related to the left reel 9a will first be described below, and the reel devices 15b and 15c related to the other reels 9b and 9c. In the above, only differences from the reel device 15a related to the left reel 9a will be described.

  FIG. 4 is a right side view of the reel device 15a for rotating the left reel 9a. The reel device 15a includes a left reel 9a, a base member 13 fixedly disposed on the reel unit 10 and rotatably holding the left reel 9a, and fixed to the base member 13 to rotationally drive the left reel 9a. And a reel motor 14.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the left reel 9 a includes a wheel-shaped reel frame 25 and a reel seal 27 a attached to the reel frame 25. The reel frame 25 is a transparent resin molded product, and a central rotation shaft 26 fixed to the rotation shaft of the reel motor 14, an outer periphery 28 to which the reel seal 27a is attached, and radial from the rotation shaft 26 The connecting portion 29 extends to connect the rotary shaft portion 26 and the outer peripheral portion 28. Although not illustrated in FIG. 3, the reel seal 27 a is a strip-like seal in which a 21-piece pattern is printed along the longitudinal direction, and is affixed in a cylindrical shape along the outer peripheral portion 28 of the reel frame 25 . Further, on the reel frame 25, a reference position index unit 16 for detecting the rotational position of the left reel 9 a is disposed inward of the outer peripheral portion 28. The reference position index unit 16 is formed of a white resin plate piece, and rotates integrally with the left reel 9a when the left reel 9a rotates.

  The reel motor 14 rotates and drives the left reel 9a about the rotation axis in the left-right direction, thereby moving and displaying the design 12 on the outer peripheral surface of the left reel 9a in the display window 4 from the top to the bottom. The reel motor 14 is a stepping motor capable of controlling the rotation angle of the left reel 9a in basic step angle units, and the basic step angle is about 1.4 ° (360 ° / 252 steps).

  The reel devices 15b and 15c for the middle reel 9b and the right reel 9c have the same configuration as the reel device 15a for the left reel 9a except that the symbol arrangement of the reel seals 27a to 27c is different. As shown, the three reel devices 15a-15c are arranged in a line such that the rotational axes of the respective reels 9a-9c are continuous in the left-right direction.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the reel unit 10 is detachably attached to the back plate 2 a of the housing 2. Specifically, two engagement holes 31 are provided at predetermined positions of the back plate 2 a of the housing 2 so as to pass through the hooks 32 formed on the back side of the reel unit 10. The reel unit 10 is locked to the back plate 2 a of the housing 2 by engaging with each 31.

  As shown in FIG. 5, inside the left side plate 2 b of the housing 2, a reference position detection device 36 having a distance sensor 37 on a substrate is screwed. Further, a reflection plate 35 made of white resin is screwed to the inside of the right side plate 2 c of the housing 2. The distance sensor 37 includes a transmitter 37a for transmitting an infrared ray L1 for distance detection in one direction, and a receiver 37b for receiving a reflected wave L1a of the infrared ray L1. The infrared ray L1 is a reference position detection transmission wave used to detect the position of each of the reels 9a to 9c. The reference position detection device 36 is attached so as to transmit the reference position detection transmission wave L1 to the right. The surface of the reflection plate 35 can reflect the reference position detection transmission wave L1, and the reflection plate 35 faces the reference position detection device 36 in the left-right direction so as to reflect the reference position detection transmission wave L1 to the left. Mounted in the

  As shown in FIG. 6A, in the present embodiment, with the reel unit 10, the reference position detection device 36 and the reflection plate 35 attached to the housing 2, the left end side of the arrangement of the three reels 9a to 9c. The reference position detection device 36 is located on the right side of the arrangement of the three reels 9a to 9c, and the reflection plate 35 is located on the right side. The distance sensor 37 transmits the reference position detection transmission wave L1 from the left end side to the right end side of the arrangement of the reels 9a to 9c, and is configured to receive the reflected wave L1a of the reference position detection transmission wave L1. ing. The transmission wave L1 for reference position detection is output so as to penetrate the lower rear side of each of the reels 9a to 9c in the left and right direction as shown in FIG. The linking portion 29 of the reels 9a to 9c and the reference position index portion 16 vertically cross the path of the reference position detection transmission wave L1.

  In each of the reels 9a to 9c, the reference position P is defined as the rotational position at which one predetermined symbol 12 is the front among the symbols 12 of 21 frames arranged on the outer peripheral surface. When the respective reels 9a to 9c are at the reference position P, the reference position index portions 16 of the reels 9a to 9c are disposed in the path of the reference position detection transmission wave L1, and rotational positions other than the reference position P (hereinafter referred to as When at the non-reference position Q), the reference position indicator 16 of the reels 9a to 9c is configured to retract from the path of the reference position detection transmission wave L1 and its reflected wave L1a. Since the reference position index unit 16 can reflect the reference position detection transmission wave L1, when the respective reels 9a to 9c are at the reference position P, the reference position index unit 16 of the reels 9a to 9c is the reference position. It functions as a reflector that reflects the detection transmission wave L1 to the left. Since the reel frame 25 is formed of a colorless and transparent resin that transmits the reference position detection transmission wave L1, even when the connecting portion 29 is located in the path of the reference position detection transmission wave L1, The link portion 29 does not reflect the reference position detection transmission wave L1. That is, when the reels 9a to 9c are at the non-reference position Q, the reference position detection transmission wave L1 is not reflected by the reels 9a to 9c.

  As described above, since the reference position detection transmission wave L1 can be reflected by the reference position index unit 16 of the reels 9a to 9c at the reference position P, the reference position detection transmission wave L1 is the rotational position of the reels 9a to 9c. Accordingly, the distance sensor 37 receives the reflected wave L1a by being reflected by any one of the reference position indicators 16 of the reels 9a to 9c or the reflecting plate 35. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6A, when all the reels 9a to 9c are at the non-reference position Q, the reference position detection transmission wave L1 penetrates the three reels 9a to 9c, The light is reflected by the reflection plate 35. Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the left reel 9a is at the reference position P, the reference position detection transmission wave L1 is reflected by the reference position index part 16 of the left reel 9a. Further, as shown in FIG. 7A, when the left reel 9a is at the non-reference position Q and the middle reel 9b is at the reference position P, the reference position detection transmission wave L1 is a reference position index of the middle reel 9b. It reflects in the part 16. Then, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the left reel 9a and the middle reel 9b are at the non-reference position Q and the right reel 9c is at the reference position P, the reference position detection transmission wave L1 is the right reel 9c. Is reflected by the reference position indicator unit 16 of FIG.

  The distance sensor 37 detects the distance to the reflection position of the reference position detection transmission wave L1 by Time-of-Flight method, and outputs a distance signal indicating the distance to the reflection position. As described above, the reference position detection transmission wave L1 is reflected by any of the reference position index portions 16 of any of the reels 9a to 9c or the reflection plate 35, but from the distance sensor 37 to the reference position P. The distance to the reference position indicator 16 of each of the reels 9a to 9c is different for each of the reels 9a to 9c. Further, the distance from the distance sensor 37 to the reflecting plate 35 is longer than the distance from the distance sensor 37 to any of the reference position indicators 16. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the distance sensor 37 outputs a distance signal indicating different distances depending on which of the reference position indicator unit 16 and the reflecting plate 35 the reference position detection transmission wave L1 is reflected, and The distance sensor 37 outputs a distance signal indicating different distances depending on which one of the reels 9a to 9c the reference position detection transmission wave L1 reflects.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, when the reference position detection transmission wave L1 is reflected by the reflection plate 35, the distance sensor 37 outputs a distance signal indicating the distance (about 45 cm) to the reflection plate 35. When the reference position detection transmission wave L1 is reflected by the reference position indicator 16 of the left reel 9a, the distance sensor 37 outputs a distance signal indicating the distance (about 15 cm) to the reference position indicator 16. When the reference position detection transmission wave L1 is reflected by the reference position indicator 16 of the middle reel 9b, the distance sensor 37 outputs a distance signal indicating the distance (about 25 cm) to the reference position indicator 16; When the reference position detection transmission wave L1 is reflected by the reference position indicator 16 of the right reel 9c, the distance sensor 37 outputs a distance signal indicating the distance (about 35 cm) to the reference position indicator 16.

  The reference position detection device 36 is directly connected to the main control device 20 via the lead wire (see FIG. 9), and each reel 9a to 9c is at the reference position P based on the distance signal output from the distance sensor 37. A reference position detection signal indicating whether or not there is is output to the main control device 20. Specifically, the distance signal output from the distance sensor 37 is an analog signal of a voltage corresponding to the distance to the reflection position, and the reference position detection signal generation circuit 38 disposed on the substrate of the reference position detection device 36 The distance signal is converted into a reference position detection signal, and is output to the main control device 20.

The reference position detection signal includes a left reference position detection signal related to the position of the left reel 9a, a middle reference position detection signal related to the position of the middle reel 9b, and a right reference position detection signal related to the position of the right reel 9c. The reference position detection signal generation circuit 38 turns on the left reference position detection signal only when the distance to the reflection position indicated by the distance signal of the distance sensor 37 is in the range of 10 to 20 cm. The reference position detection signal generation circuit 38 turns on the middle reference position detection signal only when the distance to the reflection position indicated by the distance signal of the distance sensor 37 is in the range of 20 to 30 cm.
The reference position detection signal generation circuit 38 turns on the right reference position detection signal only when the distance to the reflection position indicated by the distance signal of the distance sensor 37 is in the range of 30 to 40 cm. The reference position detection signal may be output from the reference position detection device 36 to the main control device 20 as a parallel signal or may be output as a serial signal.

  According to this configuration, as shown in FIG. 8, when all the reels 9a to 9c are in the non-reference position Q, the left reference position detection signal, the middle reference position detection signal, and the right reference position detection signal are turned off. Become. When the left reel 9a is at the reference position P, only the left reference position detection signal is turned on. When the left reel 9a is at the non-reference position Q and the middle reel 9b is at the reference position P, only the middle reference position detection signal is turned on. When the left reel 9a and the middle reel 9b are at the non-reference position Q and the right reel 9c is at the reference position P, only the right reference position detection signal is turned on.

  The main control device 20 controls the rotation of the reels 9 a to 9 c using the reference position detection signal received from the reference position detection device 36. More specifically, the main control unit 20 mainly executes control related to the progression of the game in the slot machine 1, and rotates the three reels 9a to 9c by the reel motor 14 in response to the operation of the start lever 6. The rotation of the reels 9a to 9c is stopped in response to the operation of the stop buttons 7a to 7c. Here, the three stop buttons 7a to 7c are individually associated with the respective reels 9a to 9c. That is, the main controller 20 stops the rotation of the left reel 9a when the left stop button 7a on the left side is operated, and stops the rotation of the middle reel 9b when the middle middle stop button 7b is operated. When the right stop button 7c is operated, the rotation of the right reel 9c is stopped.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the reel motor 14 of each of the reels 9a to 9c is connected to the main control device 20 through the reel relay board 23, and each time it receives a drive pulse signal from the main control device 20 once. The reels 9a to 9c are rotated by one step (about 1.4 °). That is, the main control device 20 can control the rotation angles of the respective reels 9 a to 9 c by the number of drive pulse signals transmitted to the respective reel motors 14.

  The main control device 20 is provided with a reel counter for checking the rotational position of the reels 9a to 9c for each of the reels 9a to 9c, and transmits the reference position signal received from the reference position detection device 36 and the reel motor 14 The rotational positions of the rotating reels 9a to 9c are determined by updating the respective reel counters based on the number of drive pulse signals. Specifically, the main control device 20 determines the rotational position of the rotating reels 9a to 9c by executing the reel rotational position detection process shown in FIG. 10 at regular intervals.

  As shown in FIG. 10, in the reel rotational position detection process, the main control device 20 first determines whether any of the reference position detection signals has switched from OFF to ON, and any of the reference position detection signals is If it is determined that the reels 9a to 9c related to the reference position detection signal are at the reference position P, the value of the reel counter related to the reels 9a to 9c is reset to "0". (S101 to S106). Subsequently, the main control device 20 determines whether or not the drive pulse signal is output to any of the reel motors 14, and when it is determined that the drive pulse signal is output to any of the reel motors 14, the reel "1" is added to the value of the reel counter of the reels 9a to 9c driven by the motor 14 (S107 to S112). According to the reel rotational position detecting process, the value of the reel counter related to each of the reels 9a to 9c reflects the rotational position of each of the reels 9a to 9c. By referring to the values, it is possible to stop each of the reels 9a to 9c at a required rotational position.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the rotational positions of the three reels 9 a to 9 c can be detected by one distance sensor 37. For this reason, in the present embodiment, circuits and wires relating to detection of rotational positions of the reels 9a to 9c can be integrated and simplified as compared with the conventional configuration in which a sensor for detecting the rotational position is provided for each reel. It has the advantage of Specifically, in the case of the conventional configuration, it is necessary to dispose one sensor on each of the base members 13 of the three reels 9a to 9c. However, in the present embodiment, one sensor is disposed on one end side of the reels 9a to 9c. It is sufficient to arrange only one distance sensor 37. Therefore, according to the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment, the number of parts can be reduced as compared with the conventional configuration, and the number of signal lines, power supply lines and connectors connected to the sensor can be reduced. In particular, the wiring relating to the position detection of the reels 9a to 9c is a wiring essential for game control in which the main control device 20 can not continue the game control when the disconnection occurs. Further, such disconnection of the wiring can not be detected unless the game is in progress, and it is also difficult to determine that the sensor is broken, so it is difficult to find it in the inspection, and the time for repair is large. As described above, the wiring relating to the position detection of the reels 9a to 9c is an essential wiring which is essential for game control, is hard to find a break, and requires a large amount of time for repair, as in this embodiment. If such wiring is integrated to reduce the risk of disconnection, a large effect can be obtained as compared with the conventional configuration.

  Further, if sensors for detecting the rotational positions of the reels 9a to 9c are disposed inside the reels 9a to 9c as in the conventional configuration, wiring management becomes complicated, and the sensor malfunction due to the heat of the reel motor 14 Are also concerned. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since the distance sensor 37 is disposed outside the reels 9a to 9c, wiring can be easily managed compared to the conventional configuration, and the sensor is erroneous due to the heat of the reel motor 14. There is no danger of operating.

  Further, in the present embodiment, each of the reels 9a to 9c is rotatably held by the base member 13 and integrated as a reel unit 10, and is mounted on the housing 2 together with the reel unit 10, while the distance sensor A reference position detection device 36 in which 37 is disposed is attached to the housing 2 independently of the reel unit 10. As described above, in the present embodiment, since the reel unit 10 and the reference position detection device 36 are independently and detachably disposed in the housing 2, in the present embodiment, the reference position detection device 36 is used. While being attached to the housing 2, the reels 9a to 9c can be removed from the housing 2 and remounted. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, since the wiring related to the reference position detection device 36 is connected to the main control device 20 without being relayed by the reel unit 10, the reference position detection is performed when the reels 9a to 9c are attached and detached. It is also unnecessary to remove the wiring of the device 36. The reels 9a to 9c are parts that are frequently removed at the time of replacement repair or recycling. Thus, in the present embodiment, the rotational positions of the reels 9a to 9c are detected when the reels 9a to 9c are attached or detached. Since it is not necessary to attach and remove parts and wiring according to the above, there is an advantage that the work of attaching and detaching the reels 9a to 9c is easy, and troubles in wiring of the reference position detection device 36 hardly occur.

  Further, in the present embodiment, when the reels 9a to 9c rotate, the linking portion 29 of each of the reels 9a to 9c crosses the path of the reference position detection transmission wave L1. However, since the link portion 29 (reel frame 25) is formed of a colorless and transparent resin that transmits the reference position detection transmission wave L1 and the reflected wave L1a without reflecting it, the link portion 29 is the distance sensor 37. It does not interfere with the distance to be detected. For this reason, according to such a configuration, the rotational position of the reels 9a to 9c can be appropriately detected by the distance sensor 37.

Next, the configuration related to the position detection of the stop buttons 7a to 7c will be described.
As shown in FIG. 11, the three stop buttons 7 a to 7 c are attached to the opening 50 on the front face of the front door 3 in a state integrated and integrated into the stop button unit 40. The stop button unit 40 includes a bezel 41 fitted in the opening 50 of the front door 3. As shown in FIG. 12, in the bezel 41, three elliptically shaped opening holes 52 are formed side by side, and three button devices 42a to 42c for movably holding the stop buttons 7a to 7c are provided. , One by one in each opening hole 52. Since the configurations of the three button devices 42a to 42c are basically common, the configuration of the left button device 42a that holds the left stop button 7a will be described first, and the middle button device that holds the middle stop button 7b As for the right button device 42c that holds the right stop button 7c, only differences from the left button device 42a will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the left button device 42a includes an elliptical cylindrical button holder 43 which is fitted and held in the opening 52 on the left side of the bezel 41, and as shown in FIG. The left stop button 7a is slidably held in the front-rear direction in the inside. A coil spring 45 is disposed inside the button holder 43, and the left stop button 7 a is biased forward by the coil spring 45. As shown in FIG. 13 (a), when the left stop button 7a moves forward to the non-operation position S which protrudes a predetermined amount to the front face of the front door 3, the locking claw 47 and the button holder formed at the rear end By engagement with the inner wall of 43, it is locked so as not to advance forward beyond the non-operation position S.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 13B, when the left stop button 7a is pushed backward against the biasing force of the coil spring 45 and moved to the operation position R where it is almost buried in the front door 3, the left stop button 7a The contact between the front end outer peripheral portion 48 and the inner wall of the button holder 43 locks the rear of the operation position R so that it can not be pushed backward. That is, the left stop button 7a is normally biased to the non-operating position S by the coil spring 45, and moves from the non-operating position S to the operating position R by pressing against the biasing force of the coil spring 45. It is configured to be able to

  The left stop button 7a is made of a translucent resin material, and a button lamp 44 for illuminating the left stop button 7a from the back side is disposed inside the button holder 43. The button lamp 44 is formed by arranging an LED on a substrate. The button holder 43 is made of an opaque resin material so that the light of the button lamp 44 does not leak around.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the left stop button 7a is provided with an operation position indicator 46 for detecting the position of the left stop button 7a. The operation position indicator portion 46 is formed of a white resin plate piece, is fitted around the rear end portion of one of the locking claws 47 and protrudes rearward of the left stop button 7a. The operation position indicator unit 46 moves back and forth relative to the button holder 43 integrally with the left stop button 7a, and is retracted inside the button holder 43 at the non-operation position S of the left stop button 7a. At the operation position R of the left stop button 7 a, the button holder 43 is configured to protrude rearward than the rear end of the button holder 43.

  The configuration of the middle button device 42b and the right button device 42c is substantially the same as the left button device 42a, and as shown in FIG. 13, the three button devices 42a to 42c arrange the stop buttons 7a to 7c in a row in the left-right direction. It arranges in the bezel 41 so that it may arrange.

  As shown in FIG. 12, on the back side of the bezel 41, an operation position detection device 56 having a distance sensor 57 on the substrate is disposed on the left side, and a reflection plate 55 is disposed on the right side. The operation position detection device 56 has the same configuration as the reference position detection device 36, and the distance sensor 57 transmits the infrared ray L2 for distance detection in one direction, and the reflected wave of the infrared ray L2 And a receiver 57b for receiving L2a. The infrared ray L2 is an operation position detection transmission wave used for position detection of the stop buttons 7a to 7c. The operation position detection device 56 is attached to the bezel 41 so as to output the operation position detection transmission wave L2 to the right. The reflecting plate 55 is a white resin plate piece capable of reflecting the operation position detecting transmission wave L2, and is a position facing the operation position detecting device 56 in the left and right direction so as to reflect the operation position detecting transmission wave L2 to the left. Attached to

  As shown in FIG. 14, in the stop button unit 40, the operation position detection device 56 is on the left end side of the arrangement of the three stop buttons 7a to 7c, and the reflecting plate 55 is on the right end side of the arrangement of the three stop buttons 7a to 7c. Are each located. The distance sensor 57 transmits the operation position detection transmission wave L2 from the left end side to the right end side of the arrangement of the stop buttons 7a to 7c, and receives the reflection wave L2a of the operation position detection transmission wave L2. It is done.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 14, in each of the stop buttons 7a to 7c, at the operation position R, the operation position index unit 46 is disposed vertically across the path of the operation position detection transmission wave L2 and is disposed in the path At the operation position S, the operation position index unit 46 is configured to withdraw from the path of the operation position detection transmission wave L2 and the reflected wave L2a. Since the operation position index unit 46 can reflect the operation position detection transmission wave L2, when the stop buttons 7a to 7c are at the operation position R, the operation position index unit 46 of the stop buttons 7a to 7c performs the operation. It functions as a reflector that reflects the position detection transmission wave L2 to the left.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the transmission wave L2 for detecting the operating position can be reflected by the operating position indicator 46 of the stop buttons 7a to 7c at the operating position R, as shown in FIG. The reflection position of the operation position detection transmission wave L2 fluctuates according to the positions of ̃7c, and the distance sensor 57 outputs different distance signals according to the reflection position of the operation position detection transmission wave L2. Specifically, when the operation position detection transmission wave L2 is reflected by the reflection plate 55, the distance sensor 57 outputs a distance signal indicating a distance of about 20 cm, and the operation position detection transmission wave L2 is the left stop button 7a. When reflected by the operation position indicator 46, the distance sensor 57 outputs a distance signal indicating a distance of about 5 cm, and when the operation position detection transmission wave L2 is reflected by the operation position indicator 46 of the middle stop button 7b. The distance sensor 57 outputs a distance signal indicating a distance of about 10 cm from the distance sensor 57, and the distance sensor 57 measures a distance of about 15 cm when the operation position detecting transmission wave L2 is reflected by the operation position indicator 46 of the right stop button 7c. Output a distance signal indicating

  The operation position detection device 56 is directly connected to the main control device 20 through the lead wire (see FIG. 16), and the respective stop buttons 7a to 7c are operated based on the distance signal output from the distance sensor 57. An operation position detection signal indicating whether it is at position R is output to main control device 20. Specifically, the operation position detection signal generation circuit 58 disposed on the substrate of the operation position detection device 56 converts the distance signal output by the distance sensor 57 into an operation position detection signal, and outputs the operation position detection signal to the main control device 20 Do. The configurations of the distance sensor 57, the operation position detection signal generation circuit 58, and the operation position detection signal conform to the configurations of the distance sensor 37, the reference position detection signal generation circuit 38, and the reference position detection signal according to the reference position detection device 36, respectively. Since the relationship between the distance signal output of the distance sensor 57 and the output of the operation position detection signal is shown in FIG. 15, the detailed description will be omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the main control device 20 is directly connected to the operation position detection device 56 via a lead wire and connected to the button lamp 44 of each button device 42 a to 42 c via a relay board 54. . In the state where the operation of the stop buttons 7a to 7c is effective, the main control device 20 outputs a button light emission signal to the button lamp 44 related to the effective stop buttons 7a to 7c to light the effective stop buttons 7a to 7c. . Further, the main control device 20 determines that the stop button 7a to 7c is operated when the operation position detection signal related to the valid stop button 7a to 7c is switched from OFF to ON. Then, the stop positions of the reels 9a to 9c corresponding to the stop buttons 7a to 7c are determined, and the reels 9a to 9c are stopped at the stop positions.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the positions of the three stop buttons 7 a to 7 c can be detected by one distance sensor 57. Therefore, compared to the conventional configuration in which the sensor for detecting the position is provided for each stop button, the present embodiment can consolidate and simplify the circuits and wiring related to the position detection of the stop buttons 7a to 7c. It has the advantage of Specifically, in the case of the conventional configuration, one sensor needs to be provided in each of the button holders 43 of the three stop buttons 7a to 7c. In the present embodiment, one end of the array of the stop buttons 7a to 7c. It is sufficient to arrange only one distance sensor 57 on the side. Therefore, according to the slot machine 1 of the present embodiment, the number of parts can be reduced as compared with the conventional configuration, and the number of signal lines, power supply lines and connectors connected to the sensor can be reduced. In particular, the wiring relating to the button lamp 44 can continue the game even if disconnection occurs, but the wiring relating to the operation detection of the stop buttons 7a to 7c continues the game control when the disconnection occurs. It is a wire essential to game control that is disabled. Further, such disconnection of the wiring can not be detected unless the game is in progress, and it is also difficult to determine that the sensor is broken, so it is difficult to find it in the inspection, and the time for repair is large. As described above, the wiring relating to the operation detection of the stop buttons 7a to 7c is an essential wiring which is essential for game control, is hard to find a break, and requires a large amount of time for repair. If such wires are integrated to reduce the risk of disconnection, a large effect can be obtained as compared with the conventional configuration.

In the present embodiment, the method of determining the rotational position of the reels 9a to 9c of the main control device 20 is changed from the first embodiment. The other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, so the common components are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.
In the first embodiment, each of the reels 9a to 9c passes the reference position P once each time the reels 9a to 9c make one rotation, so normally, every time the reels 9a to 9c make one rotation, The reference position detection signal related to the reels 9a to 9c is switched from OFF to ON, and the reel counters related to the reels 9a to 9c are reset to “0”. However, although it is rare, when the two reels 9a to 9c are rotated so as to simultaneously pass the reference position P, the entire reference position indicator 16 of one of the reels 9b and 9c is the other reel 9a. , 9b are hidden behind the reference position indicator portion 16, and when passing the reference position P, the reference position detection signal concerning one of the reels 9b, 9c is not turned ON. In such a case, even if the reels 9a to 9c are rotated one or more turns, the reel counter relating to one of the reels 9b and 9c is not reset, so that the reel counter may indicate an inappropriate value. In the present embodiment, in preparation for the occurrence of such an event, the main control device 20 relates to the reels 9b and 9c while rotating the middle reel 9b or the right reel 9c by a predetermined angle (300 steps) of 360 ° or more. If the reference position detection signal is not switched ON, and there are other reels 9a and 9b being rotationally driven between the reels 9b and 9c and the distance sensor 37, the reels 9b and 9c It is determined that the other reels 9a and 9b are simultaneously passing the reference position P, and the value of the reel counter of the reels 9b and 9c is set to the value of the reel counter of the other reels 9a and 9b. Run.

Specifically, in the present embodiment, the main control device 20 executes the processing of steps S113 to S122 described below in the reel rotation position detection processing shown in FIG. The processes of steps S101 to S112 are the same processes as the reel rotational position detection process (see FIG. 10) of the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted.
First, in step S113, main controller 20 determines whether the value of the left reel counter is larger than "300". When the value of the left reel counter is larger than "300", the left reel 9a is rotated 300 steps or more by the reel motor 14 without resetting the left reel counter (252 steps for one rotation). When it is determined in step S113 that the value of the left reel counter is larger than "300", the left reel 9a is considered not to be rotated due to a failure or the like, so the rotational position of the left reel 9a can not be determined. Then, the reel counter error flag is set to ON (S117), and the reel rotation position detection processing is ended. The reel counter error flag is a flag indicating a reel counter update error.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S113 that the value of the left reel counter is "300" or less, it is determined whether the value of the middle reel counter is larger than "300" (S114). If it is determined that the value of the middle reel counter is "300" or less, the process proceeds to step S118. If it is determined that the value of the middle reel counter is larger than "300", it is determined whether the left reel 9a is rotating (S115). If the left reel 9a is rotating, the left is determined to be left Since the reference position index part 16 of the reel 9a and the middle reel 9b overlaps each other, the value of the left reel counter is set to the value of the middle reel counter (S116), and the process proceeds to step S118. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S115 that the left reel 9a is not rotating, the middle reel 9b may not be rotating due to a failure or the like, so the rotation position of the middle reel 9b can not be determined, and the reel counter error The flag is set to ON (S117), and the reel rotational position detection process is ended.

  In step S118, it is determined whether the value of the right reel counter is larger than "300". Then, if it is determined that the value of the right reel counter is "300" or less, it is not necessary to change the value of the right reel counter, so the reel rotation position detection processing is ended. If it is determined that the value of the right reel counter is larger than "300", it is determined whether the left reel 9a or the middle reel 9b is rotating (S119, S120), and the left reel 9a is rotating. If it is determined that the reference position index portions 16 of the left reel 9a and the right reel 9c overlap each other, the value of the left reel counter is set to the value of the right reel counter (S121), The reel rotational position detection process is ended. If it is determined that the middle reel 9b is rotating, the reference position index portion 16 of the middle reel 9b and the right reel 9c overlap each other, so the value of the middle reel counter is equal to the value of the right reel counter. Is set (S122), and the reel rotational position detection process is ended. If it is determined in steps S119 and S120 that the left reel 9a and the middle reel 9b are not rotating, it is possible that the right reel 9c is not rotating due to a failure or the like, so the rotation position of the right reel 9c is determined. The reel counter error flag is turned ON (S117), and the reel rotational position detection process is ended.

  Thus, in the present embodiment, the entire reference position index portion 16 of the middle reel 9b and the right reel 9c is hidden behind the reference position index portion 16 of the other reels 9a and 9b, and passes the reference position P. Even when the reference position detection transmission wave L1 is not reflected at the time of setting, the main controller 20 corrects the value of the reel counter to an appropriate value. For this reason, in the present embodiment, the main control device 20 can determine the rotational position of each of the reels 9a to 9c more accurately than in the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, the value of the reel counter is corrected by setting the value of the reel counter of the other reel 9a, 9b in the reel counter of one of the reels 9b, 9c. The reel counters related to the reels 9b and 9c may be reset at the timing of resetting the reel counters of the other reels 9a and 9b. Further, instead of the correction of the value of the reel counter, the speed change processing is executed to temporarily make the rotational speeds of the two reels 9a to 9c determined to be overlapped with each other. May be According to the speed change processing, the overlapping of the reference position index portions 16 of the two reels 9a to 9c is eliminated. Therefore, after the speed change processing, the value of the reel counter of each of the reels 9a to 9c is used as the reference position. It is possible to properly reset by the detection signal.

In the present embodiment, the dimensions of the reference position index portion are changed from the first embodiment. The other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, so the common components are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.
While the reference position indicators 16 of the three reels 9a to 9c have the same dimensions in the first embodiment, the reference position indicators 16a to 16c according to the present embodiment are reels as shown in FIG. The angle width with respect to the rotation direction of 9a to 9c is wider as it is disposed on the reels 9a to 9c farther from the distance sensor 37. That is, the reference position indicator portion 16a of the left reel 9a closest to the distance sensor 37 has the narrowest angular width with respect to the rotational direction of the reel 9a, and the reference position indicator portion 16c of the right reel 9c farthest from the distance sensor 37. However, the angular width with respect to the rotation direction of the reel 9c is configured to be the widest.

  According to the reference position indicators 16a to 16c of the present embodiment, the reference position indicators 16b and 16c of the reels 9b and 9c relatively far from the distance sensor 37 are compared with each other while the reels 9a to 9c are rotating. It does not completely hide behind the reference position indicators 16a and 16b of the reels 9a and 9b which are close to each other. For this reason, in the present embodiment, the reference position indicators 16a to 16c of all the reels 9a to 9c are reliably detected by the distance sensor 37 when crossing the path of the reference position detection transmission wave L1. The reference position detection signal according to 9c always turns on temporarily each time the reels 9a to 9c make one rotation. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the main control device 20 can determine the rotational position of each of the reels 9a to 9c more accurately than the first embodiment.

The present embodiment is characterized in that the configuration of the first embodiment is partially changed, and reference position detection devices 36 and 36a are disposed on the left and right of the reel unit 10. The other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, so the common components are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 19, the reflecting plate 35 is also substituted for the inside of the right side plate 2c of the casing 2 in which the reflecting plate 35 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) is disposed in the first embodiment. A reference position detection device 36a is provided. The reference position detection device 36a of the right side plate 2c has the same configuration as the reference position detection device 36 disposed on the left side plate 2b. That is, the reference position detection device 36a of the right side plate 2c includes the distance sensor 37 having the same configuration as the other reference position detection device 36, and the distance sensor 37 is an infrared ray L3 for distance detection from the wave transmitter 37a. Are transmitted in one direction, the reflected wave L3a of the infrared ray L3 is received by the receiver 37b, and a distance signal indicating the distance to the reflection position of the infrared ray L3 is output.

In the present embodiment, the infrared light L3 transmitted from the reference position detection device 36a of the right side plate 2c is also
It is a transmission wave for reference position detection used for position detection of each reel 9a-9c. Specifically, the reference position detection device 36a of the left side plate 2b reverses the same path as the reference position detection transmission wave L1 of the reference position detection device 36 of the right side plate 2c. Arranged to originate. In this configuration, when the reels 9a to 9c are at the reference position P, the reference position index portion 16 of the reels 9a to 9c is the reference position detection transmission wave L3 of the reference position detection device 36a of the right side plate 2c. It arrange | positions on the path | route of, and reflects the transmission wave L3 for reference position detection. When the reels 9a to 9c are at the non-reference position Q, the reference position index unit 16 of the reels 9a to 9c is retracted from the path of the reference position detection transmission wave L3 of the reference position detection device 36a of the right side plate 2c. It will be done. Here, in the present embodiment, the reflecting plate 35 is not disposed at a position facing the distance sensor 37 of each reference position detection device 36, 36a, and the distance sensor 37 of each reference position detection device 36, 36a is the reel unit 10 The reference position detection transmission waves L1 and L3 transmitted from the respective distance sensors 37, 37 when all the reels 9a to 9c are at the non-reference position Q, since they are arranged to face each other across the It will be reflected by the distance sensor 37 at the opposite position. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the reference position detection transmission waves L1 and L3 of the respective reference position detection devices 36 and 36a are the reference positions of any one of the reels 9a to 9c according to the rotational positions of the reels 9a to 9c. The reference portion 16 or one of the distance sensors 37 of the opposing reference position detectors 36, 36a will be reflected, and each reference position detector 36, 36a uses the distance sensor 37 to reflect the respective reflected lights L1a, L3a. To receive. In each of the reference position detection devices 36 and 36a, the distance from the distance sensor 37 to the reference position indicator portion 16 of each of the reels 9a to 9c at the reference position P is different for each of the reels 9a to 9c. In the present embodiment, the reference position detection indicating whether each of the reels 9a to 9c is at the reference position P based on the distance signals output from the respective distance sensors 37 by the left and right reference position detection devices 36 and 36a. A signal is output in parallel to the main controller 20.

  In the present embodiment, the main control device 20 receives reference position detection signals from the left and right reference position detection devices 36 and 36a, respectively. Normally, the same reference position detection signal is output from the left and right reference position detection devices 36 and 36a. For example, as shown in FIG. 19A, when the left reel 9a is at the reference position P, each distance sensor 37 transmits the reference position detecting transmission wave L1 reflected by the reference position indicator 16 of the left reel 9a. , L3 to receive the reflected waves L1a and L3a, the left reference position detection signal output from each of the reference position detection devices 36 and 36a is turned ON. However, when the two reels 9a to 9c are at the reference position P, reference position detection signals relating to different reels 9a to 9c are output from the left and right reference position detection devices 36 and 36a. For example, as shown in FIG. 19B, when the left reel 9a and the right reel 9c are simultaneously at the reference position P, the reference position detection device 36 on the left is reflected by the reference position indicator 16 of the left reel 9a. Since the distance sensor 37 receives the reflected wave L1a of the reference position detection transmission wave L1, the output of the left reference position detection signal is turned ON. On the other hand, since the distance sensor 37 receives the reflected wave L3a of the transmission wave L3 for reference position detection reflected by the reference position indicator 16 of the right reel 9c, the reference position detection device 36a on the right side outputs the right reference position detection signal. Turns on.

  In the present embodiment, when the main control device 20 determines that the reference position detection signal received from any one of the reference position detection devices 36 and 36a has switched from OFF to ON, the reel 9a according to the reference position detection signal. The value of the reel counter of ̃9c is reset to “0”. For this reason, in the present embodiment, as described above, even when the reference position index portions 16 of the two reels 9a and 9c simultaneously pass the reference position P, the reel counters associated with the respective reels 9a and 9c are On the basis of the reference position detection signals from the two reference position detection devices 36 and 36a. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the main control device 20 can determine the rotational position of each of the reels 9a to 9c more accurately than the first embodiment.

In the present embodiment, the shape of the operation position index unit is changed from the first embodiment. The other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, so the common components are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.
In this embodiment, the operation position indicator 46 of the stop buttons 7a to 7c transmits the operation wave for detecting the operation position L2 both when the stop buttons 7a to 7c are at the operation position R and at the non-operation position S. Configured to be evacuated from the path of Specifically, at the non-operation position S of the stop buttons 7a to 7c, as shown in FIG. 20A, the operation position index unit 46 is positioned inside the button holder 43 as in the first embodiment. , From the path of the transmission wave L2 for operation position detection. On the other hand, at the operation position R of the stop buttons 7a to 7c, as shown in FIG. 20 (c), the notch 60 formed in the operation position index part 46 is arranged in the path of the operation position detection transmission wave L2. The operation position index unit 46 retracts from the path of the operation position detection transmission wave L2. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the stop buttons 7a to 7c are at the intermediate position T between the non-operation position S and the operation position R, as shown in FIG. 20 (b), the operation of the stop buttons 7a to 7c is performed. The position index unit 46 is disposed on the path of the operation position detection transmission wave L2. That is, in the present embodiment, the operating position R and the non-operating position S of the stop buttons 7a to 7c correspond to the retracted position according to the present invention, and the intermediate position T corresponds to the advanced position according to the present invention.

  In this embodiment, when the stop buttons 7a to 7c are pressed and pushed from the non-operation position S to the operation position R, the stop buttons 7a to 7c pass through the intermediate position T as shown in FIG. In this case, since the operation position index unit 46 of the stop buttons 7a to 7c crosses the path of the operation position detection transmission wave L2, the reflected wave L2a of the operation position detection transmission wave L2 reflected by the operation position index unit 46 Will be received temporarily by the distance sensor 57. Similarly, when releasing the finger from the stop buttons 7a to 7c pushed into the operation position R and returning to the non-operation position S by the biasing force of the coil spring 45, the operation position indicator 46 of the stop buttons 7a to 7c In order to cross the path of the operation position detection transmission wave L2, the distance sensor 57 temporarily receives the reflected wave L2a of the operation position detection transmission wave L2 reflected by the operation position index unit 46. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the stop buttons 7a to 7c are pressed, the operation position detection signals relating to the stop buttons 7a to 7c are temporarily turned on, and when the hands are released from the stop buttons 7a to 7c. Also, the operation position detection signal relating to the stop buttons 7a to 7c is temporarily turned on.

  In the present embodiment, the main control device 20 operates the stop buttons 7a to 7c when the operation position detection signal related to the effective stop buttons 7a to 7c is switched from OFF to ON as in the first embodiment. judge. Then, the stop positions of the reels 9a to 9c corresponding to the stop buttons 7a to 7c are determined, and the reels 9a to 9c are stopped at the stop positions. As described above, in the present embodiment, even when the stop buttons 7a to 7c return from the operation position R to the non-operation position S, the operation position detection signal related to the stop buttons 7a to 7c switches from OFF to ON. However, when the main control unit 20 depresses the stop buttons 7a to 7c from the non-operation position S to the intermediate position T, the stop buttons 7a to 7c do not operate the stop buttons 7a to 7c. The signal when returning to the non-operation position S is invalid.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the operation position index unit 46 of the stop buttons 7a to 7c pushed into the operation position R is retracted from the path of the transmission wave L2 for detecting the operation position and its reflected wave L2a. Even when the stop buttons 7a to 7c are pressed in the state where the other stop buttons 7a to 7c are pushed into the operation position R, the main control device 20 operates the stop buttons 7a to 7c based on the operation position detection signal. It can detect the operation. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the main control device 20 can detect the operation of each of the stop buttons 7a to 7c more accurately than in the first embodiment.

  The gaming machine of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  Further, although the above embodiment is an application of the present invention to a slot machine, the present invention is applicable not only to slot machines but also to game machines such as pachinko machines.

  In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to each of the reels 9a to 9c and the stop buttons 7a to 7c, but the present invention is also applicable to reels for effect, and other than the stop buttons The present invention is also applicable to the operation buttons of the above, and is also applicable not only to the reels and the operation buttons but also to a plurality of movable roles arranged in a line. In the above embodiment, although the number of movable objects (reels 9a to 9c and stop buttons 7a to 7c) according to the present invention is three in all, the number of movable objects according to the present invention is two. It may be four or more. In the above embodiment, the main control unit 20 finally detects the positions of the reels 9a to 9c and the stop buttons 7a to 7c, but the position of the movable object according to the present invention is the position of the sub control unit 21 or the like. It may be detected by another control device.

  Further, the distance sensor according to the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the distance sensors 37 and 57 in the above embodiment, and the existing distance sensor can be widely adopted. For example, although the distance sensors 37 and 57 of the above-described embodiment measure distance by the Time-of-Flight method, they may measure distance by other methods. Further, the transmission wave used by the distance sensor to measure the distance is not limited to the infrared light, and may be another electromagnetic wave or an ultrasonic wave.

  In the above embodiment, the reflecting plates 35 and 55 are disposed at positions facing the distance sensors 37 and 57. However, the reflecting plates 35 and 55 are not essential components of the present invention, and the transmitting waves L1 and L5 are not essential. If L2 does not reflect at the indicator portions 16 and 46, the transmission waves L1 and L2 may not be reflected.

  In the above embodiment, the distance sensor 37 is disposed outside the reel unit 10. However, the distance sensor according to the present invention can be disposed inside the reels 9a to 9c.

  In the above embodiment, the distance signals of the distance sensors 37, 57 are converted into the reference position detection signal or the operation position detection signal and then output to the main control device 20. However, the distance signals of the distance sensors 37, 57 are May be directly output to the main control device 20, and the main control device 20 may determine the positions of the reels 9a to 9c and the stop buttons 7a to 7c based on the distance signal. Further, in the above embodiment, although the reference position detection device 36 and the operation position detection device 56 are directly connected to the main control device 20 by the lead wires, the connection of these may be via a relay board. .

  In the above embodiment, the entire reel frame 25 is formed of a transparent resin material that transmits the reference position detection transmission wave L1 and its reflected wave L1a without reflecting it, but the reference position detection transmission wave L1 Only the portion that may be disposed in the path of the reflected wave L1a may be made of the transparent resin material.

  In the above embodiment, the transmission wave L2 for detecting the operation position and its reflected wave L2a pass behind the button holder 43 of each of the button devices 42a to 42c, but an opening is formed on the side surface of the button holder 43 The operation position detection transmission wave L2 and the reflected wave L2a thereof may be configured to penetrate the inside of each of the button devices 42a to 42c. When this configuration is adopted, the operation position index unit 46 is configured to move to a position disposed in the path of the operation position detection transmission wave L2 and a position retracted from the path inside the button holder 43. do it.

1 Slot machine (game machine)
2 Case (main game machine)
3 Front door (game machine body)
7a, 7b, 7c Stop button (Operation button: Movable object)
9a, 9b, 9c, 9d Reel (movable)
10 Reel unit 13 Base member (holding member)
14 Reel motor (stepping motor)
16, 16a, 16b, 16c Reference position indicator (index)
20 Main control device (reel control means)
Reference Signs List 26 rotating shaft portion 28 outer peripheral portion 29 connecting portion 35, 55 reflective plate 36, 36a reference position detection device 37, 57 distance sensor 37a, 57a transmitter 37b, 57b receiver 38 reference position detection signal generation circuit 40 stop button unit 42a, 42b, 42c Button device 43 Button holder (holding member)
45 coil spring (biasing means)
46 Operation position indicator (Indicator)
56 Operation position detection device 58 Operation position detection signal generation circuit L1, L3 Reference position detection transmission wave (transmission wave)
L2 Transmitted wave for detecting operating position (transmitted wave)
L1a, L2a, L3a Reflected wave P Reference position (approach position)
Q Non-reference position (Retraction position)
R operation position S non-operation position T middle position

Further, in the present invention, each of the movable objects is a reel, and the reel includes a rotary shaft portion, an outer peripheral portion, and a connecting portion connecting the rotary shaft portion and the outer peripheral portion. The indicator portion is disposed inward of the outer peripheral portion, and the connection portion is a portion of the distance sensor that can be disposed in the transmission wave and the reflected wave path, the transmission wave and the reflected wave. It is proposed that it is formed of a transparent material.

Claims (7)

A plurality of movable objects arranged in a row and arranged to be movable individually;
A transmitter for transmitting a transmission wave from one end side to the other end of the array of the plurality of movable objects, and a receiver for receiving a reflection wave of the transmission wave, the reflection position of the transmission wave And a distance sensor that outputs a signal in a mode according to the distance to the
Each movable object has an index unit capable of reflecting the transmission wave, and an entry position at which the index unit is disposed in a path of the transmission wave, and a retraction position at which the index unit retracts from the path of the transmission wave And can be converted to
In the index unit, the distance from the distance sensor at the approach position is different for each movable object,
The distance sensor outputs a signal of a mode different in the case where the transmission wave is reflected by any of the index parts and the case where the transmission wave is not reflected in any of the index parts, and further, the transmission wave A game machine characterized by outputting a signal of a different aspect depending on which of the movable objects reflected by the indicator part. The movable objects are movably held relative to the holding member,
2. The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein the distance sensor and the holding member are independently attached to the gaming machine body in a detachable manner. Each movable object is an operation button,
The operation button is urged by the urging means to a non-operating position projecting to the front of the gaming machine main body, and is pressed against the urging force of the urging means, thereby performing a predetermined operation from the non-operating position. It is arranged to be moved to the operation position,
The non-operating position and the operating position of the operating button are the retracted position, and a predetermined position between the non-operating position and the operating position is the entering position. The gaming machine according to Item 2. The movable objects are reels,
The reel includes a rotating shaft portion, an outer peripheral portion, and a connecting portion connecting the rotating shaft portion and the outer peripheral portion.
The index portion is disposed inward of the outer peripheral portion,
The said connection part is formed by the material which the said transmission wave and reflected wave permeate | transmit, and the part which may be arrange | positioned to the said transmission wave of the said distance sensor and the path of the said reflected wave is characterized by the above-mentioned. The gaming machine according to 2.   5. The gaming machine according to claim 4, wherein an angle width of the index portion with respect to the rotation direction of the reel is wider as the angle width is larger on the reel farther from the distance sensor. Each of the reels is configured to pass through the entry position once every rotation.
A reel control unit configured to rotationally drive each of the reels by a stepping motor;
The reel control means
When the distance sensor outputs a signal corresponding to the distance to the indicator portion of the reel during rotational driving of the reel, the distance sensor is configured to determine that the reel is at the entry position;
Furthermore, while the distance sensor rotates the reel by a predetermined angle of 360 ° or more, the distance sensor does not output a signal according to the distance to the indicator part related to the reel, and the reel and the distance sensor The present invention is characterized in that, when there is another said reel being rotationally driven, it is determined that said reel is at said entering position at the same time as said other reel during the above. The gaming machine described in. A second distance sensor different from the distance sensor;
The second distance sensor receives a reflected wave of the second transmission wave, and a transmitter that transmits a second transmission wave from the other end of the arrangement of the plurality of movable objects toward the one end. And a receiver, which outputs a signal according to the distance to the reflection position of the second transmission wave,
The indicator portion of each movable object can reflect the second transmission wave of the second distance sensor,
Each of the movable objects is configured such that the indicator unit is disposed on the path of the second transmission wave at the entry position, and the indicator unit retreats from the path of the second transmission wave at the retraction position. ,
The gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein in the index portion, the distance from the second distance sensor at the entry position is different for each of the movable objects. .

Images